Uh oh...Now What?

Well, this morning I thought I'd be nice and make pancakes for breakfast. When I told the kids, they were ecstatic. Then I realized, as I was mixing up the dry ingredients, that I had run out of baking powder. I'm still no expert, but my guess is that leaving out the baking powder would decrease the "cake" part of pancakes significantly. So I Google "out of baking powder" and found several links explaining that you may substitute two parts cream of tartar and one part baking soda. The caution with this substitution is that you must use it immediately, because the chemical reaction when added to the wet ingredients is temporary. This matters little if you are baking or preparing right away, but you wouldn't want to save left over batter or prepare ahead. Anyway, we had vanilla oatmeal pancakes and they were so thick and fluffy, I may use the "home made" baking powder from now on, at least in pancake batter. I haven't baked anything with it yet, so that will be my next experiment. Tune in next time for more "uh oh" quick fixes!

Hello, World!!

Once again, I have been so busy that I have failed to fit blogging into my schedule. I am making a resolution, though, to get back on the horse, or something like that! I have been inspired by some really great pages on Facebook, and now, with our next adventure on the horizon, I feel like sharing again. We are buying ten acres in the country, building a house and looking for every way to make the land pay for itself. We will be growing as much of our produce as we can, keeping free range laying hens for fresh eggs, raising grass-fed cattle for meat and milk, and my dream is to also board horses. Of course, it is a process and nothing will happen overnight, but our family is so excited!
So, our summer is in full swing and it has been in the high 90's until evening. Because of this, I have been challenges to make meals without heating up the house. I still want to do as much from scratch, and as economically, as possible. Yesterday was our big, biweekly shopping trip, then last night we were busy until late, so today I was feeling less than excited about making breakfast. I thought about oatmeal, since it's pretty quick and easy. The drawback is that my daughter just almost won't eat it. Then, I had an idea that saved the day, and me from standing on my feet over a hot stove.
I only use old fashion rolled oats. It doesn't take much more time to prep, and it goes much further. We have used Irish oatmeal, which is awesome and even better for you, but it is a bit labor intensive and I can't really spend most of an hour making breakfast. Maybe when my kids are older and less needy. Anyway, this morning I remembered how much we loved the instant oatmeal with all the fruit growing up, and my kids used to love it, before I decided that it was full of sugar and pretty expensive! I came up with our own, very tasty version. I cooked the oatmeal per the directions, but I chopped up strawberries and threw them in while it was cooking. As the berries warmed, they naturally broke down a bit and sweetened the oatmeal. To finish, I just added a touch more sugar and some milk for that extra creamy texture. This was so easy, but it was a big hit with all the kids. This may not seem like a true revelation, but it helped us start our day off happy. 

The Happy Accident That Turned Out Delicious!

Last night I decided to try out a recipe I got from Giada at Home. I just love her and this sounded yummy and like something my family would enjoy. It was supposed to be Penne in Almond Sauce (I included the link so you can see original recipe). However, I miscalculated somewhere, had the wrong pasta and it turned out different than anticipated. The recipe calls for 2 cups of slivered almonds. Apparently, 2 cups of whole almonds is quite a bit more. The recipe also calls for 2 cups chicken broth. Instead of store bought, I used some that I had kept from another dinner and frozen. In hind sight, it occurs to me that mine was much thicker than the broth from a can. To clarify, the recipe instructs one to blend the broth, almonds, some garlic cloves and olive oil together. You are then to simmer this in a saute pan to thicken and reduce. What came out of my blender was already so thick that I nicknamed it almond hummus. I tried to thin it with some water as I heated it, but after adding the heavy cream, it was still so thick I had to ladle some out to make room to stir in the chicken. Also, I thought when I was shopping that I still had a box of penne at home. I was wrong, so last night I had to use spaghetti. What came out was what I will lovingly call Chicken Spaghetti in Almond Sauce. It was amazing! Even my picky two year old, who often survives on bird sized bites here and there, ate it up. So here's to accidents in the kitchen that result in yummy food, rather than small kitchen fires!

I would encourage you to try Giada's recipe, which we will try again, but if you're interested, here's my revised version:

Chicken Spaghetti with Almond Sauce
1 1/2 C. Almonds
3 Garlic Cloves
2 C. Chicken Broth (definitely use the store bought)
1/4 C. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3/4 C. Heavy Cream
1/2 C. Water
1 lb Cooked Chicken, cut to bite size pieces
1 box Spaghetti
2 C. Parmesan, grated


Boil spaghetti according to directions. Puree the almonds, garlic, olive oil and chicken broth in a blender. Add water as needed. Heat over medium-high in a saute pan. Once heated through, reduce heat to medium and stir in the heavy cream and salt and pepper to taste. Add in chicken and heat until chicken warmed through. The original recipe called for peas as well, which sounds amazing but wouldn't have worked for my family. If you want to add in some frozen peas, add with the chicken. Once spaghetti is just cooked, drain and toss in 1 cup of the Parmesan. Toss pour on the almond sauce and toss to combine. Then add remaining Parmesan and toss. Serve quickly!

Love, Love, Love This Easy Ice Cream Recipe!

Too easy not to make it!

I was curious about making ice cream without an ice cream maker. So, I went to the library, meaning I Googled it. I knew there must be a way, and I'd seen different ideas on the Food Network, they were labor intensive, involving hours of scraping and hand churning. Well, I hit the jackpot! This blog, Kevin and Amanda.com, had the answer and it was only the third search result. I'll spare you the details and encourage you to read their blog, but I'll tell you of the two recipes I've tried so far. The basic recipe calls for one can Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk and one pint heavy whipping cream, whipped. The trick is to mix in any flavors or extras with the condensed milk, then fold in the whipped cream. Super easy! They have four different recipes on their blog, but I wanted to go for a family favorite, so first I tried mint chocolate chip. I put about a teaspoon of mint extract in with a roughly chopped chocolate bar. Then, after letting it freeze for a day, we all enjoyed it. I will warm you that the condensed milk has an almost nutty flavor, and I needed more mint to cover that.
So, for my next try, I crushed up 3/4 a package of whole Oreo sandwich cookies. I love getting bites of cookie, not just the flavor. This was perfect! It was delicious and cookie filled and a huge hit with everyone that tried it. The ice cream took on the flavor of the cream in the cookies and definitely disguised the Eagle brand taste. I'll warn you also that the recipe calls for at least 6 hours in the freezer, but it was my experience that both times it was better texturally and well frozen after a full day. Try it! You won't be sorry.

Family Favorite and Big Hit After Shelving Recipe For a Year

Pasta shells stuffed to the brim and drenched in Alfredo!

I pulled out an old favorite that my kids have been asking about for some time now. It is rare that they request anything but pizza or mac-n-cheese, so I do try to take them seriously when they want something real. I got the recipe from a magazine and tried it the way it was written the first time, three years ago. We decided it needed a lot of work, but wasn't worth abandoning altogether. So, after multiple variations, this is what we landed on, and what my picky children have asked for by name.

Stuffed Shells With Alfredo
1 Box of Pasta Shells (You can count out 20-22 shells, rather than cooking whole box, because I've only ever been able to fit up to 22 shells in a 9x13 baking dish)
5 Cans of Tuna or Salmon (use the pouches instead, to avoid any bones), drained
Handful of Chopped Cilantro
1/2 Red Onion, chopped
1 C Bread Crumbs
1 Lemon, juice of
1 Egg
1/2 C Shredded Mozzarella
1 Jar Prepared Alfredo Sauce (or your own home made, which is what we did this time)
Grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta, just to al dente. If it's too soft, then the shells tear and won't be easily stuffed. Once the pasta is cooked, drain the hot water and fill the pot with cool water. This will keep shells from sticking and drying out until you're ready for them. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, except for the Alfredo. Mix until well blended. Pour a bit of Alfredo into a greased 9x13 baking dish and spread around to coat. Using a large spoon, scoop the stuffing into a pasta shell and place in the baking dish. Continue stuffing shells until your pan is full. Pour remaining Alfredo over the top of the shells. Finish with grated Parmesan. Bake at 425 for approx 20 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly and the cheese has browned slightly.

This was a major hit with my husband and my children. Plus, after not making it for so long, they were bound to love it, but they said this was the best it's ever turned out!

Yummy Snack In A Hurry

Everyday I have to endure the same questions from my children. It's inevitable and not extraordinary in anyway, but there are days when I think I can't stand to hear the same questions even once more. They usually come in this order :

1. What's for breakfast?
2. What's for snack?
3. What's my daily chore?
4. Can I turn on the t.v.?
And the one that so stresses me out...
5. What's for dinner?

These are simple requests and when you have children who are still largely reliant upon you for everything, it isn't really their fault. The dinner question really only stresses me because we have some very picky people in this family, so most days I tell them they'll find out when it hits the table. Otherwise, I run the risk that by telling them, I get the slump of the shoulders and the eye roll if the menu doesn't meet their approval. I'm rather old-school, in that, I think we are to be thankful for everything provided and eat what's prepared. It doesn't mean I don't dread that reaction when they don't want what I've spent two hours making.
So, today we walked in after school and question number two popped up. Tomorrow is my big, twice a month shopping trip, so the pantry is desperately low on snack items. Much to my chagrin, so is the fruit drawer. When I realized there was nothing quick and available for the hungry bunch, I jumped on Supercook.com, where there is the handiest little tool called a recipe finder. You just type in your ingredients and it pulls up all the recipes that you could make. I entered brown sugar, milk, eggs, flour and peanut butter, hoping for some quick cookie or other item that I could throw together. I found an easy recipe for butterscotch pudding on AllRecipes.com. It turned out great and I end up with kid points for the day. I must say that usually I try to make healthier snacks, fruit and cheese, granola, yogurt, etc. In a pinch, though, I'm not above making something sweet just to get by until grocery day!
Here's the recipe:

Butterscotch Pudding
Ingredients:

• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

In a saucepan, combine sugar, flour, eggs, salt and milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture starts to bubble and thicken. Remove from heat. Blend in vanilla with hand beater. Pour into dessert cups and chill.

Deer Season And We Are So Excited!

Notice the darker red color of ground venison.

My husband loves to hunt and has many friends who, fellow hunter themselves, bless us with deer meat in various cuts. Because I didn't grow up eating it, I had to learn to prepare it. It turns out, it's not that different from other meat when it comes to cooking it. Yesterday we were blessed with four pounds of ground deer meat, so I thawed two pounds and we made deer burgers! It was really delicious and we felt good about eating healthy. If you aren't familiar with it, venison, or deer meat, is very lean and therefore a healthier choice than beef. I'm looking forward to Hubby bagging a deer this year and then we'll get to really explore the different cuts.
Anyway, it was chilly last night, so rather than making Rich fire up the grill, I made the burgers in a skillet. The key to burgers of any kind is not to overwork the meat when forming the burgers, and also never to smash the burgers while cooking. I know, its tempting. We are almost hard-wired into thinking that flat burgers are the way to go, since so many of us were probably raised eating a lot of fast food. However, making fat, juicy burgers is far more satisfying and they are more tender. Here's my recipe:

Served on homemade buns with bbq sauce and mayo, topped with cheese and grilled onions. Yummy!

Deer Burgers

2 lb Ground Venison
1/2 Medium Onion, chopped
2-3 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Tsp Dried Oregano
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Pepper
1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Gently work the meat and seasonings with your hands until well blended. Form your burgers gently, just molding the patties into shape, instead of rolling into balls and flattening. Heat skillet over medium-high heat. You may lower just a touch, if the burgers seem to be cooking to fast on the outside. I like to turn my patties frequently, to get even heating throughout as well as good color on the outside. In between turns, I keep a lid on to trap the heat in. You know they're finished when you can pierce the burger with a fork and the juice is clear, not bloody. Don't over cook, though. Garnish with cheese and your favorite veggies. I served mine on home made buns using the Amish White Bread recipe. I adjusted the baking time, though, since it was buns not whole loaves.

Yummy and Cheap Granola!

I've been looking for an easy recipe for home made granola. We love granola; whether its in our yogurt or as a snack or cereal, my family will eat it up! However, it is rather pricey in any form. Finally I found this perfect and quick recipe on All Recipes. I made it last night and, after tasting it, made another batch. I knew it wouldn't last long around my house. We didn't have any dried fruit to add, so I just threw in some chopped almonds. The recipe says to add the fruit and almonds after cooking, but I threw the almonds while cooking in the butter and sugar mixture, just to get a good coating. I also laid the granola on some wax paper on a dinner plate to cool, then broke into small pieces after it cooled. Next time, though, I think I might press it down tight in a loaf pan and then cut it into bars. I did try it in some milk for breakfast this morning, and I'm happy to report that it stayed crunchy and was a delicious breakfast! Here's the recipe:

Stovetop Granola

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/3 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
 

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oats then cook and stir until starting to brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and spread out on a cookie sheet to cool.
2. Melt the butter in the same pan over medium heat. Stir in the honey and brown sugar; cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly. Return the oats to the pan. Cook and stir for another 5 minutes or so. Pour out onto the cookie sheet and spread to cool.
3. Once cool, transfer to an airtight container and stir in the almonds and dried cranberries. Any additional nuts and fruit can be stirred in at this time also.

Alfredo Sauce Is Not So Scary When You Cheat!

If you've read my blog, you know that I had to learn how to make "The Sauce" (Italians call it by several names, including marinara, gravy, etc.) when I got married. My husband was raised with traditional Italian food and home made everything. By his admission, I've mastered the tomato based variety of Italian sauce, but I use to by a little intimidated by Alfredo sauce. It contain lots of expensive ingredients and if you mess it up, either scorch it or curdle it, you have to throw it out. I've made it the old fashioned way once or twice, but it was labor intensive and had to be timed just right with the rest of the meal.
Then, I learned to make Bechamel sauce. It's basically a white sauce that is used in lasagnas and other pasta dishes, or over vegetables. The thing about Bechamel, it's the perfect base for Alfredo! So, instead of buying heavy cream, that I won't be able to use up before it expires, I've learned to make Alfredo with 2% milk and no stress! Here's the recipe, but don't tell anyone where you found it, because I pass it off without anyone knowing the difference!

Easy Alfredo Sauce

5 Tbsp Butter
4 Tbsp Flour
2 C. Whole or 2% Milk
1 Clove Garlic, Minced
1 to 1 1/2 C. Shredded Italian Cheese (I have used the store blend, or any combination of mozzarella, Parmesan, Romano and Asiago, depending on what's in my fridge)
Salt and pepper to taste (I say this because in my house, there's no such thing as too much pepper)

Start by melting the butter in a sauce pan over med-high heat. You should keep a small whisk handy to stir, and to avoid your butter burning. When the butter just starts to bubble, start whisking in the flour, one tablespoon at a time, until you have a roux, or a thick, creamy looking mixture. Add in the milk and bring to boil. You need to babysit the pan, because with milk, there is always a chance of boiling over. The reason you need to bring it to a boil is to help cook out the flour and starch taste before adding your cheeses. Reduce the heat to just below medium, stirring the sauce almost constantly. You'll notice it thickening up. Once you have allowed the sauce to cool a bit, enough that it is no longer bubbling, you can gradually add your cheeses. The important part here is that if the sauce is too hot, your cheese will curdle and leave hard little lumps instead of melting smoothly. You should whisk slowly, keeping the cheese moving in the sauce as it melts. Add in your garlic, salt and pepper and continue to cook until the flavors are well blended. You will want to test several spoonfuls until it is how you like it. For a less intense garlic flavor, you can add the garlic clove, cut in half, with the milk, then fish it out at the end. I like to throw in one more tablespoon of butter right at the end, just for an extra silky texture. Serve on your favorite pasta!

My New Favorite Recipe

Don't need to to say much for this except I wanted to try a different bread recipe and this one stood out. It was simple, with fewer ingredients and I even used all purpose flour instead of bread flour. It turned out beautifully! It was almost like a dessert, it tasted so good. The only issue we have is, once again, with home made bread around, people want to eat it all the time. It was originally something I started to save money and reduce the preservatives in our diet. I'm not sure it hasn't backfired, though, because the store bought bread lasted almost a week per loaf. This bread is lucky to survive the day! Here's the recipe, which I found on All Recipes.com.

Amish White Bread

Ingredients

• 2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 6 cups bread flour

Directions

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.
2. Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
3. Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.

A New Twist On An Old Favorite

My husband was in the mood for chili, but I didn't have any ground beef or corn chips (in our house, chili really means Frito Pie). So, I decided to try my hand at white chicken chili. I had been wanting to try this for awhile anyway. I have an over-abundance of chicken on hand, because we buy it 20-lb at a time. I started with some olive oil and butter in my dutch oven, over med-high heat. I rough cut the chicken down to bite size pieces, but I refuse to cube it, since cubed chicken has always kind of grossed me out. It seemed unnatural and makes me think of processed meat. Anyway, I tossed the chicken in some oregano, garlic powder, cumin, ground red pepper, salt and black pepper. Then I browned it in the oil and butter, just cooking it for about 5 minutes or so, then flipping it to cook on other side, until just cooked and golden brown. I then removed the chicken from the pan, using a slotted spoon, and kept it in a covered bowl so it didn't cool off too much. I threw in chopped purple onion, chopped cilantro and the rest of my seasoning mix, which consists of the same seasoning I used on the chicken. Once the onions and garlic had softened, I whisked in about 4 tbsp of flour to create a roux (this is a thick base for soup, sauce or gravy).  I added in chicken broth, brought it to a boil then reduced to simmer for about 30 minutes, covered. Now, as you know if you've read my blog before, I don't like boring, one-color meals. So, even though the name of this dish is white chicken chili, I have to spice it up and make it pretty. After my chili had reduced and thickened up, I threw in a can of black beans and a can of corn, along with the cooked chicken and more chopped cilantro. This made it much more interesting. After it cooked a bit longer, to make sure everything was warmed through, it was ready to serve. I fill bowls with blue corn chips, topped with chili and finished with shredded Colby jack cheese. Voila! New twist on an old favorite. Here's the actual recipe.

White Chicken Chili

3lb Chicken Breast, cut to bite size pieces
3 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tbsp Butter
1/2 Medium Red Onion, chopped
4 tbsp Flour
4 c. Chicken Broth
1 can Corn
1 can Black Beans
2 Handfuls Fresh Cilantro (roughly 2 tsp once chopped)

Seasoning Mix:
1 tsp Garlic Salt
2 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Dried Oregano Leaves
1/2 tsp Ground Red

In a dutch oven or 4 qt pot, heat oil and butter over med-high heat. Toss the chicken in 1 tbsp of the seasoning mix. Add to the pot and brown, cooking for about 10 minutes, turning half way through. Once chicken is cooked through, remove from the pot using slotted spoon. Place chicken in a bowl and cover to keep warm. To the pot, add chopped onion, half the cilantro and the remainder of your seasoning mix. Cook until your onions soften, then whisk in the flour, sprinkling it in a little at a time to avoid lumps. Let it bubble a bit longer, whisking the whole time, then add in your chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover, for about 30 minutes. Add in your chicken, corn, beans and cilantro and cook for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, to warm through.

Serve with chips and cheese.
Makes apprx 6 servings.  

Standing In The Pantry Doorway & Feeling Adventurous

So, I was looking in my pantry on Sunday morning, considering breakfast options. I like to make something fun on Sundays, since I usually have enough time and we have breakfast late, so we won't be ravenous after church. This particular Sunday, I was feeling very rough, suffering with a sinus infection, so while I wanted to try something fun, I didn't have a lot of energy to devote to a big production. Then, something caught my eye: a box of instant chocolate pudding. The wheels started turning and I thought, I wonder what would happen if I put that in my pancakes. I said a little prayer and got to work. I had a basic pancake recipe, but was low on milk. So I had to use water, and I just added it gradually until I got the right consistency. I also threw in some instant oatmeal, so it would still be breakfast and not just dessert.
I tasted the batter and dove in. I made four silver dollar pancakes to start. I tried one and let the kids try one. We decided it needed something else. I threw in some extra sugar and a tablespoon of cocoa powder, because the chocolate seemed a little dull once cooked on the griddle. That was the key. The chocolate pudding itself tastes rich and chocolaty, but part of that is texture. Once cooked into my pancake batter, it was almost too mild. The next round of pancakes was perfect! They are more dense than traditional pancakes, but yummy and moist. We didn't need any syrup, just a pat of butter. The neat thing about the instant oatmeal is that it doesn't effect the texture much. The kids didn't even know I'd put it in until I told them. Here's the final recipe, but feel free to take it and make it your own. I think next time I'll try butterscotch pudding and add the little butterscotch chips!

Chocolate Pudding & Oatmeal Pancakes

2 C. A.P. Flour
2 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
5 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
2 Eggs
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Box Instant Chocolate Pudding
1 C. Quick Cook Oatmeal
2 1/2 C. Water (Started with 1 1/2 and added more until I reached the desired consistency)

Mix all dry ingredients first. Whisk wet ingredients in separate bowl, then slowly incorporate into dry mixture. Heat griddle over medium-high and make some cakes!

Ode To The Potato...How I Love Thee In Any Form

I realize there may appear to be a theme lately. Whether it's my Irish roots or just more cravings, I love potatoes. I could eat them with every meal. I remember that last time I was pregnant, I made a hash brown casserole, one of my favorite holiday potluck dishes. My picky family didn't really care to eat this more than once, so over the course of four days, I took care of most of it myself. The next week, I made a large pot of the potato soup from yesterday and lived on that for a few days. Now, this may serve as evidence that I just crave starch when I've got a bun in the oven. Either way, can't get enough of it. So, I'm whipping up this cheesy hash brown casserole and I won't even feel bad if I'm the only one eating it! Here's the recipe:

      Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole

• 1 (2 pound) package frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups crushed cornflakes cereal
• 1/4 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine hash browns, 1/2 cup melted butter, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, chopped onion, Cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Place mixture in a 3 quart casserole dish. Pour the crushed corn flakes over the mixture, covering everything to the edges of the dish. Pour the 1/4 cup melted butter over the corn flakes. Bake covered in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until corn flakes are golden brown and cheese is bubbling.

The Smell Of My Favorite Comfort Food Filling The House

Growing up, my grandmother and my mom both made this wonderful soup that I've never found anywhere else. Potato soup! Now, before you ask the address of the rock beneath which I must have lived all my life, let me explain. I know they didn't invent the concept. I've had potato soup elsewhere and from a can. I would almost qualify all those other versions as chowders. Anytime I have had opportunity to eat potato soup, not made by my mom, it was very thick and often dressed up with bacon bits or cheese. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
The soup I grew up on was thin and delicious! It was basically boiling boiling potatoes with onion, much like preparing to make mashed potatoes. Then, once they're cooked, you drain the water, add milk and a whole lot of butter, salt and pepper. Bring just to boil, then its done! We always crumbled saltine crackers into the bowl with the soup and it made this starchy mush that was "to die for!" It probably sounds strange to someone who's never had it this way. I wouldn't have it any other way.
I do like to tweak things and dress them up a bit, though. I'm also almost morally opposed to serving a meal that's all one color. The answer to this is, of course, garnish. So, today, I'm while I'm typing this, I'm smelling the wonderful potato/onion combo on the stove top. However, we don't keep saltines in the pantry, so I've decided to make croutons from my home made bread. I just melted some butter, cubed a big chunk of bread, tossed in it the butter. Then I put this in the oven on a baking sheet, preheated to 250, and turned the oven off. The croutons will be prefect by the time my soup is ready.
Now, for those of you that never leave for a road trip without a map and never attempt a meal without a recipe, I hear you. Here's an actual recipe:

Potato Soup
3-4 Medium Potatoes, Peeled, Chopped to Bite-size
1/2 Medium Onion, Chopped
Appx. 1 1/2 C. Milk
4 Tbsp Butter
Salt and Pepper to taste (I will remind you that potatoes are the black hole of seasoning and you will need to apply liberally)

In a 3-4 qt pot, boil the chopped potatoes and onion, until potatoes are fork-tender. Drain the water, pour in the milk and the butter. You just need enough milk to cover your veggies. Heat until it just starts to bubble. Turn off the heat and stir in your salt and pepper. You can always substitute the onion with scallions. Its a sharper taste and will break the all white rule so you won't feel so monochromatic.  This makes appx. 4 servings. Enjoy!

I Love To open The Windows & Put On A Sweater!

Autumn in the Ozarks

This is one of my favorite moments of the year. I love when it starts to cool down over night and we can turn off the A/C and let that wonderful breeze blow through the open windows all day and night. I love having to wear sleeves in the morning, but still pulling off flip-flops all day. The crispness in the air signifies, not only the change in season, but the beginning of the most fun, and sometimes hectic time of year. Soon it will fall festivals and pumpkin carvings, jumping in piles of multi-hued leaves, earlier dusk and the smell of cinnamon in the air. It is also the beginning of what I refer to as the "candy season." While I turn into a baking fanatic, trying new cookies and cakes and reviving old favorites, the holidays bring with them a ton of candy. From Halloween to Easter, we almost can't get rid of it all. Just when the glucose levels start to level out, there's another school party or family gathering that inevitably ends with more bags, boxes or tins of candy!!
It's ok, though. We portion it out as much as we can, without disrupting our daily routine too much. Then, of course, after bed time every night, whole handfuls disappear "mysteriously," with help from my husband and I. The funny part is, the kids are on to Daddy, but they think I'm a sugar-Nazi, so they never suspect me of candy-thieving. I'm not under any illusions, though, that just because the baked treats that I can't stop making aren't individually wrapped, doesn't mean they're any more nutritious or less sugary. I just prefer to know that what they're eating was hand-made with love and I know exactly what ingredients are involved.
That being said, I can't wait to try out a recipe for mini pumpkin tarts! My Mom made it years ago and I've always wanted to try it again. The original recipe came from Pampered Chef, but we tweaked it a bit. Here's the recipe, and I'll post pictures as soon as I get a chance.

Spiced Pumpkin Tartlets

1 package (15 ounces) refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts) (Or You could sub Phyllo Mini Tart Shells & Follow Directions for Prep)
1 can (15 ounces) solid pack pumpkin
2 cups thawed, frozen whipped topping
1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 package (3.4 ounces) cheesecake instant pudding and pie filling
Powdered sugar (optional)
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
1 small orange (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Allow pie crusts to stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Roll 1 crust into a 12-inch circle. Using a scalloped bread tube, cut out 12 pastry pieces (9 from outer edge and 3 from center of pastry circle); press 1 into each cup of a stoneware muffin pan. Prick bottom of pastry with pastry tool. Bake 14-18 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes. Remove tart shells from pan to cooling rack; cool completely. Repeat with remaining crust to make 24 tart shells.

2. Meanwhile, combine pumpkin, whipped topping and spice blend in a bowl; whisk until smooth. Add pudding mix; whisk until smooth and thickened. Refrigerate until ready to use.

3. Lightly sprinkle tart shells with powdered sugar, if desired. Attach open star tip to a decorator; fill with pumpkin mixture. Pipe into tart shells. Chop pecans; sprinkle over tartlets. Zest orange; sprinkle zest over tartlets, if desired.

Yield: 24 tartlets

Tart shells and filling can be prepared up to 1 day in advance. Store shells in resealable plastic food storage bag at room temperature. Store filling, covered, in the refrigerator; fill tart shells just before serving.

I'm Officially Breaking Up With Betty Crocker!

I grew up on box cakes, brownies and cookie mixes. My mother was a single parent of three for seven years, so the majority of the time, we did things the quickest way possible. Even my grandmother tended toward the mixes, instead of from scratch. Its not that they never made things without mixes, but it was a rare occasion. Therefore, when I thought of baking, it always started with a box, featuring a picture of your chosen project on the front.
Lately, I've been trying everything from scratch. Its an adventure! The upside is, though, once you have the basics in your pantry, you can make most anything on a whim, rather than having to go buy the kit at the store. Every pantry, even the novice, should have vanilla extract, baking powder and soda, sugar, salt, flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, powdered sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil and you must have butter, eggs and milk in the fridge. Now, I'll warn you, there are many more traditional recipes, like pie crusts or breads that also call for shortening, so when you get really brave, you might invest in that, as well. These things are inexpensive and most of them have a long shelf life and you can keep them on hand for whatever projects you might want to try. Yesterday, I found this brownie recipe on the outside of my cocoa powder canister. Well, I didn't have a choice... I had to try it! Once I tasted the first brownie, I knew I could never go back. Here's the recipe, copied from verybestbaking.com, so I didn't have to type it again. This is a good reference site for lots of recipes. Hope you enjoy!

Chewy Cocoa Brownies
Ingredients

1 2/3 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, melted

2 tablespoons water

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Baking Cocoa

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Powdered sugar

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350º F. Grease 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

COMBINE granulated sugar, butter and water in large bowl. Stir in eggs and vanilla extract. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in medium bowl; stir into sugar mixture. Stir in nuts. Spread into prepared baking pan.

BAKE for 18 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out slightly sticky. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into bars.

Midnight Meringues and Mixing in the Laundry Room

The other night I was awake and craving something sweet. My husband was at work and my youngest had fallen asleep on the couch (he's not feeling well), so I was on my own. I thought about meringue cookies and decided that was just the thing. I didn't want to wake anyone, though, so I took my hand mixer into the laundry room. Then, using the washing machine as my counter top, I whipped up some very pretty, opalescent, stiff egg whites. I had a sense of the ridiculous and giggled a bit, but that made it even more fun. Now, my favorite meringue cookies are mint cocoa, but I was out of cocoa and chocolate chips. The only chocolate in the house was a little bottle of chocolate sprinkles. Done! I put my peppermint extract in and then, as a finishing touch, I dotted the little dollops of meringue with chocolate sprinkles. The result was delicious and subtle. I'll warn you, though, that midnight meringues are not for the faint of heart or the must-have-it-nows. It takes at least an hour in the oven, so it is a commitment. Totally worth it! Here's my recipe. You can add in any flavor or food coloring. These are fun at Easter with pastels.

Meringue Cookies
2 Egg Whites
3/4 C. White Sugar
1/8 Tsp Salt
1/8 Tsp Cream of Tartar
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
Optional:
1/2 Tsp Peppermint Extract
1/2 C. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/2 C. Mini Chocolate Chips
1/4 Tsp Food Coloring
Colored Sugar
Nonpareils

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. It a mixing bowl, whisk egg whites, salt and cream of tartar until eggs are light and frothy. Now you need the mixer. Starting on low speed, mix the egg whites and slowly add in the sugar. Once you have incorporated all your sugar, you can add the vanilla and any other flavors. Increase your mixer speed to medium and continue mixing for several minutes. You'll notice that the mixture starts to look creamy and thickens up. It will also double in size before you are finished. It takes a good 10 minutes before you get stiff peaks, meaning that when you turn off the mixer and pull it out of the bowl, the meringue stretches and streams behind, leaving little peaks. If you want to add cocoa powder or chips, gently fold them in with a spatula. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using a teaspoon, drop little, imperfect dollops of meringue on the cookie sheet. For the more advanced you can put the meringue in a pastry bag and pipe onto the cookie sheet with a decorative tip. These are whimsical and cute, so don't obsess about making them round or even. Top off with any sprinkles and put in the oven for at least 45 minutes. I usually turn my oven off after that and leave them in for another 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely, or they will come apart when you remove from the cookie sheet. Enjoy!

A Tisket, a Tasket, I Made My First Brisket!

We are a brisket loving family. So, when I got a 6lb brisket on sale, I was all about it. One problem, though: I've never made brisket! My husband really wanted to smoke it, but we didn't have enough wood. Not to be discouraged, I just jumped on All Recipes and looked up brisket. I found very easy directions for roasting it. I already knew that the trick was cooking it low and slow, meaning low temperature and long cooking time.
So, Sunday morning, I pulled my prize meat (roughly the size of a newborn baby) out of the fridge and attacked it. I started off by trimming away most of the fat, then made slices across the grain. This way any fat left didn't shrink during cooking. Then I took a bowl of black pepper and seasoned salt and used my hands to rub the mix all over both sides. Finally, I minced two cloves of garlic and rubbed it onto the exposed side. I poured about a cup of water into my roasting pan with the brisket. Then I put the lid on, put it in the oven at 275 degrees and got ready to go to church. By the time we got home, the timer I'd set to 4 hours had only 30 minutes left. The house smelled amazing and I had just enough time to boil potatoes for mashing. We had a beautiful, tender, juicy brisket for a late lunch and then snacked on it for the rest of the evening. Then Monday, we had brisket sandwiches. We plan on smoking it next time, just to experiment, but this was no disappointment for a first timer!

The Proper Way to Melt Cheese (Yeah There's a Wrong Way)

Back story: my husband comes from a very Italian family. While I have an Irish heritage, my mother was a single parent for many years, so our spaghetti came from a box and the sauce from a jar. After I got married, it didn't take long for me to realize I had to learn a few things in the kitchen. So, by now I have mastered making what we affectionately refer to as "the sauce," or a good, from scratch marinara sauce. I also learned to make Bechamel and Alfredo and I've learned how to make my own pasta dough. So, I was feeling pretty confident when I decided to try my hand at home made mac-n-cheese.
Oops! If you have made cheese sauce from anything but Velveeta, you already know what I'm about to say. I took some milk, butter, salt and pepper, heated it up and threw in some cheese. After whisking furiously for 15 minutes, my cheese was not melting, but separating and hard. At this point I used my favorite kitchen tool: GOOGLE. I found a very helpful article on All Recipes about how to make cheese sauce.
Immediately I discovered my first mistake, which was too much heat. Also, I knew I needed a starch to thicken the sauce, but I should have had that incorporated before adding the cheese. So, refusing to call it a loss and waste everything, I cut a bit of cheese cloth (which was a mystery to me until recently, I found it in the fabric department) and used it to strain out the curdled cheese. By that I mean, lined a bowl with the cheese cloth, poured the sauce in, the gathered the cheese cloth and squeezed out the liquid. Then I threw the liquid back into my pan and brought it to a medium heat, lightly bubbling, so i could whisk in a bit of flour. Then I lowered the heat to low-med and added the cheese. Another tip from the article was to sprinkle a bit of an acid, like lemon juice, on the cheese before melting, to keep it from getting stringy. This worked very well. So, after a small bump in the road, we ate home made macaroni and cheese for lunch.

Plumbing Issues and Peanut Butter Oatmeal Pancakes

Last night, while preparing dinner, a strange thing happened. Foul smelling water came into both side of my sink, from the drain. I ran the disposal and it went away, but as soon as I turned it off, the swamp water returned. Ewww! Today, my husband and I both tried our hand at plumbing. About an hour into this, we threw in the towel and decided to leave it to the professionals. So, I had to get creative for lunch because, while waiting the professional, my sink was in pieces. I went for something fun and filling, although I may not win Mother of the Year for it. I took a standard pancake recipe and threw in some melted peanut butter and a cup of quick cook oats. What came out was delicious and my kids ate it up, with no syrup! I've actually never had a habit of buying syrup because I showed the kids long ago that a yummy pancake with the right extras in it, and a pat of butter on top, tasted great without any extra sugar. Of course, they still love syrup when its available, but I never get any complaints without it.
You can try this or leave out the peanut butter and throw in your own twist, like a mashed up banana or sliced up apples.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Pancakes
2 c. All Purpose Flour
2 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
5 tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1 1/2 c. Milk
2 Eggs
2 tbsp Melted Butter
3 Heaping tbsp Melted Peanut Butter
1 c. Quick Cooking Oats

Mix your dry ingredients first, then whisk in the wet ingredients. It will be thick and you may thin it out slightly by adding a tbsp of water at a time until just right. Heat a skillet or griddle over med-high and spray with cooking oil. Laddle batter into the skillet, wait for it to bubble and brown around the edges, then flip. We enjoyed these with a little butter on top. If you really want to get crazy, powdered sugar is nice, too.