Karen's Kitchen

Tomato Orzo Soup

2011-11-20T12:42:00.004-06:00

This is an easy go to recipe for my family.

Tomato Orzo Soup
2 medium carrots chopped
1 medium onion diced
2 stalks Celery chopped
2 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP italian seasoning

Saute until veggies are getting soft

Add
2 cups chicken broth (I use an msg free bullion cube)
2 cups water
1 small can tomato paste

Bring to a boil

Add
1/2 cup orzo noodles

Simmer until orzo is cooked. ~ 20 minutes.

Serve with crusty bread.

Carrot Casserole

2011-10-22T22:45:00.002-06:00

I got this recipe from my sister. I tweaked it a little bit. So for those of you wanting her recipe, this one is definitely different.

~ 3 large carrots

Slice carrots and boil or steam until tender.

Put carrots into casserole dish.

In a separate pan

Melt 2 TBSP butter
Add 2 TBSP flour
mix well
Add 2 cups milk
whisk together well until thickened

Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups cheese

Mix until cheese has melted

Add seasoning salt, to taste.

Pour over top of carrots.

Using 3 slices of bread, butter both sides and cut into 1 inch cubes

Spread cubes over top of casserole.

Bake at 350F for 25 minutes.

Sweet Potato Casserole

2011-10-22T22:35:00.004-06:00

I make this for Thanksgiving and Christmas every year. I will list two versions of the recipe here. One is nut free for my nephew, the other has pecans.

Sweet Potato Casserole

3 cups pureed Sweet Potato
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4-1/2 cup sugar

Mix together well in a casserole dish.

Pecan Topping
~ 1/2 cup brown sugar
~ 2 TBSP melted butter
~ 1 cup crushed pecans.
~ 1 TBSP flour
mix together until crumbly and spread on top

Nut Free Topping
~ 1/2 cup brown sugar
~ 2 TBSP butter
~ 1 cup quick oats
mix together until crumbly and spread on top.

Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.

Linked to : Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap

Carrot Soup

2011-10-22T22:21:00.003-06:00

I had a lot of garden carrots to use this year.

1 medium onion diced
3 large carrots cut into slices
1 TBSP parsley
1 TBSP basil

sauté in 1 TBSP olive oil

Add:
2 cups chicken broth

Boil for about 12 minutes. Purée in batches. Set aside.

In same pan

Melt 2 TBSP butter. Add 2 TBSP flour. Mix well.
Add
1 cup milk.
Whisk together until starting to thicken.

Add Carrot purée.

Mix together.

salt and pepper to taste.

Pumpkin Cookies

2011-10-22T22:01:00.005-06:00

Pumpkin Cookies

1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup butter softened
1 package spiced cake mix (the two layer kind)
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk

mix well

Cover cookie sheets with parchment paper. The dough is more cake like. Scoop dough onto sheets. A generous teaspoon works well.

Bake at 375F for 15 minutes.

Filling

1/2 cup butter softened
1 package cream cheese (8 oz)
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix well. (My kitchen aid worked great for this0

Spread filling on one cookie and sandwich with another.

Delicious.

Linked to Foodie Friday

Sweet Potato Bread

2011-09-29T15:19:00.011-06:00

I like pumpkin. But I don't like buying things in a can. And I get overwhelmed at the thought of buying a pumpkin and making my own purée. No good reason for that, I just do.

I find Sweet Potato Purée really easy to make. So I substitute.
Just peel your potato. Cut it into peices, and steam for ~ 20 minutes. Then purée.

I am also trying to substitute honey for sugar in my baking. Where do you buy a big bucket of honey? At the Farmer's Market. Honey does not go bad, but it does crystallize. So if it is not liquid, then heat it in the microwave or put the whole container in a pot of water on low heat until it's liquid again.

Sweet Potato Honey bread

3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2tsp baking powder

mix dry ingredients together.

In separate bowl mix wet ingredients

1 1/2 cup honey (melted)
3 eggs beaten
2 cups sweet potato purée

Add wet ingredients to dry and mix well.

Divide batter evenly into 2 loaf pans.

Bake at 325F for ~ 50 minutes

Watch closely for burning as honey tends to burn easier then sugar.

This bread turned out just the right sweetness, and very moist!

Shared at:Designs by Gollum Foodie Friday
and The Grocery Cart Challenge

Green Tomato Bread

2011-09-16T12:02:00.004-06:00

I came across this recipe at The Fajdich Times I thought it looked interesting so I gave it a try.

For the green tomatoes I grated them then put them in a colander with a bowl on top to drain the liquid.

Green Tomato Bread, adapted from the Fajdich Times

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and make a well in the middle.

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup sugar

1 cup grated green tomato, drained(3 to 4 medium tomatoes)

1 cup apple sauce/olive oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

I substituted applesauce for oil. I take a measuring cup and fill it with applesauce, then top it off with olive oil. Try to make it a bit healthier:)

Combine above ingredients and bowl and mix well. Pour into well in the flour bowl and stir together.

1 cup chopped, toasted pecans (I left these out.)

1 cup raisins, optional

Add raisins to mixture.

Pour into greased bread pan and bake at 350F for 1 hour.

And how did it taste? Delicious. And using apple sauce instead of oil did not make it too dry. It was still nice and moist.

Grandma's Rhubarb Muffins

2011-09-04T21:04:00.001-06:00

I found this in Grandma's recipe box. Easy to make and very tasty.

Batter:
mix together
1 1/2 cups Brown sugar
2/3 cups vegetable oil (I used apple sauce)
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla

Then add
1 cup buttermilk (1 cup milk with 1 Tbsp lemon juice)
2 1/2 cups flour
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp soda

mix together
then add
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen rhubarb

Put into muffin tins.
Top with Struessel

1 tsp butter
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup nut meats (I used rolled oats instead)

Bake at 350F until toothpick comes out clean. ~30 minutes.
Makes ~16 muffins

Fried Green Tomatoes

2011-08-31T21:08:00.007-06:00

We lived in the south for a few years. And we fell in love with green tomatoes.

1 pkg Jiffy Corn Muffin mix
~or~
1 cup cornmeal
1 TBSP sugar
salt and pepper.

2 eggs

2-3 large green tomatoes (I find beefsteak tomatoes work best)

Cut tomato end off, then continue to cut in thick slices to other end.

coat in cornmeal mixture, then dip in egg, then into cornmeal again.

In large frying pan, heat olive oil on medium heat. When oil is hot, place tomato slices in frying pan. Fry each side until golden brown.

Serve with Apple Cider Vinegar for dipping.

Chicken Fingers

2011-08-31T20:56:00.004-06:00

My toddler is not such a big fan of meat. But if I make these chicken fingers, he eats them right up.

1 egg
~1 Tbsp Soy Sauce

~2 cups Panko Bread crumbs
~1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

3-4 chicken breasts (boneless/skinless)

Whisk egg and soy sauce together

Mix Panko and Parmesan cheese together on a plate.

Cut chicken breasts into strips.

Dip each chicken strip into egg mixture, then coat in bread crumb mixture.

Bake at 350F for about 25 minutes

Who knew something so simple could be so delicious!!

Lemon Chicken Spaghetti

2011-01-16T20:32:00.003-06:00

I found this lovely recipe on Food.com

Lemon Chicken Spaghetti

I was looking for something to make for supper, and somehow came across this while looking for a recipe for Balsamic Chicken. It was delicious. My toddler loved it, my husband loved it, and I loved it. And so easy to make. Didn't take very long.

Pizza Buns

2010-08-27T21:16:00.004-06:00

This is a quick and easy meal or snack. So nice to have for lunch on a hectic day when you need something quick.

1 8 oz can tomato sauce
100 gm pepperoni cut into small peices
~ 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
basil, oregano and garlic powder to taste

Mix the tomato sauce and spices.

Add cheese and meat.

Mix well.

put into ice cube trays. Freeze until solid. Then you can easily store in a big container, and take out a few ice cubes to thaw as needed.

Toast a bun.

spread sauce on top and heat until cheese has melted.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2010-04-15T21:09:00.003-06:00

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Mix together:
1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs

Add:
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup nut meats
1 cup raisins

Drop on cookie sheet. Bake at 375F for 10 minutes.

Cheese Soufflé

2010-04-15T21:03:00.004-06:00

My Grandma really liked making this. And she would talk about it a lot. For some reason i thought it would be really difficult to make. And it's not at all. It's super easy.

Cheese Soufflé

1 cup rolled crackers
3/4 cup grated cheese
2 eggs well beaten
1 Tbsp butter
1 cup milk

Crush crackers and place in casserole dish. Add milk, cheese and butter. Stir. Beat eggs, then add to mixture and mix well.

Bake ~50 minutes until centre is set at 350F.

Banana Cake

2010-04-09T10:01:00.005-06:00

My Grandma was known for her pies, and her cakes. Delicious.

I was looking for a healthier option for my son's first birthday cake this year. Instead of a cake mix, and frosting with shortening and food colouring, I thought I would try cream cheese frosting (although also unhealthy, much easier for baby to digest). And use fondant to decorate, but that can just be taken off and the adults can eat it.

So I went through Grandma's recipe box and found this recipe for Banana Cake.

Grandma would usually make this in a 9" square pan, so I double the recipe for my 2 8" round pans.

Banana Cake
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 banana's
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 Tbsp sour milk *
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder

Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.
With my two cakes today, it took 45 minutes. Use a toothpick to make sure.
* For sour milk, I used 2 Tbsp milk with a squirt of lemon juice. The More with Less cookbook says to use 1 1/2Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar for one cup of milk. I didn't need a whole cup worth, so I improvised.

Turkey Meatloaf

2010-03-17T20:23:00.002-06:00

A few weeks back, I came across a good deal for some ground turkey. But besides baby food, I have no idea what to do with it. So I was very happy to come across a recipe on one of my favorite sites. Finding Joy in my Kitchen.

So click on this link for a delicious recipe.
BBQ Turkey Meatloaf.

Turkey and Sweet Potato baby food

2010-02-19T22:16:00.005-06:00

I have made some wonderful friends since having a baby. One of them is Shauna. And she had this wonderful recipe for baby food. I know it might sound a little weird, but I tasted it, and it is delicious! And my baby loved it. He is now at the point where he wants textured food and this recipe is perfect for that.

1 lb ground turkey
2 large sweet potatoes
500ml cottage cheese
dill

Brown turkey in frying pan.
Steam Sweet potatoes and mash with a fork. Leave chunky.

Add turkey, sweet potatoes and cottage cheese together and mix. Add dill to taste. Mix well. Freeze in ice cube trays.

Shared on:
Foodie Fridays on Designs by Gollum
Recipe Swap n the Grocery Cart Challenge

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-01-26T19:46:00.000-06:00

My husband loves it when I make cookies. I can't make enough. They are gone in a day. So I don't do it very often.
I do try to look for healthy recipes, and I try to change ingredients out for healthier ones. But for some things, I just let it be what it is, and I just don't make them often.
One of those things is Chocolate Chip Cookies.

3/4 cup sugar
3/4 packed brown sugar
3/4 butter (very soft, almost melted)
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
2-1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Mix sugars, butter, vanilla and egg in a large bowl.

Stir in flour, baking soda and salt.

Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes at 375F until light brown

Cool slightly, remove from cookie sheet and cool on wire rack.

Amazing Chicken

2010-01-10T21:20:00.004-06:00

This is basically Apricot Chicken, but better than the last recipe I posted. Again from "The Big Cook"

2 lb Chicken Breast
1 pkg Onion Soup Mix
1 tsp Paprika
1/4 cup Cider Vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup sugar
1 TBSP lemon juice
1/4 cup oil
1/2 small onion minced
1/2 cup Apricot jam

Combine all ingredients and pour over chicken.

Slow Cooker high for 4-6 hours or Low for 6-8 hours. We did Low for 4-5 hours, then left it on warm until dinner time.

Again I totally forgot to take pictures. This meal was delicious. And my husband even commented on it.

Curried Chicken

2010-01-10T21:17:00.002-06:00

This is a great Crock Pot recipe.

2lb Chicken breast
2 TBSP butter
1 cup melted honey
1/3 cup mustard
1 TBSP curry powder
salt (optional)

Mix all ingredients and pour over chicken in slow cooker.

4-5 hours on high or 6-8 hour on low.

Mine was done actually after 4 hours on low.

It was so good with rice and peas.

Marinated Pork Chops

2010-01-10T21:07:00.004-06:00

I have a wonderful cookbook called "The Big Cook" by Deanna Siemmens, Lorelei Thomas and Joanne Smith. It's all meals you can prepare ahead of time and freeze. It took me a while to realize it, but they have each recipe in various portions, 1 meal, 4 meals, 6 meals and 8 meals. Even if you don't want to freeze it ahead of time, you can still make it that same day.

These pork chops turned out perfectly.

6 Pork Chops (I used 4)
1/2 cup soy sauce (low sodium)
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup onion minced (I used 1/2 a small onion)
2 TBSP lemon juice
2 TBSP melted honey
2 cloves minced garlic

Combine all ingredients and pour over pork chops.
You can freeze them in a freezer bag for future use.
Or I put everything in a container in the fridge for the afternoon.

Bake at 350F on a broiler pan for 45 minutes.

I saved the mixture and basted the pork chops about every 15 minutes and turned them halfway through.

I did get some before pictures but then my camera batteries died, so no after pictures.

Yoghurt Cheese

2009-12-31T14:49:00.007-06:00

I made some yoghurt yesterday. I have found a slightly new method.
After placing the warm milk and starter yogurt in a container, I then wrap it in tin foil, a warm towel from the dryer and put it in a warmed oven. I warm my oven up to 200F. Then turn it off and leave the light on. I just leave my yogurt for about 6-8 hours. Then refrigerate.

Today I tried something new. I took about a cup of yogurt. Added some herb and garlic seasoning I had on hand.

I lined a wire colander with cheesecloth and put it in a large bowl.. Scooped my yogurt in, wrapped it in the cloth.

Then I put wax paper on top, put a bowl on top (for some weight) and left it to drain for 4 hours in the fridge.

Notice the whey on the bottom of the bowl.

In the end I was left with seasoned Yogurt Cheese. It's about the consistency of the cream cheese dips you can buy at the store. And quite tasty!

Shared on The Grocery Cart Challenge recipe swap.
And on Foodie Friday on Designs by Gollum.

Pulled Pork

2009-12-23T10:50:00.005-06:00

My husband and I had the pleasure of living in Kentucky for a few years. There are so many foods I never ever would have thought would be a part of my regular diet. And this is one of them. I LOVE it.
The proper way to have a pulled pork sandwich is with coleslaw on top. It's delicious.
This recipe was so easy, just in the slow cooker. It was my first attempt at making my own, and it turned out well=)

2 cups water
1 chicken bullion cube
1 cup BBQ sauce or Ketchup
3-4 pound pork roast, bone in

1 small can tomato paste
3 Tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon hot sauce

Place pork roast, BBQ sauce or ketchup, 2 cups water and one bullion cube into crock pot and set on high for 6-8 hours. After 6-8 hours drain off liquid and save 1 cup. Mix tomato paste, worcestershire sauce, onion and garlic powder, brown sugar and hot sauce into reserved liquid. Pour over pork and using a couple spoons break apart the pork and stir the sauce into it. Leave on high for 30 minutes before serving.

Pear and Cream Cheese Muffins

2009-12-21T18:46:00.002-06:00

The other day I made these muffins. I have had lots and lots of requests for the recipe. Since I got it straight off of someone else's blog page, I will just leave you with the link. They are DELICIOUS!

http://stolenmomentscooking.com/pear-and-cream-cheese-muffins/

Quiche

2009-12-05T11:18:00.000-06:00

Remember all that Pork I have in my freezer? And how there are only two of us. So when I make a ham, I freeze the leftovers, and save them to use in things like quiche.

I found a wonderful crust recipe, that takes only minutes.

1cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup cold water

mix, and spread in 9" pie plate.

Basic Quiche

1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (grated)
2 T flour
1 cup milk
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup Parmesean cheese (I often just use what I have in my fridge. And sometimes it's just cheddar)
pepper to taste

Then I add to it. The pictures are of a quiche with ham and green onions and red pepper.

Lasts night quiche had red peper, green onions, ham and asparagus. And the cheese I had on hand was Cheddar and Monterey Jack.

Bake at 400 for 50 minutes.

This is also really easy to make ahead of time and put it in your fridge the night before.

Grandma's Butter Tarts

2009-11-22T15:32:00.005-06:00

Whenever we would go to Grandma's house, we would sit down to visit. And it wouldn't be long before she would say "There are butter tarts in the freezer". My sister couldn't remember eating a butter tart that wasn't frozen. And boy were they good. She would always put nuts in them though, and I never liked nuts.
A few years ago my husband and I were visiting, and she gave me her recipe. And so now I make my own without nuts. And I LOVE them. My sister and I were pregnant at the same time, and we both went through nesting stages. We both made a bunch of butter tarts, so that when people came over to see the baby we could say "There are butter tarts in the freezer."

I will type out the single recipe, but I made a double batch in the pictures, that's why it looks like much more than what the recipe calls for. Also I haven't mastered the art of making my own pastry yet, so these are in store bought tart shells.

Butter Tarts

1 cup raisins
1 cup brown sugar
2 T butter
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla

Melt your butter in a bowl

Add brown sugar, egg and vanilla. Mix well.

Now here is the important part. Your mixture to this point is ok, but a little thick.
So POUR HOT WATER over the raisins.

Then add your raisins to the mixture, and mix well.

Put into tart shells.

Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.

Orange Pork Chops

2009-11-20T21:04:00.005-06:00

I tried a recipe two weeks ago for orange pork chops. I wasn't a big fan. So I continued my search, made some alterations and came up with this recipe.

4-6 Pork Chops
1 T olive oil
1 cup Orange Marmalade
1/3 cup Dijon Mustard
1/4 cup water
salt and pepper

Give cute baby a toy to keep him distracted while you cook.

Put olive oil in frying pan, and brown pork chops with salt and pepper.

Pick up baby that is playing at your feet, and move him to the safety of his high chair for the duration of your cooking.

Place pork chops in slow cooker.

In a bowl, mix marmalade, mustard and water. Set aside about 2 T for later use.

Pour mixture over pork chops and cook on low for about 6 hours.

Baste pork chops with left over sauce before serving.

Apricot Chicken

2009-11-18T17:43:00.006-06:00

I looked and looked for a good Apricot Chicken recipe. And then I forgot some of the ingredients when I went shopping. So today I improvised and came up with my own recipe. Here it is.

1 1/2 T apple cider vinegar
1 T honey
3 T ketchup
~ 3 T Olive Oil
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
salt
pepper
~3 T Apricot Jam
4 chicken pieces (any cut will do, I used thighs)

Mix vinegar, honey, ketchup, olive oil, worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.

Add Jam

Add Chicken and coat well.

Cook at 350 for 30 minutes.

Carrot Cake Demise

2009-11-17T19:56:00.006-06:00

This is one of my Grandma's recipe's. I did alter it just a bit to make it a little more healthy.

2 cups white sugar
1 1/3 cup corn oil (I used 1 cup apple sauce and 1/3 cup olive oil)
4 eggs
3 cups flour (I used 1 whole wheat, and 2 white)
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
3 cups grated raw carrot
1 cup seedless raisins
1 cup chopped nuts (optional, and so I didn't use them)

In a bowl mix sugar, oil and eggs.

Mix next 5 ingredients together and add to mixture.

Add carrots, raisins and nuts.

Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours. I only had to bake mine 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Frosting
6oz cream cheese (that's about 3/4 of a cup)
1 cup icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Mix cheese and sugar together, add vanilla and mix well.

Frost cake when still warm.

Beef Enchilada's

2009-11-17T19:45:00.005-06:00

Sorry for the lack of posts. I made a few meals last week, that just didn't turn out. So I didn't blog about them. We also ate at all 3 sets of parents houses last week. So not a lot of cooking at our house. But his week I am back at it.

I got today's recipe from recipezarr.com

I changed it just a little bit.

Sauce:
2 tablespoons Oil
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups water
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1-2 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 (4 ounce) can green chili peppers, diced, drained
1 teaspoon oregano

Combine sauce ingredients and bring to boil. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Beef Filling:
1 large onion, chopped
1 lb ground beef
chili powder (additional)

Brown beef with onion. Add 3/4 cup Enchilada Sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.

Rice Filling:
1 cup white rice
1 large tomato diced
1 can tomato sauce + water to equal 2 cups liquid.

Combine rice tomato and liquid in a saucepan or rice cooker. Bring to boil and simmer covered for 20 minutes.

10 8-inch flour tortillas or 8 10-inch flour tortillas
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
4 ounces monterey jack cheese, shredded (1 cup)
1 medium tomato diced

In a skillet, heat each side of tortilla for about 10-15 sec. Fill with Beef and Rice. Fold in ends and roll up. Place in 9x13 baking dish. Pour Enchilada Sauce on top. Cover with tomato's and cheese. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.

I think next time I will add some spinach in with the filling. (Either fresh, slightly boiled, or frozen spinach would do.)

We served this meal with just a simple salad, and it was absolutely delicious.

Posted on the GCC
and Foodie Friday

Biscuits and Gravy

2009-11-12T13:26:00.002-06:00

I LOVE biscuits and gravy. I have ever since I was a kid. I have lived various places in my life, some of them in the midwest/southern US, where biscuits and gravy are a staple in everyone's diet. I currently do not live in a place where they are common.
I have had to learn how to make my own. I first learned how on vacation in Gattlinburg, TN from a good friend. But the recipe was like "fry your sausage, add some milk and flour until it "looks" right". Well that means that sometimes it turned out great, and other times . . . not so much.
I was looking through some cooking sites and I can across a great recipe. And my biscuits and gravy turned out absolutely perfect.

Here's a link.

Biscuits and Gravy from Cozy Kitchen by the Sea.

Sausage and Pepper Scramble.

2009-11-02T19:13:00.004-06:00

I needed something quick and easy tonight. So I turned to one of my fav sites and found this recipe.

Finding Joy in my Kitchen
Sausage and Pepper Scramble

It was delicious. And I love breakfast for supper. And I even got to use some of the Pork from my freezer. (you know, the sausage)

Pumpkin Muffins

2009-11-01T23:01:00.003-06:00

This is one of my Grandma's recipes.

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups oil (I used applesauce)
3 cups flour (next time I will probably do 1/2 whole wheat)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup raisins

I also added
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves

Mix together and bake at 375F for 20 minutes.

Makes 3 dozen

Baked Sweet Potatoes

2009-11-01T22:54:00.003-06:00

This is an easy way to have sweet potatoes on the side. They are healthier than regular potatoes, and I don't add any sugar in this recipe.

First take your sweet potatoes and cut in half lengthwise.

Then cut into pieces.

Place pieces in covered baking dish and place in oven for ~ 40 minutes until tender.

That's it. It's that easy. You could add butter, but I didn't as I used some of these to make baby food.

Green Beans

2009-11-01T22:47:00.004-06:00

I learned to do this with peas, and really it works well with a lot of vegetables.

Green Beans

Prepare beans by snapping of ends, break in half if needed.
Place in steamer for 8-10 minutes.

In serving dish place 1 pat of butter
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 clove garlic mixed

Add Green Beans and mix.

Pork Tenderloin

2009-10-31T22:04:00.006-06:00

Pork Tenderloin

1 clove Garlic minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp Thyme
1 lb Pork Tenderloin
1 tbsp Olive Oil

Mix garlic, salt pepper and thyme in a small bowl. Rub over Pork Tenderloin and wrap in plastic. Put in fridge for over night.

My Pork was still frozen, so I put it in a Ziploc bag, threw in my spices, and whenever I was going into the fridge for something, I just shook the bag and rubbed the pork through the bag.

Heat Olive Oil over medium heat. Brown Pork on all sides.

Place in 9x13 pan.

Add enough water to come up to bottom edge of pork.

Cover with foil and bake at 350F for 40-50 minutes.

Boil the water and drippings from the pan and add cornstarch mixed with water to make gravy. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Peach Pork Chops

2009-10-31T12:59:00.007-06:00

I have half a pig in my freezer. That's a lot of Pork. So there will lots of Pork recipes on here.

This is an easy Crock pot recipe

4-6 Pork Chops
1 15oz can peaches drained (reserve 1/4 cup Peach Syrup)
1/4 c Brown Sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Brown 4-6 pork chops and place in crock pot.

Season with salt and pepper

Pour Peaches on top.

Mix together in a separate bowl, brown sugar, cinnamon, tomato sauce, peach syrup and apple cider vinegar.

Pour on top

Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

We ate this with rice and a salad. It was very good, the meat just fell off the bone and was very tender.

Baby Food

2009-10-25T21:02:00.002-06:00

Home made baby food is a lot easier than I thought it would be.

Saturday was a baby food making day.

I made some lentils, sweet potatoes, and some chicken.

For lentils, just rinse 1cup Lentils. Then bring to a boil in 1 1/2 cups water. Reduce and let simmer for 20 minutes. Purée and freeze into ice cube trays.

For sweet potatoes, peel and cut into pieces. Steam for ~15 minutes, then purée. Freeze in ice cube trays.

Now for the chicken I got a little more creative.
I had made some chicken broth with just chicken bones. No spices etc. Just chicken and water.
So I cooked some chicken in a frying pan with the chicken broth in place of oil. Then I added 1 cup chicken broth. 1 apple, peeled cored and choped, and 1 sweet potato peeled and chopped. After simmering for 20 minutes, purée. And again freeze in trays.

The chicken recipe inspired me and when I served the lentils, I thought they looked kinda gross. So I added sweet potato and apple sauce. My little guy loved it.

Chicken and Dumplings

2009-10-25T20:57:00.005-06:00

I needed a quick meal on Saturday, and some comfort food was in order. This is one of my favourite recipes, but I don't make it often. (too much salt)
I didn't take any pictures.

~1lb chicken, shredded or cute into pieces
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cups Bisquick mix
1/2 cup milk

Cook chicken in deep frying pan with lid. Sprinkle with seasoning salt. Pour in mushroom soup and add about 1/2 cup water.
Follow the directions on the bisquick box for "drop' biscuits.
Drop biscuits on top of soup/chicken mixture. (I make between 6-8 biscuits)
Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.

Pork Chops with Spanish Rice

2009-10-21T19:09:00.000-06:00

I started this blog as a place to post about my Grandma's recipe's. And I haven't made one yet. So when planning supper last night I went through her recipe box.
Now let me tell you something about my Grandma. She was well known for her baking. So while looking for supper recipes, there wasn't a whole lot to choose from. And mostly Grandma would make things like roast with mashed potatoes etc. And she has no recipes for those things. A lot of her recipes are things her daughters or daughters in law made that she wrote down. Almost every single one of her recipe cards has the name of who she got the recipe from.
Today's recipe was from Doris G. According to the card this recipe was in a cooking contest, and my Grandma wanted it.

Pork Chops with Spanish Rice
Brown Pork chops but do not cook, put them aside.

In a large fry pan (the same one you browned the pork chops in) place:
1 large onion chopped
1/2 cup uncooked rice (I used 1 cup, and then added 1/2 cup water since I had added extra rice)
1 Tbsp butter or margarine
Cook to a golden brown but do not burn

Add 20 oz canned or fresh tomatoes
Add a green pepper if you wish
Season with salt and pepper
1/4 tsp Savory

Lay Pork Chops on top with lid on.

Simmer 35-40 minutes.

Serve hot on platter.

It was good, but next time I think i will play around with the spices some. Made add some more Spanish flavour to it.

Bourbon Chicken

2009-10-20T19:17:00.000-06:00

Once again, not creative today. So I found a recipe online and it looked good. And it was. I have no idea why it is called Bourbon Chicken. No bourbon was used in the making of this chicken. None.
We had this chicken with rice and a salad. (still using up the cherry tomatoes from my garden)
It came straight from another site, so I will just leave you with a link for today.

Bourbon Chicken

Beefaroni

2009-10-19T19:26:00.000-06:00

I wasn't very organized today. If I had been organized I would have either bought or made some type of bread. But I have a baby, and we had swimming lessons today, and that seemed more important.
I did have some tomatoes from my garden that needed to be used. I wanted some sort of pasta, but I wasn't really in the mood to be creative on my own.
So I went searching and came across a recipe on "What's for Dinner"

Homemade Beefaroni

1 lb. ground beef
2 14.5 oz cans tomato sauce
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. water
1 T. sugar
1 t. each garlic powder, salt and Italian seasoning
1/4 t. black pepper
1 lb. cooked pasta

I added some cherry tomatoes from my garden cut in quarters.

Brown ground beef in a sauce pan and drain. Stir in remaining ingredients, except the pasta. Simmer for about 10 minutes, to let the flavours combine.

Stir in the pasta until coated.

It would have been good served with bread and salad. But that didn't happen tonight.

Pumpkin Butter

2009-10-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

And old friend from college posted this on facebook the other day. So I gave it a whirl. It's quite good on toast. A lot like apple butter. I didn't get any pictures as I was making it. Next time I will take some and add them here.

Pumpkin Butter from Allison.

1/4 c brown sugar
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 c water
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 c pumpkin purée

put in pan on stove and cook over low heat until all comes together.

It took about an hour to cook. Allison tells me if you make a large batch (like triple it) to put it in the crock pot for the day and just keep checking it.

I took my cue from Allison and I bought a pumpkin and puréed it myself. It was easier than I thought. However I did buy a big pumpkin. I have read since then that for baking etc. you should buy a "pie pumpkin". They are smaller and sweeter. I think I will try that next time as I found the pumpkin butter a little tart at times.

Snacks

2009-10-15T23:22:00.000-06:00

My nephew is in town. Which means I need snacks. Nut free snacks. It's harder than you think to shop for someone with a nut allergy. So we end up baking a lot for him.
So tonight I made

Home made Granola. I got this recipe straight from SnoWhite at Finding Joy in My Kitchen.

and Home made Yoghurt.

4 cups milk
1-2 tsp plain yoghurt with active cultures.

Put milk in a pot on the stove. Bring to a boil. (Make sure it reaches 180F)
Place in clean glass container. (I use 2 500ml jars that I have recently boiled)
Allow milk to cool to between 120-130F.
Add starter yoghurt. (The less you use, the thicker it will be. I put about 1 tsp per jar)
Wrap your containers in tin foil and blankets (you want it to stay around 120F). Keep in a warm corner of the kitchen. (My brother actually keeps his jars in water on the stovetop. If the water drops below 120F he turns the heat on low.)
Let set for 4-6 hours.
Then refrigerate for 8 hours prior to serving.

This yoghurt is good served with honey for sweetness. Add your favourite fruit and granola.

Pumpkin Bread

2009-10-15T18:20:00.000-06:00

I got this recipe from SnoWhite at Finding Joy in my Kitchen.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

1 1/2 C flour (can use 1/2 C whole wheat)
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 C brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 C pumpkin puree
1/2 C applesauce (unsweetened)
1 egg, beaten
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. all spice
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/2 C dark chocolate chips

Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl, and the wet in another.

Add the wet to the dry. If you are finding the batter to be too dry, add up to 1/4c water. I didn't have to add any.
Add the chocolate chips last.
Grease a loaf pan. Pour batter into pan and bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.

Cool in pan for about 5-10 minutes, then cool on cooling rack before serving.

Red Pepper Jelly

2009-10-12T14:04:00.001-06:00

This Jelly is great served with crackers and cream cheese.
We didn't have a very warm summer this year, and it got cold before my peppers had all turned red in my garden. I picked them early and brought them inside to ripen. The last one turned red this past week, so it was time to make Jelly!

Red Pepper Jelly
3 cups chopped Red Peppers
1 chopped Jalapeño Pepper (add more if you like it spicey)
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
6 1/2 cups sugar
6 oz (170ml) liquid pectin

Combine peppers and vinegar in blender. Process until smooth and poor into large pot.

Add sugar. Heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes.

Stir in pectin. Return to a full rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute. Removed from heat. Skim off foam.

Pour into hot sterilized jars to within 1/4 inch from top. Place sterilized metal lids on jars and screw metal bands on securely.

Process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes.

I usually get about 12 of the small 125ml jars out of it. Today I did 7 small jars and 3 250ml jars.

Beef Barley Soup

2009-10-10T06:42:00.001-06:00

Since there is only the two of us, when I make a roast, I must find things to do with the leftovers. And you can only eat so many Roast Beef Sandwiches.

So here is a soup recipe.

Put leftover roast into a crock pot.
Add:
2 beef bullion cubes (or use beef stock)
2 large carrots
2 large stalks of celery
1 medium onion chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 TBSP Italian Seasoning
2 bay leaves
1 cup pearl barley.
Salt & Pepper
enough water to cover and then some. I think I used about 8 cups today. You may have to play with the amount of bullion cubes. If you are using beef stock, just use enough stock to make it like soup and don't add any bullion.

Cook on low heat for about 4 hours.

We ate this with buttery bread machine rolls.

Sweet Potato Soup

2009-10-09T15:50:00.000-06:00

We LOVE Sweet Potatoes at our house. I make sweet potato casserole, fries, mashed, baked. Since I don't like regular potatoes, sweet potatoes replace them in my diet.
Well I recently found a wonderful recipe for soup. I had it today and it was absolutely delicious!!

Sweet Potato Soup adapted from recipezarr.com

3-4 Tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion chopped
~1 tsp fresh ginger
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 large sweet potato (not gigantic, if it's really big then just use half)
1 cup chicken stock

Sauté the garlic, onion ginger and curry powder in the butter. Add Sweet Potato and chicken stock. Cook on low until sweet potato is tender. Purée in blender or food processor. Put back into pot.

Over low heat add:
about 3 cups of milk.

Cook until warm.

Ladle into bowl and just before serving, add cream and fresh cilantro.

Apple Tea

2009-10-09T15:44:00.000-06:00

I got this recipe from my sister. Since I've started making it, many of my friends ask for the recipe for family gatherings etc. It's nice to make on a cold day. It makes your house smell nice, not to mention it's delicious!

Combine in a deep pot or in slow cooker
4 cups water
1 litre apple juice
1/2 cup sugar
4 tea bags (I use Red Rose tea bags. But just any brand of Orange Pekoe will work.)
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
(Do what you want with the spices, as a rule I use the cinnamon sticks, then play the rest by ear.)

Bring to a boil, then keep warm on stove or in slow cooker on low heat and enjoy! (Remove tea bags after about 10-20 minutes)

Roast Beef Sandwiches

2009-10-09T13:59:00.000-06:00

My husband thinks I'm crazy for this one. But to me we like the same things in our sandwiches, just in a different way.

Jeff's Roast Beef Sandwich

spread mayo and relish on your bread.
place roast beef on top
cut your sandwich and enjoy:)

Karen's Roast Beef Sandwich

put leftover roast beef into food processor. Add mayo and dill pickles. Puree.
Keep in fridge and use for sandwiches. Just like chicken salad.

I like mine better. I think I just don't like the big peoces of raost beef getting stuck in my teeth.

Roast

2009-10-09T13:52:00.001-06:00

No picture of this one this week. Next time I make it I'll be sure to get a picture though.

I never really liked roast. Unless my Grandma made it. A few years ago she taught me how, but of course mine is NOTHING like hers. So I had to find my own recipe since I don't think I will ever be able to replicate Grandma's.

So here's what to do.

Get out your crock pot. You can do this in a roasting pan as well, but I have not mastered the art of "knowing" when it's done. So I still use the crock pot.

Add 1 can cream of mushroom soup.
1 package onion soup mix
1 cup red wine.
1 cup sliced mushrooms.
Add your roast and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

After removing the roast, put your "gravy" into a sauce pan. In a separate container (i use a shaker) mix about 2 TBSP flour and enough water to make a liquid. Heat gravy and slowly add flour mixture while stirring until gravy has thickened.

Many people would serve this with regular potatoes. And you can, but I just mash up some sweet potatoes and then make a salad.

What it's about.

2009-10-09T13:10:00.000-06:00

I've been following a few blogs now about saving money and cooking from scratch. I am finding them quite helpful and find I am always recommending them to others. I keep toying with the idea of posting some of my cooking adventures on my blog, but then I thought that could really make for a good blog of it's own. Also my Grandma recently passed away, and I have her recipe box. I thought I could cook from that and post the recipes for my cousins to see. (And no I DID NOT get the idea from the movie Julie and Julia. It just so happens that the events in my life coincided with the movie. Just coincidence.)
So I'm going to try it out. I will post recipes and pictures and see if I can keep it up to date. I figure if I can't do it, I don't have to keep the blog going right?