Home gardening offers ways to trim grocery costs [Survival Today, an on going thread]

Dallas News.com ^ | March 14th, 2008 | DEAN FOSDICK

[nw_arizona_granny]

Americans finding soaring food prices hard to stomach can battle back by growing their own food. [Click image for a larger version] Dean Fosdick Dean Fosdick

Home vegetable gardens appear to be booming as a result of the twin movements to eat local and pinch pennies.

At the Southeastern Flower Show in Atlanta this winter, D. Landreth Seed Co. of New Freedom, Pa., sold three to four times more seed packets than last year, says Barb Melera, president. "This is the first time I've ever heard people say, 'I can grow this more cheaply than I can buy it in the supermarket.' That's a 180-degree turn from the norm."

Roger Doiron, a gardener and fresh-food advocate from Scarborough, Maine, said he turned $85 worth of seeds into more than six months of vegetables for his family of five.

A year later, he says, the family still had "several quarts of tomato sauce, bags of mixed vegetables and ice-cube trays of pesto in the freezer; 20 heads of garlic, a five-gallon crock of sauerkraut, more homegrown hot-pepper sauce than one family could comfortably eat in a year and three sorts of squash, which we make into soups, stews and bread."

[snipped]

She compares the current period of market uncertainty with that of the early- to mid-20th century when the concept of victory gardens became popular.

"A lot of companies during the world wars and the Great Depression era encouraged vegetable gardening as a way of addressing layoffs, reduced wages and such," she says. "Some companies, like U.S. Steel, made gardens available at the workplace. Railroads provided easements they'd rent to employees and others for gardening."

[nw_arizona_granny]

Recipe For Sweet Potatoes
As promised, I’m going to start putting my recipes from this past weekend’s festivities up. We’ll start off with the sweet potatoes.

JC’s Sugared Sweet Potatoes (serves 7-10)

Ingredients
-6 Large Sweet Potatoes
-1 Cup of Brown Sugar
-2 tablespoons of butter
-3/4 of a cup of 2% milk
-2 teaspoons of Cinnamon

Rinse and peel the sweet potatoes and then cut width wise into about 6-7 smaller circular pieces. Chop these pieces further into 3 to four smaller stick like pieces. Throw out the end pieces which tend to be on the tougher side.

In your crockpot put down a layer of sweet potato pieces that just covers the bottom. Add about 1/4 of your brown sugar evenly over the top along with a few pieces of butter (I recommend using a knife to shave off thin strips of butter). Repeat this process until all of your sweet potatoes are in the crockpot (6 large ones should take it to about the top). Be liberal with the brown sugar and butter and add more on top if you run out before using all of the sweet potatoes.

Set your crockpot to either 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high depending on how much time you have. I don’t think you lose a lot by cooking them on high so I would opt for that. After they are done cooking use a potato masher to break them down. If the potato masher doesn’t go through the potatoes easily, they need to cook for longer until they are soft and easily mashed.

Mash the potatoes thoroughly (if you like lumpy sweet potatoes by all means mash less). Add in the milk, Cinnamon and a couple extra tablespoons of brown sugar and stir until all the ingredients have been mixed. Feel free to improvise with whole milk or cream if that is how you like it or add any honey, maple syrup or other sweeteners you have around.

I can’t stress enough that using a crockpot allows you to take a recipe and make it your own.

Enjoy

http://crockpotbbq.blogspot.com/2008/03/recipe-for-sweet-potatoes.html

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Hmmm, good question about the cinnamon. You might put a votive inside to keep from letting it get too hot.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Great Ribs... Terrible Superbowl
I am writing this entry in semi state of shock as I try to recover to the Pats crushing defeat to the Giants. This is compounded by the fact that I currently live in Manhattan and I will have this defeat rubbed in my face in the morning at work.

On a happier note the ribs were a great success. The basic recipe is as follows:

Ingredients:
3 lbs baby back ribs
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons (or more) or your favorite spice rub
1 jar of your favorite BBQ sauce

Directions:

1.) In a large bowl pour the apple cider vinegar over the ribs and turn the ribs over to apply and even coat.
2.) Pour the rub evenly over the ribs (make sure to apply it to both sides)
3.) Place the ribs on a preheated broiler pan and cook for 15 minutes (make sure to rotate and turn the slabs of ribs about every 3 minutes to avoid burning them)
4.) Take out the ribs and cut them into sets of 2 to 3 ribs (so they will fit in the crockpot)
5.) Put the cut up ribs into the crockpot and apply BBQ liberally
6.) Set the crockpot to 6 hours on high
7.) Every two hours add a little bit more BBQ sauce onto the ribs
8.) After 6 hours are complete, cook the ribs on low for one more hour and add more BBQ sauce
9.) Remove ribs and serve

Here are some photos of my results..

http://crockpotbbq.blogspot.com/2008/02/great-ribs-terrible-superbowl.html

[nw_arizona_granny]

Easy BBQ Chicken
Having had great success with beef and pork I decided that I would give chicken a shot even though I had some reservations about the meat drying out. As it turns out, dark meat chicken has plenty of fat and moisture and works great in the crockpot.

Easy BBQ Chicken

Ingredients

8 boneless/skinless Chicken thighs (about 2 lbs)
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 Tablespoons of BBQ rub of choice (store bought or homemade works great)
1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar 1 Tablespoon Honey
1 Medium Onion, chopped
3-4 tablespoons of your favorite BBQ Sauce

In a large bowl, combine the chicken thighs with the Worcestershire sauce, honey, brown sugar and bbq rub and stir until the chicken is evenly coated.

Rough Chop the onion into bite size pieces and add to the chicken and top with your BBQ sauce of choice.

Give everything one final stir before setting your crockpot to low for 9 hours

After the meat has finished cooking remove the chicken and onions from the crock pot and put into a bowl or plastic container. Shred the chicken with two forks and spoon the juices left in the crock pot back onto the meat along with a little BBQ sauce if you so choose.

Stir everything together one last time. The chicken can be served on it’s own or on a roll with BBQ sauce. A couple dashes of apple cider or white vinegar also gives it a nice flavor as well.

http://crockpotbbq.blogspot.com/2008/03/easy-bbq-chicken.html

[nw_arizona_granny]

Teriyaki Drumsticks

Slight change of plans here. I was going to make teriyaki pulled pork, but then I got invited to a poker night. I thought it might be easier to play hold em with chicken drumstick in hand as opposed to trying to tackle a pulled pork sandwich, generally a two handed job. However, I stayed true to my mission of making it teriyaki style.

Ingredients
25 skinless chicken drumsticks
3 tablespoons Chinese five-spice powder
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 teaspoons alt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 bottle thicker style teriyaki sauce

According to the label on the spice jar, Chinese five-spice powder is a blend of ginger, nutmeg, allspice cloves, pepper, thyme and star anise. Now I’m noticing that this appears to be six ingredients, but maybe I am missing something here. I also found it amusing that Iron Chef has rolled out a line of sauces (pictured above). Good to see that they are finding some other revenue opportunities. Mighty fine sauce though so it looks like they are on the right track, but back to business here.

Put all of the spices into a shallow container or dish and stir together. Roll each drumstick in the spice blend and then place into the crockpot. Cook on low for 7 hours. After 6 hours open the crockpot (cardinal sin here I know) and pour about 6 tablespoons of your teriyaki sauce over the top.

Cook for one more hour and then transfer cooked drumsticks with a tongs onto a place. Drizzle with a little more teriyaki sauce and then put in the fridge for a few hours before serving. I really think these are best served cold because the meat is almost falling off the bone when they are finished cooking and a little time in the fridge allows the meat not only to absorb a little more flavor but also to reconnect to the bone so it won’t completely fall apart while you are eating it.

All in all the drumsticks were a hit and I got third place which meant I got my $20 buy in back so I can’t complain.

http://crockpotbbq.blogspot.com/2008/07/teriyaki-drumsticks.html

[nw_arizona_granny]

I wanted to put the recipe up for this in case somebody else wanted to try to make it. One really great thing about Crockpot BBQ is that you can pretty much make it up as you go along, adding different things and it pretty much always comes out great because the slow cooking process makes your meat taste unbelievable so as long as you are not adding things milk and pickle juice you will definitely get some good results. That being said here is the recipe for the BBQ beef I made in the last post.

BBQ Beef a la Budweiser
Ingredients
2lbs of Cubed Chuck Steak or stew meat
1 tablespoon (roughly) of Worcestershire sauce
1/3 of a cup of your favorite spice rub (enough to cover all of the meat)
1 tablespoon of honey
1/3 of a beer (I went with Bud, but I would bet that there are better options)
1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
Directions

1.)Put the beef cubes into a large bowl

2.)Pour the Worcestershire sauce and honey over the meat and stir it with a large spoon until the meat is evenly coated

3.)Sprinkle your rub on the meat and slowly stir it with a spoon (so it doesn’t go flying everywhere) until evenly coated

4.)Pour the beef cubes into your crockpot and spread evenly along the bottom. Add the beer in as well.

5.)Cover your crockpot and set it for 12 hours on low

6.)Amuse yourself for 12 hours (going to work or sleeping are usually good options)

7.)Once 12 hours is up you will notice that a good amount of liquid has built up around the meat. I recommend draining the vast majority of it because the meat will already be very moist and does not need the additional fat.

8.)Using two forks, gently shred the beef (it will come apart very easily) and add your BBQ sauce

9.)Give it a good stir and you are ready to serve.

As you can see here the leftovers heat up just fine. I had a pretty good hunch I would be eating it soon so I kept it in the fridge, but the freezer works great too. On a side note the sugar snap peas over there are really good to. I bought them in the freezer section and they were actually really crisp and tasted fresh. Green Giant makes them (they are called Simply Steam). I gave mine a quick spray of pam and then a couple shakes of BBQ rub and they make a great addition to your meal without a whole lot of effort.

A few thoughts

In retrospect I somewhat regret buying the meat from Gristedes. Not that Gristedes is a bad supermarket or that my BBQ wasn’t good, but when I was in Fairway (A New York grocery store that has an full butcher shop inside) I couldn’t help but notice how much better everything looks. Since the cuts of meat primarily used in BBQ (Pork Shoulder, Chuck Steak, Brisket etc...) are so cheap (about $5 a lb) it might be worth paying a little extra for a higher quality product.

This also holds true for BBQ sauce as well. There is a whole lot of crap out there made by various food conglomerates and consisting primarily of corn syrup, artificial color and other stuff I can’t even pronounce. You will really do yourself a favor if spend a little more on a quality product. Bonesuckin Sauce (http://www.bonesuckin.com/) is really great stuff, but there are a lot of others out there. The main thing to look for is that there is no corn syrup or other artificial stuff and that the sauce is made up things like molasses, brown sugar and the like. Be careful because there a lot of BBQ sauces that give the appearance of being all natural but in fact are made up of the same stuff that the Kraft BBQ sauce is made from.

http://crockpotbbq.blogspot.com/2008/01/bbq-beef-follow-up.html

[nw_arizona_granny]

Brisket Recipe
I don’t know how I forgot to take a picture of the results of my brisket, but unfortunately there is nothing left to take a picture of. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed though.

24 Hour Marinaded BBQ Brisket

Ingredients
6 lbs of Beef Brisket
6 tablespoons of your favorite BBQ spice rub
4 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon of liquid smoke
2 tablespoons of water
1 tablespoon of honey
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce

The first step is to trim off any excess fat from the brisket. There tends to be a layer on the top that is about 1/4 inch thick. The meat has plenty of interior marbling so you will will still end up with moist brisket even if you trim off the top fat.

In a small bowl mix together the Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, water, honey and brown sugar until evenly blended. Put the brisket in a large bowl or pan and pour the liquid mixture over the meat, turning the meat multiple times until evenly coated. Pour out any excess liquid mixture that has not been absorbed by the meat. Add your dry rub liberally to the brisket (don’t hold back, the more the merrier here) and make sure all sides are evenly covered. Put the brisket in a plastic bag (I would double up to make sure sauce doesn’t drip into the fridge) and leave for 24 hours.

Put the brisket into your crockpot and set on low for 12 hours. Pour a little BBQ sauce on top of the meat and then let cook for 12 hours. Once completed, put the brisket in a pan and shred using 2 forks. There should be a decent amount of liquid left in the crockpot from the juices of the brisket. Using a large spoon, drizzle the 1/2 of the remaining juices over the meat (this adds some moisture back to the meat as well as flavor). Add the remainder of your BBQ sauce in and stir until evenly distributed.

I recommend putting the brisket in a 250 degree oven for about 20 minutes right before serving. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of your rub and drizzle some BBQ sauce on top to give it a a little more of crust.

http://crockpotbbq.blogspot.com/2008/03/brisket-recipe.html

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://crockpotbbq.blogspot.com/

A Tour of BBQ Sauces
Over the years I have tried a lot of different types of BBQ sauce. I thought I would run through a little exercise for myself to decide which one is my favorite. If anyone would like to throw their two cents in, please feel free. I have broken down the competitors as follows:

1.) Memphis Style

A moderately thick, sweeter sauce made up tomato, vinegar and brown sugar base with additional spices ranging from mild to hot.

2.) Kansas City Style

A very thick and sweet sauce with a tomato and molasses base.

3.) St. Louis

A tomato and vinegar based sauce that is essentially a thinner, less sweet version of Kansas City style BBQ sauce.

4.) South Carolina

A mustard based based sauce that is generally paired with pulled pork.

Now I fully recognize that this list is far from complete. I have not yet had the privilege to travel to some of U.S BBQ hotbeds, something I’m hoping to do next summer. I am going off what I have the most experience with for this comparison.

Now I do like Memphis and Kansas City Style sauces a lot. The thicker texture and sweet flavor make both of them a nice complement to any meat. My only issue would be, and this does depend on the sauce, that these types of sauces can sometimes overwhelm the flavor of the rub and the meat and should be used sparingly so that they provide good flavor without masking the taste of the meat you have been cooking for 14 hours.

South Carolina is also a great sauce, especially with Pork, but is generally a little thinner and depending on the sauce can be a little too tangy for my tastes.

What I have found is that I like a good balance of texture, sweetness and just the right amount of tanginess (not sure if this is a word or not, but you see where I am going). In the end my conclusion is that I am a St. Louis BBQ sauce guy. It’s not too thick, not too sweet and works well with pork, brisket, ribs and just about any other barbequed meat out there.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://crockpotbbq.blogspot.com/2008/06/three-meat-chili.html

Three Meat Chili
The heat wave finally broke in NYC so it was high time to make some chili. This recipe has a larger number of ingredients than I usually use, but is quite simple to make.

Ingredients
1.5 lbs of ground meat (pork, veal, beef)
5 cloves of garlic chopped
2 medium onions chopped
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 green pepper chopped
1 150z jar of pasta sauce
2 15oz cans of red beans drained
1 150z can of refried beans
1 150z can diced tomatoes with jalapenos
7 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons cumin
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons hot sauce
6 oz of beer

In a pan, cook the onions, garlic, salt and pepper in the olive oil for about 3-4 minutes. Add in your meat (you can definitely use only beef or turkey here too) and cook until the meat is fully browned. Use your spatula to break up the meat into small pieces as you go. Once all the meat is browned remove from heat and set aside. I had planned to use only ground sirloin here, but when I saw the 3 meat pack at the grocery store I figured it was worth a shot.

In a large bowl, add all of the remaining ingredients and stir until fully blended. Add in your meat and onions and stir again until fully combined. Pour the mixture into your crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours.

Based on my research it seems that most folks advocate refrigerating your chili overnight to allow the flavors to meld together. I went with this recommendation and it was worth the wait.
Microwave a portion of chili for about 1.5 minutes. Top with some shredded cheese (I prefer cheddar) and microwave for another minute until the cheese is melted. If you like it a little more spicy add some hot sauce and you are good to go.

If there was ever a dish made for the crockpot it would have to be chili. The slow cooking really allowed all of the flavors to merge and resulted in a rich, meaty chili that will probably feed me for the next week or so. I’ll definitely have to do some more experimenting with chili as I am a big fan of both turkey and white bean chili as well.

[nw_arizona_granny]

DD’s Baked Beans
Nothing like a good batch of baked beans to warm you up on a cold March evening. I’m really happy with how these came out. I have never been much of a baked bean person, but I think that a lot of that had to do with my primary experience being eating them from a can. In addition, when your rent is dangerously close to half your monthly income it is important to conserve where you can. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients
3 15.5 oz cans of white beans
1 15.5 oz can of red kidney beans
1 15 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 medium onion rough chopped
12 slices of turkey bacon (or regular if preferred)
2 tablespoons of molasses
3/4 of a cup of brown sugar
2 tablespoons of BBQ seasonings (optional)

In a pan, cook the turkey bacon until crisp and set aside.

Pour the white and red beans into a strainer to drain out the majority of the liquid and add to the crockpot. Add in the tomatoes, onions, brown sugar and BBQ seasonings. Roughly crumble the bacon and top and stir the mixture until the ingredients are evenly mixed.

Set your crockpot to low and cook for 9 hours, giving it a quick stir after 4.5 hours.

If I got to do this over again I would have added 1/2 cup of ketchup for a little more flavor and texture. I think these bean go great as a side dish, but can also be the main even accompanied by some bread for dipping. I through a little hot sauce on mine for spice, but they are great as is if you like things a little more mild. Sour cream would also probably go well also.

This recipe will easily feed 4-6 people as a dinner and freeze and reheat really well.

http://crockpotbbq.blogspot.com/2008/03/dds-baked-beans.html

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://mjpuzzlemom.wordpress.com/

Mediterranean Tuna-Noodle Casserole

Posted by: mj

* In: Freezer Food Friday| Once A Month Cooking
* 6 Comments

Welcome to Freezer Food Friday!

freezer-food-friday

I am sorry about missing last weeks meme, but I was taking a mini-vacation at my favorite hospital. That is the way things go. Link your posts below, I am looking forward to visiting your blogs and seeing what goodies you have to share.

Mediterranean Tuna-Noodle Casserole

Prep: 35 minutes Total: 55 minutes

Choose best-quality tuna that’s packed in olive oil for this dish.

Even after draining it, you’ll get moister, richer results than if you used water-packed tuna.

Serves 8.

1/3 cup olive oil, plus more for baking dishes

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 pound wide egg noodles

2 red bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), thinly sliced

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

5 cups whole milk

4 cans (6 ounces each) tuna in olive oil, drained

1 can (14 ounces) artichoke hearts, drained and thickly sliced

5 scallions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly oil two 8-inch square (or other shallow 2-quart) baking dishes. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles until 2 minutes short of al dente; drain, and return to pot.

Meanwhile, in a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium. Add bell peppers; season with salt and pepper. Cook until crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Gradually add milk, stirring until smooth. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a simmer.

Remove from heat; add mixture to noodles in pot, along with tuna, artichoke hearts, and scallions. Season with salt and pepper, and toss. Divide between prepared baking dishes, and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake until golden and bubbling, about 20 minutes.

To Freeze: Prepare through step 3; cool to room temperature. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, and freeze up to three months.

To Bake from Frozen: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake, covered with foil, until center is warm, about 2 hours. Uncover, and bake until top is browned, about 20 minutes more.

To Bake from Thawed: Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake, covered with foil, until center is warm, about 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake until top is browned, about 20 minutes more.

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Slow-Cooker Beef Goulash

Posted by: mj

* In: Beef| Slow Cooking Thursday| crockpot
* 2 Comments

Today is Slow Cooking Thursday, hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom . Share a recipe on your blog and go link it at her blog.

Slow-Cooker Beef Goulash

Serves 8

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 medium onions, minced

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup sweet paprika

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

Salt

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 5-pound boneless beef chuck-eye roast, trimmed and cut into 11/2-inch chunks

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup Minute tapioca

2 bay leaves

1/2 cup sour cream

Ground black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet. Add the onions, garlic paprika, tomato paste, caraway seeds and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until the onions are softened, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits. Make ahead: Transfer this mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate.

2. Transfer the onion mixture to the slow cooker and stir in the meat, soy sauce, tapioca and bay leaves until evenly combined. Cover and cook on low until meat is tender, 9 to 11 hours (high 5 to 6 hours).

3. Discard bay leaves. Remove 1 cup of the juice and stir in the sour cream. Add to crock; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Comments

Taste: 5; prep 4. Prepare (hands on) in 20 minutes. Serve over cooked egg noodles. Beef was tender; used half-smoked paprika instead of sweet for a flavorful twist.

From “The Best Make-Ahead Recipe” cookbook

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PEPPERMINT BARK

Posted by: mj

PEPPERMINT BARK

1 (7.5-ounce) package hard peppermint candies, unwrapped
1 pound white chocolate, chopped (do not use chips)
2 cups puffed rice cereal

Coat a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray; line with wax paper. Place candies in a doubled resealable plastic bag; seal, and wrap in a kitchen towel. Using a rolling pin or skillet, crush candies into tiny pieces. Sift to separate crushed candy from fine powder, reserving fine powder for another use; set crushed candy aside.

Place white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in rice cereal.

Pour mixture onto prepared baking sheet; using a spatula, spread evenly to a ¼ -inch thickness.

Sprinkle with crushed candy; with a piece of wax paper covering entire surface, press in gently. Chill until firm, 20 to 30 minutes (no longer, as candy will begin to get moist).

Peel wax paper off. Break bark into 2-inch pieces. Store at room temperature in an airtight container up to 1 week. Makes 36 pieces.

PER SERVING: Calories 101 (38% fat) Fat 4 g (2 g sat) Cholesterol 2 mg Sodium 11 mg No fiber Carbohydrates 14 g Protein 1 g

SOURCE: Adapted from Everyday Food (December, 2005)/www.marthastewart.com

Posted by: mj

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Heavenly Hash Cake

From Holly Clegg

Rich chocolate cake with a gooey marshmallow layer and Chocolate Icing with toasted pecans epitomizes southern indulgence and chocoholic perfection.

1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cocoa
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow crème
Chocolate Icing (recipe below)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 13 9 2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In mixing bowl, beat together oil, vanilla, and sugar until creamy. Add eggs and beat well.
3. In small bowl, combine water and cocoa. Add to mixing bowl and mix well.
4. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Add to mixing bowl alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched.
6. Carefully spread marshmallow crème over hot cake. Pour Chocolate Icing evenly over marshmallow layer. Sprinkle with pecans. Cool and cut into squares.

Makes 28 servings.

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Paula Deen’s Amazing Pot Roast

Posted by: mj

Paula Deen’s Amazing Pot Roast

1 (3- to 4-pound) boneless chuck roast*

¾ teaspoon garlic salt

1½ teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup quartered onion wedges

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 bay leaves

1 10¾-oz. can cream of mushroom soup

¼ cup red wine

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon beef bouillon granules

¾ cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix the salt, pepper and garlic salt in a small bowl. Press the seasonings into the roast on both sides. Heat oil in a large skillet and brown the roast, searing it on both sides, before placing it into a roasting pan or casserole dish.

Add onions and garlic to skillet for 1 to 2 minutes and pour over the roast. Combine the mushroom soup, wine, Worcestershire sauce and beef bouillon in a bowl. Pour over the roast, add water and bay leaves. Cover with foil or lid and bake for 3 to 3½ hours or until tender.

Remove and discard the bay leaves.

*If using a smaller cut of meat, adjust cooking time accordingly.

**For crock pot preparation, sear roast, place in slow cooker and follow directions above. If liquid does not cover all ingredients, add additional wine (easy now) and water as needed. Cook on low setting for 8 hours.
Tags: Beef, crockpot, roast beef

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Chicken Ole’

Posted by: mj

Chicken Ole’

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons grated onion
11/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
12 flour tortillas, each torn into 6 to 8 pieces
3 to 4 cups cubed, cooked chicken
1 (7-ounce) jar salsa
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Combine soups, sour cream, onion and 11/2 cups cheese. Place one-third of each of the following in layers in slow cooker; torn tortillas, soup mixture, chicken and salsa. Repeat layers 2 more times. Cover. Cook on low 4 to 5 hours. Do not cook on high. Gently stir. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Cover and cook on low another 15 to 30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips and lettuce.

Yields 8 servings.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://mjpuzzlemom.wordpress.com/2008/03/05/easiest-crock-pot-chicken-and-biscuits-recipe/

This week I am highlighting a recipe that I have made several times. This is a favorite here. I hope you enjoy it as well.

Easiest Crock Pot Chicken and Biscuits

I found this recipe in a Women’s Day Magazine entilted Slow Cooking.

4 servings

4¼ hours 10 min prep

2 cups cooked chicken ( I used diced raw breasts )
10 3/4 ounces condensed cream of mushroom soup
10 3/4 ounces condensed cream of chicken soup
2 (10 3/4 ounce) soup cans water ( I used chicken broth and omitted the bouillon )
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
16 ounces buttermilk biscuits (8)

Combine all ingredients in crock pot except biscuits; blend well.
Cut biscuits into quarters, stir into mixture.
Cover; cook on Low 4 to 6 hours stirring occasionally or until biscuits are cooked.

[nw_arizona_granny]

My contribition comes from the website of one of my favorite restaurants, Mimi’s Cafe. I used to go to this restaurant frequently just to eat their delicious corn chowder soup!

When Oronzo and I made the commitment to eat at home more often, to save money, I knew that I had to find a way to still be able to eat my Mimi’s Cafe corn chowder soup. Thank goodness for the internet because I discovered their recipe online! It’s so yummy!

Mimi’s Cafe Corn Chowder Soup

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 cups frozen corn, thawed
6 tablespoons onion, chopped
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup celery, large dice
2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 cups hot water
1 pinch white pepper
2 cups raw potato, peeled and cut in 1/2” cubes
3 tablespoons flour
1 quart Half & Half

Directions:

On medium heat, melt butter, then simmer onion and celery for 5 minutes until soft, but not brown.

Add water, potatoes, corn and seasonings. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until potatoes are barely tender.

Whisk the flour into 1 cup of the Half & Half, and stir into the soup. Add the remaining 3 cups of Half & Half. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the soup has thickened to a creamy consistency.

Correct the seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. In order to correct the consistency or the soup you may add a little milk to make it thinner. To make the soup thicker, simmer another 5-10 minutes.

Bon Appetite!

http://overwhelmedwithjoy.blogspot.com/

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://familycorner.blogspot.com/2007/11/slow-cooking-thursday_08.html

SMOKEHOUSE CHICKEN

1 whole chicken
1/4 cup liquid smoke

1. Rinse chicken inside and out, and pat dry.
2. Place in crock pot, breast side down.
3. Pour liquid smoke over top.
4. Cover and cook on low until done, about 10 hours, or until chicken is cooked to desired tenderness. (some crock pots cook faster than others, even on low).

If desired, salt your chicken inside and out before placing in crock pot. I’ve recently learned that some liquid smoke has added ingredients, and that will also affect the results — the kind I use is only “water and smoke.” Also, cooking times vary with different crock pots and with the size of your chicken. When I prepare this, I use a chicken weighing between 4 and 4 1/2 pounds. Your chicken may be done in less than 10 hours — use your judgement based on past experience with your crock pot.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://fullbellies.blogspot.com/2008/09/pizzeria-pot-pie.html

Pizzeria Pot Pie!

I’m a huge fan of the Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks and as a matter of fact, I collect them. I know that I can always find a simple, quick but delicious recipe on there.

This is from the Autumn Cookbook and the kids love it.

Photobucket

PIZZERIA POT PIE

1 lb. ground turkey sausage (I use maple sausage)
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1 1/2 c. sliced mushrooms (I use a small can, drained)
1 c. green pepper, chopped
14 1/2 oz. can chunky pizza sauce (I couldn’t find it at the commissary so I used a 15 oz bottle of normal pizza sauce)
2 c. biscuit baking mix
1/4 c. milk
1 egg, beaten (I just add it whole)
2 T. grated Parmesan Cheese

Brown sausage and onion in a skillet over medium heat; drain. Stir in mushrooms, pepper and pizza sauce;

spoon into an ungreased 3-quart casserole dish and set aside.

Stir baking mix, milk, egg and cheese together until dough forms. Turn onto a floured surface; knead 10 times (I just kneaded mine in the bowl).Pat into a 9-inch circle; cut into 6 wedges.

Arrange wedges over sauce mixture.

Bake uncovered, at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, until crust is golden.
Serves 6

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://fullbellies.blogspot.com/2006/08/feijoada.html

FEIJOADA!!!

I’m sure by now most of you are totally lost, just read the title of this post and you’re thinking “WHAT?!?! What the heck is that and can I eat it???”. The answer is, it’s a portuguese sort of chili and YES you can and SHOULD eat it.

The version that I make, of this really popular portuguese dish, is really easy.

The basic ingredients of Portuguese feijoada are beans and (fresh) pork or beef meat. In Northwest Portugal (chiefly Minho and Douro Litoral), it is usually made with white beans; whereas in the Northeast (Trás-os-Montes) it is generally prepared with red (kidney) beans, and includes other vegetables such as tomatoes, carrots and cabbage. Portuguese fejoada is usually served with rice.

FEIJOADA

Ingredients:

3 cans of red kidney beans or white butter beans
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped - or a can of tomato sauce
1 small can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon garlic, crushed
salt and pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 pound of bacon, chopped
1 chourizo sausage, sliced (if you can’t find chourize you can also use smoked sausage)
2 tablespoons olive oil
White Rice, cooked

Preparation:

The way I start is by putting the olive oil, garlic, onion, tomatoes, bay leaf, salt and pepper, bacon and sausage in a pan. Cook over medium high heat until onion is tender and bacon is cooked.

Add the kidney beans and stir.

Check the salt and pepper, add more if necessary. Turn the heat down to low and add the tomato sauce and wine. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often so as not to let it stick.

When it’s done, check the consistency, you don’t want it too watery, if it is, the just dissolve 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in a little bit of water and add to the pot, bring to a boil stirring constantly to thicken the sauce.

Serve over white rice.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://fullbellies.blogspot.com/2006/02/spaghetti-pizza-pie.html

Spaghetti Pizza Pie

For dinner tonight I’m making something that the kids both love and I know will eat without fights and me having to shove (or at least try), half the food down their throats. Not literally but you know what I mean.

This is delicious and both kids and adults love it. It’s a quick and easy recipe I got years ago from a Kraft Foods booklet.

Spaghetti Pizza Pie

Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 50 min
Makes: 6 servings

8 oz. spaghetti, cooked, drained

1/3 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 lb. ground beef, cooked, drained

2 cups spaghetti sauce

1-1/2 cups KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Toss spaghetti with half of the Parmesan cheese and egg. Place in 9-inch pie plate; press onto bottom and up side to form crust.

MIX meat and spaghetti sauce; spoon into spaghetti crust. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and remaining Parmesan cheese.

BAKE 30 minutes or until heated through. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting into wedges to serve.

Let me know how that was. :)

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://fullbellies.blogspot.com/2006/04/cheesy-kielbasa-bake.html

CHEESY KIELBASA BAKE!!!!

Love this recipe, it makes two 13 x 9 inch pans so you can feed a big crowd, or freeze one for later.

INGREDIENTS

* 12 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
* 2 pounds kielbasa (Polish) sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 2 medium onion, chopped
* 2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced
* 2 medium carrots, grated
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 (26 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
* 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
* 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
* 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
* 2 green onions, chopped

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, brown the sausage in oil over medium heat.

Add the onions, zucchini, carrots and garlic;

cook and stir for 5-6 minutes or until crisp-tender.

Stir in spaghetti sauce and tomatoes.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

In each of two greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dishes, layer a fourth of the macaroni and meat sauce.

Combine the egg and ricotta cheese; spoon a fourth over sauce.
Sprinkle with a fourth of the cheddar and mozzarella cheeses and the green onions.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Uncover; bake 15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Serve one casserole. Cool second casserole; cover and freeze for up to 2 months.

[nw_arizona_granny]

I’d use christmas wrapping paper! Why spend money on scrapbook paper at $1 a sheet?
10th<<<

Good idea, or even used Christmas cards.

I admit that I love paper.

When you are near an old fashioned printer, you know, for flyers, wedding invitations, etc, one that does the printing in the back room.

Ask them if they have pads and remnants of their papers for sale.

I have gone to several and bought card stock for making card and other fancy uses, for 50 cents a 100 sheets, memo pads for a dime, etc.

Then go back and look in their dumpster for the real scraps.

Many card makers dig in the dumpsters for the paper scraps, so you may find a waiting line.

The other dumpster that I checked when in town, is the one behind the telephone office that was down town, the employees are not smart enough to remove the pages from a 3 ring notebook and toss them in the trash.

By notebook, I am talking about the ones we buy kids for school, that you open the ‘0’rings and put your paper in.

The other item that is worth digging out, is the big cables of the many wires, that they use to hook up the big stuff, I am thinking of the word ‘cables’.

You can split the covering with a sharp knife and remove the many small covered wires, that have colored plastic coating.

Now you have plant ties.

Weave small artistic baskets with the wire.

You would be able to braid or crochet it, I intended to use the one I dug out for front door entry rug. Someone stole it from me.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Also you could “shingle” them over each other instead of arranging them like tiles on the styrofoam. LOL it’s fun to take these ideas and develop them further.<<<

Good idea.

I would not want glue on candy wrappers and I see no reason to waste the candy, it should be eaten, if it is saved the ants and bugs will find it.

We had ants find and eat our sugar cube village.

And you want the cone to cover with dried flowers.