HomeStead

Creamy Beef and Noodles

2016-10-31T09:42:00.001-05:00

With twin babies and our hectic schedule, I have to be able to whip together quick, easy meals some days. Mondays are one of those days around here. I made this last Monday and it was really yummy. I wanted to make my Mom's Goulash recipe, but I didn't have macaroni noodles, so I combined elements from that with another casserole I sometimes make and came up with this.

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef or turkey
1/2 sweet onion, diced
14 oz can tomato sauce
1 TBS Paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt, to taste
1/2 tsp Pepper
1 cup of frozen corn
1 cup of sour cream
1 lb of pasta, I used rotini
Shredded cheddar cheese
2 sliced green onions

Brown beef in a large skillet, add onions and cook until translucent. Add tomato sauce, seasonings and corn, simmer while you boil the pasta. Preheat broiler. Drain pasta, add to the beef mixture, stir in sour cream. Transfer to a casserole dish, or use the skillet if it is oven-safe. Scatter shredded cheddar over the top, sprinkle with green onions and place under the broiler until cheese is nice and bubbly.

In Real Life

2016-10-11T13:43:00.001-05:00

In the past, I've tried to keep this blog and have everything perfect, photography to the best of my ability, new recipes regularly, everything from scratch, house always perfect, pinterest-worthy decorations that I crafted myself, etc. It was overwhelming, I constantly felt like a failure because I was imposing too much on myself, and during my pregnancy with the twins, I had to let much of that stuff go, I couldn't physically do it.
Since their birth, it has been hard to get things back under control. I've slowly but surely been getting my house back under control, gotten them on a decent sleeping schedule, and have decided to get ba
ck to doing a few things I enjoy, this blog being one of them. I love to cook and want to share recipes, though the photos will most likely be shot with my phone while a baby crawls at my feet, and that's ok with me. This is real life and it's not perfect or always pretty.

I hope ya'll can find encouragement or even just get a laugh from my life.

Homemade Boursin-Style Cheese

2015-09-26T05:59:00.000-05:00

I must have accidentally deleted the pictures of this recipe. It was so good, I couldn't not share.

Growing up, we had a lot of parties at our house. My Mom frequently put out a box of fancy-shaped crackers and a tub of Alouette or Boursin cheese. I always loved it. Then, a few weeks ago, I was craving some but my store didn't have any of the Garlic Herb flavor (my favorite)! I was also surprised at how expensive a teeny little tub is. Later that night while I was watching Curious George with son, I decided to see if I could find a recipe for it. I thought it woud be similar to the times I've made my own cream cheese. I was very intrigued when I saw how simple the recipe I found was. I even watched a video of Emeril making a batch.

I decided to work with the herbs I had on hand, but I plan to make this again (and again and again) and try different herbs and herb combinations. This batch is 2 or three times bigger than the store-bought variety and for a grand total of $2.51, it's pretty easy on the pocket book too. I only had thyme, basil, and oregano on hand, but there are SO many other herbs that would be amazing in this.

Ingredients:

8 oz block of cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 stick of butter, at room temperature
1 clove of garlic, grated on a microplane
the leaves form 6 stems of thyme
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
a few minches of salt
1/2 tsp of black pepper

I just put everything in my mixer with the whisk attachment and let it go for about 5 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides with a rubber spatula twice. Then I put it in a couple of dishes, covered them with plastic wrap, and put them in the refrigerator to firm up. Then, I devoured it.

And I felt no shame.

Twins Update

2015-09-20T10:27:00.000-05:00

Ever since finding out we are having twins, I have been so excited, but I don't think the true reality has quite set in yet. We went in for the anatomy scan on September 4, but they weren't able to get good views of either baby, so I have been referred to a high risk pregnancy doctor for an ultrasound, which is tomorrow. The main reason I have to see the high risk doctor is to determine how many placentas there are. Having two is ideal, as a shared placenta can pose higher risks. I am a little nervous about this, being as I have had two miscarriages in the past. However, I am refusing to let that cause me to worry too much, since I have also had one completely uncomplicated pregnancy which produced an extremely healthy little boy. We continue to pray everyday.
I feel them move quite a bit when I lay down at night. They are still pretty small, so it doesn't interfere with my sleep yet. Aside from me staying awake because I'm trying to feel both of them. One baby has positioned itself under my left ribcage and I can feel it whenever I lay on my left side. The other baby hangs out in the front and up high, much like my son did; so I don't feel that baby as much. Even when I can't feel their movements much myself, my husband can usually put his hands under my stomach when I am laying down and he can usually feel them.
Prayers are appreciated as I am so excited/nervous about tomorrow's appointment.

Pregnancy Nausea

2015-08-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

For the first 10 or so weeks of my pregnancy, I was nauseated all the time. I couldn't find anythign that really helped, and I was throwing up all.the.time. Fast forward to the second trimester, and I am still nauseated from time to time, but I have found a few things that help keep it manageable.

1. Eating smaller, more frequent meals. Having too much on my stomach at once causes me to have nausea and hot flashes. I figured this out a few weeks ago, but that didn't stop me from taking a few too many bites at my brother's birthday dinner last night. I was feeling sick before I could even leave the restaurant, and the feeling lasted a few hours.

2. Avoiding high fat or greasy foods. I have noticed that when I eat fast food, something very cheesy/fatty or even low-quality food (canned raviloli was a MAJOR culprit), I feel incredibly sick for a few hours.

3. Lemon water. Several people told me that rubbing lemon on their upper lip helped quell their nausea. I have always loved to drink lemon water, so I started trying that, and it really helped. I just squeeze the juice of half a lemon into the 20 oz insulated cup I keep on hand to make sure I stay hydrated, and it really helps. I currently have a pitcher of lemon and cucumber infused water in the fridge that also really helps, and it was so very refreshing during those hot flashes I experienced after over-eating last night.

4. Taking a time out. I have to sit down and relax for the nausea to go away. If I keep moving, it does not get better. I have to move a lot for my job, and there are a few hours every day when I feel absolutely miserable because I can't quell the nausea.

These are just some simple things that have helped me. I know there are many, many remedies out there, this is just what I have tried that worked for me. I will update if I find anything new.

New Life

2015-08-16T05:58:00.001-05:00

About a week after my last blog post, a year and a half ago, I went back to work after being a Stay at Home Mom for 2.5 years. I needed to do something to help the family budget. It was the hardest decision I had ever made, and honestly, it has made me so unhappy. I miss my son so much, and I just really do not like my job.
That being said. Everything has not been horrible. This year celebrates 6 years of marriage to my awesome husband, our little boy is a happy and healthy 4 year old, and come January, we will be welcoming twins!
We are all so excited about that last little surprise. I am hoping that some things will work out and I will be able to stay at home with the twins.
I have decided to blog about this pregnancy, the things I'm feeling and experiencing, it will basically be a journal for me.

God has blessed us with these Little Ones, and I know it is in His hands.

Clean Windows Like a Pro

2014-07-21T16:33:00.001-05:00

I actually shared this post almost 2 years ago, but I didn't have pictures with it. I use this method all the time to clean windows and mirrors in my house. This particular before and after is of a window in my dining area. I've cleaned the inside several times since we've lived here, but I can't reach the top of the window on the outside, so I guess I always thought I'd ask my husband to do it later. Well, it turns out the outside of that window hadn't been cleaned in the whole 2 years we've lived here. Gross. It looks pretty good now, though.

I hate cleaning windows and mirrors. No matter what I do, there are always streaks. Windex? Tried it. Vinegar, rubbing alcohol? Uh-huh. Paper towels, newspaper, coffee filters? All left streaks and lint. Then I remembered that when my parents would have professionals clean our windows when I was growing up, they didn't use any of those things. They had a big, sudsy bucket, a cloth, a a squeegee. I asked around, and someone said to use Dawn dish soap, the blue kind. So before we moved into our new home, I went and bought a squeege and some blue Dawn. As my husband and brother unpacked the truck, I went inside and mixed up a mop bucket full of warm water and a few squirts of Dawn so I could clean the living room window before heavy furniture got pu in front of it. It worked great, No streaks, no lint, just perfectly clean windows.

You Will Need:

1 bucket
Dawn Dish Soap, the blue one
2 clean rags
Squeegee

Squirt a little Dawn into a bucket, fill with warm water. I probably used a tablespoon or so of soap. Get 1 rag nice and sudsy, use it to clean the window. Mine were a little grody, so I did some scrubbing. Starting at one corner and working accross, run squeegee from top to bottom, making sure to wipe the blade with your dry rag after each pass. Enjoy your crystal clear, streak free windows.

Veggie Lo Mein

2014-02-17T16:52:00.000-06:00

I love Chinese food. One of my favorite things about these basic dishes, is how easy they are to make at home. The simplicity of these dishes actually surprised me when I got married and started cooking for us. We never made these types of food at home when I was a kid. My Mom is a master of comfort food. She makes delicious food, just not this kind. This is one of my Hubbie's favorite meals. It's easy and delicious. I do a meatless version most of the time, but I've also done chicken and pork in the past. My little sister recently became vegan and I plan on making a version for her soon.

Ingredients

2 cups Cabbage shredded

4 oz mushrooms, sliced

1 cup Carrots, shredded or julienned

1/2 bunch Green Onions, sliced

1 lb Fresh Steamed Thin Chow Mein Noodles

1/4 cup Soy Sauce (Light)

2 TBS Sesame Oil

1 cup Chicken Broth, or Vegetable Broth

1 TBS fish sauce (optional)

1.5 TBS cornstarch

2 packages of lo mein noodles, prepared acccording to paclage directions

Note: My small town grocery store doesn't always stock lo mein noodles, so I sometimes just use 3 packs of ramen noodles without the seasoning packets.

Prepare the noodles according to the package instruction, drain and set aside in a large bowl. Warm a small amount of sesame oil over medium heat in a large skillet or wok. Add cabbage, mushrooms, and carrots, sprinkle with pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until cabbage is wilted and carrots are softened. Add the green onions. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, sesame noodles, broth, fish sauce (if using), and cornstarch and whisk together. Add veggies to the noodles. Pour the sauce mixture into the empty skillet and whisk until thickened, this will only take a few minutes. Toss the noodles, veggies, and sauce together and serve. Easy peasy.

You can find Fish Sauce in most grocery stores now, usually with the rest of the Asian foods. It has a very pungent smell, but it adds wonderful flavor to many Asian dishes. I hope you try it.

Chicken Rigatoni and Family History

2014-01-27T13:42:00.000-06:00

A while back, I became interested in researching my Father's family. My biological Dad passed away when I was 14, and I never knew his Father or his father's family, except for one great-aunt. I met my grandfather only once, when I was maybe 3 or 4 years old, I very vaguely remember him.I've never actually spoken to him, though my research leads me to believe he may still be alive, so I am contemplating writing a letter. Anyway, my Grandma had told me a lot about the family. When she spoke of my Grandfather, she usually talked about how he cooked. He is Italian and from New York City and she told me about how when he made pasta, he'd have a big pot of sauce simmering all day long, and he'd stir it and check the spices and season it. The first time I set out to make homemade sauce, I disregarded any recipe that took less than 3 hours to make. She talked about his brothers and how they dressed and how the whole family ate. I always romanticized it in my head, and when I would see a big Italian family gathered together in movies or on TV, I always imagined that's what it was like and being a part of it. I have an Italian friend who is also from NY, and her family IS that large, loud, gorgeous, loving Italian family you see in movies. I remember eating dinner with her family and imagining that my Father's family was just like them and I might one day be a part of something like it. Please don't get me wrong, the family that I do know was wonderful to grow up in, and we had many many happy dinners and holidays.

Anyway, through my research I discovered that my Grandfather lived at least part of his life in upstate/central New York. Through researching the town, I found that there is a regional dish that is very popular there, called Chicken Riggies. I'd never heard of it in my life, but the description of rigatoni pasta, chicken, and peppers in a tomato cream sauce sounded amazing. I looked up several recipes and found that the recipes vary drastically from family to family. The ingredients that all of the recipes contained were rigatoni, cherry peppers, chicken, and tomatoes. So, I chose 5 recipes and picked and chose what I liked from them, added my own ingredients and preferred tastes, and came up with my own recipe. I can't call it Chicken Riggies, because I've never been anywhere near NY and I would have no idea if it tastes anything close to their beloved dish. I can tell you, though, that what I came up with is delicious. My husband devoured it, talked about it for days afterward, and has requested that I make it at least once a month.

Ingredients:

1 lb of Rigatoni pasta
2 lbs of boneless chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
5 cloves of garlic, smashed, grated, or minced
1 bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces, I used green
7 jarred sweet cherry peppers, seeded and roughly chopped (I plan to try with fresh when in season)
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 (28oz) can of whole tomatoes
1/2 cup sherry wine (cooking sherry is fine)
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried basil (can use fresh, just triple the amount)
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes, optional
olive oil, for sauteing chicken and garlic

In a large pot (I used a 5 qt nonstick dutch oven), place 2 TBS olive oil and 4 cloves of minced garlic (I grate mine on a Microplane) while the pan is still cold. Turn the heat on to medium and allow the garlic to heat with the oil, to infuse it with flavor and not burn and turn bitter, about 5 minutes. When the garlic is golden but not burned, add the chopped bell pepper and mushrooms. Allow to cook for 5 minutes, to soften. Add the tomatoes, cherry peppers, and sherry, bring it to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat to keep it bubbling but not boiling while you prepare the chicken.

In a large skillet, heat a little olive oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, when the pan is hot add the chicken and remaining garlic. Allow the chicken to get good and brown on both sides. This took about 15 minutes total for me. When the chicken is almost done, use a masher to break up the tomatoes in the sauce pot. Once the tomatoes are broken up, add the chicken to the pan. Use a splash of sherry to deglaze the skillet you prepped the chicken in. Add the deglazing liquid to the sauce. Put a large pot of water on to boil the rigatoni. While you are waiting for the water to boil, add the cream cheese and basil, stirring to fully incorporate the cream cheese. You could also use heavy cream, I chose cream cheese since the little grocery store I went to doesn't stock heavy cream. When the water is boiling, add 1 TBS of salt and the rigatoni to the water. Cook 1 minute less than the package tells you to. Continue stirring the sauce, making sure it is at a strong simmer, stir in the Parmesan cheese very well. When the noodles are done, drain them and toss them with the sauce in the pot. Serve with red pepper flakes and extra Parmesan.

I just love discovering regional dishes, local favorites, and I hope to visit many of the places I've read about and try the authentic versions myself. One of my favorites is the Moco Loco, which my husband ordered for breakfast in Maui at my brother-in-law's suggestion. It was so yummy and I've since made my own version at home. It's a bed of white rice, topped with a hamburger patty, a fried egg, and brown gravy. It sounds weird, but it is super yummy.

German Cabbage Rolls

2014-01-15T15:54:00.001-06:00

Back in November, I posted my recipe for Cabbage Rolls. That recipe was the more traditional Hungarian style cabbage rolls most of us are used to, with a tomato-based sauce. They are fabulous, and I encourage you to try them out. Today I bring you my recipe for German style Cabbage Rolls. These cabbage rolls are my husband's favorite. They're meaty and hearty and scrumptious. Men seem to really appreciate these cabbage rolls, and I think the main reason is the sauce. I place of a tomato sauce, these cabbage rolls are served topped with brown gravy. So yummy. These cabbage rolls are easy to make, super hearty, and they get better the next day. This recipe makes 12 large cabbage rolls. You can make them smaller to use more of the cabbage, or make more filling.

Ingredients:

1 large head of cabbage
2 TBS salt

Filling:

1/2 lb ground Beef
1/2 lb ground Pork
3 TBS bread crumbs
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 TBS German style mustard
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
pinch of Salt
1/2 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced or grated on a microplane
2 TBS Butter

Sauce:
Optional: splash of white wine
1 cup beef broth
1/4 cup cold water
1 TBS cornstarch

Note: To cut back of fat, you can substitute all lean ground beef or even ground turkey for the ground beef and pork. There is a slight flavor difference, but it is still delicious and it's a way to eat "regular" food while losing weight or watching your cholesterol.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In the meantime, melt 1 TBS of butter in a large skillet, add diced onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat until softened and lightly browned. Remove from heat. Wash cabbage and remove outermost leaves if they are loose. You can core the cabbage if you like, but it's not necessary. I like to because it helps the salt water flavor the cabbage and it seems to make the leaves easier to remove. As soon as the water boils, add the 2 TBS of salt. Gently add the cabbage and boil 15-20 minutes. Remove the cabbage, drain and allow to cool.

Once the cabbage is cool, mix all of the filling ingredients together. Remove the 12 outer leaves from the cabbage and begin filling. The demonstration photos I'm going to post now are from my last cabbage rolls recipe, but the folding method is the same.

Once all of the cabbage rolls are ready, heat 1 TBS of butter over medium heat in the large skillet you used to saute the onions. Place about half of the rolls in the skillet, seam side down. Allow to cook for 5 minutes, then flip and cook and additional 3 minutes. Remove to a platter and brown the remaining rolls in the same way. Optional: Remove rolls and deglaze the pan with a splash of white wine. Add all of the rolls to the pan, pour in the beef broth. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Remove rolls from skillet, bump the heat up to medium-high, mix cornstarch and cold water together, add to the broth in the pan, stir constantly until thickened. This will only take a few minutes. Serve the rolls topped with gravy alongside mashed potatoes.

Barbeque Meatball Sliders

2013-12-28T16:03:00.000-06:00

Meatball sliders are a huge hit in my family. I often take them to church functions, where they are always well-received. I usually make Italian style sliders, but a few weeks ago I decided to switch it up for our church business meeting. I didn't stick around for the meeting, but my Hubbie and Dad loved them. My Dad is a pretty picky eater, so it makes me happy when he enjoys my food. These are quick to put together, made with frozen meatballs. You could certainly use your own homemade meatballs, or make my delicious Meatballs. These would be a great addition to any finger food buffet or Super Bowl Party.

Ingredients:

24 Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls
36 frozen Meatballs
1 cup of your favorite Barbeque Sauce
24 Pickle Chips
6 Slices of Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 350°. Place the frozen meatballs in a large, microwave-safe glass dish. Heat on high until warmed through, about 5-7 minutes. Stop and stir the meatballs about 3 minutes in.
While the meatballs are heating, separate the dinner rolls and slice in half. Place the bottom halves on a baking sheet. Remove the meatballs from the microwave, toss with the barbeque sauce. Slice the meatballs in half. Place 3 halves on each bottom half. 1 meatball just isn't enough for this size roll, and 2 unsliced meatballs creates too much of a mess. Cut each cheese slice into 4 pieces. Top each slider with a cheese slice and a pickle chip. Put the top half of the rolls on. Place in the oven untilt eh cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Stack on a platter and serve.

Egg in the Hole

2013-12-26T00:00:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas! Here is an easy and scrumptious breakfast to enjoy. If you still have out-of-town guests, pull out that griddle and make this one-dish breakfast.

Growning up, I had a baby-sitter who often made these for us for breakfast, she called them Chicken in a Basket. I always loved them. My Hubbie and son love these for breakfast. My Hubbie remebers his Mom making these when he was a child, instead of cutting the hole with a biscuit cutter, like I do, his Mom let him bit the middle out. I may let my son try that when he's older. He's only 2, and a carb lover, I don't think he'd be happy about having to hand a piece of bread back. This is a very simple breakfast to make, and if you have a large griddle, you can make several at a time.

Ingredients: I usually make two for my Hubbie and one each for my son and I.

4 slices of bread
4 eggs
4 TBS Butter
salt and Pepper

Preheat a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Butter both sides of each slice of bread. Use a biscuit cutter to cut a hole in the center. Don't discard the removed bread. You'll be toasting that up too, it's my favorite part.

Toast the bread and the removed portions on the griddle until medium brown and crunchy, flip. Place a small amount of butter in the open hole of each slice of bread, crack 1 egg into each hole. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover with a lid and cook until the whites are just set for a runny yolk. If you like a firmer yolk, cook a minute longer. Remove from the heat, use the reserved piece to pierce the yolk, and enjoy.

Chai Spiced Citrus Tea

2013-12-19T14:12:00.000-06:00

I made a pot of this for us to sip while watching Christmas movies a few nights ago. I had intended to made a recipe I had been given for old fashioned Russian Tea, not the instant powdered stuff, but a recipe that sounded absolutely lovely. However, I was out of oranges, whole cloves and cinnamon sticks, and I didn't want ground up spiced floating in the tea, so I improvised and came up with my own recipe with what I had on hand. My Mother-In-Law gave me a tin of delicious loose-leaf Chai Tea last time she visited, it was awesome in this recipe.

Ingredients:
6 Cups of Boiling Water
3 Black Tea Bags
3 TBS Loose Leaf Chai Tea, or 3 Tea Chai Tea Bags
1 Cup of Water
1/4 Cup of White Sugar
the Juice of 4 Tangerines (you could use oranges)

Steep the black and chai teas in the 6 cups of boiling water for 8-10 minutes. While steeping, bring the water and sugar to a boil in a small sauce pan. Remove the tea leaves and tea bags, pour the sugar water into the tea, add the tangerine juice. Stir and enjoy.

We really enjoyed this tea. My Hubbie has requested a steady supply in the house until Spring.

Pecan Clusters

2013-12-18T00:00:00.000-06:00

These Pecan Clusters are so easy to make. With only 3 ingredients, they are truly more than the sum of their parts. Everyone in my family enjoys these, even my two year old. They're a delightful addition to any gathering, or as a treat for a super sweet Hubbie. Don't skip the toasting step, it's mostly hands off and it really brings out the flavor of the pecans.

Ingredients:

3 cups of Pecan Halves
3 TBS of Butter, I use salted
12 oz Chocolate Chips

Preheat the oven to 300 °. Scatter the pecans on a baking sheet. Dot with the butter. Place in the oven for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Line a baking sheet or large cutting board with waxed paper. Place the chocolate in a large microwave safe glass bowl, microwave on high for 1 minute, stir. Continue microwaving at 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval until melted. Stir in the pecans. Drop by the spoonfuls onto the waxed paper. Allow them to set and enjoy.

How gorgeous are toasted pecans?

Reindeer Crunch Snack Mix

2013-12-17T00:00:00.001-06:00

I made up this snack mix to enjoy while watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for Family Night. We all agreed it was a hit, and I plan to make it for our Christmas Eve get-together. Santa Claus comes through our neighborhood on a firetruck. It is a tradition we had in my neighborhood growing up, and one I am glad I can continue with my son.

This snack mix is sweet, salty, crunchy, fruity, chocolaty, you know, delicious. You can buy a bag of caramel corn instead of making your own, but I think it tastes way better this way. Also, I have fond memories of making caramel corn with my Mom as a child, and it makes me feel nostalgic to make my own. I use the Karo recipe, just like my Mom did, it's fool-proof. I'll include it in the ingredients and instructions, but here is a link Karo Syrup - Classic Caramel Corn

Ingredients:

For the Caramel Corn:

8 cups of popped popcorn
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup Corn Syrup
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter OR margarine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Snack Mix:

1 Recipe Caramel Corn
2 cups of small Pretzels
1 cup of toasted Pecans
2 cups of Mini Marshmallows
1 cup of dried cranberries
1 cup of chocolate Chips
1 large paper grocery bag

Directions:

For the Caramel Corn:
Spray a large shallow roasting pan with cooking spray. Add popcorn and place in preheated 250°F oven while preparing caramel.
Mix brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt in a heavy 2-quart saucepan. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium heat.

Boil 5 minutes WITHOUT STIRRING. Remove from heat. Stir in baking soda and vanilla.(Mixture will foam)
Pour syrup mixture over warm popcorn, stirring to coat evenly.
Bake for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and spread on foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

Cool; break apart. Reserve foil-lined baking sheets for the next step.

To Make the Snack Mix:

Place the cooled caramel corn, pretzels, pecans, marshmallows, and cranberries into the paper grocery bag. Shake to combine. Spread mixture out on the reserved baking sheets.

Place chocolate chips into a microwave-safe glass bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir, return to microwave and cook on high for 30 second intervals until melted. This usually takes me 1.5 - 2 minutes depending on how cold it is. However, it is very important to stir it every 30 seconds, and stop heating it as soon as it is melted.

Use a spoon to drizzle the melted chocolate over the snack mix. You can let it cool, then break it up. Or you can place the snakc mix back into the bag as soon as you drizzle it with chocolate and shake shake shake to get the chocolate more evenly distributed, which is what I did.

White Hot Chocolate

2013-12-16T00:00:00.000-06:00

I made this white hot chocolate as a treat for my family's Frosty the Snowman theme night. It was delicious. I had some leftover that I re-heated the next day. It made a perfect accompaniment to my Mom's Chocolate Chip Cookies. Both of these should defintely make an appearance at your holiday table or cookie swap.

White Hot Chocolate

4 cups of whole Milk
8 oz White Chocolate Chips, I used Ghirardelli brand.
1 tsp Vanilla Extract,
Optional Topping Ideas: Whipped cream, marshmallows, crushed candy canes, cinnamon

Heat milk and white chocolate chips in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until melted and warmed through. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Ladel into mugs, add desired toppings, and enjoy.

Christmas Movie Theme Nights: Frosty The Snowman

2013-12-13T13:51:00.001-06:00

Sorry for the terrible pictures, all of them were taken with my iPhone. I just LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this time of year. Christmas is such a special time of year for me. I have wonderful memories of family get-togethers, baking cookies and making fudge with my Mom, seeing Santa Claus on the Fire Truck every Christmas Eve, dancing the 12 Days of Christmas. My family had a lot of traditions growing up, these are just a few. I'm continuing several of them with my son, and adding some of our own.

One thing we started this year and we plan to continue is a Christmas movie theme night. Last Saturday was our first time, and we did Frosty the Snowman. My Hubbie got me a box set of animated Christmas classics last year, so that is what I will be using while my son is young. He LOVED Frosty. We started the day with Snowman shaped pancakes, which I didn't get pictures of, basically 3 different sized pancakes, cooked close together so they combined. Then we decorated them with chocolate chips. It was fun. That evening we had snowman-shaped white pizza for dinner and we enjoyed white hot chocolate during the movie. It was a lovely time, and all of us enjoyed it. It wasn't anything fancy, since I pulled most of it together last-minute with things I already had on hand. My snowman pizza is rather plain compared to those on Pinterest, but it was delicious.

I did get this picture on my cellphone of my son decorating a pancake for Daddy.

For the Snowman Pancakes I used my fabulous Cake Flour Pancakes recipe.

For the Snowman Pizza:
I used half of the dough my recipe makes to make this snowman. It was barely enough for 3 people. I'd suggest making two or more if you have a larger family, or serve a soup or salad with it.

Per Snowman:
1/2 recipe of my Pizza Dough
1 cup of ricotta cheese
2 cloves of garlic, minced, or grated
2 cups of shredded mozzarella
Parmesan (optional)
black olives

Preheat the oven to 400.
Roll about 2/3 of the dough out into a 10 inch round
Roll the remaining dough into a 6 inch round.
Place them on a baking sheet so the bottom of the smaller round is touching the top of the larger round.
Mix the ricotta and garlic together, spread onto both rounds, leaving about 1/2 an inch of border. Top with mozzarella, I didn't measure, but I used quite a bit. Sprinkle with Parmesan, if you like. Slice olives in half and use them to create eyes, mouth and buttons. Bake 15-20 minutes, until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly. Check at 12 minutes, and then every couple minutes after that.

Mom's Recipes: Chocolate Chip Cookies

2013-12-05T00:00:00.000-06:00

This is my Mom's recipe for chocolate chip cookies. It makes the most perfect chocolate chip cookies in the world. I do not like crispy or crunchy chocolate chip cookies. These are moist and soft and just delicious. It is based off of a recipe that used to be on the back of Jello Instant Vanilla Pudding, but she has changed ingredient quantities and perfected it. I tried the original recipe once, the cookies didn't hold a candle to these ones. I've never met anyone who didn't love these cookies. She makes them for church functions almost every month, they are always gone, and people are constantly asking for the recipe. I love them so much, I had her make them as the favors for my wedding and I put them down in little gift boxes and tied them with ribbon. I prefer them without walnuts, but most people love the addition of walnuts, so I included them in the recipe. My Mom only makes one pan without walnuts, for my sister and I to share, the rest get the nuts. Excuse the terrible iPhone pictures. I didn't have my camera with me and I knew there wouldn't be any leftover for me to take home and photograph.

Ingredients

3-½ cups Flour

1-½ teaspoon Baking Soda

1-½ cup Butter

1 cup Light Brown Sugar

1 box Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix, 3.5 Oz

½ cups Sugar

1-½ teaspoon Vanilla

3 whole Eggs

3 cups Chocolate Chips

2 cups Chopped Walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix flour and baking soda together set aside.
Mix butter, brown sugar, pudding, sugar, vanilla and eggs until smooth.
Slowly add flour mixture until well blended.
Add chocolate chips and walnuts.
Spoon dough into cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes (cookies will be soft). Cool on wire rack.

Very important: the cookies will not look browned, you don't want them to. We found that baking for 10 minutes, checking, and then baking for 1 more minute makes them turn out perfectly. When I set a timer for 11 minutes, they were too done. Weird, I know.

Make these for your family today. They would also be perfect for a Christmas party (or ANY party). My Mom has actually made the dough, put it in a container, and taken it to people around Christmas time, so they can bake cookies at their leisure.

Natural Oven Cleaning

2013-12-04T07:04:00.000-06:00

I'm embarrassed to admit that I've only cleaned my oven a few times this year. It had been in need of it for a couple of weeks, and I kept putting it off. Then, last week I had no choice but to prepare Thanksgiving side dishes in it and in the process I made even more of a mess.

So, yesterday I searched Pinterest for DIY natural, yet heavy duty, oven cleaners. I found several recipes, most very similar to what I normally use, which is a combination of Dawn Dish Soap, Baking Soda, and water. I slather it on, let it sit, then spray it with vinegar and scrub clean. It generally works very well, but my oven was REALLY bad. I found a tip that said to use salt and dish soap. So, I combined my usual recipe and the salt to make a new one. It worked really well, it didn't get everything, but my oven had some pretty badly burned on spots. I think Sweet Potato Casserole was the culprit. Burned on sugar is the worst!

If your oven isn't absolutely horrible, I think this recipe will work quite well. I will probably end up using the self-cleaning function on mine. I jsut hate doing it because it aggravates my lungs. It's the same reason why I don't use oven cleaner. It works really well, but two years ago I accidentally burned my lungs with chemicals while cleaning, and ever since then I have been super sensitive to cleaners.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup baking soda
2 TBS salt
1 TBS dish soap
enough warm water to make a thick paste

This is my oven before, plese don't judge me. Use a rag to apply cleaner all oven the inside of your oven, laying it on fairly thickly oven the worst spots. Let it sit overnight. In the morning, spray with vinegar, and use a gentle nylon scrubber to clean up. Use a rag and plenty of water to remove all traces of the cleaner. This is after.

If anyone has any suggestions on how to remove those last bits, I'd love to hear them. I've thought about trying the Norwex cleaning paste, as I've heard good things, but I've yet to actually look into it.

Sour Cream Biscuits

2013-11-27T00:00:00.000-06:00

I've seen several recipes floating around the internet for biscutis using sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream. I already have a biscuit recipe that I adore; but since I had scant amounts of all three of those ingredients in the fridge, I figured I'd use them to make some biscuits. They had excellent flavor and were very tender.

Ingredients:
2 cups of AP flour
3 TBS Corn Starch
3 TBS Baking Poder
1 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
4 oz cream cheese
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cream
2 TBS melted butter

Preheat oven to 350. Place the dry ingredients in a large bowl, and stir with a whisk to combine. Mix the cream cheese and sour cream, and 1/4 cup of the cream together, add to the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined, adding more cream as needed for the dough to come toghether. Roll out to 1/4 inch thick and cut with biscuit cutters or a glass. Place 1 inch apart on a baking sheet. Brush with melted butter and bake 8-10 minutes until lightly browned.

These were delicious topped with scrambled eggs with green chiles.

We also LOVED them topped with my homemade Apple Butter!

Roasted Turkey

2013-11-26T14:40:00.001-06:00

This turkey is easy and comes out deliciously moist and succulent. Start it today and have it ready to go in the oven Thursday morning.

Ingredients:
1 turkey
Kosher Salt
2 tsp Seasoning Salt

Pepper
1 stick Softened Butter
Optional: 1 TBS Finely chopped herbs such as sage, thyme, marjoram, etc. You could also add lemon zest or minced garlic, if you won't be using the dripping to make gravy, or if you don't mind the flavors in the gravy. I wouldn't mind a hint of garlic in the gravy, but I don't think I would enjoy the lemon.

Remove giblets and neck bone, set aside. Rinse the turkey inside and out and dry with paper towels. Set it in a roasting pan or on a large rimmed baking sheet. Loosen the skin on the turkey and sprinkle the meat and inside cavity with 2 teaspoons of seasoning salt. Sprinkle kosher salt on the outside of the turkey. Cover the roasting pan with a large bag such as an oven bag or large shopping bag. Place it in the fridge.

The night before you will be serving the turkey remove the bag, and allow the turkey to sit uncovered in the fridge. Just move produce away from it. This will help to dry out the skin, which will make it nice and crisp.

An hour and a half hours before your turkey needs to be in the oven, remove it from the refrigerator. Rinse it with cold water to remove some of the salt, and dry it with paper towels. Place it in a roasting pan and allow it to sit at room temperature, so the skin wont burn before the meat is warm enough.

At this time or right before going into the oven, mix the butter and the herbs, if you are using them. Rub half the mixture all over the turkey, and up under the skin. I use a combination of sage and thyme and it is delicious.

Preheat the oven to 425. Place the turkey in the oven. Roast for 45 minutes.

Baste with the pan juices and a little of the remaining butter/herb mixture.

Turn the temperature down to 325 and roast until a meat thermometer registers 165 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh.

Baste with the pan juices every 30 minutes. The last 45 minutes, baste every 15 minutes with the butter mixture and pan juices.

Cooking time after the initial high heat roast took about 2.5 hours for my turkey, but please gauge doneness by the temperature, not the time.

Seriously, how gorgeous is this turkey?

Let it rest, tesnted with foil for at least 30 minutes before carving.

Cabbage Rolls

2013-11-22T00:00:00.000-06:00

These are so delicious and perfect for a chilly evening. This is the kind of meal my Mom would say "sticks to your ribs". Cabbage Rolls are simple food. They're made from easily found ingredients, and they're inexpensive. They do require a little bit of work, but it's actually not much. My favorite Cabbage Rolls are the Romanian kind, which are made with sour cabbage, but it is difficult to find anything that "exotic" in my small town. I plan to try to locate sour cabbage, or make my own so that I can make them and share them here. I also plan on making German Cabbage Rolls this winter and sharing them here.

Ingredients:
1 head of Cabbage
3 TBS Salt

Filling:
1 cup uncooked White Rice
1 lb Ground Beef (or turkey, pork, veal, etc)
1/2 an Onion, diced small
1 Carrot, grated
1 Garlic clove, grated or minced tiny
3 dashes of ground Cloves
1 TBS Paprika
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper

Sauce:
1 28 oz can of tomato sauce
1 TBS Paprika
1 tsp Pepper
1 small can of Sauerkraut

Rinse cabbage and remove 4 outermost layers, set aside. Chop off the stem of the cabbage, and use a knife to remove the core. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt, return to a boil, add cabbage. Reduce to medium-high heat and cook 10-15 minutes, until the leaves begin to separate.

While the cabbage is boiling, prepare the filling, chop the onion and garlic pretty small, so the filling isn't chunky. You want it to be homogenous. Just combine all of the ingrentients in a large bowl. I use my hands. If you're averse to touching raw meat, you can do it the hard way and, use a spoon.

When the cabbage is nice and tender, remove it from the water and let it cool for a few minutes. Then, carefully remove the leaves. I've found that using a pair of kitchen shears to cut the stem of the leaf helps to remove them without breaking them. ------------------->

Now, get yourself set up somewhere comfortable. I actually sit at my kitchen table to roll the cabbage rolls, since I usually make more than one batch. I know a lot of people have trouble folding the cabbage so the rolls don't fall apart, so I prepared a little photo tutorial. Please excuse my grody nail polish.

Hold the leaf in one hand and add a spoonful of filling to the center. Fold the bottom up, fold the side over, then fold the other side over, nice and snug but not too tight, since the rice will exand during cooking. Repeat. I get about 20 rolls from 1 head of lettuce and this amount of filling. If Ihave leftover filling, I just add it to th sauce. The rolls will be different sizes since the leaves get smaller as you work your way inward. It's no big deal. Look at all of these beautiful cabbage rolls, time to get them cooking!

Tear the outer layers that you set aside earlier into pieces. Put them in the bottom of the pot and cover with the sauerkraut. Put half of the cabbage rolls on top of the sauerfraut. Top that with half of the sauce. Add remaining cabbage rolls, top with the rest of the sauce. Add water until you see it on the sides of the rolls. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for two hours. I like to physically turn the pot a quarter turn every 20 minutes, so the cabbage leaves on the bottom don't burn. Make sure the liquid remains simmering, add more if it evaporates. After two hours, check for tenderness and enjoy.

Cabbage rolls really don't have much going for them in the looks department, so it's a darn good thing they taste so good. They are hard to photograph in a flattering light, but don't let that keep you from trying them.

Chicken and Brown Rice Soup

2013-11-20T00:00:00.000-06:00

It got chilly here this past week! I roasted a chicken earlier in the week, and I had some leftovers, so I used them to make a delicious soup to warm us up. It did the trick. My son and I had been sick for a few days, and chicken soup is so good when you're sick. My Hubbie is not usually a fan of brothy soups, but he loved this. Also, this soup is a nice option to serve if you or someone you're feeding is ding the gluten-free thing. You can also substitute leftover Thanksgiving Turkey for the chicken to use up some leftovers.

Ingredients:

8 cups of chicken stock (I used homemade, and you can find my recipe here)
1 cup of uncooked brown rice
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced or grated on a microplane
2 carrots, sliced into coins
3 stalks of celery, chopped
2 cups of cooked chicken, chopped
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp pepper
Salt, to taste. If you're using canned broth or bouillon cubes, you won't need to add much, if any. Since my homemade stock doesn't contain salt, I added nearly 2 teaspoons.
Optional: 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Bring the stock and bay leaves to a low boil in a large pot, add brown rice and continue to simmer. I like to get this going and then start chopping the veggies. Once the veggies are chopped, add them to the pot, and return to a simmer. Cover the pot and let it cook for 20 minutes. After minutes, add the chicken and simmer 10 minutes. Check the carrots and rice to ensure that they are tender. Add seasonings and optional parsley, tasting as you go to make sure it is seasoned enough.

Spicy Roasted Sweet Potatoes

2013-11-19T00:00:00.000-06:00

I prepared these to go with a roasted chicken for dinner the other night, it was already dark, and the lighting in my kitchen is not good, so please excuse the funky pictures.
I've been trying to develop side dishes for Thanksgiving that are just a little bit different. I like to take a classic dish or ingredient and give it a little twist. I make a mean sweet potato casserole, but I prefer to enjoy them adorned with savory seasonings. My husband is not a big fan of sweet potatoes, but he gobbled these up and asked for more. They were so simple to make, and delicious. I plan on bringing them to my family's Thanksgiving dinner as a lighter option. (I'll also make a traditional sweet potato casserole, of course).

Ingredients:
2 Sweet Potatoes, chopped
1 Onion, diced
1 TBS Olive Oil
1 TBS Chili Powder
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp gound Cumin
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper, only if you like spicy food

Preheat oven to 400. Combine chopped sweet potato and diced onion in a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with spices. Toss to combine. Spread out on a sheet pan and roast for 25-30 minutes. Flip them about halfway through cooking.

The Best Marriage Advice I've Ever Received

2013-11-18T00:00:00.000-06:00

People love to give marriage advice, don't they? We've heard it all before. "Don't go to bed angry", "Always be the first one to say sorry". There's several pearls of wisdom floating around that may or may not be helpful. I'm going to share a piece of truly sage advice that I often think of in the midst of a rough day or season in my marriage. I can't say that I've always followed it, but I can say that when I decide to hold my tongue, or repay hurt with grace and kindness, it makes dealing with the situation a whole lot easier. It keeps me from making it worse, and it speaks more to my husband than an hour of angry yelling ever could.

The best marriage advice I've ever received came from my Father-In-Law, before we were ever married. My In-Laws will be celebrating 34 years of marriage in a couple of weeks, and they still like each other quite a bit, so I think he's pretty qualified to offer advice. He told us "I've learned that I can't control the way Mom treats me or talks to me, all I can control is how I respond and how I treat her". Though I've never seen them fight, I know they must have disagreements, so I assume this has worked well for him.

I can think of so man times in my marriage when showing this grace would have been so helpful. I can think of so many hurtful things I have said that could have been avoided by holding my tongue or thinking for a minute to find a way to voice my grievance without shouting, or using hurtful words. This applies to all relationships, but I think it is exceptionally important in marriage.

I would like to challenge everyone who reads this to try it with their spouse the next time they have a disagreement or your spouse does something that hurts you. Show grace when they mess up. It won't be easy, and it is not a fix-all, but I have experienced the blessings it can bring.

Please note, I am NOT advocating that anyone who is being abused in ANY way not seek help or remove themselves from the situation. If you or your children are being abused in ANY way it is not ok, please seek help. It is available.