Acorn Squash Casserole

This is one of those awesomely sneaky recipes. It's called a casserole and served as a side dish, but it actually tastes like a dessert. Reminiscent of those delightful candied yams or sweet potato casseroles served alongside turkey and stuffing at Thanksgiving, this acorn squash casserole has a wonderfully sweet autumnal flavor. I found the recipe over at Cooks.com, where it was titled "Heavenly Squash Casserole." I have to agree, this stuff is heavenly.

Sorry about the picture, it was an afterthought. It wasn't until after dinner that I decided I needed to post this recipe so I could have it available whenever I wanted it. So I scooped out another serving just for the picture. Then I ate it. Of course. Can't let it go to waste. :)

Acorn Squash Casserole
(adapted from Cooks.com)
2 large acorn squash
1 cup white sugar
1 stick butter, softened
4 tsp. vanilla, divided
4 eggs, well beaten
Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
2/3 cup flour
1 cup pecans, chopped (didn't have these, but they would have been an amazing addition)

Split each squash in half and scoop out seeds. Place cut side down in two large baking dishes. Unless you have one large enough for all four halves. Then by all means use that one. Add 1/4 inch water around the squashes. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until tender. Scoop out squash into large bowl and beat with mixer or potato masher until smooth.

Add sugar, butter, and 2 tsp. vanilla to the squash. Mix well. In a separate bowl, beat together the remaining 2 tsp. vanilla and eggs. Add to the squash mixture and mix thoroughly. Place in a greased 2 qt. baking dish or 9x13 pan.

Combine topping ingredients and mix well. Sprinkle over top of squash mixture in pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve warm.

This is great served on its own, but topping it with whipped cream takes it to a whole new level. Just saying.

Linking to:
Think Tank Thursday 
Link Party Palooza
Strut Your Stuff Saturday

My Kitchen My World - Dessert

December's assignment on My Kitchen My World was a little different than usual. Normally we make a dish from a specific country each month. This month though, we could choose any holiday dessert from any country.

I chose to make a Jewish dish that is common in many European countries, called Noodle Kugel. It is a traditional dish for Sabbath and for festive holidays. This particular version is from Russia, I found it under the title of Russian Noodle Pudding.

Kugel isn't as sweet as I usually prefer for desserts. That's understandable considering that it's commonly used as a side dish as well as a dessert. It has a tartness from the cottage cheese and sour cream that melds nicely with the small amount of sugar and vanilla. My kids would definitely have enjoyed this more if it were topped with some maple syrup and whipped cream, but I actually liked it as is.

Noodle Kugel
16 oz. pasta, cooked and drained
24 oz. cottage cheese
2 cups sour cream
2 eggs
7 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 graham cracker sheets
2 tbsp. brown sugar
dash cinnamon
dash nutmeg
3 tbsp. butter

Heat oven to 350, butter a large baking dish.

Combine cottage cheese, sour cream, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in pasta. Spread into buttered baking dish.

Crush graham crackers, add brown sugar and spices. Sprinkle over pasta mixture. Dot with butter.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve warm or chilled.

I do wish I hadn't made such a large pan of this. It's yummy, but since the kids aren't huge fans I'm worried we might not eat it all fast enough. I wonder if it freezes well?

And here's an update on the kitchen. The last time I posted, it was an absolute mess of renovation horror. Well, here is what it looks like now. Much better! We're putting the renovation on hold for the winter, and will eventually put in the final touches like back splash, base boards, and the remaining cabinet doors in a few months. In the meantime, it's so nice to have it functioning and looking decent!

Linking:
Project Inspire{d} at Dukes and Duchesses
Think Tank Thursday at Joyful Homemaking
Wowza Weekend Link Party at My Love 2 Create
Link Party Palooza at tatertots & jello 
Strut Your Stuff Saturday Link Party at Six Sisters' Stuff

My Kitchen My World - Cuban Pork with Black Beans and Rice

After a very long absence, I am once again contributing my culinary offering to My Kitchen My World. The country for June was Cuba. So I hopped onto Allrecipes.com and found some delicious Cuban recipes.

Cuban Pork
(adapted from Allrecipes.com)
1 1/2 lb. pork loin roast, cut into 5 or 6 thick slices
1 lime, zested and juiced
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1 pinch crushed red pepper
1 tsp. minced garlic

In a bowl, mix together the lime zest, olive oil, cumin, salt, crushed red pepper, and garlic. Reserve the lime juice. Rub the seasoning mixture onto both sides of the pork slices.

Spray a heavy skillet or ridged grill pan with cooking spray, and place over medium heat. Pan-fry the pork slices until browned on both sides, 6 to 7 minutes per side. After you turn the meat over, pour the reserved lime juice over the meat and continue cooking until no longer pink in the center. Serve hot, topped with pan juices.

This pork is just bursting with lime flavor, and it paired really well with some plain rice and some delicious black beans.

Cuban Black Beans
(Adapted from Allrecipes.com)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
4 tsp. minced garlic
3 cans black beans, not drained
1/2 can tomato sauce
4 oz. roasted red pepper, chopped
1 tbsp. vinegar
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. black pepper

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and saute onion, green bell pepper, and garlic until tender.

Into the onion mixture, stir the beans, tomato sauce, red pepper, and vinegar. Season with salt, sugar, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Ahh, feels good to be back. I really am going to try to post recipes more frequently, I've really slacked off the past few...um...years.... 

Linked to:
Weekend Wrap-Up Party at tatertots&jello 
Think Tank Thursday at Joyful Homemaking 
Project Inspire{d} at Dukes and Duchesses 

Refried Beans

I've got a series of posts that I'm working on right now. I've decided to delve into the world of freezer meals - who doesn't love the idea of having dinner all ready in the freezer, and all you have to do is take it out to thaw in the morning and it's ready to heat for dinner! So I sorted through all the stuff in my freezer, taking inventory and deciding what to use and how to make room for dinners. Next I planned several meals that I will be making over the next many days. Freezer meals usually mean big batches and lots of cooking. You can either do one or two huge marathon cooking sessions and get it all done at once, or spread it out over several days and/or cooking sessions. I'll be spreading it out, doing one or two meals or parts of a meal per day.

One of my planned meals is frozen burritos. These appeal to me because you can take out and heat as many as you need, plus I just really love burritos. But one of my criteria for the meals I planned was that they should use as many things that I already have as possible - no going out and buying a can or two of refried beans when I had a bag of pintos waiting in the cupboard! So I made a big ole' batch of refried beans from scratch. It was easier than I expected, though it took a long time.


Refried Beans
1 lb. dried pinto, pink, or kidney beans plus soaking water
6 cups water
2 onions, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup hot bacon drippings, margarine, or lard
Salt to taste

Soak beans overnight or by quick method. Add water and onions. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer slowly until beans are tender, about 3 hours. Mash beans with potato masher.

Add fat and salt. Mix well; continue cooking, stirring frequently until beans are thickened and fat is absorbed. Serve at once or refrigerate for later use.

This is the first time I've made real refried beans. I've made a quick facsimile using bean powder, but never actually cooked the beans, mashed them, and "refried" them. I was pleased that they turned out so good - thick and flavorful. They also thickened up quite a bit in the fridge. These pictures were taken after chilling overnight - I made the beans last night when there was no good lighting. But don't they look good now?


Stay tuned for the next post in my freezer meal adventure - I've got to assemble and freeze the burritos!

Lemon Linguine

You know, I've never actually made this dish with linguine. We always just buy the cheapest pasta, so I make this with spaghetti. It still tastes great, but I don't feel like I can change the name of the dish just because I use a different kind of noodle - Lemon Linguine sounds so much catchier than Lemon Spaghetti to me.

I got this recipe from my sister. We love it - it has a delicate lemon flavor that accents the whole thing but isn't overpowering. I'd talk more about how yummy this is, but I've got a migraine and am not feeling very wordy. So just make it and find out for yourself. :-)


Lemon Linguine
8 ounces uncooked linguine (or spaghetti noodles)
3 tbsp. butter or stick margarine
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp dried basil (I've used Italian seasoning too)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a saucepan, cook linguine in boiling water for 8-10 minuets or until tender. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, combine butter, lemon juice, basil, garlic powder and lemon pepper, cook and stir until butter is melted. Drain linguine, add to butter mixture and toss to coat. Add Parmesan cheese and toss. Serve.

Roasted Potato Wedges with Alabama White Barbecue Sauce - Sweet Hallelujah, This Stuff is Good!!

Christy from Southern Plate posted a recipe for Alabama White Barbecue Sauce way back in October. It looked delicious to me, but I never did make up my mind to actually try and make it. Sometimes I'm like that - I'll fall in love with a recipe and want to try it, but it gets pushed to the back of my mind and just doesn't end up happening. Well, this evening I decided that I would try it! I made some roasted potato wedges for dinner with the express purpose of serving them with the white barbecue sauce.


And Oh Lawdy, my life will never be the same.

Alabama White Barbecue Sauce

2 C Mayonnaise
1 1/2 T salt
2 T black pepper
6 T white vinegar
6 T lemon juice
4 T white sugar

Mix all ingredients together and stir well. I did 1/4 this recipe because it was just me and the kids tonight.


What did I think of this sauce? Well, I'll just copy and paste my comment on Christy's post:

"So I finally got around to trying this sauce. And let me tell you, I CAN’T BELIEVE I WAITED THIS LONG TO TRY IT!!! This stuff is incredible! It’s vinegary, it’s lemony, it’s peppery, it’s mayo-y, it’s deliciously flavorful, it’s indescribable! I made it to go with some roast potato wedges (which are actually still in the oven right now!) and tasted a bit on my finger. Then I went crazy looking for things around the kitchen that I could dip in it because I suddenly couldn’t wait until the potatoes were done. I dipped popcorn and saltines and they were great! Then I dipped my fingers some more. ;-)

And all this was before realizing that I had forgotten the sugar. I added it, and wouldn’t you know it was even better than before!

Yeah, long story short, you have made an Alabama White Barbecue Sauce lover out of this Idaho/Utah gal."

And a short while later I wrote:

"Mmmmm… I’m eating it with the potato wedges now… I’m in heaven…"

So yes, the Alabama White Barbecue Sauce was a total success. Despite (or perhaps because of) its distinct and powerful flavor, both Zaylee and Thomas loved the sauce. Zaylee even kept asking for it "I need more white!" It was cute. They ate their potatoes with the sauce and some ketchup as well. I kept mine purely unadulterated - just the potatoes and the perfection, er, I mean, white sauce.


Oh yeah, the potatoes. Really easy - I cut up three potatoes into large wedge-like chunks. Then I tossed them with oil, and a bit of salt and pepper, and put them in an 8-inch baking pan. Baked at 425 for 30 minutes, turning with spatula after the first 20. Super easy and uncomplicated. After all, I only made them to complement the white barbecue sauce. :-)

A Sweet Potato Meal

Every once in a while Jeff and I will buy a "fancy" vegetable that we normally wouldn't, just for variety. Our latest was sweet potatoes. I know, that's not really very fancy, but when you usually only buy potatoes, onions, carrots, and celery, sweet potatoes do seem pretty special. They sat around in the fridge for a while as I thought of how best to use this vegetable treat. This evening I decided to just serve them as baked potatoes - I've never had baked sweet potatoes before.

Actually, since they were prepared in the microwave, I guess I still haven't technically had baked sweet potatoes. I've had microwaved sweet potatoes.


Microwave Baked Sweet Potatoes
Scrub however many sweet potatoes you'll need to feed your family. We used three - one each for Jeff and I, and the kids split the third. Make somewhat large slits in each potato with a knife - the sweet potatoes have a tougher skin than regular potatoes, so fork pricks aren't quite enough. Then microwave them, one at a time. The cooking times are highly variable, depending on your microwave and the size of the sweet potatoes. Our microwave is old and cooks slowly, and the potatoes were medium-sized. I cooked each one on high for 8 minutes, turning halfway through. If your microwave is fast, only cook them for about 6 minutes. If the potatoes are really large, you can cook them for as much as 10 minutes.

As each potato finishes, cover with foil to keep hot while the others are cooking. You can top them with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon, or if you are adventurous enough to depart from this conventional topping, you can make some Seasoned Butter.

Seasoned Butter
1/4 cup butter (or, of course, you can use margarine)
Garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, and ginger

I didn't really measure the seasonings, just sprinkled them liberally onto the butter. Then mush it up until well combined. This seasoning combination is one I got from a special-occasion Cornish hen recipe I've made a couple times. It's a unique and delicious flavor combo.


As a side dish, I made some delicious coleslaw. I didn't really use a recipe, just sort of threw stuff together. Measurements are approximate.

Coleslaw
Half a head of cabbage, finely chopped
About 1/2 cup carrot, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, also finely chopped
1/4 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 to 2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. cider vinegar
1/4 cup milk

Combine cabbage, carrot, and celery in a large bowl. Combine mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, and milk in a jar with a lid. Shake vigorously until well combined, and pour over vegetables. Stir well, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Our Big Ol' Family Dinner

My house is in shambles - we need to have everything in boxes and ready to load into the truck on Wednesday morning, so I've been really busy. So this isn't going to be the big, wonderful post that I had hoped for and planned on doing. Oh well, the food was good!

Our meal was very much like a regular Thanksgiving dinner, with turkey, ham, potatoes, gravy, fruit salad, and lots of other stuff. My contributions were a roll of cranberry butter, a jar of spiced cranberry sauce, some freezer crescent rolls (they thawed and rose beautifully, you just have to remember to keep them covered while they thaw and while they rise), and a simple chocolate cream pie.

The delicious turkey (sorry for the bad picture, Dad was still carving the ham and wouldn't let me get too close, lest I try to sneak a piece).


My beautiful, gem-like cranberry sauce.


The crescent rolls.


My yummy chocolate pie.


I also have posted a recipe for wheat salad, a delicious salad made with whole wheat berries. I plan on using that idea in a number of other salads, once we've settled in. I think you could use cooked whole wheat berries in place of noodles in a pasta salad with fantastic results! I really couldn't get enough of this salad.


Our dessert was a trio of pies provided by my sisters and I. We're kinda funny, we all decided to start slicing the pies all at the same time, providing these fun pictures.



You may notice that my sister who brought the pecan pie (left) is getting nowhere with her pie - it was kind of hard and she was having a hard time getting the knife to slice through, hence the funny faces! She was finally able to slice her pie with a big pizza slicer. :-) All three pies turned out absolutely delicious.

Anyway, sorry this isn't the big, wonderful post I promised, but I have to get back to packing and cleaning. Don't expect much in the way of posts for the next while, we're packing the computer tomorrow. I'll miss blogging and I will get back to posting regularly as soon as I can! Yesterday was my birthday and I'll post about my cake when I'm able to.

Wish us luck!

Wheat Salad

I didn't make this one; Mom did. You know those recipes that are made specifically to use whole wheat, and they always taste like whole wheat? They're okay and all, but they just taste wheaty. This isn't one of those recipes. It tastes delicious.

Wheat Salad
2 cups cooked whole wheat*
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup diced red pepper
1 boneless chicken breast (Mom used canned chicken)
Dressing:
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar

Mix together first four ingredients. Make dressing and pour on top of wheat mixture. Chill well and serve.


*To cook whole wheat berries: Place 1 cup whole wheat berries into crock pot with 4 cups water. Turn on low and cook for 8 hours. Drain any extra liquid.

Holiday Broccoli

Just so everyone knows, I will probably be posting with less frequency for a little while. My husband and I are in the middle of preparing to move. Today, we stuffed half of our possessions into neatly labeled boxes, which are now stacked precariously throughout the apartment. Over the next couple of weeks the rest of our stuff will be packed as well. Then we get to look forward to unpacking in our new home and getting settled in.

I'll still try to post yummy holiday dishes, as I am able. But they will have to be a little more simple, prepared with the most basic of kitchen equipment, since everything else is or will be packed. Some of my ingredients may get a little random sometimes too, as we are trying to avoid buying more food, so we're using what we have on hand and what we haven't packed yet. Fun stuff.


That said, here's another yummy veggie dish that we tried tonight. This dish starts as simple broccoli and cheese sauce, but is made special with the addition of stuffing mix. We all liked this a lot, except for Thomas, who seemed to think that the pieces of broccoli had just the perfect aerodynamics for being flung across the dining room. He's learning to dislike green vegetables, I think. Well, I'll break him of that eventually. :-)

Holiday Broccoli
4 tbsp. butter, divided
2 tbsp. flour
1 cup milk
2 tbsp. minced onions (use fresh or dried)
1/2 cup diced Cheddar cheese
Dash of salt
1/2 tsp. mace (or substitute nutmeg)
Dash of hot sauce
2 (10 oz) pkg. frozen broccoli
1 1/2 cups seasoned stuffing mix

Melt 2 tbsp. butter in saucepan. Stir in flour, then blend in milk. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens. Stir in onions, cheese, salt, mace, and hot sauce. Cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until cheese melts.

Meanwhile, cook broccoli in a large covered pan in a small amount of water only until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. In a 1 1/2 quart buttered baking dish, spread half of the stuffing mix; arrange cooked broccoli over mix. Pour sauce over broccoli and sprinkle with remaining stuffing mix. Dot with remaining 2 tbsp. butter (I forgot this part, oops). Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes, until topping is golden brown and sauce bubbles.

To double recipe, cook in 9x13 dish.


This was pretty yummy. The sauce was creamy, and I really liked the addition of nutmeg and hot sauce - it was just enough to give it a great flavor. And I really liked the crunch of the stuffing mix on top.

Maple-Glazed Carrots

Here's another great vegetable dish to grace your Thanksgiving table. Carrots are julienned (cut into thin strips - it looks really fancy), then cooked and coated in a sweet and citrusy glaze. Tonight I made one quarter of the recipe - 3 carrots seemed a much more appropriate amount for our family than 12!

Maple-Glazed Carrots
12 medium carrots, peeled and julienned
2 tbsp. cornstarch
2/3 cup orange juice
5 tbsp. maple syrup
5 tbsp. melted butter or margarine
1 tbsp. grated orange peel (Jeff hates citrus zest, so I skipped this)
3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt

In a large saucepan, bring 1 inch or water and carrots to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 3-5 minutes or until tender crisp.

Meanwhile, in another saucepan, combine the cornstarch and orange juice until smooth. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened (since I made such a small amount, it took less than 2 minutes).

Drain carrots; transfer to a serving bowl. Pour glaze over carrots; gently stir to coat (I took the picture before stirring, because it looked so pretty).


These carrots were quite good. They are a bit unique as far as glazed carrots go, because of the orange juice and maple syrup. It was a good flavor combination, perfect for Thanksgiving dinner, or any day.

Corn 'n' Bean Bake - a Thanksgiving Side Dish

Most of you have probably noticed the poll on the top of my sidebar, asking what kinds of Thanksgiving dishes you would like to see me post about. I've starting a list of Thanksgiving menu items on my sidebar, to keep all of these delicious holiday treats in one place. I already posted the deliciously tender turkey recipe that my family makes. But the poll indicates that a great number of you would like to see some vegetable side dishes - which I find kinda funny, as I added that option as a last-minute afterthought. Anyway, this one goes out to all of you veggie lovers out there.


This dish is a fun and easy variation on the traditional green bean casserole. It changes up the filling and the topping just enough to make it refreshingly different. And it was very cheap and simple to make. I altered this recipe from a Taste of Home recipe book.

Corn 'n' Bean Bake
1 can green beans, drained
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup shredded cheese, divided
1/2 cup crushed crackers (recipe suggests butter-flavored like Ritz; tonight I used saltines)

In a bowl, combine the beans, corn, soup, and 1/2 cup cheese. Spoon into a greased 2-quart baking dish. Top with crackers and remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 35 minutes or until heated through.


I baked this in a plain 8-inch square baking dish. For nicer presentation at a holiday meal, bake it in a pretty casserole, or in a large glass serving bowl (make sure it's oven-safe). To double the recipe, bake it in a 9x13.

Jeff said this tasted really good, but he missed the french fried onion flavor of regular green bean casserole. So if you really have to have that onion flavor, you can go ahead and add some french onions, I suppose.

Sweet and Spicy Sweet Potatoes

I had sweet potatoes for the first time a year or so ago at my sister's house. She did up some sweet potato fries that were absolutely delicious and I fell in love. Now we enjoy getting sweet potatoes on occasion as a special treat. As far as potatoes go, they're a bit pricey (compared to russet potatoes) but as vegetables they're not bad at all. And they are just so delicious! We bought a couple last week, and I cooked them on Saturday, a nice healthy dish to sort of counteract all the candy that we'd been eating. This recipe comes from allrecipes.com.


Sweet and Spicy Sweet Potatoes
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 tablespoons olive oil (I used canola oil)
2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (I accidentally doubled this)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning (didn't have it, didn't use it)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 pinch cayenne pepper (omitted, because of the extra black pepper)

Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F.

Place the sweet potato chunks into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil, then sprinkle the brown sugar, paprika, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, chili powder, and cayenne pepper over top. Toss until the potatoes are evenly coated with the seasoning. Spread onto a baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then turn the potatoes over with a spatula, and continue baking until the sweet potatoes are golden and tender, 10 to 15 minutes more


Just as the title suggest, these are sweet and spicy. This was a simple recipe to prepare, and we all enjoyed the delicious little sweet potato cubes!

Our Anniversary recipes, and a blog award!

Happy Fourth Anniversary to Jeff and I!

When Jeff asked what I wanted as an anniversary gift, I quickly replied "A new purse." However, Jeff was less quick when I asked what he wanted. No matter how many times I asked what he would like, he simply couldn't think of anything. So yesterday as we did some quick shopping (had to pick up a prescription for my little broken-legged Thomas), he finally decided that I could get him some eggnog, ice cream, and imitation crab meat - three of his absolute favorite foods - and use them to make him some yummy foods for our anniversary.


With the crab meat, I chose to make a delicious crab salad. This recipe was originally one for coleslaw. But a couple years ago I thought it would be fun to try crab instead of cabbage, and this delicious crab salad was born!


Crab Salad
4 cups shredded imitation crab meat (oh, alright, if you can find real crab for really cheap, you can go ahead and use that instead!)
1/2 cup sliced olives
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 or 2 carrots, shredded (I almost always add carrot, but today we were out, so I didn't add them)
3 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
Dash pepper
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp. white vinegar
1 tbsp. lemon juice

Prep crab meat and vegetables, and set aside.

Combine sugar, salt, pepper, milk, mayonnaise, vinegar, and lemon juice. Whisk until smooth.

Add crab and vegetables and mix well.

Cover and refrigerate at least two hours before serving. This allows all the flavors to blend properly, and really makes this salad delicious!



As the main dish of our anniversary dinner, we made these delicious Sweet and Sour Pineapple Meatballs, using ground turkey instead of ground beef. In the interest of not making this long post too incredibly long, I'm not posting the recipe here, just linking to it. But here's a picture of tonight's sweet and sour goodness!



Next, what to do with the eggnog and ice cream? I thought it would be fun to make a frozen pie that incorporated cream cheese, eggnog, and softened ice cream. Doesn't that sound good? It sure did to me! As I was making this pie, I hoped that it would be good, despite the fact that it was so simple. I needn't have worried - it was incredible!


Incredible Anniversary Freezer Pie
(or Cream Cheese, Eggnog, and Ice Cream Pie;
or The Best Frozen Pie I Have Ever Ever Tasted!)

Filling:
1 package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup eggnog
1/2 cup butter pecan ice cream, softened
1 9-inch graham cracker crust

Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggnog and ice cream. Pour into crust and freeze until firm. Remove from freezer 10 to 15 minutes before slicing to soften the pie. Return any uneaten portion to the freezer.


Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (I used those homemade crackers I made earlier today)
3 tbsp. sugar
3 tbsp. melted margarine

Combine all ingredients and press into bottom and sides of 9-inch pie plate.




In other business, Melissa of Mrs. Sac's Purple Kitchen has given me an award! Yippee!

** Please find at least 10 more blogs, of any kind that you love to read. Write a post about the blogs you picked, linking back to me and to them. Once you’ve posted, return here to let me know your post is done and be sure to let them know too!!! (If you don't come up with 10, that's fine too!)

Okay, here goes! I'm passing this award on to:

Southern Plate - Christy's blog is one of my favorites, and has been ever since I first discovered it. We've already made several recipes from Southern Plate, and so far every single one of them has turned out deliciously!

Megan's Munchies - Megan has been in a pumpkin phase for a while; she's enjoying Autumn as much as I am! Not only is she posting some seriously delicious-looking fall recipes, but she also is rounding up a variety of pumpkin recipes she wants to try, and boy, do they look tasty!

Real Mom Kitchen - Laura specializes in tasty recipes that are good enough to serve a regular family. Her recipes are simple and hearty, and are the kinds of food that can be enjoyed by kids and parents alike.

Mommy's Kitchen - This blog is full of delicious southern recipes that just look fabulous. Also, the little kitchen helpers, or "chefs in training," are just so adorable!

What's Cooking? - Ben's family owned a restaurant in Mexico, and he shares his love and talent for Mexican foods on his drool-inducing blog.

What's for Dinner - Marisa seems to share my love for sweets and simple meals. Her baked goods especially look fantastic.

My Kitchen Cafe - This blog could seriously win this award based solely on her Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars. I have this recipe bookmarked and plan to make it very soon!

Scalloped Potatoes and Carrots

I decided around noon today that I wanted a Crock Pot dinner. So I began to peruse through my favorite slow cooking blog, A Year of CrockPotting. I knew that I would find what I was looking for. I didn't know what it was yet, but I was sure to know it when I saw it. That's the way I am around recipes sometimes.

When I came across Company's Coming Potatoes Augratin, I knew I had found it - tonight's dinner! As usual, I changed stuff around because I didn't have many of the key ingredients (in this case, parsnips and heavy cream). So it's pretty much a different recipe now, but that's okay. We thought it tasted great! And one day, I would like to try this with parsnips. I've never had parsnips before.

Scalloped Potatoes and Carrots
3 medium potatoes
2 small carrots
1/2 small onion
4 tbsp. butter or margarine
3 tbsp. flour
1 can evaporated milk
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Slice potatoes, carrots, and onion. Layer in the bottom of the crock pot. I have a 3-quart, that's why I halved the original recipe. If yours is bigger, use more ingredients so you can fill the pot. It cooks better when it's about 2/3 - 3/4 full.

Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in flour. Cook and stir for a couple minutes. Slowly add evaporated milk and seasonings. Pour over veggies in pot.

Cook on low 8-9 hours or on high 4-5 hours. It gets nice and browned.


5 servings
250 calories per serving

This was a simple and delicious meal, and I think it's one we'll definitely make again.

Double-Quick Tomato Rice

This whole lack-of-camera thing is driving me nuts! I didn't realize how much I use and love it. Well, I'll get it back within the next couple of days, and then I can start taking pictures of my foods again.

For this recipe, just picture something that looks similar to Spanish rice, but without the spice. This has a very mild flavor, but it tastes very good. I got the recipe out of a book I checked out from the library, called the Grains Cookbook. This is a pretty hefty book, with recipes for tons of grains, from grits, rice, oats, and wheat, to bulgur, amaranth, triticale and quinoa. It's unlikely that I'll try the recipes incorporating some of the more exotic or fancy grains. I would love to try them, but until our budget eases up I probably won't be spending the extra money on these fascinating grains. But you can bet your biscuits that I'll be experimenting with all sorts of grains and other foods once we're no longer so poor!

Double-Quick Tomato Rice
3 tbsp. unsalted butter (I used only about a tablespoon and got away with it!)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 small celery stalk, chopped
1 cup V-8 juice (or plain tomato juice)
1 cup chicken broth (or 1 cup water and 2 cubes bouillon)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup long-grain white rice

Melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until the vegetables lose their color, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the V-8, broth, and salt. Cover and quickly heat to boiling. Stir in the rice and reduce the heat to low. Cook, covered, until tender, about 15 minutes. Raise the heat slightly if the rice is too wet.

This was well-received at our little table this afternoon. Zaylee and Thomas both ate their whole serving, and enjoyed every onion-and-celery-filled bite. Then again, I've trained them to eat and enjoy onions. That is a feat in and of itself.

Frugal Fridays - Fourth of July!

Today was neat, since not only is it the Fourth of July, but it's also Friday, which means I got to plan a Frugal Fridays meal. This is pretty much what we would have eaten anyway, but it's fun to go through the ingredients and see exactly how much this meal cost us.

Once again (unplanned) we ended up making a meal with chicken, a salad, and a starch. Tonight we tried to keep the heat out of the kitchen, because today was HOT! Our meal featured: Grilled Lemon Chicken, a deliciously marinated main dish; Tangy Potato Salad, using microwaved potatoes and cheese instead of boiled eggs; and Dinner Rolls made from bread machine French bread dough, left over from lunch today (the heat the oven created when we made these this afternoon is the biggest reason we decided not to heat up the kitchen this evening).


Prices of ingredients, in order of appearance:
Lemon juice - 1/4 cup + 1 tsp. - $0.21
Chicken leg quarters - 1 lb. - $0.50
Potatoes - 3 - $0.40
Celery - 2 stalks - $0.20
Monterey jack - 2 oz. - $0.60
Mayonnaise - 1/2 cup - $0.22
Flour - 3 1/2 cups - $0.45
Yeast - 1 tbsp. - $0.20

Total Price - $2.78, but some of that shouldn't really count. We only ate four rolls tonight, but the recipe makes 12 and some were consumed earlier today for lunch. Even so, definitely under $10!

When you buy yeast in bulk (such as at WinCo), it is so very much cheaper than buying it in a jar, or (gag) in those dumb little packets. I don't recall the exact price per ounce that we got, but it was less than 20 cents. So I'm probably overestimating to say that our tablespoon of yeast (just over one ounce) cost that much.

Grilled Lemon Chicken

1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. onion salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 chicken pieces (we used 2 leg quarters, separated)

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients except chicken. Place chicken in quart-sized ziploc bag, pour marinade over the chicken. Refrigerate at least 3 hours, turning bag over every so often to make sure all the chicken gets marinated.

Grill chicken over medium coals for 45 minutes, turning and basting frequently.

Tangy Potato Salad

3 medium potatoes
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 oz. Monterey jack cheese, diced
1/3 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp. mustard
1 tbsp. dill relish
Salt and pepper to taste

In order to keep from heating up the kitchen, I microwave-cooked the potatoes. I think this would have turned out with a better texture had I boiled them. So cut the potatoes into chunks and boil them until done. Drain and cool. Add celery and cheese.

In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients, then fold gently into potato mixture. Chill until serving. Garnish with some paprika if desired.

French Bread Rolls

1 1/4 cups warm water

1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tbsp. active dry yeast

Place ingredients in bread pan of bread machine in order recommended by manufacturer. Set machine to dough cycle, or remove after first rise.

Place dough on lightly floured surface. Divide into 12 pieces. Shape each rolls. Place on greased baking sheet, cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size.

Bake at 400 degrees 15 to 20 minutes or until done.

Fugal Fridays - Fruit Infused!

This is a new blogging event that I'm going to try to participate in on a regular basis. You can find it at Fugal Fridays. The rules are simple: prepare a meal for four costing under $10 (commonly used condiments don't count). Well, hey - I can do that! I mean, we spend around $30 a week on groceries for the four of us, so a ten-dollar meal is no biggie.

I'm a tad bit late in posting this - it was supposed to be posted by this morning at the latest. But it was a really good meal, so I'll post it anyway.

I list the cost of ingredients assuming you buy the cheapest available - I buy store brand of everything!

The meal I chose to prepare features two special, fruit-infused dishes that are very delicious, and very inexpensive.

The Spread:
Ginger-Fruit Crockpot Chicken
Pasta Salad with Orange Vinaigrette
Rice
Ginger-Fruit Gravy


Ginger-Fruit Crockpot Chicken
This was a delicious main course, and very inexpensive. Our grocery store sells chicken leg quarters in a 10-lb. bag for $5 - that's 50 cents per pound. The marinade consisted pretty much of common items with negligible cost. Of course, you could just go out and buy a marinade - but this was very easy and quick to mix up, and costs next to nothing!

1/4 cup pineapple juice - $0.15
2 tbsp. apricot jam - free (home canned)
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. ginger
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup water
2 chicken leg quarters (1 lb. total) - $0.50

Prep: Combine all ingredients in quart-sized freezer bag and freeze until ready to use.

To cook: The morning before you want to actually eat this, cut the bag away from the frozen chicken and marinade and plunk the whole thing into your crockpot. Add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup water. Cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 4-6 hours, until chicken is done (juices run clear when you poke the thickest part of the thigh).

Pasta Salad with Orange Vinaigrette
6 oz. macaroni - $0.65
1 tbsp. olive oil - $0.17
2 eggs - $0.34
1/4 cup orange juice - $0.08
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp. mustard
2 tsp. honey
1/8 tsp. pepper
Several large lettuce leaves - free (from garden)

Cook pasta according to package directions, until al dente. Drain, and rinse with cold water. Toss with olive oil. Cover and place in refrigerator.

Bring eggs to a boil, then turn off heat. Cover and let sit for 20 minutes. Rinse in cold water. Peel and chop eggs, and add them to the pasta. Return to fridge while you make the vinaigrette.

Combine orange juice, vinegar, mustard, honey, and pepper in a container with tight-fitting lid. Shake vigorously to mix. Pour over pasta and eggs. Return to refrigerator and chill until ready to serve.

Just before serving, cut up lettuce and add to the salad.

Rice
1 cup long-grain rice - $0.60
2 cups water

Cook according to directions on rice package.

Ginger-Fruit Gravy
Sauce from chicken
1 tbsp. corn starch

Pour sauce from crockpot (after cooking the chicken) into a saucepan. Bring to a boil on the stove. Spoon about 1/4 cup into a small bowl. Whisk in corn starch, then pour back into the saucepan, stirring constantly. Heat until thickened. Serve over rice.

There you have it: an entire meal for four, costing a grand total of $2.49 plus an insignificant amount for condiments and spices. Am I good or what?!

Celebrating 100 Posts and Father's Day

This is my 100th post. Hooray. Just thought I'd mention it.

Since my gift for Jeff for Father's Day was a new charcoal grill, we figured it would be appropriate to celebrate the day with some grilled burgers. I thawed out some ground turkey, wedged up some potatoes, baked up a loaf of focaccia, and we created a great meal together!


Onion-Swiss Turkey Burgers
1 pound ground turkey
1 packet dry onion soup mix
1 tsp. soy sauce
2-3 tbsp. water
Dash pepper
Sliced Swiss cheese

Combine all ingredients except cheese. Shape into patties (four to six, depending on how big you want 'em. We did six). Set aside in refrigerator.

Heat grill to high heat. Grease cooking grid. Place patties on grill and cook 10 minutes. Turn patties over and place one slice Swiss over each patty. Cook ten more minutes or until cooked through. Serve on buns with favorite burger condiments.


Yeastless Focaccia Bread (I know I just posted this, but I'll post it again for kicks and giggles.)
1 cup water
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan.

Stir together water, flour, baking powder, and salt until it forms a ball of dough.

Plop dough into greased baking pan. Using oiled fingers, spread dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Dough will be sticky and elastic. It does not have to be perfectly even, but make sure there are no holes. Rub the top and sides of dough with olive oil.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until just golden.

To serve with burgers, cut into squares. Slice squares horizontally.

This bread seriously rocks. It is awesome. It took me exactly five minutes to measure the ingredients, stir it into a dough, plop it in the pan, and spread it out. Plus 25 minutes to bake, and you've got yourself a 30 minute little loaf of bread. Sweet!


Baked French Fries (Does that make them French Bakes?)
3 small baking potatoes
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt

Preheat oven to 450. Grease baking dish.

Cut potatoes into thick wedges. Toss potato wedges with oil and seasonings. Arrange in single layer in greased baking dish.

Bake 30-45 minutes, turning halfway through. The thinner your wedges, the shorter the cooking time, and if they're pretty thin you might also want to lower the temperature a bit too.

Here's our new little grill, cooking its inaugural batch of burgers. It did a great job. I think this was the start of a beautiful thing.