Well, I apologized for being away so long, and I DO intend to change that and post here with more regularity, BUT I have been very busy sewing, sewing sewing, projects that I won't post for fear the wrong people see them ;)
In the mean time, the chill in the air always makes me want soup with some sort of hot bread. Crock pots were invented for people like me who have projects going and babies to rock, so you can fix dinner and forget it.
Here is a new one--oh so easy and with the Sweet Corn Muffins is the perfect combo....
Winter Veggie Soup
1 lb. hamburger, browned and drained
2 cans of stewed tomatoes
2 cans of tomato sauce
1 package of dry onion soup mix
1 can of beef broth & 1 can of water
1 small package of frozen corn
1 small package of frozen carrots and peas
1 bay leaf
2 tsp of minced garlic
2 tsp salt
After browning the meat, place all the ingrediants in the crock pot (it makes a full pot) stir, set on high and cook for 7-8 hours.
Serve with:
Golden Sweet Corn Muffins
1 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 c. frozen thawed whole-kernal corn
2 eggs
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. butter, melted
In a large bowl mix flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add corn; toss to coat. In a small bowl beat eggs with fork; beat in milk and butter. Add to corn mixture; stir just until blended. Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full (I use cupcake paper liners) Bake in preheated 400 degree oven until pick inserted in center comes out clean--15-25 min. for muffins, 30-35 min. for a 9 in. square corn bread.
These stir up really quick, but I will warn you to watch them, as they can not be done, and then get too brown. A green salad would be good too, but not necessary as there are plenty of veggies.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
The signs of Autumn
One of the first signs of autumn is the beautiful Pumpkins that start appearing in the stores next to those colorful mums.
It gets you to thinking of pumpkin pie baking, the smell of cinnamon and nutmeg, and....YUMMMMM!!!
I made a new recipe today, and tested it on three hungry guys at noon. It made three dozen, and they ate a dozen and a half—what does that tell you?
This are a recipe I got off the internet, and it is so simple it is almost silly.
I hope you’ll try them.
1 boxed yellow cake mix
1 can of canned pumpkin
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
Mix the spices and dry cake mix together and stir. Add the canned pumpkin and mix till just mixed; might be a little lumpy. Spoon into muffin cups, or greased and floured muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 min.
That is it!
No eggs, oil, water—na dah!
Warm with butter, they are melt in your mouth good or as my step dad used to say
“These will set you free!” :)
(Oh and the princess baking cups--on sale for 25 cents for 100-cha-ching!)
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Family, Freedom and a Future....
This is the year that several of my friend’s oldest childen are moving out of the house and going to college. This is usually considered an opportunity by some for the freedom to pursue the future they have always dreamed of in one form or another.
I spoke with one young woman who is actually opting to live in the dorm while residing in the same town she grew up in so that (in her own words) “I will be close enough to watch and participate in my younger sisters growing up” (she has four younger sisters and her youngest sister is 7).
I couldn’t help but be struck by this as I remember my older sisters looking at going off to college as almost as much of an escape from home and mother as they did the adventure it afforded. I never got the impression they ever looked back, but if they did it was with a sense of relief they were leaving.
I remember being the one left behind………..more than once actually, the perils of being youngest I guess, but as I got older, I was almost as anxious for them to go as they were. You see we were four girls living in the upstairs of a small house and shared two bedrooms. When someone left, everyone sort of spread out, with you eventually getting your own room. That was considered a perk. In a one bathroom house, it was also considered a perk to have one less person to try to fit in front of the mirror in the mornings.
Things have changed so much now a day. Just about the time our kids were old enough to care we moved into a big beautiful new house where they each had their own bathroom—no sharing, no waiting—something their Dad was adamant about when the plans were drawn up (he grew up in a family of 9—one bath).
One of the homeschooling blogs I read has a family of 9 children, one boy, and eight girls. The girls decided that they wanted a home library bad enough that they sacrificed one of the bedrooms for it, turning the one bedroom all the girls now share into something akin to an army barracks with bunks stacked 3 high.
I found all this interesting because obviously the joy found by some at sharing a room, bathroom, and smaller house is different than that of others. Separation is something that is loathed, and decidedly avoided if possible. Perhaps it is the individuals, perhaps it is the parents, perhaps it is the times, or a little of all three.
Whatever it is, it gave me pause at this young woman’s attachment to her younger siblings to the point that she would alter her opportunities (she got a full ride to a university 8 hours away) just to remain close to her siblings and their activities. Somewhere along the line she got the message that you can have it all—family, freedom, and a future.
Good for her!
I spoke with one young woman who is actually opting to live in the dorm while residing in the same town she grew up in so that (in her own words) “I will be close enough to watch and participate in my younger sisters growing up” (she has four younger sisters and her youngest sister is 7).
I couldn’t help but be struck by this as I remember my older sisters looking at going off to college as almost as much of an escape from home and mother as they did the adventure it afforded. I never got the impression they ever looked back, but if they did it was with a sense of relief they were leaving.
I remember being the one left behind………..more than once actually, the perils of being youngest I guess, but as I got older, I was almost as anxious for them to go as they were. You see we were four girls living in the upstairs of a small house and shared two bedrooms. When someone left, everyone sort of spread out, with you eventually getting your own room. That was considered a perk. In a one bathroom house, it was also considered a perk to have one less person to try to fit in front of the mirror in the mornings.
Things have changed so much now a day. Just about the time our kids were old enough to care we moved into a big beautiful new house where they each had their own bathroom—no sharing, no waiting—something their Dad was adamant about when the plans were drawn up (he grew up in a family of 9—one bath).
One of the homeschooling blogs I read has a family of 9 children, one boy, and eight girls. The girls decided that they wanted a home library bad enough that they sacrificed one of the bedrooms for it, turning the one bedroom all the girls now share into something akin to an army barracks with bunks stacked 3 high.
I found all this interesting because obviously the joy found by some at sharing a room, bathroom, and smaller house is different than that of others. Separation is something that is loathed, and decidedly avoided if possible. Perhaps it is the individuals, perhaps it is the parents, perhaps it is the times, or a little of all three.
Whatever it is, it gave me pause at this young woman’s attachment to her younger siblings to the point that she would alter her opportunities (she got a full ride to a university 8 hours away) just to remain close to her siblings and their activities. Somewhere along the line she got the message that you can have it all—family, freedom, and a future.
Good for her!
I'M BAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCKKKKKK!!!!!!
First,
I need to apologize to those who might actually follow this blog, to my sisters, and many others who at one time expressed an interest in things “homey”.
The past year has been shall we just say—eventful—but now that things have sort of leveled out, many things that would be appropriate to post here have come to mind so I am going to get up and running again.
Prepare yourselves…………………….
I need to apologize to those who might actually follow this blog, to my sisters, and many others who at one time expressed an interest in things “homey”.
The past year has been shall we just say—eventful—but now that things have sort of leveled out, many things that would be appropriate to post here have come to mind so I am going to get up and running again.
Prepare yourselves…………………….
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Thoughts that return
I've lived back on the farm now for 32 years and we've burned wood every winter in this stove that Gpa. Ira Horack put in the basement when he built the house in 1929.
It does a wonderful job. I grew up hauling wood for this stove when my dad had to cut it down with a hand saw and then into pieces with a buzz saw mounted on the front of the tractor. Any splitting he did was done with wedges and a sledge hammer.
Why this thought has suddenly come into my head after all these years is a mystery.
For the last few months, whenever I get ready to put something in the trash to be burned, I hear Mother saying "Here, Anita, take this down and put it in the furnace". I had forgotten all about it. Back then we had very little plastic, probably only bread sacks, paper and cardboard were burned in the furnace in the winter. Milk came from the barn and was put in glass jugs. There were no boughten cookies, chips, or all that other stuff that is in plastic. Mother used plastic containers to put fruit and vegetables in the freezer but they were all reusable. Meat was wrapped in butcher paper that burned. I have been puzzled why that thought has resurfaced after all this time. But it really doesn't matter. It's a fun memory. Another thought: IF I had $1.00 for every piece of wood I've handled, I'd be a very wealthy person!!
It does a wonderful job. I grew up hauling wood for this stove when my dad had to cut it down with a hand saw and then into pieces with a buzz saw mounted on the front of the tractor. Any splitting he did was done with wedges and a sledge hammer.
Why this thought has suddenly come into my head after all these years is a mystery.
For the last few months, whenever I get ready to put something in the trash to be burned, I hear Mother saying "Here, Anita, take this down and put it in the furnace". I had forgotten all about it. Back then we had very little plastic, probably only bread sacks, paper and cardboard were burned in the furnace in the winter. Milk came from the barn and was put in glass jugs. There were no boughten cookies, chips, or all that other stuff that is in plastic. Mother used plastic containers to put fruit and vegetables in the freezer but they were all reusable. Meat was wrapped in butcher paper that burned. I have been puzzled why that thought has resurfaced after all this time. But it really doesn't matter. It's a fun memory. Another thought: IF I had $1.00 for every piece of wood I've handled, I'd be a very wealthy person!!
Friday, November 6, 2009
Summer is over..
Well it is that time of year when my thoughts turn to inside activites. Fall cleaning, something I do along as we get cooler and cooler while closing up the house for winter; it's a nice feeling.
I have stopped mowing, the lawn furniture is moved in, the flower beds have been put to bed, planters washed and cleaned and put in the garage, and I'm inside now.
This of course gives me more time to cook, quilt, sew and all that other stuff that fills my days........including blogging :)
The other day it was chilly and blustery, some would have called it perfect soup or chili weather but I was in the mood for something a little more substantial, so I made a Chicken Pot Pie.
If you’re thinking EEEUUWWW right now, hear me out. I found this simple recipe for a homemade Chicken Pot Pie in a Real Simple magazine once, tried it, tweaked it, and voi-la! YUM! Serve it with a green salad, follow it with Pumpkin Apple cake glazed with Cream Cheese frosting, and hot coffee, and you will be willing to put your soups and chilies on the back burner for later this winter; to me this is Autumn comfort food.
yes I tore out the whole page, and keep it in my recipe box
Chicken Pot Pie
1- 8 oz bag frozen mixed veggies
2 refrigerated piecrust (remember I have 20 in the freezer :), you can buy them at the store.
1 10 ¾ -oz. can cream of chicken soup
½ c. milk
2 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey. (If you have left over chicken that is great, but I buy the roasted chickens at the store, take all the meat off the bone, and it is delicious!)
½ t. garlic salt
½ t. black pepper
I also add about ½ c. of diced pickled onions—you find them in the relish dept.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Defrost the vegetables in a microwave for about 3 min.
Line a pie plate with one of the pie crusts.
Chop the chicken, combine with veggies, onions, soup, and milk; add salt and pepper.
Pour mixture into the pie crust, and use egg white around edge of crust, placing other crust on top. Press both crusts together at edge, poke slits in top crust, and bake for 35-45 min. or till crust is nice and brown, and mixture bubbly.
THEN…………
Pumpkin Apple Ring
1 ½ c. cups sugar
½ c butter or margarine
2 eggs
2 med. Apples, pared, cored, and shredded (1 ½ c.)
1 c. canned pumpkin
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. cloves
¼ tsp. ginger
In mixer bowl, cream together sugar and butter or margarine. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in apple and pumpkin. Stir together flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and spices. Add to pumpkin mixture, stirring till well combined. Turn into greased and floured 8 in. fluted tube pan. Bake in 350 degree oven for 55 min. Cook in pan 10 min; remove from pan and cool on wire rack. You can either sift powdered sugar on top, or drizzle cream cheese frosting over the top.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8 oz. Cream Cheese
1 stick margarine
2 c. powdered sugar
1/8-1/4 tsp. vanilla
To make it runny so you can drizzle it over the cake, after you mix it up, microwave it, while it is warm, drizzle as much as you want over the cake. You can freeze the rest.
I have stopped mowing, the lawn furniture is moved in, the flower beds have been put to bed, planters washed and cleaned and put in the garage, and I'm inside now.
This of course gives me more time to cook, quilt, sew and all that other stuff that fills my days........including blogging :)
The other day it was chilly and blustery, some would have called it perfect soup or chili weather but I was in the mood for something a little more substantial, so I made a Chicken Pot Pie.
If you’re thinking EEEUUWWW right now, hear me out. I found this simple recipe for a homemade Chicken Pot Pie in a Real Simple magazine once, tried it, tweaked it, and voi-la! YUM! Serve it with a green salad, follow it with Pumpkin Apple cake glazed with Cream Cheese frosting, and hot coffee, and you will be willing to put your soups and chilies on the back burner for later this winter; to me this is Autumn comfort food.
yes I tore out the whole page, and keep it in my recipe box
Chicken Pot Pie
1- 8 oz bag frozen mixed veggies
2 refrigerated piecrust (remember I have 20 in the freezer :), you can buy them at the store.
1 10 ¾ -oz. can cream of chicken soup
½ c. milk
2 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey. (If you have left over chicken that is great, but I buy the roasted chickens at the store, take all the meat off the bone, and it is delicious!)
½ t. garlic salt
½ t. black pepper
I also add about ½ c. of diced pickled onions—you find them in the relish dept.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Defrost the vegetables in a microwave for about 3 min.
Line a pie plate with one of the pie crusts.
Chop the chicken, combine with veggies, onions, soup, and milk; add salt and pepper.
Pour mixture into the pie crust, and use egg white around edge of crust, placing other crust on top. Press both crusts together at edge, poke slits in top crust, and bake for 35-45 min. or till crust is nice and brown, and mixture bubbly.
THEN…………
Pumpkin Apple Ring
1 ½ c. cups sugar
½ c butter or margarine
2 eggs
2 med. Apples, pared, cored, and shredded (1 ½ c.)
1 c. canned pumpkin
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. cloves
¼ tsp. ginger
In mixer bowl, cream together sugar and butter or margarine. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in apple and pumpkin. Stir together flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and spices. Add to pumpkin mixture, stirring till well combined. Turn into greased and floured 8 in. fluted tube pan. Bake in 350 degree oven for 55 min. Cook in pan 10 min; remove from pan and cool on wire rack. You can either sift powdered sugar on top, or drizzle cream cheese frosting over the top.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8 oz. Cream Cheese
1 stick margarine
2 c. powdered sugar
1/8-1/4 tsp. vanilla
To make it runny so you can drizzle it over the cake, after you mix it up, microwave it, while it is warm, drizzle as much as you want over the cake. You can freeze the rest.
Monday, July 27, 2009
As per request…………..Garlic Beef Enchiladas
This isn't an original recipe, I got it out of an OLD Taste of Home magazine years ago, but it turned out to be one of out absolute favorites. It does, however, make a nice big batch so I don't make it that often since the kids are gone.......but you can sure bet I try to have it everytime they are home which makes them special. Hope you like them too!
1 lb. ground beef (or you can substitute 1 lb. of thinly sliced chicken)
1 med. Onion
2 T. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp garlic powder (NOT SALT!!!)
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp. rubbed sage
1 can (14 ½ oz.) stewed tomatoes (I use the Delmonte brand of Mexican flavored)
In skillet over medium heat, cook meat and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add flour and seasonings; mix well. Stir in tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce your heat; cover and simmer for 15 min.
MEANWHILE…………………
Sauce-
4-6 garlic buds
1/3 c. butter or margarine
½ c. flour
1 can (14.5 oz.) beef broth
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1-2 T. Chili Powder
½ tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. sage
½ tsp. salt
Sauté’ garlic in butter until tender. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually stir in broth; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 min. or until bubble. Stir in tomato sauce and seasonings, heat through. Pour 1 ½ c. sauce into ungreased 13X9 in. baking dish.
Assembly of enchiladas-
10 flour tortillas (7-10 in. depending on how many servings you want)
2 c. shredded Co-Jack cheese
Spread about ¼ c. of meat mixture down the center of each tortilla; top with 1-2 T. cheese, roll up tightly; place seam side down over sauce. Pour remaining sauce over top of enchiladas, cover and bake for 30-35 min. Remove foil, sprinkle the remaining cheese over top, and bake uncovered for an additional 10-15 min. or until the cheese is melted.
I like to serve this with a green salad that has those tiny bell peppers, avocadoes, tomatoes and little green onions with that Ranch Salsa dressing. It’s ALWAYS a hit believe me.
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