Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Menu Plan - Worksheet

It is my goal for 2016 to cook a little more at home.  Use things up before they look like a science project that somehow made it to my fridge.  So I am keeping this basic log of what we had and it could actually help me in future years, too.  We seem to have the same holiday meals every year.  Apparently, this is a requirement at my house.  So some of the post holiday meal leftovers will probably be the same.  Gosh, I hope I don't get too bored doing this.  We'll see.  I created this blog for my own and possibly for the interested family members who wanted my recipes.  But anyone is welcome.  It is not fancy, but if it helps, I say, "Go for it!"  Sometimes we have lunch, and sometimes not.  (I am a bad mom).  On the weekends, we go camping in the summer and often have breakfast, but then usually don't have lunch.  And we are actually more likely to have "breakfast" for dinner.  Who knows, I might actually save a few bucks this way, too.  We'll see.  (Be prepared for lots of take out meals though.  My family loves Steak 'n' Shake and our hometown non-chain pizzas from Tobin's, Grady's and Beningo's.)  

By Date:

December 24 - Roast beef, noodles, mashed potatoes, green beans, veggie platter, ranch dip, rolls butter, black olives, sweet midgets, pumpkin pie, whipped cream, French silk pie, Verdi moscato (from Schnuck's) for adults, pepsi and coke for kids

December 25 -  Lunch - Hot roast beef open faced sandwiches, mashed potatoes with gravy on both, veggies platter, pie 
Dinner - frozen Butch's White Garlic pizza, and Totino's sausage pizza for son

December 26 - Romaine mixture salad with either 1000, or sprayed with olive oil, sprinkled with pomegranate red wine vinegar, salt and pepper, and teaspoon sugar. Also a pretzel rod and a spoon of leftover Ranch dip.






Camping Food


May - 

Dessert Pineapple Cake (Angel Food Cake/20 oz. Pineapple in own juice - Mix. 350 degrees 30 minutes.  

June



July - 

August

September  

Drunken Pups pkg little smokies, 3/4 cup Sweet Baby Ray's 1/4 cup Jim Beam

October

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Swiss Cheese and Bacon Dip (also known as Heroin)



My friend, Janine, got this recipe from her daughter who is the head of a NICU unit at Rush Hospital in Chicago.  They nicknamed this stuff Heroin because it is so addictive.

  • 8 slices fried bacon, fried and crumbled
  • 8 ounce package of softened cream cheese (soften in a dish in microwave,stirring every 15 seconds)
  • 1/2 c. Hellman’s mayonnaise
  • 2 rounded teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 1/2 c. shredded Swiss cheese
  • 3 scallions chopped

  1. Ritz crackers and cocktail sized pumpernickel. 
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  3. Brown bacon in a non-stick skillet until crisp.  Drain on paper towels.  Crumble the bacon.
  4. In a bowl combine cream cheese, mayo, Dijon, Swiss and scallions with crumbled cooked bacon.
  5. Transfer to a greased small casserole and bake until golden and bubbly at edges, 20 minutes. 
  6. Serve with crackers or cocktail sized pumpernickel.       
  7. Enjoy!

Monday, December 3, 2012

Sweet Italian Sausage Sandwiches




  • 5 pretzel long rolls (I find them at Cub Foods)
  • 5 sweet Italian sausages in casings (I found them at Kroger’s)
  • 3 tablespoons light mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic (the refrigerated kind in a jar)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion
  • 1 green bell pepper

  1. With a fork, poke holes in the sausage casings to prevent the casings from splitting.
  2. Place sausages in  a large skillet.
  3. Add one cup water.
  4. Braise until the liquid from the sausages evaporates and then brown on all sides.
  5. Split the rolls lengthwise.
  6. Mix the lite mayonnaise, mustard and garlic together well.
  7. Spread the mixture on the inner surfaces of the rolls.
  8. On aluminum foil, toast roll surfaces in a regular oven at 400 degrees, watching closely.
  9. In a small skillet, saute coarsely chopped onion.
  10. When slightly browned, add the chopped green pepper and saute a few minutes more.
  11. Assemble the sandwiches.
  12. Serve and enjoy.

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Crockpot Turkey Breast



  • 4 lb. turkey breast
  • 1/2 cup salt
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • Dutch oven filled with cold water for brining
  • 1/2 stick butter
  • 1/4 small container of poultry seasoning
  • 1/4  teaspoon of pepper
  1. Fill Dutch oven 1/3 of way full of cold water.
  2. Add salt and sugar and mix.
  3. Remove covering from turkey breast and put in the water mixture.
  4. Fill dutch oven with water until it covers the turkey breast.
  5. Put in refrigerator for 24 hours.
  6. To Prepare for Crockpot:
  7. Remove the turkey breast from the refrigerator and Dutch oven.
  8. Place the turkey breast in the Crockpot.
  9. Rub all over the turkey breast with butter.
  10. Mix poultry seasoning and pepper to use as a rub.
  11. Apply the rub to the turkey breast.
  12. Add 1/4 cup water to the bottom of the Crockpot.
  13. Place lid on the Crockpot and cook on low for 10 hours.
  14. Remove from pot and let set for 15 minutes before slicing.
  15. Use drippings and juices in the Crockpot to make pan gravy if desired.




Thursday, November 1, 2012

Ellen Thompson's Chili Recipe from Aunt Sara


This is a good recipe if you want a chili with a little spice to it and no beans.  Thank you, Ellen, for sharing it with me.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of it and now it is all gone.  
  • 1 ½ lbs. lean ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves crushed garlic (or ½ teaspoon garlic powder)
  • 1 tablespoon cumin seeds (not powder)
  • ½ cup chili powder
  • 1 – 4 ounce can chopped green chiles
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 – 8 ounce cans tomato sauce
  • 16 ounces of water

  1. Brown ground beef, while stirring.
  2. Add onion and cook until clear.
  3. Add garlic, cumin, chili powder, chiles, salt, pepper, tomato sauce , and water.
  4. Simmer on low heat for one hour, stirring frequently.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds



  • Seeds separated from the pulp of one pumpkin
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt

  1. Melt butter in the microwave.
  2. Stir the salt into the butter.
  3. Rinse and drain the seeds in a colander.
  4. Mix all in a mixing bowl.
  5. Spread in a pizza pan.
  6. Roast at 300 degrees, stirring every 15 minutes.
  7. Roast to the degree of brownness that you prefer.  

Friday, October 19, 2012

Nancy's Chili with Brown Sugar and Beer



This is my chili cook-off recipe from 2006 for people who liked beans and a chili that was not too spicy.   It didn't win (a fiery hot one did), but it got a lot of votes.  


1 lb. ground beef
2 T. onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
½ teaspoon crushed garlic
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules dissolved in 1 cup warm water

3  15.5 oz. cans light red kidney beans, drained but not rinsed
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1  46 oz. can tomato juice
2 tablespoons regular chili powder
1 tablespoon white sugar

¼ cup brown sugar
6 oz. beer

Brown first group of ingredients.  Add second group of ingredients.  Bring to boil and simmer for 45 minutes. 

Add brown sugar and beer and cook 15 minutes more, stirring frequently.



Saturday, October 13, 2012

Snickerdoodles




My granddaughter, Sydney, and I decided on a rainy fall day to make snickerdoodles since it was too ugly to be outside.  When I saw a recipe that did not use butter or eggs, I had my doubts, but we decided to try them anyway.  It uses mayonnaise instead.  And to our surprise, they were delicious.  And I promise that you would never know that mayonnaise was used. 

Makes 2 dozen cookies.

Cookies:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Mixture for rolling cookies in:
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup sugar

Remove a tablespoon of the sugar from the ½ cup and set to the side.
Mix the rest of the half cup of sugar and cinnamon.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, vanilla extract, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and baking soda.
When thoroughly mixed, shaped into 24 balls. 
Flatten balls slightly and roll into the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Place on a cookie sheet lined with a silicone baking mat, and bake 12 at a time for 12 minutes or until lightly brown.
Once out of the oven, sprinkle with the reserved sugar.
Let cool for 2 minutes only. 
Remove with a spatula to a cooking rack to continue cooling.
Enjoy.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Vegetable Beef Soup



The inspiration for this soup comes from my friend, Janine, who was generous enough to share her technique for making this soup.  I have searched for a great tasting vegetable soup for years, yet never was quite satisfied with any of the recipes that I had tried.  Janine never really had exact measurements, but I kept a record of amounts of ingredients that I used.  Her big secret for this soup was twofold.  Do not leave the cabbage out of the soup, even if you think that you do not like cabbage.  It is so fine, it just sort of disappears and the flavor of it is not overwhelming.  And although they are often a challenge to find, it is really important to use the beef short ribs.  Apparently, the marrow from the bones, adds a great flavor to the soup, and it will not be nearly as flavorful if you do not have this item in the soup.   Thanks Janine, for helping me cross one of my bucket list items off my list.                         


Part One: 
  • 1 ½ lbs. beef stew meat
  • 1 ½ lbs. beef short ribs
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  1.  In a plastic bag, put flour, salt, and pepper.  Shake to mix. 
  2. Put the stew meat chunks in the bag and shake. 
  3. Start heating the olive oil in a Dutch oven. 
  4. Brown the stew meat in the oil. 
  5. Add the beef short ribs.  It is not necessary to brown them.  In fact, the soup will be more flavorful, you don’t.
  6. Add 10 cups of water to the meat mixture, and bring to a boil. 
  7. Reduce and simmer with the lid on for 2 hours.
  8. Remove the ribs only and let cool.


Part Two:
  • ¼ head cabbage, finely grated or finely chopped with a food processor
  • 3 carrots, coarsely chopped
  • 2 stalks celery chopped
  • 3 medium potatoes, diced into 1 inch cubes
  • ½ cup pearly barley
  • 3-8 oz. cans tomato sauce
  • 8 beef bouillon cubes
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil

  1. Add the grated cabbage, chopped carrots and celery, cubed potatoes, pearl barley, and beef bouillon cubes.
  2. Let cook for about 15 minutes with the lid on.
  3. Pick the beef of the ribs and discard the fat and bones. 
  4. Return the beef of the ribs to the soup mixture.
  5. Add the tomato sauce and basil.
  6. Cook for about 30 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
  7. Serve and enjoy.


Sunday, September 30, 2012

German Potato Salad





This is my favorite German Potato Salad recipe.  I get many requests for this for potlucks.   But you can now make it for yourself.  Serve this hot salad and there will be no leftovers!

5 large potatoes – peeled, sliced  in ¼ inch slices

12 slices of bacon
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon cornstarch  (do not use flour as a substitute)
1/3 cup cider vinegar (it must be cider vinegar)
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon celery seed

In large saucepan, boil the potato slices in plenty of water.  (Don’t boil too long or it will turn to mush-probably no more than 9 minutes.)  Drain right away.  Do not let them sit in the hot water.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, fry bacon until crisp.  Remove bacon from skillet.  

Brown chopped onion in the remaining bacon drippings.  Let get really brown.    

Add cornstarch and stir.  

Add sugar and stir.  

Add cider vinegar and stir.  

Add water and stir.  

Add salt and celery seed.  Stir sauce and cook for three minutes.  

Crumble bacon (reserve some for the top) and return to sauce.

Drain potatoes and gently stir into sauce.

Transfer to serving dish.  Sprinkle the reserved bacon over the top.

Serves 6.

Friday, September 28, 2012

Pumpkin Cookies with Bourbon Icing




This makes a soft cookie.

Pumpkin Cookies
  • 2 sticks butter
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 large can pumpkin
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt

  1. Cream butter and sugar together.
  2. Add eggs and stir well.
  3. Add pumpkin and stir.
  4. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Stir well.
  5. Add flour a little at time, stirring to mix well.
  6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  7. On a cookie sheet lined with a silicone cookie sheet liner, drop dough onto the sheet, using a medium sized cookie dough scoop.
  8. Bake 12-16 minutes.
  9. Let cool one minute before removing from the sheet and place on rack to finish cooling.
  10. Makes approximately 60 medium sized cookies.


Bourbon Frosting
  • 2 sticks butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon bourbon
  • 1 2lb. bag confectioner’s sugar


  1. Cream butter and confectioner’s sugar.
  2. Add vanilla and bourbon.
  3. Stir until smooth.
  4. Frost cookies when they are completely cooled.
  5. Enjoy.





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Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Nancy's Tangy Ham Sandwiches



  • 2 pretzel burger rolls (I find them at Cub Foods)
  • 6 slices shaved ham
  • 2 slices thin sliced Swiss cheese
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon minced garlic (the refrigerated kind in a jar)

  1. Melt butter in microwave.
  2. Add the Worcestershire sauce, mustard, brown sugar, and garlic. 
  3. Mix well.
  4. Slice the rolls horizontally.
  5. Brush with the butter mixture.
  6. Brush mixture on the insides of the rolls, making sure they are covered.
  7. Add one slice cheese to one side of each roll.
  8. Add three slices of ham to the other side of each roll.
  9. Toast under the broiler until cheese is melted.
  10. Assemble the sandwiches.
  11. Serve and enjoy.





Friday, August 31, 2012

Garlic Buttered Baked Potatoes




Ingredients for each potato:
  • 1 large baking potato
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • ½ teaspoon minced garlic (I use the refrigerated kind in a jar)
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon shredded parmesan cheese


  1. Melt butter. 
  2. Add the garlic and cayenne pepper.
  3. Cut ¼ inch slices across each potato, but not all the way through.
  4. Place each potato on a individual sheet of aluminum foil.
  5. Pour melted butter mixture in the crevices of the potato.  Sprinkle with half the parmesan cheese.
  6. Wrap the potato, top side up in aluminum foil.  Place wrapped potato in a baking container as the butter could drip.
  7. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 1 hour or until tender, testing with a fork.
  8. Unwrap and plate.
  9. Sprinkle the remaining shredded parmesan cheese across the top.
  10. Serve and enjoy.


Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Nancy's Stuffed Peppers




  • 1 cup brown rice (not the instant cook rice)
  • 2 cups water 
  • 1 lb. ground chuck
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ teaspoon minced garlic (from refrigerator jar)
  • 1 large onion, chopped 
  • 4 or 5 green bell peppers
  • 2 cans condensed tomato soup
  • ½ soup can water 


Bring rice to boil in the two cups water and simmer for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally, so it does not stick.

Wash and top the green peppers, scooping the ribs and seeds out to discard.


Combine and mix well the ground chuck, cooked rice, salt, pepper, minced garlic, onion and one of the cans of condensed tomato soup. 


In a microwavable covered dish, stuff and place the peppers, open side up.


Mix ½ cup water with the other can of condensed tomato soup, and pour mixture over the tops of the peppers.


Cover the filled dish and microwave 30 minutes on power level 5.
Remove lid and baste the tops of the peppers with the soup mixture that has drained to the bottom of the dish.
Turn the dish, cover again, and microwave for 30 more minutes at power level 5.
Remove, let set for about 5 minutes and serve.


 





Monday, August 13, 2012

Sydney's Salted Caramel and Chocolate Shortbreads






This recipe was adapted from British concoction, Millionaire Shortbread, this is my granddaughter Sydney's improved version of it.  Shortbread, being very fragile, often crumbled when we made these in a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Using one of those silicone pans for baking filled mini-cupcakes we adapted the recipe to take advantage of this updated baking container. These finished delights reflect on the complex of layers of life—the salty caramel  paired with  the sweetness of the chocolate.  These cookies are required a bit work, but not overwhelmingly so and are so WORTH it!

Shopping list:
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 pounds salted butter in sticks (2 packages, but you only use 6 of the sticks) 
  • 1 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar, divided
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt,
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla divided
  • ¼  cup light corn syrup
  • 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  • 2-12 ounce packages of milk chocolate chips
  • Non-stick cooking spray

Shortbreads:

Bake in two batches as follows.  For each batch:






Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Spray the silicone filled mini-cupcake baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

To make batch of shortbread, measure the 2 cups flour, ½ cup of the brown sugar, and ½ teaspoon of the salt into the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until mixed.

Add 1 cup (two sticks) of the butter in chunks and pulse until roughly mixed.

Add ½ teaspoon of the vanilla.  Continue to process until the dough begins to for a ball.  Remove from the process and press evenly over cupcake cavities of the silicone baking pan.  Try to make them even.

Bake 20 minutes.  Turn baking pan so that it browns evenly.  Bake another 15 minutes.  Remove the container and let cool exactly 10 minutes.  



Place a cookie sheet over the pan of baked shortbreads.  Invert and press if necessary to make the cups release the shortbread.

Repeat this process for the second batch of shortbread.  Use a separate cookie sheet for the inversion step.

Caramel Layer:

This amount will fill all the cookies.  



Melt the remaining 1 cup butter (2 sticks) over low heat.  Stir in the remaining 1 cup of brown sugar, the corn syrup, and the condensed milk.  Raise heat to medium-low.  Bring to boil, stirring constantly for 4 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon vanilla.  With a measuring spoon, scoop 1 teaspoon into each of the cooled shortbreads.  Let cool 10 minutes.

Chocolate Layer:




Do this next step in two batches. 

Heat half a bag of milk chocolate chips. heat over low heat, stirring constantly until melted. Stir after every minute until the chips are all melted or microwave for one minute.  

Again with a measuring spoon, scoop 1 teaspoon over each shortbread with caramel piece.  This should do half of them.  Let cool.

Repeat with the second half bag of milk chocolate chips.  

Makes 40 Sydney's Salted Caramel and Chocolate Shortbreads.


Friday, July 27, 2012

Nancy's Simple Cheese Dip



  • 8 oz. shredded Mexican Mix cheese
  • ½  onion
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/3 cup lite mayonnaise 

  1. Place all the ingredients in the blender.
  2. Blend, stopping to stir to redistribute every 30 seconds.
  3. Repeat this process for the next 4 minutes.
  4. Scoop into a dish, cover, and refrigerate.
  5. Chill for an hour.
  6. Serve with crackers, chips, veggie crudités, or crunchy snacks  Enjoy.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Baked Vidalias with Morels



  • 4 Vidalia onions
  • 1 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 package dried morels (rehydrated)
  • 2 oz. white chardonnay
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • ½  teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 ounces water


  1. Spray four pieces of aluminum foil with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. Peel and wash the Vidalia onions.
  3. Scoop a triangle from the top  to make a cavity for the morels.
  4. Spray the onions with non-stick cooking spray.
  5. Wrap each onion separately on one sheet of the cooking foil, shiny side touching the onion.
  6. Bake in 450 degree onion for 35 minutes.
  7. While baking the onions, make the morel mixture by sautéing the rehydrated morels in olive oil, stirring often. Towards the end of browning, the minced minced garlic (I used the kind  in a jar that is refrigerated).
  8. When browned to your taste, add  two ounces white chardonnay and reduce, stirring frequently. 
  9. When the wine has been reduced, add 4 tablespoons of butter to the mixture and stir until melted. 
  10. Remove onions from the oven. 
  11. Open the foil and brush the sugar water mixture on each onion. 
  12. Place the onions, still on the foil, but not covered, on a pizza pan. 
  13. Return to oven and start with browning for 10 minutes.  Check to see if you like the color, and return to oven if not quite brown enough suit you.  When the browning suits you, remove.
  14. Divide the morel mixture that among the cavities of the four baked onions. 
  15. Serve and enjoy!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Nancy's Crumbleburgers



  • 1 lb. ground chuck
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
  • 2 tablespoons dill pickle juice
  • 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
  1. In a Dutch oven or skillet, cook on high heat the ground chuck with the water, stirring constantly with a fork.  
  2. After all the meat is cooked and finely separated (about 5 minutes), add the onion powder, bouillon powder, dill pickle juice and yellow mustard. 
  3. Stir until well mixed. 
  4. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes allowing the mixture to steam. 
  5. Put the meat mixture on buns and serve with condiments.  Purists will tell you that the original sandwich is really never served with ketchup, and it is traditional to have chopped onions, pickles and mustard.  However, I now see that their menu has ketchup listed on its menu. Since this recipe is only my best guess of the original, purism is not really an issue.  
  6. This is a good way to use up extra hot dog buns, too.


Friday, April 20, 2012

Nancy's Potsticker Dipping Sauce







4 ounces teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon chopped green onions

Combine the ingredients and serve with potstickers   (I used Yum Yum brand.) Enjoy!