Sausage, Cheese and Pepper Boats

• 1 lb. ground sausage
• ½ teaspoon ground sage
• 2 large green bell peppers
• 8 oz. Pepper jack cheese bar
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon salsa
• 8 slices bacon
• 8 hot dog buns

1. Mix ground sage into the ground sausage. Separate into into 16 pieces and roll into little logs.
2. Slice cheese into 16 strips.
3. Slice each pepper in half, lenthwise. Remove stems and seeds. Make each half into 4 wedges. You will have 16 pieces altogether.
4. Cut bacon slices in half.
5. Nest each sausage log into a wedge of bell pepper.
6. Place a strip of cheese on each one.
7. Wrap each “boat of green pepper, sausage, and cheese with a ½ slice of bacon. Secure with a toothpick. (I didn't have any, but next time I will be doing this).
8. Bake on a rack for 40 minutes at 350 degrees or until the bacon is brown enough for you.
9. While boats are baking, combine ½ cup mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon salsa. Mix well.
10. Remove from oven and let them sit for a few minutes so they don't fall apart.
11. Place 2 boats in each bun.
12. Drizzle sauce over them.
13. Serve and enjoy.

Note: Next time I make this, I am going to toast the buns in the oven or on the grill.  

Coney Dog Sauce

• 1 pound ground chuck
• 1 medium onion
• 2 ribs celery
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
• 1 dash lite soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons yellow prepared mustard
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 eight ounce can tomato sauce

1. Brown and constantly stir the ground beef in a skillet in about ½ cup of water. This will help steam it and break it into fine pieces.
2. Cool the browned beef 15 minutes and place in a food processor. Pulse about 4 times to further break it apart. You want really small pieces but you don't want to turn it into a paste.
3. Return the meat to skillet.
4. Put the onion and celery in the food processor and pulse until the are in fine pieces.
5. Add onion and celery to skilled and sweat them for about 5 minutes. Stir often.
6. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute.
7. Add the vinegar and dry spices. Add about ½ cup water to help the spices distribute well and also it will continue to steam the mixture.
8. Add the Worcestershire sauce, lite soy sauce, and yellow prepared mustard.
9. Add the brown sugar. Stir until dissolved.
10. Cook on very low heat for a half hour, stirring often.
11. Add the tomato sauce, continue stirring often, and simmer for 15 minutes more.
12. Serve on hotdogs in buns.
13. Enjoy.

Ham Balls

• ½ pound ground ham
• ½ pound ground sausage
• ½ cup gingersnaps, ground fine in a blender
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ½ teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 tablespoon pineapple juice
• ½ cup milk
• 1 egg, beaten

1. Combine ground gingersnaps, salt, pepper, mustard powder, pineapple juice, milk and beaten egg in a blender and blend about 30 seconds.
2. Add the ground ham and mix.
3. Use a large scoop to make 6 large meatballs.
4. Place on a parchment lined 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes, basting every ten minutes with the glaze below.  

      Glaze:

• ½ cup pineapple juice
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons ketchup
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder

     Mix all the ingredients and baste the meatballs every ten minutes.

     You may also do the final basting with barbecue sauce if you prefer.

Nancy's Navy Bean Soup

• 1/3 cup baking soda
• 1 pound dried navy beans
• 8 ounces sliced ham, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 ribs of celery, including the leaves, chopped
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 quarts water

1. Place the navy beans in a colander.
2. Pour the baking soda on top.
3. Rinse well with water, examining for defective beans and removing them.
4. Place the beans and all the rest of the ingredients in a crockpot.
5. Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours.
6. Serve and enjoy.

Cheeseburger in Paradise (Healthier Version)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• ½ teaspoon garlic salt
• ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

• ¾ cup shredded reduced fat (2 % milk) cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup shredded part skim shredded mozzarella

• 1 cup 2% milk
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup Bisquick

Directions:

1. In a skillet, brown ground beef along with the chopped onion, until all the beef is browned. Pat with paper towels to remove any extra fat on it. Add salts and Worcestershire sauce and stir.
2. Mix the two cheeses to distribute evenly.
3. In a blender, mix eggs, Bisquick, and milk.
4. In a lightly greased pie dish, layer the meat mixture, then top with the cheese mixture.
5. Pour the liquid mixture over the two layers.
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.

Makes 4 generous servings.

Enjoy.  

Bacon Wrapped Smokies

• 1 lb. Oscar Mayer Little Beef Smokies
• 1 package of Oscar Mayer Center Cut Bacon
• 1 stick butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup light brown sugar for topping
• wooden toothpicks

1. Cut the bacon strips in thirds.
2. Wrap each Little Beef Smoky in a piece of bacon. Secure with a wooden toothpick.
3. Place in a glass 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
4. Melt 1 stick of butter.
5. Stir into melted butter 1 cup of light brown sugar until melted.
6. Pour the mixture over the wrapped smokies.
7. Sprinkle with the remainder dry light brown sugar.
8. Bake at 375 degrees in the middle oven rack for 20 minutes.
9. Turn heat up to 400 degrees and continue to bake until a pretty brown color. (Mine took 15 more minutes, but check often).
10. Remove and serve.
11. Enjoy.

Drunken Pups

• 1 package of Hillshire Farms Little Smokies
• ¾ cup Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce
• ¼ cup Jim Beam whiskey

1. In small crockpot (appetizer sized crockpot), cook the Little Smokies for 3 hours.  
2. Add the barbecue sauce and whiskey and cook for 2 more hours.
3. Serve using a supply of toothpicks.  

Sydney's Buffalo Chicken Dip

Sydney made a very delicious but simple Buffalo Chicken Dip for us tonight.  Everyone in the house loved it, even the pickiest eater.  

• 1 pre-baked chicken breast with Montreal Steak Seasoning, shredded
• 4 teaspoons Louisiana Supreme Chicken Wing Sauce
• 2 - 8 oz. Neufchatel Cheese

Combine these three ingredients together and serve with corn chips and celery.  

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Nancy's Cowboy Casserole

• 1 lb. ground beef
• ½  teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 1 16 ounce pork and beans
• ¾ cup Sweet Baby Ray’s or other barbecue sauce
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 tube of Pillsbury Grand Buttermilk biscuits
• 8 oz. shredded taco cheese blend

1. Bake biscuits according to package instructions.
2. Stir and brown ground beef.
3. Add salt, onion powder, brown sugar, barbecue sauce, and pork and beans.
4. Stir mixture well.
5. Place mixture in 2 quart casserole dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.
6. Top with baked biscuits.
7. Top with cheese.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
9. Serve and enjoy.