Homemade Syrup

Twice as much white sugar as water.  (For example 2 C. sugar and 1 C. water...but you can do less or more)
Boil until the sugar dissolves and liquid becomes clear.  Add a splash of mapeline (maybe 1 tsp-1 T.).

I store my syrup in the fridge, but don't know if you have to or not.  This syrup is runny unlike store-bought.  I like it better that way because then it absorbs into the pancakes better!

Pancake Mix

These are fluffy and absorb a lot of syrup!  I will do a separate post for my homemade syrup recipe.

Here is the mix (obviously this makes a lot)
12 C. flour
1/2 C. baking powder
4 tsp. salt
3/4 C. sugar
4 C. powdered milk

To make the pancakes...
1 C. mix (from above)
1 T. oil
1 egg
1/2 - 3/4 C. water
This made 4-5 medium sized pancakes (I measured each pancake batter out with a 1/4 measuring cup and it made 4-5 pancakes)

Here is a smaller version of the mix if you want to try it first (this is a fourth of the total mix)
3 C. flour
1/8 C. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 T. sugar
1 C. powdered milk

Cheesy potato soup

I was looking through the blog posts and realized that Mikael is having way too much fun and decided to get in on the action.  ;)

Since it's been rainy the last couple of days, it puts me in the mood for soup.  My husband loves this one because, unlike other soups, this one is filling. 

Cheesy Potato Soup

5-6 chopped potatoes (you won't mash them, so make them bite size)

6 chicken bouillon cubes

1/2 onion (optional)

3 cups milk

1/2 cup flour

1 stick margarine/butter

2-3 cups grated cheese

Put in enough water to just cover the chopped potatoes (you don't drain it, so don't overdo the water).  Cook until soft.  In a bowl, melt the margarine, whisk with 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup milk.  Stir into softened potatoes and water, stirring constantly.  Add 2 1/2 cups milk, & then salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste.  Add 2-3 cups grated cheese.  Enjoy!

 I also serve with a green salad and homemade rolls or bread.  I'll post some easy recipes for those later.  :D 

-Loretta

Strawberry Freezer Jam

So for the last few years I have wanted to make strawberry jam.  My two good friends Chris and Amy always make such yummy yummy strawberry jam that I wanted some for myself.  It seems like the strawberry season slips by me and I never do it.  This year I swore I was going to do it.  Then I could never really find a good price on strawberries so I kept putting it off and putting it off.  Then one day while I was at my Mom's her neighbor came by and asked if she wanted any of her strawberries off her plants.  So lo and behold I got strawberries.  That means I was really committed.  I was scared.  (of what I'm not sure---I guess failure).  Any way I did it today...my first attempt at strawberry freezer jam.

This is the pectin I used...thanks to my good friend Amy!  Thanks Amy!

It was an instant pectin (I didn't even know there was such a thing!!!).  You didn't have to cook the fruit at all.  Just mix a pkg of the pectin and 1 & 1/2 C. sugar and 4 C. of crushed strawberries.  Stir for 3 minutes.  Then place in clean containers.  Freeze for up to 1 year. (These are just the instructions from the pkg...I didn't do anything special).  It was really quite easy.  It did take a few hours.  I had two big popcorn bowls full and it made a little over 12 C. of crushed strawberries.  So I needed 3 pkgs of pectin and 4 & 1/2 C. sugar.  Then I got 9 containers worth.  The pkg says that each pkg makes 5 pints.

I'll have to let you know how it tastes!  I am way excited and really proud of myself!

Do any of you have any canning or jam experiences or advice for the rest of us?!?!?!  For example I am wondering if you can put the freezer jam in other containers?  Such as cottage cheese containers?

One of those days...

Did you ever have one of those days where you have to scrape off the top layer of your casserole because it got burnt?  Yeah...it was one of those days!!!!

Baked Beans

Ok...so this is not a BBQ recipe...but if you are going to a BBQ this is one of my favorite dishes.  These are my Mom's baked beans.

3 (15 oz each) cans of Van Camps Baked beans (remove small piece of fat from each can)
1/4 bottle BBQ sauce (any brand and any flavor)
1 lb. Jimmy Dean Hot sausage (comes in a tube)
1 large chopped onion
1/2 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. green pepper (chopped) (optional---I usually use, my Mom doesn't---good either way)
2 T. worchestershire sauce
2 T. mustard
1 C. apples (2 apples) (great way to use apples that are a little mushy)

Sometimes my mom adds in hamburger also I usually don't, but either way is good.  Brown sausage and onions (also hamburger and green pepper if using).  Mix remaining ingredients in a large oven safe pot.  Bake covered at 325 for 1 hour.  Refrigerate overnight.  Then reheat before serving.  You can freeze and reheat also.  These are 200% better if you will let them cool completely and then reheat.  So make a day ahead for best taste.  These are a little runny, so if you are taking to a party or something you might want to bring cups or bowls for people to put them in separately.  We love these so I always make a double batch.  We can eat these as a meal in and of themselves.

Erika...I need a ringing endorsement on these!  Post a glowing comment!

BBQ recipes!

Calling for all of your favorite BBQ recipes!!!  Summer is fantastic for grilling...what do you like to make?  Or what do you want to try?

Peach Puree

Whenever my family made cheese grilled sandwiches we always had peach puree.

Take 1 bottle of homemade peaches (I have done it with canned and it is OK---but not quite as good).  Pour into a blender (Juice and peaches).  Blend until smooth.  Add ice and blend until no large chunks of ice.

Yum!  You don't have to add sugar or anything because there is already sugar in the juice/syrup.

Cheese grilled sandwiches and tomato soup

Tuesday we had good old cheese grilled sandwiches and tomato soup.  And I never thought about it...but I could so that for one of my Meatless Mondays!!!

(I know there are different levels of vegetarians...some that don't eat cheese, dairy, eggs, etc...but we are going strictly for no meat for our Meatless Mondays)!!!

BBQ chicken

I was going to make fried chicken tonight.  But the house was a little warm and I didn't feel like warming up the kitchen any more than it already was.  So we went for BBQ chicken.

Here's what I did...

 Thaw chicken if frozen.  Do not thaw in microwave it dries them out...instead place frozen chicken in baggie (or if it was frozen in baggie leave it there) and place in a bowl of hot tap water.  Replace water every so often with more hot tap water.  Obviously don't leave the chicken out all day.  It thaws pretty fast...maybe a half hour or so.

Trim fat off chicken breasts.

Place on grill on low (my grill cooks really hot---so maybe yours is different).  Put chicken breasts on grill.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Flip over.  If one spot on the grill is cooking hotter, switch and put a different chicken breast there now.  Cook for 5 more minutes.  Flip them again.  Pour quite a bit of BBQ sauce (any kind) on top.  Spread with a spoon.  Let cook for 4 minutes.  Flip.  Repeat BBQ sauce on 2nd side.  Cook for 4 more minutes.  Serve with that same side up (If you flip them again the bottom doesn't look as nice because some of the sauce will have dripped off).  Check for doneness by removing one breast onto a plate and cutting open to see if still pink.  (or use meat thermometer.)

I only serve each person 1/2 of a breast because 1 serving of meat is 3 oz which is about the size of the palm of your hand.  My family grumbled a little at first, but now we have been doing it for years, they are OK with it.

I also made mashed potatoes.  I think I posted those directions earlier, but if not I will do a separate post here.  And yes, the lettuce is not quite as green as it should be to look pretty in a picture.  (Oh well).

Navajo Tacos

Tonight I am planning on Navajo Tacos.

To make the scones...Buy Rhoades white bread dough.  Let thaw.  Pull off a small blob.  Roll with rolling pin.  Heat oil on Med-high heat in a large pan.  You need about an inch and a half or two inches of oil in the pan.  Try 1 blob first (not a full scone...just a little blob of dough).  If dough rises to the top of the oil then your oil is hot enough.  If it sinks then oil is not hot enough.  When oil is hot enough, place one of the rolled out dough in the grease.  It doesn't take long.  When brown on bottom, flip over with a fork or tongs to brown on other side.  When done...remove from oil with tongs or fork and place on a plate covered with paper towels for a few minutes until oil drips off.

Top with canned chili, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, salsa, (tomatoes if you like them), etc...

I like Cattledrive chili the best...but it is pricey so usually I just have western family!!!

Today for my meatless monday I am going to buy the vegetarian chili.  It is really not too bad.

Since you'll have extra dough you can make more scones and top with honeybutter or cinnamon-sugar for a good family night treat or dessert!

Note after I made this tonight...I did one of the loaves (out of 3 that come in the pkg.).  It made 3 medium size scones and 2 small scones.  It was not enough for my family of 6 and definitely not enough to have scones with honeybutter for dessert.  Next time I would do 2 loaves for dinner and 1 loaf for treats.

Pasta Bolognese

From Jennica R...


Here is that recipe my husband loves. I do agree it is super yummy. Not the cheapest recipe i've ever made due to the Gouda cheese, but the gouda cheese is a must in this recipe, I buy the big wedge of gouda at costco and I can usually use it in 4 to 5 different meals. Here is the original recipe

2Tbsp olive oil
1Tbsp butter
1 tsp dried basil
Dash crushed red chili pepper
3 medium onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
dash of salt
3 - 29 oz cans tomato sauce
7 oz Gouda cheese, grated
1 pint heavy cream

In olive oil and butter saute basil, chili pepper, onlion, garlic, and salt until onion is tender. Add tomato sauce and cook until flavors combine (at least 20 minutes, but the longer the better). Add Gouda cheese and stir until melted. Add heavy cream and remove from heat (cream should not be cooked). Serve over pasta.

*This is the original recipe, when I made it I changed it up a bit and our family liked it a lot. I only used 2 onions. and i replaced the heavy cream with half a pint of half and half so it wasn't so rich. I added italian sausage for meat. 
Enjoy!

Lemonade Pork Chops

So Shannon...I have been dreaming about your lemonade chicken since you posted it.  So finally yesterday I made a special trip to the store to buy the frozen lemonade concentrate... I came home...got ready to start it...and discovered I had no chicken!!!!!

So I looked up a lemonade recipe for pork chops (which I did have in the freezer).  Here is the one I used.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/lemonade-pork-chops/detail.aspx

It got 4 out of 5 stars and I would give it the same.  It was good.  Not my favorite meal ever.  But very good.

I didn't have celery salt so I just skipped it.  And I didn't let it marinate overnight (only for 2 hours).  Here are the directions the way I did it...

• 1 (6 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed (I thawed mine in the mocrowave for 30 seconds)  (I bought yellow because that was the only kind they had at Target)
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt (I didn't use)
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 pounds thick cut pork chops or steaks

I doubled the sauce because that was the whole can of lemonade...but I had tons of sauce...so I probably didn't need to double it.  I let it marinate for 2 hours (24 hours would be better).  Sear on high heat to brown outside.  Bake covered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until no longer pink in center (mine took a  little longer).  

I was going to make rice as suggested on the original recipe.  But I forgot.  So I made cornbread muffins, peas, cooked carrots and sliced oranges.  My family and I love cornbread (we like bread better than muffins---but that's not what I made yesterday).  I have made all kinds of recipes for cornbread and just keep coming back to Marie Calendars mix.  It is just add water.  (But the cornbread kind, not the corn muffin mix).  It is moist and delicious.  It is not quite as good as at the restaurant...but almost!


I am still going to make the lemonade chicken though someday Shannon.