Trying new Recipes is fun!

Boy, I can't believe that it has been over a month since my last post :(  I have been busy with school and life so I guess I have an excuse.  With my committed interest in Pinterest I have found some great recipes and have tried them out.   I do have an update on the lettuce  vacuumed in a jar......it works great and I had a salad after 14 days of it in my frig and I had maybe 2 or three leaves that I didn't want to eat but the rest was just as good as the day I purchased it.   We even tried the mix salad from a bag with the purple cabbage and carrots and that worked also.  My son loves this!   When he comes home from work he has an instant meal without the chopping.  Last weekend we had our 2 bathroom sinks barely draining so I went to Pinterest (i know this is nothing about food) and found a homemade drain cleaner.  We added baking soda to the drain and then vinegar until it pooled in the sink.  Let this sit for 10 - 15 minutes then take a kettle of boiling water and pour down the drain and it unclogged and is still working great after a week!  My son was amazed and so was I!
Well back to my new recipes:
Leon has been hungry for Shepherds Pie and he wanted it with lamb.  Well I made it but not with lamb but ground Beef.

Shepherds Pie
1 1/2 pounds of ground beef
1 small onion diced
1/2 cup of Beef stock
2 cans of Cream of Celery Soup (undiluted)
1 package of frozen mixed vegetables
Mashed potatoes for 8
1 cup of shredded colby-jack cheese

Brown the ground beef with the onion.  Drain any fat.  Add the beef stock, cream of celery soup and mixed vegetables.   Let this cook for 5 minutes.  Meanwhile make your instant mashed potatoes.  Transfer the ground beef mixture to pan and then spread the mashed potatoes on top.  Sprinkle with cheese and then bake for 30 minutes at 350 degree oven.  I served this with biscuits for a nice winter meal.

Pinterest Addiction

I am totally addicted to Pinterest.  I love new recipes and  have found a place to put all those recipes along with sharing them with others.  I can get lost in all the great stuff you can find and it is not only food!.  I have found some awesome ideas for school, home and fashion.  I even have a board with ideas for next Christmas.  Today i used my Sunday to make several of the ideas I found.  The first is a recipe for delicious soft pretzel bites.

PRETZEL BITES

Texas size Rhodes Frozen roll dough 

( I used Surfine frozen bread and got 30 pretzel bites from one loaf)

*as many as you like – each roll makes four bites

coarse salt, parmesan, garlic, cinnamon & sugar

Take a thawed roll or loaf.  Cut it in four equal sections.  Place dough bites on greased sheets. I placed five across and five down on large baking sheets.  Cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, and let dough rise until double in size. (about 35-45 minutes) Bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil.  When dough has risen, plop about 10 pieces into the boiling water, tossing gently for about 45 seconds. Remove with slotted spoon, and place bites on paper towels to drain slightly.  Move bites to greased baking sheets, and bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes or until done and golden brown.  (Mine took about 20 minutes)

Brush bites with melted butter, sprinkle with Kosher or Sea Salt, garlic and toss in Parmesan cheese.  You can also make Cinnamon and Sugar bites. Make a mixture of Cinnamon and sugar:  About 1 cup sugar and 1 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon, and mix together well. After you butter the pretzel bites, toss in cinnamon and sugar mixture.

You can serve the Parmesan Pretzel bites with a cheddar dip, and the Cinnamon and Sugar Pretzel bites with Vanilla glaze.  So yummy . . . so simple!

Next Leon & I are trying to lose weight and we hate to always have to cut up the lettuce, wash it, eat some of it and then throw the rest away because it got bad.  Well........Pinterest to the rescue.  Leon cut up three romaine hearts in bite size pieces.  Then he spun ten dry in our salad spinner.  From there he filled up 5 quart jars and vacuumed sealed the lids with our food sealer.  This is suppose to keep for salad crisp and ready to use for up to 10 days in the refrigerator.   Worth a try :)

My friend Linda has been talking about steel cut oats and even brought me back a box from Trader Joe's.  I found a wonderful way to make a weeks worth of oatmeal which I can grab as I head to school, microwave and have a good satisfying breakfast without the mess and cooking in the morning.  Much better for you ten the packets plus I can add what I want in it!

Make a Week of Steel-Cut Oats in 5 Minutes

Ingredients

1 2/3 cups steel-cut oats
4 cups water
Large pinch salt

Mix-Ins:
Milk or soy milk
Cinnamon or other spices
Raisins or other dried fruit
Walnuts or other nuts
Jam
Honey

Equipment

5 pint-sized Mason jars with lids (I decided to use plastic bowls)
Large saucepan
Ladle

Instructions

1. Collect your jars and other equipment. I like pint-sized jars for this as they allow a little more room for adding nuts, raisins, and milk later. But you can also use half-pint jars.

2. Bring the oats, water and salt to a boil. Simmer for about 3 minutes then turn off the heat.

3. Ladle the oats and water into the jars. Cover the jars tightly with their caps and rings. Leave on the counter overnight. (This is how I make my oatmeal and I have had absolutely no problems with it, healthwise, but if for some reason you are not comfortable leaving hot oatmeal out overnight, you can also refrigerate the jars. The oatmeal won't be quite as well cooked in the morning; it will be a thinner, less creamy oatmeal. But it will still be fine.)

4. The next morning, put all but one of the jars in the refrigerator. Take the cap off one jar and stir up the oatmeal inside. Microwave for 2 to 3 minutes, or until quite hot. Add any milk, raisins, or other mix-ins. Enjoy!

Additional Notes:
• You can also add your raisins, cinnamon, or other mix-ins to the rest of the jars before putting them away in the refrigerator. Then all you have to do is grab one and go on your way out the door.

Holiday Food Fest

The kids are home from College and of course they have favorite foods that they want to make. This year was especially fun since they decided that they would help with the food! We had the Crain side of the family for Christmas on Christmas Eve and it was an appetizer fare. One of the new recipes we tried was one I found on Pinterest. I am hooked on pinterest and have found tons of good recipes to try. My brother said they tasted like a breakfast casserole in a meatball form.  Very easy & quick to make!
 Cream Cheese Sausage Balls
1 lb hot sausage, uncooked 8 oz cream cheese, softened 1 1/4 cups Bisquick 4 oz cheddar cheese Preheat oven to 400F. Mix all ingredients until well combined. (I use my KitchenAid mixer with the dough hook attachment) Roll into 1-inch balls. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until brown. Sausage balls may be frozen uncooked. If baking frozen, add a few minutes to the baking time.
 www.plainchicken.com

Our Fall has Ended!

It is time for soup....... I love soup and tend to fix large pots for leftovers. I love to come home on a cold night from work and know that I have a hearty bowl of soup waiting for me. I also have to have a good slice of bread and love Leon's Cottage Cheese Bread he makes in the bread maker. The recipe to follow.
The soup I love is White Chicken Chili
Bush's White Bean Chicken Chili
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion,chopped
2 cloves of garlic,minced
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 (18.75 ounce) can tomatillos,drained and chopped
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 ( 7 ounce ) can diced green chiles
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 ears of fresh corn (I used frozen)
1 pound diced, cooked chicken meat
1 ( 15 ounce) can white beans
Salt & pepper to taste
Heat oil, and cook onion and garlic until soft.
Stir in broth, tomatillos, tomatoes, chiles, and spices. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
Add corn, chicken, and beans; simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt & pepper to taste

Thanksgiving Yummies

Layered Pumpkin Dessert 25 NABISCO Ginger Snaps, finely crushed (about 1-1/3 cups) 1/4 cup butter, melted 2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened 1/2 cup sugar 1-1/2 cups canned pumpkin 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg 2 eggs 2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding 2 cups cold milk 1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided 1/2 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans, toasted make it HEAT oven to 350°F. MIX cookie crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of 13x9-inch pan. Bake 10 min. Beat cream cheese and sugar with mixer until well blended. Add pumpkin and spices; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating on low speed after each just until blended; pour over crust. BAKE 30 min. or until center is almost set. Cool 1 hour. BEAT pudding mixes and milk in medium bowl with whisk 2 min. Stir in 1 cup COOL WHIP. Spread over dessert; cover with remaining COOL WHIP. REFRIGERATE 3 hours or until firm. Sprinkle with nuts before serving. kraft kitchens tips SIZE-WISE Sweets can be part of a balanced diet but remember to keep tabs on portions. MAKE AHEAD Dessert can be refrigerated up to 2 days before serving. HOW TO TOAST NUTS Toasting nuts adds crunch and intensifies their flavor. To toast nuts in the oven, spread nuts in single layer in shallow baking pan. Bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 min. or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. To toast nuts on the stovetop, place nuts in ungreased skillet. Cook on medium heat until golden brown, stirring frequently. To toast nuts in the microwave, place up to 1 cup of nuts in a microwaveable shallow dish. Microwave on HIGH until fragrant and crisp, stirring every 30 sec.

Game Day Treats

I have been using my crockpot

more & more lately and have found some wonderful recipes. The fall weather is here and it is time for soup. College Football is at the top of my list of Saturday must do & watch so I like to get my soup into the crockpot early in the morning and then let it cook on low until it is time to serve. This last Saturday was homemade Chicken noodle and Crock pot Taco soup. The recipe for the Taco soup is as follows:


  Crock Pot Taco Soup Ingredients
 1 (16 ounce) cans pinto beans
 1 (16 ounce) cans kidney beans
 1 (11 ounce) cans niblet corn fritos 
1 (11 ounce) cans Rotel tomatoes & chilies 
 1 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes 
 1 (4 ounce) cans diced green chilies 
 1 (1 1/4 ounce) envelopes taco seasoning mix
 1 (1 ounce) envelope hidden valley ranch dressing mix 
 1 lb shredded chicken, ground beef or 1 lb any meat 
 Directions
 Cook meat and drain. Shred if needed. Add all ingredients to crock pot. DO NOT DRAIN CANS. Stir. Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours. Keep on low until serving to keep hot. Garnish with sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped green onions, or tortilla chips. 


I also had made a Carmel Dip for Apples which was very good and buttery! This dip will last for 4 -6 weeks so it can be used on whatever you would want to put carmel dip on. I just kept the dip in my small crock in the frig so I could heat it up or take out what I needed.

APPLE CARAMEL DIP 
Printed from COOKS.COM
 1/2 c. butter, melted 
2 c. dark brown sugar
 1 c. light corn syrup 
2 tbsp. water
 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk 
1 tsp. vanilla 
10 apples, seeded & cut into 8 wedges each 
Cook butter, sugar, water and milk until all the sugar is dissolved over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Cut unpeeled apples into wedges, and then in half again. Dip into salted water for about 1 minute to prevent them from turning brown. (Apples should be done as close to serving time as possible.) Seal apples in an airtight container until use. To serve, heat caramel sauce and pour into chafing dish. Place apples in a bowl beside the caramel with toothpicks for dipping. Serves 25 to 30. The caramel sauce will keep in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 weeks. It is divine served warm over ice cream or pound cake. 
 Enjoy Fall!

Book Club Treat

I had book club this week and decided to bring something warm for a treat.  The hostess, my friend Linda, had a wonderful warm drink of Apple Cider, butterscotch schnapps and Whip cream.  Also she had an assortment of cheeses, apples & pears for us to sample.  My Buffalo Chicken dip fit in just right.  I love the heat of the hot sauce and Frank's Hot Sauce is my favorite.  I used the can chicken as they had in the recipe but I am thinking next time a rotisserie chicken shredded would be a good touch.  The bread I used was a day old baguette from Jimmy Johns that I sliced and toasted.
Here is the recipe:

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip

• 2 (10 ounce) cans chicken 
• 2 (8 ounce) packets cream cheese 
• 3/4 cup hot sauce ( I use Frank's) 
• 1 cup ranch dressing 
• 2 cups mild colby jack cheese 
• 2 loaves baguette or Frito Scoups

Directions

1. Drain canned chicken and put in medium sauce pan.
2. Add hot sauce and cook on medium until heated throughout. My personal favorite is Frank's hot sauce.
3. Add cream cheese and stir until blended thoroughly.
4. Add ranch dressing and mix.
5. Add 1-1/2 cups of cheddar cheese and heat for a few minutes until mixed and melted.
6. Pour the dip into the crock pot and sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese on the top. Keep heated on low.
7. I serve on baguette that has been sliced and toasted. However, it is also tasty on corn chips.