Today in Jen's Kitchen

The War Rages

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny) — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 05:07:00 +0000

OK, just how fast do YOU type?

We are so lazy at our house that we often text from upstairs to downstairs. We also use Facebook quite a bit.

It's ridiculous, really. I promise you that we do speak face to face more often than not.

This time, we used the fridge. Here's a glimpse:

There was a spirited debate as to how fast JB and Babydoll typed. JB was proud that she could type faster.

However, my mom types faster than all of us, at a screamin' 120 wpm. I think she also knows shorthand. She was a secretary back in the day.

JB reminded us that God created the computer in the first place. I'm not sure why exactly that was important, but she felt she needed to remind us. I guess she meant that God can type the fastest.

So I reminded her that Grandma was right up there with God and Jesus, and drew a diagram to let her know just where those people who typed less than 120 wpm are.

The Bug concluded "Y'all are weird."

In the end, I told them they were all just jealous that their Grandma could type faster than they could.

The grocery list is never that exciting. Not sure how we'll top this one.

xoxoxox

Babydoll Learns to Edit Video

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 02:20:00 +0000

Oh, the things that happen in my kitchen.

I make video tutorials for my sewing blog (which, by the way, has Chinese readers! How cool is that?). So since I am sewer/teacher and not a video editor, I have enlisted the help of my technological genius of a daughter. She's also your run-of-the-mill genius. However, the technological genius really does come in handy.

So here's her second venture into iMovie editing:

Like she said, more to come!

xoxoxox

Summer Vacation. Or Not.

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny) — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 17:43:00 +0000

Holy cow I'm tired.

We've been on vacation all week. Ha! Vacation, what a misnomer!

We drive 10 hours from NC to OH. We usually get in late and get up late the next morning. This one day, when we do nothing and go nowhere, is what fools us all into thinking this is a vacation.

The next day we go up north 3 hours to visit Mammaw and play at the lake where Hunk O Man grew up, and see his sister, and come back that night (that would be 6 hours driving that day).

Then we leave the next day for IN. We spend the next 6 days there -- but some of us are in Indy, some in Bloomington, some in Bloomfield. And when I say Indy, I mean sometimes Castleton, sometimes Noblesville, sometimes Carmel, sometimes Westfield, sometimes Fishers, and sometimes downtown. Sometimes several in one day. Bloomington is an hour south of Indy. Bloomfield is an hour and a half south of Indy.

Every day is different. Every day is a scramble to see who has which car and which part of the city or state they'll be in, and who's staying where. Thank God we have free Sprint-to-Sprint or we'd owe Sprint an amount which would rival the national debt.

Then we drive back to OH (which is now 3.5 hours from where we are in IN).

And we have ice cream and then go home the next day (that would be the 10 hours back to NC).

So the question here is simply this: was that a vacation?

Well, all I know is that the food has been good, the friends priceless, and as long as I get in a visit to Hobby Lobby before we leave, I'm happy.

And my mama cooks. THAT, my friends, is a vacation.

xoxoxox

Pau d'Arco

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny) — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 16:40:00 +0000

I stopped into the local health food store with the Bug early last week. She wanted something to clean her out, get her insides working again.

I know -- really technical healthspeak. Shows you how often I get into the health food store.

Anyway, The Bug was too embarassed to ask about this stuff because it involves pooping. I, however, cleaned poop off her very bottom between 16 and 19 years ago. I have little trouble talking about (other people's) poop. So I was elected to speak to the store's Lady Who Knows About That Stuff.

She told me all about these expensive colon cleaning kits. I asked about what you're supposed to take after you're all cleaned out, to kind of maintain a good balance in your system. She mentioned probiotic yogurt, which I knew about.

Then she mentioned Pau d'Arco, which I'd also heard about. But she said this: it's an anti-fungal. This caught my attention immediately.

I've had sinus problems my whole life. In my refusal to believe that this is somewhat chronic and incurable (they can cure everything these days; are you kidding me?), I ran across some research that indicated that fungus can be a contributor to sinus infections. They may develop over years of sinus trouble.

Now I doubt this means green nastiness growing in your nose. It might, but I'd rather not thing of it like that. It's gotta be something that looks entirely different than the green moss growing on trees in the forest. Of course, then again the snot that comes out of your nose isn't particularly appealing, so maybe it is green nastiness. Well, at least it's MY green nastiness that my body is producing. Yeeee-aaaauuuck!

(repeat: we come from the earth, we are made of the earth, we cannot be grossed out by the earth. We come from the earth, we are made of the earth, we cannot be grossed out.)

I've also noticed this creeping crud on the knuckles of my fingers. I never had that before. It's like dry spots. I've been rubbing athlete's foot cream on them, because Hunk O Man has had this stuff -- probably gave it to me at some point in our 24 years of marriage -- and a dermatologist gave him an anti-fungal prescription, which cleared it up.

So anyway -- back to the Pau d'Arco -- I bought a little bottle of the tincture and have been drinking 2 dropperfuls with a bit of water 2 times per day. It's a little bitter, but tossing it down with about 1/4 cup of water, cold, isn't too bad. I don't mind it.

Amazingly, what I've noticed is that the creeping crud has gotten worse. BUT . . . the guy at the register (husband of Lady Who Knows About That Stuff) said that it would likely get worse until my body got rid of it altogether.

So it's working!

Call it whatever you like. Maybe those health food nuts are onto something after all. I'm just about out of the tincture and I'm going back for more. And next time I have a problem, I think I may go to them and just see what they think. Hopefully it will not have to do with green nastiness or poop.

xoxoxox

Making Due

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny) — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 16:24:00 +0000

OK, so I saw this recipe in Better Homes and Gardens. It's a winner from Lisa Speer of Palm Beach, FL:

Fresh Corn Cakes with Garden Relish

2 T. olive oil
2 cups fresh corn kernels
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup quick-cooking polenta mix
1/2 cup flour
1/4 t. baking powder
3/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 recipe Garden Relish

I won't go over the rest of the recipe, because you can find it in the July 2010 issue of Better Homes and Gardens, just like I did.

I thought this looked appealing. I thought 'hey, that would go with the meatloaf I am making tonight - frozen meatloaf muffins from the last big freezer cook day.'

So I went to work. Here's how it went:

Olive oil? Nah. These things get fried. Where's the Canola? I used enough to cover the bottom of the pan.

2 cups fresh corn? Who has that this early in the year? One can of corn from the pantry. Check.

1/2 cup chopped sweet onion? I don't want pieces of onion in my mouth. Let's try a nominal amount of dried minced onion.

Buttermilk? Are they kidding? Who has buttermilk in the fridge? Well, I have evaporated milk and some butter. I'll just use both.

An egg. Well, finally something I actually have on hand.

Quick cooking polenta? Doesn't that have corn in it? OK, I am NOT going to the store. Here's some Jiffy Cornbread Mix in the pantry. That should work, right?

Flour. Hah! I have flour!

Baking soda/baking powder/salt: now here is where I am a genius, thank you very much. My Jiffy cornbread mix already has all that. So there.

So I whizzed it all up in a bowl and made a batter. Then I tasted it.

Then I added some sugar and a shake of crushed red pepper. And salt.

I tasted it again. Then I dropped it into the hot oil and fried'em right up.

Garden relish? No thanks. Too much trouble.

Now I am decidedly NOT a cook, let alone a good one. But these were quite good with some butter. I was shocked.

Gourmet? Not me. Throw it together with what you have? Well, there you go.

xoxoxox

Graduation

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 19:19:00 +0000

Oh, the cupcakes. Jeesh.

Check out how to make these Graduation Cupcakes at Hello, Cupcake!

xoxox

And You Thought I'd Forgotten Completely About This Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny) — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:16:00 +0000

Well, fair enough, I kind of did. At least, it certainly wasn't on the front burner. But I think I may use this blog to just talk about all the silly stuff I never can put on the House or Sewing blogs -- both of which you should check out! Today at Jen's House has a spiritual/Christian focus, and Today in Jen's Sewing Room has a decidedly sewing/home dec focus.

Since so much of what happens in my house happens in my kitchen -- actually, virtually ALL of what happens in my house happens in the kitchen -- I think I'll start posting it here. I do use coupons and try and save money wherever possible. I always thought Hunk O Man was the cheapskate, but I think I have some admitting to do there -- I catch myself all the time being cheap. Oh well, I live better than I would otherwise! LOL!

So while I won't become one of the blogs that posts about coupons and store deals, I will link you to those sites on my sidebars. If you subscribe to too many of these, it can get overwhelming. But one or two in your area are really good for grabbing deals. I usually focus on Target, CVS, and my local Lowe's grocery store. I'm in a location where the shopping (other than WalMart) is about 35 minutes away. So by the time I get to the sales stuff is sometimes gone -- but I do have a CVS here, and once you learn that system, it really saves you some buckage!

So let me begin by giving you a look at my kitchen. This is where it all starts -- and I'll be checking in soon!

xoxox

22 down, about 10 to go

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 06:58:00 +0000

It's been cook day all of October 11 in the Wesner house. For the first time, 3 of the girls helped me. Rose, Bug, and JB were all in on it. JB cracked us up with her hand-mashing of the meatloaf. Rose was completely grossed out.

Speaking of meatloaf, we tried doing it in muffin tins. They're little meatloaf muffins. Great for when just a couple of us are home and we only want a little.

Lots of soup and crock pot items this time as well. Beef Burgundy, Vegetable Soup, Taco Soup. It's fall and soups are great with bread.

Tomorrow is full of Chicken Enchiladas and several other chicken dishes, as well as a few beef. But the kitchen is clean tonight and the soups and crock pot are cooking. Never let it be said that there's nothing to eat at our house.

xoxoxox

Just a Couple of Quick Things

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 03:52:00 +0000

I was cooking dinner tonight -- Cashew Chicken -- and I realised that I am not a lover of cooking.

What I love is to create something pretty that everyone loves. Cashew chicken is a very pretty dish, and everyone at our table loves it. Interesting realisation.

I also thought about what makes cooking easier for me, and I thought I'd pass along a couple of things, in case you're a new wife or mom and are newish to the cooking thing:

1. Buy a rubber or silicone spatula. You'll be so glad you did. You'll be able to get the last little bit out of virtually everything.

2. Be careful when you're cooking over gas not to catch the potholder on fire. It's really easy to do.

3. Buy a really good chef's knife and learn how to use it. I have one of those santoku knives and I love it. But any kind of knife block will have a decent chef's knife in it.

4. Buy some of those kitchen tongs that caterers use. We call them "grabbers" at my house, and we have 3 different pairs. They're like salad grabbers (tongs). I was stir-frying the chicken tonight, and thought "these are so handy when you're cooking pieces of things." They really are; you can turn over individual pieces of things, toss a salad, even grab an oven rack when a potholder isn't handy.

5. Get a cutting board. I have about 4 in various sizes, but you really only need one. I use two small ones that have handles the most. Don't cut stuff on your countertop; you'll damage that and wreck your knife. Use a wooden cutting board, and then rinse it off with soap and water when you're done. I've had glass ones before, but again, they'll wreck your good knife. Just get a good wooden board and you'll use it forever.

Those are some of the most basic things that have made my life much easier in the kitchen. I hope they help you too -- you can always add them to the list of things your mom or Grandma gave you!

xoxox

On Couponing

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 05:56:00 +0000

Good grief, has it really been since mid-July that I've posted to this blog? For shame! I hang my head!

Well, let's have a word on couponing, shall we? It is the blessing and scourge of my life. I would love to be wealthy enough not to have to do it -- and yet I don't think I could resist saving all the money I do, so I'd still have to do it. Maybe I'd hire someone to cut them all out and file them.

Time consuming: yes. Worth it? Definitely yes. Here are a couple of blogs that I subscribe to, in case you need a coupon fix:

Clipper Girl's Saving Spot

It's Hip to Save

The Krazy Koupon Lady

I have the posts emailed to me -- and they are full of all kinds of ways to save. A virtual myriad of where to use the coupons you get, where to get them, where to get more, and how to best use them.

I have to try and limit myself, because I have a tendency to just go haywire. I only have so much room in my pantry, after all. I do try and get to Harris Teeter (my grocery store of choice) when they're doing either Super Doubles or Triples. I also try and pay attention to Target and WalMart, since I shop both those stores fairly often.

It can get overwhelming. And it's so tempting to buy everything that's a great deal, whether you need it or not. Fortunately, I have one Hunk O Man who commonly will say "Do you really have to grocery shop this week?"

He's right of course, and since Harris Teeter is about 35 minutes south of me, I usually wait.

On filing methods -- I've gone from an indexed box to a binder full of trading-card pages. It's still not perfect, but it's working for now. It's nice and portable and the best thing is that when you drop the binder, the coupons don't all fall out. Well, usually. It depends on whether or not I've gotten them into the little pockets in the pages instead of all stacked in the front of the alphabetical section.

We just can't all be obsessively perfect, you know. ; )

I do plan a cook day sometime this month. I've gone back to college with my two eldest -- we're all at the community college. Then there are three busy girls in high school -- so between jobs, school, high school tennis team matches, local theater productions, and Hunk O Man's job, it is a rare night we all have dinner together.

So I compensate by making something and leaving it on the stove for everyone. This is usually appreciated. In fact, Hunk O Man has been asking for Firecracker Cassarole lately --

xoxoxox

Firecracker Cassarole

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:10:00 +0000

This is your basic variation on a mexican-flavoured cassarole dish. But we loved it -- enjoy!

FIRECRACKER CASSAROLE

2 lbs. ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1-15 oz. can black beans, rinsed & drained

1-2 Tablespoons chili powder

2-3 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

4-7" flour tortillas

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1-10 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chilis, undrained

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a skillet, cook the beef and onion until the meat is no longer pink. Drain.

Add the beans, chili powder, cumin, and salt.

Transfer to a 9" x 13" baking dish.

Arrange tortillas over the top.

Combine soup & tomatoes, pour over the tortillas.

Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until heated through.

8 servings.

Jen's notes:

1. I haven't made this in some time, but I do remember that we loved it when I did.

rating: 4 stars. A very good variation on the theme.

Graduation Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 04:01:00 +0000

We had two high school seniors graduate on Friday the 12th, so some celebrating was in order.

"Hello Cupcake's" blog has struck again. I found these adorable Graduation Cupcakes and had no trouble making them from Healthy Choice Devil's Food cookies, chocolate covered grahams, and a little yellow licorice.

I made the vanilla "from scratch" cupcakes, and they are amazingly delicious. Here's the recipe:

VANILLA CUPCAKES

2 1/2 cups flour

2 tsps. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup milk (evaporated milk would be really good, or buttermilk)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

1 stick of butter, cut into small pieces

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1. Oven 350. Cream the butter and sugar; add the eggs.

2. Add the dry ingredients

3. Add the milk and oil, beat until smooth.

4. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full, and bake about 20-23 minutes until golden.

To make the little diplomas, I just took a box of Golden Oreo "Fun Stix" and cut each one in half, wrapping a bit of licorice around it. Our school colours are black and gold, and honestly, the black licorice would have probably worked better. But the yellow was fine -- just a bit gooey in the middle, and we had to get creative with scissors.

I absolutely love Hello Cupcake in all its many forms. The blog, the book, it's all full of amazing designs that work with real ingredients -- and they work for those of us who are sewers and not chefs! Or bakers!

xoxoxox

Very Funny Stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny) — Sat, 23 May 2009 23:28:00 +0000

I love British humour. I love spelling things the British way as well. I think my ancestors were British, although I'd have to live either in a British colony in the Caribbean or in Bermuda if I were to actually move to a British place. Can't take all that grey cloudy rain.

Anyway -- I found this on a blog called Cake Wrecks. It is very, very funny. Enjoy!

xoxox

Quick Tip

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny) — Fri, 22 May 2009 15:48:00 +0000

I make bread about every 2-3 days in our breadmaker. I've done this for years, since it appalls me that the cost of a loaf of bread is $1.00+.

Here's my basic recipe --

1 cup plus 2-3 T water -- enough to fill a one-cup liquid measure all the way to the top
2 eggs
2-3 T. butter
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. instant mashed potatoes
1/4 - 1/2 c. instant dried milk
3 c. flour
2 tsp. yeast

The other night I was completely out of eggs AND bread. Instead of running to the store at 11PM, I decided to try and use mayonnaise.

I know. Mayonnaise IN bread? Not ON it?

Well, it worked! My philosophy was this: mayonnaise is basically just eggs and oil. So since these are two things I commonly use in my bread, they worked. In fact, the girls commented that it was really good bread -- and it was. Very moist and soft.

So there you go. If you're out of eggs and your recipe uses both eggs and oil, try using mayonnaise instead. It just might work.

xoxox

Gone, but not Forgotten

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny) — Thu, 14 May 2009 13:31:00 +0000

I'm still here. I've been crazy busy.

And in the meantime, my sweet, sweet friends here have blessed me again with some starter for Amish Friendship bread.

Now don't get me wrong, I love my sweet friends dearly. I also love their generosity and kindness.

But I'm am really tired of Amish Friendship bread and the goo in a ziplock that has to sit on my counter for a week.

So, this time, instead of making the sweet bread, I found a recipe for actual sourdough bread.

And it is delicious. Try this next time you get some of that starter --

AMISH SOURDOUGH BREAD

1 cup sourdough starter (follow your "Friendship Bread" directions)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups warm water

6 cups bread flour

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Oil a bowl and put the dough in it and cover with plastic wrap. Leave to rise overnight.

The next day, punch down and divide into 3 balls. Knead until smooth, and place into 3 oiled loaf pans. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled.

Bake 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Makes 3 loaves.

Jen's notes:

1. I divided the dough into 2 loaves instead of 3. I think this works better.

2. It may take this stuff awhile to rise. I'm used to the quick-rise yeast I always use; this really does take all night or 3-4 hours in a loaf pan.

3. You may need to bake 40-45 minutes; I baked for 35 and the center was doughy. But who cared -- the stuff was DIVINE!

4. I keep the starter in a plastic bowl with a lid instead of in a ziplock. You do have to stir it, but it looks a lot nicer on the counter.

rating: 5 stars. Absolutely delicious.

From "More" Magazine

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 15:03:00 +0000

I read this this morning and cracked up:

MIDLIFE STRESS-STUFFED CABBAGE

2 sets of aging parents, rapidly deteriorating
1-3 (or 5) wise!@# teenagers, or more in blended families, growing up alarmingly fast
Escalating auto insurance rates
Way too many college applications at any given time
Inadequate college savings amounts
Life-sucking jobs, yours, his, or both
Enough wisdom to recognise all the mistakes you've made over the years
Not enough wisdom to correct them
Large cabbage leaves, as needed
Olives, peppers, debt, and despair, for topping

1. Combine the first 8 problems (and you can use up any others that are rotting in your pantry). Pulverize into a pounding headache.

Stuff the cabbage leaves and, while performing this tedious task, think about doing rebellious things you did when you yourself were a wise!@# teenager, like getting some extra piercings or hitching a ride to Guatemala.

Top with olives, peppers, debt and despair and bake until everything and everyone has a complete meltdown. Serve with a flaming temper.

xoxox

Apple Sausage Quiche

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 14:08:00 +0000

This is a recipe I've adapted to my own use. I use the basics from a recipe I found online from the 1801 First Inn in Napa, CA:

Apple Sausage Quiche

One package chicken & apple sausage

2 Granny Smith apples

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

4 Tbsps. brown sugar

4 Tbsps. butter

1/2 chopped onion

2 cups milk

4 eggs

1 cup baking mix (Bisquick, Jiffy, or your own)

Cut up your sausage into bite-size pieces, and dice the two apples. You can leave the peel on if you like, or peel and core them and then dice them up.

Melt the butter over medium heat. Saute the onions until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the sausage and sprinkle with brown sugar. Cook it all together about 5 minutes. Add the apples and stir them around just to coat and pick up the flavours, about 2 minutes.

Spray the bottom of a quiche pan with nonstick spray. Place the cooked sausage, onions, and apples in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the cheese over the whole thing.

In a blender (or in a bowl with a wire whisk), mix the milk, eggs, and baking mix. Whizz it up until smooth. Pour over the ingredients in the quiche pan.

Bake at 400 degrees until a toothpick or knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Jen's notes:

1. Use buttermilk if you want this really rich. Or skim if you don't need the calories.

2. I always get the chicken-apple sausage at Sam's Club, usually Emeril's or some other brand. Any kind of sausage will do, though.

3. You can use another kind of apple, but the Granny Smith will hold up to the baking the best.

4. If your kids don't like onion, you can use the dried minced variety, and just sprinkle it over the sausage as you cook it. Or add the minced dried onion to your milk and baking mix. Either way works and you still get the flavour without the texture of the actual onion.

rating: 4 stars. Bug loves this and Hunk O Man chows it down.

JB's Panda-monium BD

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:55:00 +0000

Birthdays are a VERY big deal around our house. Although gifts are optional, the singing and eating are not. Here's what happened in our kitchen yesterday --

I found this book while doing some grocery shopping last week at Sam's Club. I couldn't get over the photography, and even in frugal times, decided it was worth buying. Babydoll and I stood for probably 10 minutes marveling over each creation.

Everyone helped (except JB) with the making of some Panda cupcakes. I think the making of the cupcakes may have been exceptionally more fun than the eating of them! Malene, our Danish student, proved herself quite the expert at icing. Babydoll swiped her cheeks with icing warpaint, and GB tried to help without being too much of a perfectionist. My philosophy? Hey, it's food -- it's going to be eaten, so just do the best you can.

I highly recommend this book simply because of the fun we had doing it. And check out the Hello Cupcake blog, too -- it's worth it!

Lighting the pandas, who hold black and white candles

The guest of honor as she gets ready to blow them out

Our beloved Malene, Asbjorn, and Sun, Danish exchange-students who did a lot of the work

"This is the best birthday cake yet, Mom."

A reluctantly photographed Marco Polo

GB, who put aside his OCD to help add the ears and arms of the pandas

"Look, Ma, a panda"

Barbie: "OMG, I just ate a panda's head. Does this make me pandaniverous?"

GB has no qualms about definitely being pandaniverous, and babydoll shows off her icing war-paint.

A fabulous time was had by all. I think the best of life happens in the kitchen.

xoxox

Roast Beast

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 23:01:00 +0000

This is your typical Roast Beast. I always do it in a crock pot -- there are as many recipes for it as there are chili or chicken soup. But if you're new to cooking, here's an easy one to remember.

ROAST BEAST

One beef roast, any type -- rump, sirloin, etc. Any old big hunk o' beast.

2-3 onions, quartered

3-4 baking potatoes, quartered

1-2 cloves of garlic, smashed with your hand under a knife and skins removed

a small bag of mini carrots, or about half a bag of carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

salt

pepper

worcestershire sauce, a couple of good shakes around the pot

red wine, any type, enough to get it good and wet

Put all this into a crock pot and turn on for about 8 hours. If your beef is frozen, you'll need about 12 hours.

If you like gravy, you can take the drippings from the roast, put them in a sauce pan, add about a tablespoon of cornstarch to some water or beef broth (canned), and pour into the saucepan. Simmer until it thickens. Make sure your cornstarch is dissolved in the liquid before adding it to the saucepan.

Jen's notes:

1. I always make this for after church on Sunday, and Hunk O Man loves it.

2. Serve with rolls -- ready-to-serve, or a tube of crescent rolls do nicely.

3. Have the leftover beef on a sandwich the next day with a little mayo. Yummy!

rating: 4 stars. Loved by all.

Oven Fried Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:15:00 +0000

I know, I know -- I've been on a chicken roll lately. But this is some really good stuff, and easy to freeze -- lighter on the calories than regular fried chicken, too --

CRISPY COUNTRY CHICKEN

About 1 cup Miracle Whip salad dressing

1 zipper-top bag full of crushed cornflakes

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

chicken pieces, enough for your family

Add the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to the cornflakes so everything is in the zipper-top bag.

Take your chicken pieces, and brush with Miracle Whip. Use your hands or a clean paintbrush.

Drop the "painted" piece of chicken into the bag of cornflake mixture and coat.

Place coated chicken pieces into a 13" x 9" baking dish, or on a cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, about 45-60 minutes.

Jen's notes:

1. I usually use boneless chicken breast or breast tenders for this recipe, since I always have them on hand.

2. You can roll your pieces in a bowl of the cornflake mix if that's easier for you.

3. Mayonnaise also works for this recipe. It makes the chicken very juicy inside.

4. Feel free to add other seasonings to the cornflake mixture as you like --

rating: 4 stars. Everybody likes this unless we've had nothing but chicken all week.

Chicken Crescents

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:45:00 +0000

Barbie requests these specifically once in awhile, and if Rose doesn't get one, she's seriously upset. These are a favourite --

CHICKEN CRESCENTS

1 package cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons butter, softened

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cubed

1/4 teaspoon salt

fresh ground pepper to taste

2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon chopped onion or minced dried onion flakes

1 tablespoon pimento

1 package of refrigerator crescent rolls

Preheat the oven to 350.

Beat together the cream cheese, butter, chicken, salt, pepper, milk, onion, and pimento to form a pasty filling.

Unroll the crescent roll dough and divide into four squares. Pinch the perforations together. Place a fourth of the chicken filling into each square of dough. Pinch the corners together so that it encloses the chicken mixture.

Bake 20 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet, or until dough is golden. Serves 4.

Jen's notes:

1. I always use at least two and sometimes three cans of dough for this recipe.

2. I usually use far more than two cups of chicken, too. This is a great recipe for whatever cooked chicken you have leftover from another recipe, no matter how it's flavoured.

3. You can omit the pimento if you don't have it around.

4. I generally add about a tablespoon of shredded cheddar cheese on top of the filling before pinching up the dough corners.

rating: five stars. A Wesner Family fav.

Impossible Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 19:22:00 +0000

Talk about quick and easy! I make this in a variety of ways depending on the veggies I have available. It's just a quiche -- found in virtually every Bisquick Recipe book.

IMPOSSIBLE PIE

1/2 package bacon, cooked, drained, and crumbled

1 cup cheese, any type

About 1 cup frozen veggie, your choice -- broccoli is good

1 small chopped onion

2 cups milk

4 eggs

1 cup baking mix, any type -- even pancake mix will work.

1/2 tsp pepper

Grease a generously sized pie plate by spraying nonstick spray on it.

Sprinkle the bacon, cheese, and frozen veggies in the bottom of the pie plate.

Beat (in a bowl with a whisk) or blend (in a blender) the eggs, onion, milk, eggs, and pepper. Pour over top of the veggies and bacon in the pie plate.

Bake 35-40 minutes at 425 degrees until knife or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Makes 6 servings.

Jen's notes:

1. I've stretched this easily to 8 servings.

2. Use whatever veggies you like -- stir fry, California or Italian blend, etc. Any frozen or fresh veggies will work. Also add in diced peppers or chilis if you like some spiciness.

3. Baking mix is extremely cheap to make yourself -- here's a link to a recipe for Baking Mix.

4. Try sprinkling a little cheese over the top if you like a browned, cheesy crust.

rating: 3 stars. Bug loves this.

Sloppy Joes

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 02:26:00 +0000

There is nothing like Sloppy Joes and tater tots and green beans for a quick run-out-the-door to sports practice/game dinner. This is so easy and good, nice and sweet.

SLOPPY JOES

1 lb. lean ground beef or ground turkey

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup ketchup

1/4 cup water

2 teaspoons beef bouillon or 2 cubes

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon mustard

In a skillet, brown the meat with pepper and onion. Pour off the fat.

Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered with a lid, for 15-20 minutes. Serve on buns. This makes enough for 4.

Jen's Notes:

1. Use less sugar and maybe a spicier mustard if you like your Joes a little less sweet.

2. When my green peppers start to go bad in the fridge, I dice them up and throw them in a ziplock in the freezer. That way I have them handy when I go to make this or other dishes that call for them.

3. Use BBQ sauce instead of ketchup for a nice spicy twist.

4. You can double this for a bigger family (I always do) or do the math and make enough for the whole football team or church.

5. When I've been out of buns, this also works served as an open sandwich over a piece of bread, or cornbread, with maybe a little cheese added on top!

rating: 4 stars. Liked by everyone but Rose, who thinks it's a little sweet.

Vegetable Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 03:23:00 +0000

This is my Mom's recipe -- hand written on a piece of note paper from February 1993! I guess that's a kind of reminder for me as to just how long I've really be doing this . . .

VEGETABLE SOUP

Beef

onion

garlic

tomatoes

tomato or V8 juice

barley

lentils

mixed vegetables

4-5 medium potatoes

cabbage

water

seasonings

bay leaf

salt

pepper

Put it all in a pot and simmer for several hours.

Better the second day. Can be frozen and reheated.

Jen's notes:

1. Stew beef works best. But any kind will do, cut into bite-sized pieces and trimmed of fat.

2. She says "up to a whole onion chopped)

3. Minced garlic is all she notes on my recipe, but I would probably use 2 cloves chopped/minced.

4. Tomatoes can be canned or fresh; whole, diced, or crushed, and must be peeled. I usually use about 3 cans.

5. Yep, the whole can of tomato juice.

6. She says "a couple of handfuls" of barley and lentils.

7. The mixed veggies is any size bag you like, frozen.

8. The potatoes need to be cut into bite sized pieces. I never peel them.

9. She says "up to half a head of cabbage, cut-up"

10. For seasonings, she says "anything that adds flavour to soups." This means you can use fresh herbs if you have them, like basil or rosemary or sage. She also says allspice is good.

11. You add enough water to make it soupy. But remember, it will cook down, so don't feel bad if you end up adding more water later. You could also use beef broth.

rating: 3 stars. Hunk O Man loves it, the girls are pretty so-so. Great on a cold day with fresh bread or biscuits or rolls.

Inside-Out Bacon Cheeseburgers

noreply@blogger.com (Jenny) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 04:15:00 +0000

I made these recently and they were a big hit. The trick to them is that you have to try and pick up those patty-maker thingys from Tupperware either at a garage sale, or a thrift store, or on Ebay. They make doing this go MUCH faster. I found mine at a garage sale some years ago and have been using it for all kinds of meat patties since.

INSIDE OUT BACON-CHEESEBURGERS

(from Kraft "Food & Family" magazine)

1 lb. ground beef

3 Tbsps. ranch dressing, divided

4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (or use the salad bacon bits)

2 cheese slices, cut into quarters

Take your meat and put it into a bowl. Then mark it into quarters like Rachael Ray does.

Each quarter should make two patties.

Mix in 2 Tbsps. of the ranch dressing with the meat.

Shape the meat into 8 patties.

Mix the remaining 1 Tbsp. ranch dressing with the bacon. Spoon this mixture onto four of the patties. Top with two of the slices of cheese quarters.

Put another pattie on top, and seal the edges.

Makes 4 patties. Recipe can be doubled and tripled. Freeze in plastic containers and separate patties with wax paper, or in zipper-top freezer bags.

Jen's notes:

1. These are really good in the summer on the grill. Because the bacon is already cooked, you don't have to worry about the inside of the burger being raw.

2. You can put just about anything between two hamburger patties for a better burger. I'll post more of these types of recipes as time goes on.

rating: 3 stars. Great in the summertime.