QuiltLady – Page 101 – Chasing MY Life WHEREVER it Leads ME

HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY & MENU PLANS week 14 of 2022

Doing Happy Homemaker Monday so extensively helps keep me on track as it summarizes my past week and lays out a fairly concise plan for my upcoming week. Be sure to join us all for Happy Homemaker Monday and link up with our host, Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

How is everyone? I hope you had a wonderful week full of sunshine and fun. I’m finally feeling a bit better and starting to get my energy back, but taking it easy until I’m 100%. Night times are the worst!

It started raining last night and we really need it, so I’m not upset about that, but that I have to go out in it 😀 We’re also having severe winds and with not feeling 100% and spring allergies I’d prefer staying in, but I had made lunch plans with an old friend before I knew it was going to rain so hopefully it will be during a lull in the wind and rain.

We’re in some serious “LAYER” weather and back to some cooler and wet weather this week despite the one day heatwave. I was a bit surprised by the “S” word being in the mix for later in the week. It’s not normal, but has been known to happen at this time of year. My girlfriend planned a birthday party for her boyfriend, an outdoor BBQ, a few years back and had to move the whole thing inside last minute when it snowed. Afternoon update: there are now 2 days with the “S” word being forecasted 🙂

I know there are still so many things on all our minds, but I’ve been praying for resolutions to the BIG things, COVID and its variants, Ukraine and Russia… And my cousin lost her husband on Saturday to end stage renal failure and diabetes. He was so young and I wish we were closer in distance (she’s 1000 miles away) so I could help her more 🙁

I’ve been “playing” along with Jean for a 2022 List of accomplishments. You can find the original post here and the quarterly up date at this link.

Theraflu (I’m still waking up with severe congestion and a bit of an allergy cough and am just being cautious) and peach yogurt.

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS

LAUNDRY & CLEANING I have a spring cleaning bug and did a serious deep clean of the stove which is only a few years old. They just don’t make them like they used to 🙁 There are several parts I would like to be able to take apart for cleaning, but just wasn’t in the design. Twice a year I also use mineral oil as a soak for my wooden kitchen utensils and was able to get that done over the weekend. They look so pretty now.
GROCERIES & ERRANDS I went last Friday and will conserve gas until I have to go to town for my painting class on Thursday night. Hubby and I are having a date night Friday and taking a Ricotta cheese making class at a local winery on Friday. It comes with a wine tasting, salad and lasagna.
PAPERWORK, PHONE CALLS & PROJECTS I hate this category! I’m still trying to get the new dishwasher serviced for the rinse aid that isn’t working, getting the roofers to finish the repair work on the new shingles from last year and a few other tedious time consuming calls.

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV

NETFLIX St. Vincent with Bill Murray and Melissa McCarthy, Wind River
PRIME First Target
RED BOX The King’s Man, American Underdog
DISNEY+ Hawkeye
CABLE Cooking shows: Tournament of Champions, Spring Easter Baking, Masterchef Jr., Beet Bobby Flay and Grocery Games Crime Dramas: Chicago series (Med, Fire & P.D.), NCIS (Original, L.A. & Hawaii), Bull, Law & Order (Remake and SVU), Magnum PI, Blue Bloods and FBI’s (original, Most Wanted & International) Comedies: Young Sheldon & Ghosts and we’re trying the new How We Roll Hallmark/Movies: Just One Kiss, Always Amore and When Calls the Heart Documentaries: Mysteries of the Abandoned

Jana Deleon’s Flame & Fortune, book #22 of the Miss Fortune series – just a fun read. Hubby even enjoys the audibles when we travel.

**Tomato plant starters and herbs are loving a little bit of sunshine in addition to the Aerogarden.**

**My favorite old country barn is looking a little more lifelike as spring settles in.**

**JOHNNY JUMP UPS are making things look a bit brighter for spring.**

**I cleaned and spruced up the delivery driver snacks and drinks. 😀**

**Apparently there was a recent local (on the coast) theft of a million dollars of “MOVIE MONEY”. Local businesses are having to be extra diligent because they look and feel so real!**

	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY	SUNDAY
DINNER	CREOLE CHICKEN & RICE	CHICKEN PAPRIKASH & POTATO BALLS	CHICKEN RAMEN IN SHOYU BROTH	SWEET & SOUR BRISKET & PEROGIES	DATE NIGHT RICOTTA CHEESE MAKING CLASS – LASAGNA & SALAD with WINE TASTING	CALABRIAN CHILE & CHICKEN PASTA	HOT HONEY GLAZED PORK CHOPS
DESSERT		CINNAMON ROLLS

CREOLE CHICKEN & RICE
GRASSHOPPER CHEESECAKE BARS
GRILLED SHRIMP SALAD with LIME VINAIGRETTE

BARBACOA BURRITO BOWLS with CILANTRO LIME RICE

BARBACOA BURRITO BOWLS with CILANTRO LIME RICE serves 8

BARBACOA BEEF
2 1/2 pounds chuck roast, cut into 2 inch cubes
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup homemade bone broth
Juice of 2 limes
4-5 pepperoncinis
1 tablespoon pampered chef TEX MEX seasoning
1 red onion, halved and sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper

Whisk together the broth, lime juice, vinegar and seasoning.
Add beef chunks to pressure cooker.
Pour broth mixture over top.
Add pepperoncinis, garlic and onion slices.
Bring to a gentle simmer.
Add lid and pressure rocker.
Simmer with the rocker gently rocking for 40 minutes.
Allow to steam to release naturally.
Carefully open and remove beef chucks to cutting board.
Shred beef with 2 forks.
Strain broth and set aside.

NOTE: Chipotle seasoning with chipotle peppers are a great alternate flavor.

CILANTRO LIME RICE
1 1/2 cups long grain rice, rinsed
2 cups homemade bone broth
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup FRESH chopped cilantro leaves
1 LARGE lime, juiced

Add the rice, broth, garlic and half of the cilantro leaves to a sauce pan.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to simmer, cooking until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

ASSEMBLY
garnish toppings – sour cream, lime wedges, Cotija cheese, hot sauce…

Fluff rice with remaining cilantro leaves and lemon.
Divide rice into serving bowls, top with shredded beef, a drizzle of the strained broth and your favorite Tex Mex toppings.

GREEN ENCHILADA CHICKEN SOUP

Thank you Carrie for making me try this recipe. I had seen it on Pinterest and Facebook, but now I’ve gotten around to making it in reality. 😀

GREEN ENCHILADA CHICKEN SOUP

2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1 recipe homemade green enchilada sauce (recipe below) or 1 (28 ounce) can green enchilada sauce
3 cups homemade chicken bone broth
1 cup half and half or heavy cream, depending on desired consistency
2 cups Monterey jack cheese or pepper jack cheese
4 ounces cream cheese, cubed at room temperature
4-8 ounces green salsa verde, to taste
FRESH ground salt and pepper, to taste

In a 6-quart slow cooker add chicken breast or thighs, green enchilada sauce, and chicken broth. Cook on LOW 6 to 8 hours.
Remove chicken and shred.
Add shredded chicken, jack cheese, cream cheese, half and half, and green salsa to slow cooker.
Turn slow cooker to warm and stir until cheeses are melted.
Add hot sauce or additional salsa to taste.
Top with lime wedges, avocado, cilantro, green onion, shredded cheese and sour cream or any other topping of your choice.
Serve and enjoy!

NOTE: you can short cut this recipe using chopped Costco chicken rotisserie pieces. They now come already picked in a large package. Using this chicken also makes it easy to cut the recipe in half or double it 😀

GREEN ENCHILADA SAUCE
Homemade Green Enchilada Sauce is a quick and simple homemade recipe for use in your TEX-MEX recipes.

1 recipe = 1 (28 ounce) can of store-bought green enchilada sauce

2 tablespoons avocado oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, FINELY minced
1 cup UNDRAINED diced canned green chiles
2 cups homemade chicken bone broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Optional to spice it up: 1 jalapeno pepper, diced

Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
Saute onion until soft.
Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Reduce heat to medium.
Add green chiles, broth, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and jalapeno if using.
Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes until the liquid is reduced to about 3 cups, by about 25%.
Use an immersion blender to blend ingredients to your desired consistency.
Transfer back to your skillet.
If the sauce is for later use, let it cool, then store it in an airtight container for storage in your refrigerator or freezer. I use a canning jar with an airtight lid.

PASTEL DEVILED EGGS

PASTEL DEVILED EGGS

This recipe is making the rounds these days and is absolutely perfect for the late Easter this year. These colored deviled eggs will make a beautiful addition to any Easter table! Also fun to do for baby or wedding showers as well.

EGGS
12 LARGE eggs

Place eggs in a large saucepan and cover with cold water.
Set pan over medium-high heat and bring water to a boil.
Turn off heat, cover pan with a lid and let sit for 12 minutes.
Drain and rinse eggs under cold water.

FILLING
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons pickle juice
2 teaspoons QUALITY mustard
4 tablespoons FINELY chopped dill pickles
FRESH ground sea salt and pepper (to taste)

Peel shells off of the eggs.
Cut eggs in half lengthwise and scoop out yolks into a bowl.
Add mayonnaise, pickle juice, and mustard to bowl, then mash the yolks and stir until mixture is smooth.
Stir in minced pickles and then season with salt and pepper.
Place the mixture in a large ziplock bag.
Cut the tip off of the ziplock bag and pipe the egg mixture back into the colored eggs.

DYE
6-8 ounces water in a cup
1 teaspoon white vinegar
GEL Food coloring

Stir desired color of food coloring into cups of water.
Add the vinegar to the colored water.
Gently place boiled and peeled eggs into the cups.
Let the eggs soak in the colored water for at least 10 minutes until desired shade is achieved.
While the eggs are soaking in food colored water prepare the deviled eggs from the recipe above.
Gently remove the colored eggs with a large slotted spoon and place them on a stack of paper towels to dry.
Pat dry with additional paper towels.
Fill with prepared egg mixture.

2022 LIST update

I’ve been participating with Jean over at Chit Chat with Jean to do an accomplishment list for the year and a word for the year. This is my first quarterly update. I wondered if I would be successful? I’d say I’m doing pretty fair so far.

My list for 2022 is:

Do a Happy Homemaker Monday post each and every week. This keeps me more on track and organized about my home life. Doing Happy Homemaker Monday so extensively helps keep me on track as it summarizes the past week and lays out a fairly concise plan for this week. DONE
Do 1-2 devotionals every day. DONE I’m working my way through 100 Days of Grace & Gratitude – A Devotional Journal
Follow a nightly skincare regime – DONE
Complete 4 quilts – at least 1 for each quarter. 1 Christmas quilt wall hanging done almost done, 2 batik table runners in opposing colors are done and but I’m still working on one more quilt.
Finish indexing the recipes on my Food blog, Savory Kitchen Table. This is a serious work in progress that will probably take ALL year.
Finish indexing the recipes on my Life blog, Chasing MY Life. When I merged my old blogspot blogs into this single blog it duplicated many things and added an “ALL” category that I am having to eliminate one by one so it’s taking a LONG time. This is a serious work in progress that will probably take ALL year.
Make a better effort to reach out and connect with friends and family more regularly. This is a work in progress.
Learn YOGA or Pilates or both! This is a work in progress.
Take at least a 2 mile walk daily. DONE most days
Continue to downsize and declutter EVERYTHING. This is a serious work in progress that will probably take ALL year.
Clean out photo files that date back 13 years! I’m working on it, but it’s really hard.
Create shutterfly photo albums for 2019, 2018, 2017 and 2016. Yet to do 😀
Go through scrap recipe tote and eliminate all the recipes I will never try – they’re just not worth saving. DONE
Do more drawing and painting – at least one per month. I’m taking this bike and sunflower class this week and the others are a few I’m trying to replicate now.
Focus on rewriting more recipes to work for only 2 with no leftovers. This is a work in progress, but doing well so far.
Volunteer at least once a month for a community project. DONE TO DATE
Do a date weekend once a month – exploring a new place we’ve never been before. I’d like to say we’ve been really good about this, but it’s only happened once so far this year 🙁
Clean out old files and recycle or destroy old papers. This is an ongoing work in progress, but I’ve made good progress.
Clean out craft cabinets and donate craft parts no longer needed. DONE
Eat at least 1 piece of fruit daily. DONE
Do at least 1 random act of kindness every time I leave the house. DONE
Read 36 books. Hopefully it will be more, like double more, but I think this is a realistic goal since I’m halfway there. 18 so far 1) State of Grace by Marie Force, 2) Swamp Sweets by Jana DeLeon, 3) Beside Golden Irish Fields by Ava Miles, 4) What Child Is This by Rhys Bowen, 5) Women and Children First by Gill Paul, 6) Return to Sender by Jennifer Peel, 7) The Cape May Garden by Claudia Vance, 8) South of the Buttonwood Tree by Heather Webber, 9) A Home for Unloved Orphans by Rachel Wesson and 10) All My Loving by Marie Force 11) Wild Widows by Marie Force 12) Return to Sender by Jennifer Peel 13) In Name Only by Jennifer Peel 14) Flame & Fortune by Jana DeLeon 15) The Restaurant by Pamela Kelley 16) Here, There & Everywhere by Marie Force 17) Someone Like You by Marie Force 18) Beach House Romance by Cora Seton

KARAAGE AMAZU? AMASU? Chicken I’ll just call it TANGY YUMMY Fried Chicken

I have a small piece of a note that says AMASU Chicken on it from an old folded recipe in an antique box I found in an antique store. I have no idea when or even when I found it. I started researching it and came up with a few recipes that sounded interesting, but none of them sounded interesting enough by themself to be worth trying in my book. So, I piece mealed the bits and pieces of all of them into a recipe we like.

Karaage is basically a Japanese term/technique for deep frying in oil. It is most often used for chicken. The meat is usually coated in a corn or potato starch dredge before frying.

Amasu – means “leave over” in Japanese
Amaza – means “ no one knows everything” in Zulu

Karaage Amazu? Amasu? Chicken I’ll just call it TANGY YUMMY Fried Chicken Serves: 4-6 people
3 pounds chicken thighs (cut into bite size) OR chicken wings
1 cup cornstarch
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
1/2 cup Mirin
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar (unseasoned)
1/4 cup Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
1/2 cup water
1 small can crushed pineapple (DO NOT DRAIN)
1/4 cup ketchup (Jalapeno ketchup adds a bit of a kick!)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice (1 LARGE lemon)
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon FRESH, FINELY chopped cilantro coriander
1 teaspoon red chili flakes (or more if you like more heat)
Chopped green onions for garnish

Marinate the chicken pieces with liquid aminos and set aside.
Combine mirin, rice wine vinegar, water, pineapple, salt and sugar in a pot and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium and cook until the liquid thickens.
Completely cool the mixture.
Whisk in lemon juice, cilantro and red chili flakes, to taste.
In a large ziploc bag coat chicken in cornstarch, shaking to coat well. Tap off excess cornstarch before frying.
Heat oil to 350° and fry until crispy and cooked through.
Add chicken to large bowl.
Pour sauce over and toss to coat.
Plate, garnish and serve hot.

ONION SALISBURY STEAK

SALISBURY STEAK adapted adapted from the Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2-1 pound FRESH mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon creamy horseradish
2 tablespoons jalapeno ketchup
1 packet LIPTON French onion soup mix
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 tablespoon WONDRA flour
1/4 cup cream sherry
1 1/2 cups beef broth
FRESH parsley leaves as garnish

Combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire, 1 tablespoon of the ketchup, horseradish, 1 tablespoon of the soup mix and some salt and pepper in a bowl and knead until well combined.
Form into 4 oval patties, and using the side of your hand, make lines across the patties to give them a “steak” appearance.
Place a HEAVY skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium high heat and add the butter.
Add mushrooms, cooking until caramelized. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add oil and more butter if necessary.
Fry the patties about 5 minutes per side until no longer pink in the middle.
Remove from the skillet and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the grease.
Sprinkle the flour remaining grease and let cook for a minute.
Remove the skillet from the heat and deglaze with the sherry, scraping up all the little bits from the bottom to release all the flavor.
Return to the heat and add the beef broth, remaining ketchup and remaining soup mix. Bring to a boil and let thicken, 2 to 3 minutes.
Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Fold mushrooms into gravy, stirring a minute or two to reheat mushrooms.
Remove the skillet from the heat.
Return the patties to the gravy, spooning a little gravy over each.
Garnish with the parsley.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY with MENU PLANS week 13 of 2022

Doing Happy Homemaker Monday so extensively helps keep me on track as it summarizes the past week and lays out a fairly concise plan for this week. Be sure to join us for Happy Homemaker Monday and link up with our host, Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

I hope you all had a great week and are ready to start this first true week of spring after recovering from the spring forward time change. I ended up in Urgent Care last Monday and have been down the majority of the week. I’ve yet to completely recover from Strep throat and looks like I may end up on a second round of antibiotics and steroids due to my compromised immunity, but compared to this time last week. I’m so much better! I’m jumping right in here with the categories.

Mornings have been overcast and really foggy (typical for this time of year), but the sunsets have been really gorgeous.

The rain we were supposed to get this week stalled out somewhere and looks like we’ll be stalled in the holding pattern of cloudy, foggy and the occasional afternoon sunshine in the mid 50’s. Low’s are still in the mid to high 30’s. So comfy Levis it is with a layered tank and flannel it is 😀

Theraflu and peach yogurt

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS

LAUNDRY & CLEANING I didn’t do a thing last week to speak of and don’t feel much like it this week either, but will force myself to get a few things done, at least the laundry, bathroom and kitchen.
GROCERIES & ERRANDS I’ll head to town on Wednesday to do grocery shopping and have a pedicure on Friday. Hubby has a couple of appointments on Friday also.
RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING I’ve been sticking to the menu pretty well. 😀 I’m also planned a couple weeks out.

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV

NETFLIX Did you hear about the Morgan’s? with Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant
REDBOX American Underdog & The King’s Man
PRIME First Target
PEACOCOK Marry Me with Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson & Cheers Reruns
CABLE I got caught up on the DVR while I was down last week.

I finished my book, but just haven’t felt well enough to start a new one so have only leafed through a few cooking magazines.

It’s that time of year when you turn the sprinklers back on to get things adjusted, start watering flowers and ready to go for the garden. Lo and behold once again the same old leaks, front AND back yards both are making an appearance! Hubby and the gardener are working to fix the leaks once and for all! Looks like the front yard is fixed, but they still need a couple parts to finish. The backyard is only temporarily fixed, but at least it’s not creating a pool right now, only a tiny puddle. Hubby is going to go see about parts later today.

The stray kitties that adopted us are trying to stay incognito. Best I can tell they are from the litter of 5 or 6 that the people up the street had last year. Unfortunately, they are not responsible people and the cats have been left to roam the neighborhood fending for themselves. That said, they are GREAT mousers! I couldn’t get a picture, but saw Sonny chasing one on the patio last week and he caught it! I’m so glad he doesn’t leave them on the door mat!

	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY	SUNDAY
DINNER	CHICKEN AMAZU & PEROGIES	CHICKEN NEW ORLEANS & CAULIFLOWER RICE	BARBACOA BURRITO BOWLS	C.O.R.N. CLEAN OUT REFRIGERATOR NIGHT	SHRIMP SALAD with LIME DRESSING	PAN SEARED CHICKEN with SHERRY PAN SAUCE & POTATO BALLS	CREOLE CHICKEN & RICE
DESSERT		GRASSHOPPER CHEESECAKE SQUARES

ONION SALISBURY STEAK
FIG NEWTON CRISP
CHEESY MANGO SHEET PAN CHICKEN
LEMON GARLIC PEPPER CHICKEN
MEATBALL POTATO GRATIN

LEMON HERB BAKED SALMON

LEMON HERB BAKED SALMON

2 pound boneless salmon (preferably 1 inch thick) – skin on or off, wild caught if possible (or fillets)
5 sprigs FRESH chopped tarragon or thyme rosemary
2 small lemons, 1 cut into thin slices, the other juiced
2 tablespoons avocado oil
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
Chopped green onions or parsley for garnish
Lemon slices for garnish

Let salmon stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375.
Line a large baking dish or rimmed baking sheet with a large piece of aluminum foil.
Lightly coat the foil with baking spay.
Arrange half the lemon slices in the center of the foil.
Top lemon slices with half the chopped herbs.
Drizzle the salmon with avocado oil and generously season with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper. Gently rub the oil and seasonings into the fillets.
Lay salmon over sliced lemons and herbs. If using fillets, nestle them closely together.
Scatter the remaining herbs and lemon slices on top of the salmon.
Scatter the garlic over the top.
Pour lemon juice over top.
Fold the sides of the aluminum foil up and over the top completely enclosing the salmon, but tenting the foil a bit. Bake 15-20 minutes or until the salmon is almost completely cooked through at the thickest part and it flakes easily.
Remove the salmon from the oven and carefully open the foil so that the top of the fish is completely uncovered, but be careful of hot steam.
Change the oven setting to broil, then return the fish to the oven and broil for 2-3 minutes – WATCH CLOSELY SO IT DOES NOT BURN.
Sprinkle with additional fresh herbs and top with a squeeze of lemon.

PASTEL DEVILED EGGS

PASTEL DEVILED EGGS

EGGS
12 LARGE eggs

Place eggs in a large saucepan and cover with cold water.
Set pan over medium-high heat and bring water to a boil.
Turn off heat, cover pan with a lid and let sit for 12 minutes.
Drain and rinse eggs under cold water.

FILLING
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons pickle juice
2 teaspoons QUALITY mustard
4 tablespoons FINELY chopped dill pickles
FRESH ground sea salt and pepper (to taste)

Peel shells off of the eggs.
Cut eggs in half lengthwise and scoop out yolks into a bowl.
Add mayonnaise, pickle juice, and mustard to bowl, then mash the yolks and stir until mixture is smooth.
Stir in minced pickles and then season with salt and pepper.
Place the mixture in a large ziplock bag. Set aside.

DYE
6-8 ounces water in a cup
1 teaspoon white vinegar
GEL Food coloring* SEE NOTE

Stir desired color of food coloring into cups of water.
Add the vinegar to the colored water.
Gently place boiled and peeled eggs into the cups.
Let the eggs soak in the colored water for at least 10 minutes until desired shade is achieved.
While the eggs are soaking in food colored water prepare the deviled eggs from the recipe above.
Gently remove the colored eggs with a large slotted spoon and place them on a stack of paper towels to dry.
Pat dry with additional paper towels.
Cut the tip off of the ziplock bag, your DIY piping bag and fill the egg halfs with the prepared egg mixture.
Garnish as desired with paprika, creamed horseradish or a favorite spicy mustard.

NOTE: You can use “regular” food coloring, but gel makes a cleaner consistent color.

BACON GREEN BEANS

BACON GREEN BEANS

Total: 40 minutes Active: 10 minutes Yield: 6 servings

1 pound green beans, trimmed
3 slices bacon, diced
2 tablespoons bacon grease
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, SMALL chopped
1 cup chicken broth, plus more as needed
1/3 – 1/2 cup chopped mini red bell pepper
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper

Cooked bacon JUST until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon grease. If you don’t have 2 tablespoons supplement with salted butter.
Add garlic and onions, cooking for 1-2 minutes.
Add the green beans and cook 1 minute until the beans turn bright green.
Add chicken broth, chopped red pepper, salt and pepper to taste.
Reduce heat to low and cover, leaving the lid cracked to allow steam to escape.
Cook 20-30 minutes until the liquid evaporates and the beans are fairly soft, yet still tender crisp. You may need to add more chicken broth during the cooking process, but don’t be afraid to let it all cook away so the onions and peppers can start to caramelize.
Stir in bacon pieces.
Serve immediately.

ALL DAY MEATBALLS with CHERRY SAUCE or WHISKEY SOUR JELLY SAUCE

If you are anything like me, you have a drawer or even a box full of recipes from newspapers, magazines, old maiden aunts, grandmothers, friends and every potluck you ever went to and said I have to have that recipe! I originally started making this recipe (and posted it too) about 15 years ago. I haven’t made many changes since that initial time – it’s just that good!

While I usually keep the combination of ingredients, spices and seasonings somewhat intact, I do make changes to those recipes to make them more palatable to my family. So I always keep a list of likes, dislikes and allergies and am constantly altering recipes to fly by the seat of my pants.

These recipes have been floating around so long in the box that I have no idea where they actually originated, but one looks like a page from an old, and I mean OLD magazine and the other is handwritten. I have them stapled together with a note to combine them together.

I’m like that – whatever works for my family. I had a girlfriend in college who loved fashion but was on such a strict budget there wasn’t room for the things she eyed the most. I remember Julie borrowing a fancy designer dress from a Joann, a girlfriend of ours for an event and then later that night she took it apart, made a pattern and made her own dress before putting Joann’s dress back together. To my knowledge Joann never knew. Now I can’t do that with recipes literally, but I do do it in my mind while I’m reading the recipe(s) as if I’m eating a particularly tasty tidbit. Some days I feel like an archaeologist unearthing pieces to make a whole from.

This is one of our particularly favorites recipes from my archaeology days of recipe hunting. It’s also versatile in that you can easily change the sauce to whatever your tastebuds crave that day whether it’s one of the ones I have listed or one you make up to fit your family. Serve it with salad, in a pasta dish or even on a sandwich!

ALL DAY MEATBALLS
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
3/4 cup quick cooking oats
1/4 cup Panko read crumbs
1/2 cup WHOLE milk
1/4 cup powdered Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup garlic salt
FRESH ground tricolor pepper, to taste
1 small Vidalia onion, chopped fine
2 LARGE eggs

In a large bowl combine the quick cooking oats, milk, eggs, onion and garlic salt.
Crumble the beef over top and then mix in well.
Shape into 1-2 inch balls.
Place in slow cooker.
Pour sauce of choice over meatballs. If using my whiskey sour sauce, save sauce until serving.
Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until the meat is no longer pink.

CHERRY SAUCE
3 tablespoons QUALITY vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup tart cherry jam (or jam flavor of choice)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup jalapeno ketchup

Mix together the ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire, jam and brown sugar

NOTE: Cherry, raspberry and apricot pineapple jams work extremely well with this recipe.

WHISKEY SOUR JELLY SAUCE
3 limes, juiced (6 tablespoons)
2 lemons, juiced (6 tablespoons)
1 orange, sliced, rind removed, each slice quartered
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup bourbon
3 ounces liquid pectin (1/2 of a foil pouch)
1/4 cup maraschino cherries, quartered

In a heavy saucepan stir together the lime juice, lemon juice, sugar, water and bourbon.
Bring to a FULL rolling boil, boiling hard for a full minute, stirring constantly.
Quickly stir in pectin.
Return to boil, boiling hard for a full minute more, stirring constantly.
Fold in oranges slices and cherry pieces.
Pour over meatballs before serving.

NOTE – Make a LARGE batch of sauce and use it for pretty gifts. Add an orange slice and maraschino cherry before ladle into sterilized jars. Water bath to seal.

Author: QuiltLady