Category: MISC

Slow Cooking Thursday ~ Hungarian Goulash

Go see what’s cooking at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom where Slow Cooking Thursday is hosted by Sandra

HUNGARIAN GOULASH Serves 4-6
2 pounds chuck steak or roast, cut into bite size pieces*
1 small Vidalia onion, diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
1/2 teaspoon each sea salt and white pepper
1 heaping tablespoon sweet paprika
1/3 cup flour
1 can plain diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup sour cream
2 cups dry egg noodles

  • Spray sides of 3 quart slow cooker with PURE.
  • Pour 1/2 of the tomatoes into the slow cooker.
  • Add the onions and garlic.
  • In a bag combine the flour, paprika, salt and pepper.
  • Coat beef pieces well, using all of the mixture by patting into the beef pieces.
  • Add to slow cooker.
  • Pour remaining tomatoes over top.
  • Cover and cook on low 8 hours until meat is tender.
  • Just before serving, add the sour cream and heat through.
  • Serve over prepared egg noodles.

*Don’t cut the fat off. It’s that fat that helps make the meat tender. And you do need a little in your diet.

Normally the meat, onion and garlic would have been sauteed in an oil or butter and you would have spent time at the stove doing that. Now we have eliminated the time and the fat. It is still just as tasty too! So, in our opinion the 1st rework recipe is a total success!

I also participate in the memes: Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie, Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy, Freezer Food Friday hosted by MJ at mjpuzzlemom, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks, Homemaker Mondays hosted by Robyn at 11th Heaven’s Homemaking Haven, Making a Happy Home Monday hosted by LL at As for me and my house…, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday hosted by Lisa at Blessed with Grace, Slow Cooking Thursday & Tips on Tuesday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom, $5 Dinners is hosted by Erin at $5 DInners and Tempt my Tummy Tuesday hosted by Lisa at Blessed with Grace. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding so new recipes!

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Cooking Thoughts and goals

Along with my list of goals that I posted last week is my desire to rework some older recipes so that they fit into my current health issues as well as an ease of preparation. I would also like to broaden my horizons. I’m a creature of habit no matter how much I experiment. I tend to gravitate back to the same ingredients time after time. So instead of changing those ingredients, I’d like to expand that list of ingredients!

I have been doing Slow Cooking Thursday, hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for quite some time now, but missed a few last year for lack of ideas. So on my list of goals is to rework some of my older recipes into Slow Cooker recipes and not miss any Thursdays this year. I’m spending a bit of time each week reworking a few recipes each week and then hubby has agreed to be my taste tester a few nights a week during the following month to decide if they taste okay slow cooked instead of the traditional methods of cooking that particular recipe. I think we’ll find that they are easier, have less fat and are even more flavorful with the extended cooking time.

Coming soon from the recipes I have already reworked will be an array of beef, pork and chicken recipes like Hungarian Goulash, Linguine & Chicken, Chicken in Italian Cream, Cherry Pork Chops & Potatoes, Sweet & Sour Beef, Hawaiian Roast Beef, Beer Braised Beef Stew, Ranch Chicken in Cream Gravy and Baked Potato Soup.

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The Someday Syndrome

Have you ever heard of the Someday Syndrome? Alex Fayle has a blog by this name and refers to it as the “somedays” that hold us back from living our best life. I’ve been feeling a bit lost lately with all there is to do. I ran across this post over at I’m an Organizing Junkie and was immediately aware that I’m not alone feeling this way. I’m just beginning to explore the Someday Syndrome, but am hoping to cure my blase’ feeling soon.

The someday syndromes are:


Someday My Ship Will Come In

Waiting for, instead of pursuing, your dreams. I know I should be more ardent in the search of my dreams, but everyday life takes precedence way too often lately and I hope to find a way to spend more time actively pursuing my dreams while better managing everyday life.

I’ll Get Around To It Someday

Wasting your life with navel-gazing and other procrastination games. Now I don’t procrastinate. My problem is being over extended and needing 48 hour days. So I need to eliminate some of that over extension.

I Might Need It Someday

Filling your life with stuff instead of achievements. This I am guilty of. I hate to throw out or even donate something I may ever need. I’m not a pack rat, but I do selectively keep things I should probably eliminate. A goal to work on this year!

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Homemaker Monday & Tempt My Tummy Tuesday~Caramel Nut Stuffed French Toast

Homemaker Mondays is hosted by Jen at 11th Heaven’s Homemaking Haven Making a Happy Home Monday is hosted by LL at As for me and my house… and Tempt my Tummy Tuesday hosted by Lisa at Blessed with Grace

CARAMEL NUT FRENCH TOAST
3/4 cup packed brown sugar + 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup maple sugar
1/2 cup butter + enough to butter the bread
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon instant coffee , ground extra fine
1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans, divided in half
16 slices thick French bread
6 large eggs
2 teaspoons PURE vanilla extract
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
OPTIONAL: 4 ounces cream cheese, cold

  • Spray a 9×13 baking dish with PURE.
  • In a saucepan melt the 1/2 cup butter and maple syrup.
  • Add the 3/4 cup brown sugar, maple sugar and ground instant coffee.
  • Cook over medium heat until the sugars are dissolved and the mixture is a smooth consistency.
  • Pour into the baking dish and sprinkle with half of the nuts.
  • Lightly butter the bread slices with a very thin layer of butter.
  • Top with half of the bread slices* butter side up, cutting as necessary to fit accordingly.
  • If using the cream cheese, slice it thin and layer over the bread slices.
  • Sprinkle with the remaining brown sugar and nuts.
  • Layer the remaining bread slices* over nut layer, butter side down.
  • In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, vanilla, milk, whipping cream and sugar.
  • Pour over top of the bread, pressing down as necessary so bread abrobs the egg mixture.
  • Refrigerate overnight.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Bake uncovered 40 minutes until golden in color and slightly puffy.
  • Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
  • Invert each piece onto a plate so caramel goo drizzles over sides. Be sure and scoop out a little extra goo from the bottom of the pan to drizzle over top of each piece For a group brunch invert the entire pan at once onto a serving platter.

*By lining up the bread pieces identically on each layer, you end up with easier to cut pieces and prettier looking pieces when served individually.

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Menu Plan Monday

Weekday breakfasts are always either toast, scrambled eggs or cereal so I don’t post those. Working from home, lunch is “whatever” so it isn’t definitive either, but weekends are usually a brunch and I will start posting those along with the dinners.

Monday ~ Country Chicken & Rice
Tuesday ~ Mexican Baja Casserole
Wednesday ~ Meatloaf Muffins & Cheesey AuGratin Potatoes
Thursday ~ Chicken Marsala
Friday ~ Stuffed Shells
Saturday ~ Oven Poached Eggs / Hot Wings & Bleu Cheese Dressing
Sunday ~ Caramel Nut Stuffed French Toast / Glazed Stuffed Pork Chops & Cranberry Rice Pilaf
Don’t forget to come back and join us for Simply Delicious Sunday!

I participate in the memes: Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie, Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy, Freezer Food Friday hosted by MJ at mjpuzzlemom, Homemaker Mondays hosted by Robyn at 11th Heaven’s Homemaking Haven, Making a Happy Home Monday hosted by LL at As for me and my house…, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday hosted by Lisa at Blessed with Grace, Slow Cooking Thursday & Tips on Tuesday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom, $5 Dinners is hosted by Erin at $5 DInners and Tempt my Tummy Tuesday hosted by Lisa at Blessed with Grace. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding so new recipes!

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The Simple Woman's Daybook

If you want to join in, just go visit Peggy over at The Simple Woman, read the guidelines here and then add your name to Mr. Linky. So many other participants share their day, I’m sure you’ll enjoy looking through them!
Monday #1/2009, January 5th
Outside my Window… The clouds full of snow are looming low and are much grayer than normal making it look so much earlier than it is.
I am thinking… that I need to seriously concentrate on MY quality time with myself and accomplishing a specific goal each week as well as some of my UFOs (Unfinished Fabric Objects) to ease my sense of overwhelming.
From the learning rooms…nothing this week.
I am thankful for…my husband’s volunteer work issue being sorted out last week, FINALLY!! They were taking advantage of him and he finally realized it. One of those guy things, he needed to figure it out for himself. Also that Eric will be home for a few days. He and his dad will have some ‘guy’ time together.
From the kitchen…For breakfast maple and brown sugar oatmeal with golden raisins and coffee for me, lunch will be out after bowling league and dinner will be Country Chicken & Rice.
I am wearing…my favorite Levi’s and my West Yellowstone, Embalmer’s Beer T-shirt.
I am reading…Suddenly by Barbara Delinsky
I am hoping…to finish organizing the front coat closet as well as the closet where we store the holiday decorations and the basement this week.
I am creating…a mess while I reorganize the quilting supplies trying to simplify the studio.
I am hearing…the last few percolations from the coffee pot YAY!! I need coffee!!
Around the house… A house to be cleaned, a ceiling to be repaired from the shower leak and lots of trim molding and painting.

One of my favorite things…Is my quiet morning time with just my thoughts.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week… With Eric home, the plans are up in the air and going to be spontaneous, but I do plan to finish a few recipes and maybe a quilt.
Here is the picture thought I am sharing with you…


I guess we are no where near Spring yet.
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Simply Delicious Sunday [1] ~ Homemade Green Bean Casserole

Today begins Simply Delicious Sunday. Won’t you join us?

One of the reasons I began this meme was to show that we can eat deliciously while still eating simply. By simply I mean without the aid of processed foods (not that it is a requirement for this meme ~ just my personal choice). Due to my illness I am supposed to avoid processed foods like they are the plague so I go out of my way to re-invent everyday, taken for granted recipes originally produced by the processed foods companies so that you buy their products and re-create them using everyday, simple, found in your pantry or generic house brand ingredients. One of the side benefits to eating healthier without the all the preservatives is that we also save money. For example the green beans in this recipe cost me $2.34 whereas the canned beans would have been $3.78. The whipping cream was on sale for $1.77 but the normally used condensed soup would have cost $2.78.

I look forward to seeing your home style recipes! Don’t forget to link your specific recipe post link on Mr. Linky so we can see what’s cooking at your house! Be sure to put the title of your recipe in parenthesis! It makes it so much easier for everyone to search for recipes.

HOME MADE GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

While this is a family favorite and tradition, I try to make it healthy and with more flavor. This recipe is great to make ahead and freeze so that I’m not having tons of dirty bowls and measuring cups to wash on the “ACTUAL” day.

2 pounds fresh green beans ~ washed, trimmed and cut into pieces
1 box sliced fresh mushrooms ~ minced
1 LARGE bunch green onions ~ sliced thin
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 slices sourdough bread
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 large can French’s Cheddar Cheese Fried Onion Rings

  • Tear sourdough into chunks.
  • In food chopper coarsely grind sourdough bread pieces and the 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
  • Combine with French’s onion rings in a freezer Ziploc.
  • In a medium skillet, melt the 3 tablespoons of butter.
  • Add onions and mushrooms and saute for about 5 minutes or liquid has evaporated.
  • Add garlic, thyme, sea salt and cook until fragrance is released.
  • Sprinkle flour evenly over the tops and mix in until golden.
  • Slowly whisk in broth and cream and bring to a slow boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent burning until sauce is thickened.
  • Let cool.
  • Toss green beans with with cornstarch.
  • Pour into a large baking dish, 9×13 or so.
  • Pour the sauce evenly over top of green beans.
  • When they have cooled, top with plastic wrap and then foil.
  • Freeze.
  • When ready to cook, remove plastic wrap and recover with foil.
  • Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour 15 minutes* or sauce is bubbling.
  • Stir again.
  • Add topping.
  • Bake until golden, about 10 minutes.

*Stir beans and sauce together about half way.

I also participate in the memes: Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie, Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy, Freezer Food Friday hosted by MJ at mjpuzzlemom, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks, Homemaker Mondays hosted by Robyn at 11th Heaven’s Homemaking Haven, Making a Happy Home Monday hosted by LL at As for me and my house…, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday hosted by Lisa at Blessed with Grace, Slow Cooking Thursday & Tips on Tuesday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom, $5 Dinners is hosted by Erin at $5 DInners and Tempt my Tummy Tuesday hosted by Lisa at Blessed with Grace. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding so new recipes!

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Virgo: 2009 Yearly Overview

When I signed into email tonight this page came up and though I don’t normally put much stock in these things, but I liked what this said so have opted to adopt the positive thoughts as my own since they mirrored so much of what I have been feeling.

“Wonderful things are in store for you this year, Virgo! You’re experiencing tremendous feelings of rebirth and, as you release old ways of expressing yourself, you’ll find yourself walking into all kinds of new experiences. Virgo loves to make sure everything is clear, concise and methodical, and this will help make it easy for you to graciously receive and beautifully adapt to the growth you are experiencing. You’ll feel very peaceful with the changes happening both inside and outside of you, and you welcome the opportunity to express the new knowledge you gain.

There’s a renaissance going on within you that seems to have been asleep for sometime now. You discover where the doorway is and are ready to consciously find new meaning in your life, and to manifest who you are in your own way. Mentally, culturally, instinctually and spiritually, you’ll be going through incredible transformation this year. Your fresh take on life will give you the ability to manifest a new reality. You take a big leap forward as you share these changes with others.

A re-emergence of your inventive and creative self will give you new ways of taking action and bringing your talents into the world. You will feel secure, safe and centered, which allows you to achieve anything you want in your life. You will feel more spiritually balanced in 2009 than ever before.”

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