Category: MISC

CABIN FEVER & DOG LOGIC

The cabin fever was getting the best of me today so I cleaned.  Normally cleaning wouldn’t rate a blog post, but today I had to share

only to have this happen

it’s still under freezing here, but the sky has been amazing

WEEKLY MENU

Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie


 DATE BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER
MONDAY 12/9 YOGURT SANDWICHES ITALIAN GARLIC SUPREME
TUESDAY 12/10 TOAST C.O.R.N. CHICKEN PASTA in GARLIC CREAM SAUCE with SUN-DRIED TOMATOES
WEDNESDAY 12/11 YOGURT SOUP GRILLED PORK CHOPS with RASPBERRY BBQ SAUCE
THURSDAY 12/12 FRUIT CHEESE & FRUIT MEXICAN COBB SALAD 
FRIDAY 12/13 CEREAL SALAD C.O.R.N
SATURDAY 12/14 BACON & EGG SANDWICHES
 OUT
CROQUE MADAME
SUNDAY 12/15 OUT C.O.R.N PORK CHOPS and SCALLOPED POTATOES

THE ICE WON!

Life has been crazy.  I know, I know it’s the holiday season and we’re all busy.  BUT, the storm that hit yesterday really made me take stock since hubby is home fresh from the hospital recuperating from foot surgery and ACTUALLY NEEDS a nurse so I’ve been sticking close to home and reevaluating my TO DO lists.  There was a craft fair I wanted to go to at the local fairgrounds though and I thought I’d give it a couple hours.
I got him all settled with plenty of snacks, a phone, etc… and decided to head out.  After all, the storm was over and the sun was HUGE in the sky and bright.  That was the good news and the bad!  The sun was melting the snow, but the temperature was only beginning its climb to 25 which was short lived to begin with and felt like 10 with the wind chill so the slush was fleeting as it became ice.
I thought the freeway would be better since they had supposedly cleared it for the truckers, but that was a bust too. I got off on the first off ramp and headed back home which I know was the right choice since I encountered a broken down snow plow, 2 vehicles in ditches and several others who had NO idea to drive on the ice and were in the wrong vehicles, or at least the wrong tires to do so.
I did however get a great picture of the duck pond behind my house and it’s one of my favorite shots of the season.  There are still several ducks in it despite the fact that the ice and snow are winning the war on covering the surface.

WEEKLY MENU

Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie


 DATE BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER
MONDAY 12/2 YOGURT SANDWICHES POT PIES
TUESDAY 12/3 TOAST C.O.R.N. PAN FRIED RED SNAPPER WITH WHITE WINE LEMON BUTTER SAUCE
WEDNESDAY 12/4 YOGURT SOUP MANDARIN CHICKEN and NOODLES
THURSDAY 12/5 FRUIT CHEESE & FRUIT ASIAGO GARLIC MUSHROOM RAVIOLI
FRIDAY 12/6 CEREAL SALAD C.O.R.N.
SATURDAY 12/7 BACON & EGGS
 OUT SPINACH STUFFED MANICOTTI
SUNDAY 12/8 BISCUITS & GRAVY C.O.R.N BEEF TENDERLOIN

PINEAPPLE PIGGY PIE & ROASTED SPICED CARROTS

It seems like a million years since I’ve done any serious blogging.  I’m still here and life is starting to settle down (we hope) and I’m anxious to get back to some DIY projects, fun recipes and adventures. At least that’s the plan after the holidays.
I’ve got a back load of recipes and pictures to post, but there will always be tomorrow for the rest of them.  Tonight I’ll start with a hubby favorite.
While this is not much to look at, the combination of the two recipes are SERIOUSLY PACKED WITH A FLAVOR PUNCH.  We LOVE this recipe and LOVE having the leftovers to eat.
The original recipe for the now known as Pineapple Piggy Pie was called Ham Stacks and called for sweet potatoes and marshmallows.  Hubs hates sweet potatoes so I converted the recipe to mashed Yukon golds.  It also called for individual stacks on pineapple rings, but I also converted it to a casserole for ease – not to mention it’s more “man” friendly than the little stacks.

PINEAPPLE PIGGY PIE & ROASTED SPICED CARROTS
PINEAPPLE PIGGY PIE
1 pound ground ham
1 pound ground pork (I used Jimmy Dean Organic sausage)
1 cup crushed corn flakes
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup whole milk
2 cups mashed potatoes
1 large can crushed pineapple, drained VERY well

  • Preheat oven to 350˚.
  • Combine ham, pork, eggs, corn flakes, milk and pepper until well mixed.
  • Spray the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
  • Layer the pineapple on the bottom.
  • Top with Meat mixture.
  • Top with mashed potatoes.
  • Bake for 1 hour.

ROASTED SPICED CARROTS
1 pound baby carrots
2 tablespoons Avocado oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup golden raisins
Juice of 1 lemon

  • Cut carrots in half and then cut in half again.
  • Toss carrots with oil, garlic, sugar, cumin, sea salt and cinnamon.
  • Roast 20 minutes or until fork tender.
  • Remove from oven.
  • Toss with raisins and lemon juice.

WEEKLY MENU

Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie


 DATE BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER
MONDAY 11/25 YOGURT SANDWICHES TACO RING
TUESDAY 11/26 TOAST C.O.R.N. SHRIMP SCAMPI
WEDNESDAY 11/27 YOGURT SOUP OUT
THURSDAY 11/28
CARROT CAKE PANCAKES with CREAM CHEESE SYRUP 		CHEESE & FRUIT
TURKEY & OATNUT SOURDOUGH HERB DRESSING		 PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE
FRIDAY 11/29 CEREAL SALAD C.O.R.N
SATURDAY 11/30 BREAKFAST CASSEROLE OUT C.O.R.N.
SUNDAY 12/1
BREAKFAST CASSEROLE		 C.O.R.N MONTE’ CRISTO

BAKING PARTNERS #15 – PATAQUETA

Pataqueta. Valencia’ Orchard traditional bread November Baking Partners challenge
Dear Baking Partners here is this month challenge, and we are going to make traditional Spanish bread. Since Thanksgiving is coming in this month we can use this bread for our dinner tables too. Marisa (Thermofan) suggested the recipe. You can also make this bread using whole wheat flour. I have included few more shapes to make this bread. Make sure you make few of traditional versions and with the rest of dough you can make few other shapes too if you are interested.








According to Marisa words,
I’m glad to present this traditional bread from Valencia, known at least since the Seventeenth Century. The Pataqueta, diminutive for “pataca” has the shape of a crescent Moon. This is the bread the inhabitants of the Valencia’s Orchard used to eat when they went to work. It was firstly baked in the Moorish oven they have in their Barraca and then in wood stoves.
Nowadays, it is not frequently baked and people book it in advance to get one. “Pataquetas” are usually baked for our main important festival, “Fallas”. Most of Valencia’s bakers are asked to bake “pataquetas” every year in March.
As a member of Baking partners, I asked Swathi Iyer to collaborate with a recipe from my country. My idea is to spread the word and make known this original and unknown bread. Swathi agreed and I think she is as enthusiastic as me. I hope that everyone who bakes “pataqueta” enjoys it as much as me and what is the most important for me, is to RESPECT the origin of the bread and its shape when publishing it.
The recipe is adapted from here “Entre cacerolas”. This bread has a soft crumb, a firm crust and its taste is the taste of ancient bread.
Ingredients
For the ferment
You will need
100 ml water
50 g /1/3 cup white flour ( Use allpurpose flour/Maida)
12.5 g fresh yeast/5g or1 ½ tsp Instant yeast/6.25g or 2tsp active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Bread dough
You will need
450 g/3 cup strong bread flour (substitute with all purpose flour/Maida)
200 ml tepid water
10 g/1 ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
all the ferment
a little flour for dusting the work surface and the bread.
Directions
Ferment
Stir the yeast into the water in your mixing bowl, then add the flour and sugar and mix well. Cover with plastic film.
Put into the fridge overnight or up to 48 hours. *
Bread dough
– Keeping the ferment in its bowl, add the rest of the ingredients except the salt, and mix together with your scraper.
– When everything starts to come together into dough, turn it out onto your work surface (don’t flour it first).
– Start to work the dough for about 10 minutes, then add the salt and continue kneading until smooth and elastic. In this process, I’ve used my bread machine.( You can also knead by hand or use stand mixer)



Divide dough into 150 g pieces and then form the dough into small balls, cover with a baking cloth and leave to rest for 20 minutes or until them double in size.

–




Flatten with the palm of the hand, putting more pressure on the edges of the dough to get a rounded shape.
– Then with a sharp knife or baker scraper make a cut in and cut open from the outside. Flatten the ball and mark the cut above.

– Place them on a baking tray and cover them again with a kitchen cloth dusted with flower.

– Leave to rest until them double in size, for about 1 hour.







– Preheat the oven to 200º C / 392 F.–
Make two cuts on the bottom before baking.
– Sprinkle a little fine flour using a sieve or strainer.









– Bake with steam, 30 minutes at 200 °C / 392 F.
– Cool on a wire rack.
Tips:
*Following Richard Bertinet advices, it is preferable to introduce the ferment in the fridge than leaving it at room temperature: “the slower the maturation the better developed the flavor and characteristic crumb and crust of the bread”.
– The amount of flour can vary depending on the type of flour that we use. The dough should not be soft.
– My pataquetas are of medium size. It can be made smaller or larger.
– Pataquetas can also be frozen.
– I’ve used my bread machine, but I’m willing to find time to experiment with the traditional method inspired in Richard Bertinet tips on how to work the dough.
Videos
Shaping my pataqueta
Professional shaping. Start from minute 4. (in Spanish)

For making other roll shapes please check here
Pretzel sandwich rolls
Hoagie roll shapes

http://www.asweetpeachef.com/bread/hoagie-rolls/

WEEKLY MENU

Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie


 DATE BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER
MONDAY 11/18 YOGURT SANDWICHES
PASTRAMI BURGERS 
TUESDAY 11/19 TOAST C.O.R.N. STUFFED PEPPERS 
WEDNESDAY 11/20 YOGURT SOUP CARIBBEAN PORK CHOPS
THURSDAY 11/21 FRUIT CHEESE & FRUIT CRAB LOUIE WITH OOMPH
FRIDAY 11/22 CEREAL SALAD C.O.R.N
SATURDAY 11/23 QUICHE LORRAINE OUT
DANISH CUBE STEAKS
SUNDAY 11/24 BUTTERMILK WAFFLES C.O.R.N TOASTED ONION SALISBURY STEAK SLIDERS

MISSISSIPPI POT ROAST

This recipe is floating all over Pinterest and always looks so good I finally had to try it. I wasn’t disappointed. It’s FANTASTIC!  At the end of the cooking time you have a melt in your mouth roast and gravy too!
Mississippi Pot RoastMISSISSIPPI POT ROAST
3 pound chuck roast
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix (dry)
1 packet Au Jus mix
6 pepperocini peppers
1 stick butter, sliced into slivers
1 large onion, cut into slivers
1 stalk celery, sliced
2 cups baby carrots, halved
2 large Yukon potatoes, chunked
  • Layer the celery, onions and carrots in a 6 quart slow cooker.
  • Top with roast.
  • Sprinkle the dry mixes over the roast.
  • Top with peppers and then butter slices.
  • Cook on low 8 hours.

PARMESAN MUSHROOM CHICKEN

PARMESAN MUSHROOM CHICKEN

4 thin skinless, boneless chicken steaks

seasoned flour (I use Wondra with salt & pepper)

1/4 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup white wine

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup Asiago Parmesan

  • Combine WONDRA flour with salt and pepper – mix well.
  • Dip chicken in the buttermilk and then dredge in the flour mixture.
  • Heat butter and saute’ chicken until golden.  Remove from skillet and keep warm.
  • Add olive oil.
  • When oil and butter are well mixed and heated through add mushrooms, thyme and garlic sauteing until golden.
  • Add wine to deglaze pan being sure to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan.
  • Slowly add the heavy cream, stirring constantly until well blended.
  • Add Parmesan cheese, stirring until melted.
  • Plate chicken, serving with rice pilaf or mashed potatoes and top with mushroom sauce.

LEMON DOODLES

When I try a new recipe for the first time I make it EXACTLY as it is written.  Sometimes that makes for some seriously bad recipes.  The beauty of a cookie recipe is that you can make just a few to try them and then add to the recipe to change it, which is exactly what I had to do with these cookies.

LEMON DOODLES

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup flaked coconut

1 cup LAND O LAKES butter, softened

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

*1 tablespoon lemon emulsion

*cinnamon sugar

  • Preheat oven to 400°.
  • In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients, beating at low speed and scraping bowl often until well mixed.
  • Drop rounded teaspoons of dough 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
  • Bake 7-10 minutes or until edges are golden.
  • Remove immediately.
  • Cool completely.
*Now these were a bit lacking in flavor for us.  So I added a tablespoon of lemon emulsion.  They were a bit better, but still needed something so I then thought about the name and thought about Snickerdoodles and decided to roll them in cinnamon sugar and now we have a cookie!

SLOW COOKER BLACK BEAN CHILI

SLOW COOKER BLACK BEAN CHILI

1 pound chuck steak, cut into 3/4 inch chunks**

15 ounce can tomato puree

15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons chili powder

1 KNORR beef tub

2 cups hot water

medium red onion, chopped (reserve some for garnish)

1 bunch green onions, sliced (reserve some for garnish)

sour cream

grated cheese

  • Combine hot water and KNORR beef tub until well blended.  Pour into slow cooker.
  • Add tomato puree, chili powder, garlic, salt and pepper to taste, blending well.
  • Add beef pieces, red onion and green onion.
  • Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.
  • Top with sour cream, grated cheese and onions for garnish.
  • I served them over grilled hot dogs for hubby and Monday night football.

**We had grilled rib eyes the night before and I got a great price on buying the family pack so we grilled them all and then I cut the remains into 3/4 inch chunks for the chili.  I have to say the charring added some great flavor.