SONORAN CLAM CHOWDER

I LOVE clam chowder, but honestly, it does get a bit boring. Growing up in California it was almost always served in a bread bowl or at the very least with some crusty sourdough bread, which was always tasty, but once again it was never changing so could get boring!

When I found this recipe in my TASTE OF HOME magazine I was elated for a new take on it and it sounded absolutely delicious. I have made several changes to make it to our liking and reduced its size as they had it serving 10! Plus they used the pressure cooker and I just didn’t find it necessary as long as you time preparing the potatoes while you are preparing the rest of the chowder.

SONORAN CLAM CHOWDER
4 slices peppered bacon, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon WONDRA flour
1 LARGE shallot, diced
1 SMALL stalk celery, SMALL diced
1 SMALL red pepper, diced
2 ounces chopped green chiles, drained
2 cloves garlic, FINELY minced
2 cans (6 1/2 ounce) chopped clams, drained, juice reserved
3/4 pound YUKON gold potatoes, diced
1/2 cup homemade chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons KINDERS taco seasoning
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon chopped FRESH cilantro
Shredded cheddar cheese, for garnish

  • In a large sauce pan bring salted water to a boil.
  • Add potatoes, boiling until potatoes are JUST tender.
  • Drain.
  • In a stockpot melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium high heat.
  • Add bacon, rendering until crisp. Remove to paper toweling to drain with a slotted spoon.
  • Add remaining butter to pan.
  • Add celery and shallots, sautéing 3-5 minutes until soft.
  • Add flour, mixing well.
  • Add red pepper and chiles, cooking 3-5 minutes until peppers are tender.
  • Add garlic, cooking 1 minute longer until fragrant.
  • Add clam juice and chicken stock.
  • Stir in taco seasoning, cream, clams and half of the chopped cilantro, simmering 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until heated through and chowder has reached the desired consistency.
  • Serve topped with garnishes of choice such as bacon, chopped avocado, shredded cheese and cilantro…

SMOKEY BAKED BEANS

SMOKEY BAKED BEANS

1/2 pound bacon, diced
1 small Vidalia onion, diced
2 (22 ounce) cans Bush’s Bourbon Brown Sugar Grillin’ beans
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 ounce Bourbon or Whiskey (your choice)
1/4 cup Heinz Chili Sauce
1 teaspoon Hickory Liquid smoke

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • In a large skillet over medium heat render bacon until JUST crisp. Drain on paper toweling. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the drippings in the pan.
  • Add onion to bacon grease, cooking until softened. Drain well.
  • Whisk together the chili sauce, liquid smoke, whiskey or bourbon and brown sugar.
  • Fold in beans and the majority of the bacon pieces, saving a few for garnish.
  • Pour into Pampered Chef enameled cast iron baking dish.
  • Bake 30 minutes.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY with MENU PLANS & LINKS week 32 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

This past week was EXTREMELY pleasant and it looks like it will continue into this week – YAY for us here 😀 Afternoons have gotten quite warm and even a bit sticky a couple days, but all and all it has been very pleasant with a cool ocean breeze.

I’m going to be puttering around here all day so just have on some worn out Levis, a favorite old t-shirt and am barefoot. 😀

Well, we all know how this category goes for me – it’s quite boring! Hot water and Raspberry Lemonade yogurt for me.

As for how I’m feeling… mainly good, but a bit anxious by all that is going on in this world… Omicron variant COVID cases are on the rise here locally and I have a few friends who have been struck badly by it, multiple global tensions exacerbated by bad political decisions, prices and greed, lack of ethics, staffing issues, weird weather phenomena – excessive heat, floods, drought and strange storms, medical provider issues… etc … Why can’t we all just be kind to one another and look out for each other.

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS
  • LAUNDRY & CLEANING I was able to get all the laundry done on Saturday while I was making FRESH tomato sauce from some of the many tomatoes that are finally turning ripe. I had started the plants last winter in my indoor aero garden and while they are SUPER tasty, they are quite strange plants – very tight and compact in stature with super dark green leaves and you really have to hunt “inside” the plant for the ripe tomatoes. I used some homemade chicken bone broth I made last Friday as a base with the homegrown tomatoes so was quite happy the outcome.
  • GROCERIES & ERRANDS A couple of appointments in town this week on Tuesday and Thursday and will work in the groceries and errands into those days. Hubby and I are going to go to the county fair on Friday which is always fun in a rural area. I just love seeing the kids and their 4H animals. My new glasses should be in this week and I’m hoping to coordinate picking them up with the existing schedule.
  • PAPERWORK, PHONE CALLS & PROJECTS I FINALLY got some resolution on one of the long term issues that has been going on and was able to get 2 more appeals out that have been pending, I have yet another 2 more to get done this week. It’s so frustrating that those who should be in the “know” make you jump through hoops and red tape providing the same documentation over and over and over… to get to the obvious outcome when they already have the data they need in the file.
  • RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING I ordered a how to make your own plant based proteins cookbook this past week that I’m hoping to try out the last week of the month. I’m also looking to do a week of trying new recipes that I’ve found on my WHERE I LIKE TO PARTY journeys that will feature other blogs. I saw a similar style post over at Miz Helen’s Cottage.

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV
  • NETFLIX We watched The 2nd, NCIS season 2 and Recurrence
  • AMAZON PRIME We watched SHOCKWAVE Countdown to Disaster
  • PARAMOUNT + Hot in Cleaveland reruns
  • CABLE NASCAR, American NINJA Warrior, Svengoolie’s Devil’s Rain which had really BIG names in it, but a horrible plot – must have been from when they were still on salary and had to participate no matter what 😀

I haven’t been reading much, so am still reading last week’s book, Heather Webber’s, In The Middle of Hickory Lane and am going to savor it as she doesn’t publish as often as I’d like.

We took the back way home the other day. I’m still looking for that perfect picture of my favorite working barn. I’ll keep trying.

And I was really surprised to see the osprey in their nests this late in the year. It’s been a late blooming kind of year.

8/8 MONDAY
8/9 TUESDAY
8/10 WEDNESDAY
8/11 THURSDAY
8/12
FRIDAY
8/13 SATURDAY
8/14 SUNDAY
DINNER
PEPPER JELLY CHICKEN and ROASTED CAULIFLOWER STEAKS
BLOODY MARY POT ROAST and MASHED POTATOES & GREEN BEANS
TUNA CASSEROLE & TOMATO TART
CORN/YOYO CLEAN OUT REFRIGERATOR NIGHT or YOU’RE ON YOUR OWN
ORANGE PECAN CHICKEN, RICE PILAF & MUSHY PEAS
ULTIMATE CHICKEN  CASSEROLE & SALAD
CHICKEN COBB SALAD and TWISTY ROLLS
DESSERT
CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD

HOT HONEY BUTTER GLAZED PORK CHOPS

HOT HONEY BUTTER GLAZED PORK CHOPS
4 boneless, center cut pork chops, patted dry
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon avocado oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon beef base
1 tablespoon Frank’s original hot sauce
2 tablespoons water

  • Whisk together honey, hot sauce, bouillon base and 2 tablespoons hot water. Set aside.
  • Heat skillet and melt 1 tablespoon butter and avocado oil together.
  • Season both sides of the pork chops with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
  • Add chops to the hot skillet cooking 4-6 minutes on each side.
  • Add glaze, turning to coat chops all over, cooking 2 minutes more or until chops are cooked to your desired doneness.

SALSA VERDE CHICKEN – CROCK POT STYLE

SALSA VERDE CHICKEN – CROCK POT STYLE
1-1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, tenders or breasts
1 LARGE shallot, halved and sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 LARGE can diced green chiles, heat of choice, DRAINED
1 can ORIGINAL Rotel tomatoes DRAINED
1 can green chile verde sauce
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon Kinders or Pampered Chef taco seasoning

TOPPINGS
sliced avocado
sliced limes
sour cream
shredded cheese

  • Pour Green Chile Verde sauce and the Rotel tomatoes into bottom of slow cooker.
  • Season chicken pieces with taco seasoning, FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
  • Arrange chicken pieces on top of tomatoes in a single layer if possible.
  • Sprinkle shallot and garlic on top of chicken pieces.
  • Pour chopped green chiles on top.
  • Cook for 6 hours on low or 3 hours on high.
  • Shred chicken into sauce, stirring to blend and coat the chicken pieces well.
  • Serve with warm tortillas and toppings of choice.

NOTES:

  • Depending on which cut of meat you’re using cooking time may vary.
  • For a gluten free version serve in large lettuce leaves.

BLONDE BEEF STEW

BLONDE BEEF STEW

1 pound Stew Beef, cut into bite sized pieces
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
¼ cup WONDRA flour for dredging
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 leeks, thinly sliced
1 SMALL fennel bulb, medium diced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
½ cup white wine
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup parsnips, diced
1 cup turnips, diced
1 cup celery root, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
1 bunch FRESH thyme

  • Preheat oven to 300°.
  • Preheat butter and 1 tablespoon of oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.
  • Toss beef in seasoned flour.
  • Sear beef on all sides for 2 minutes per side, or until browned.
  • Remove beef from Dutch oven and set aside.
  • Add remaining oil, fennel, leeks and garlic to Dutch oven and sauté until slightly translucent, approximately 5 minutes.
  • Deglaze with white wine, simmering until reduced by half.
  • Add remaining ingredients and bring to a SLOW simmer.
  • Cover and place in oven for 2 hours or until beef is fork tender.
  • Once stew is finished cooking remove thyme sprigs and discard.

EVERYTHING BAGEL SEASONING

For years I’ve eaten EVERYTHING BAGEL spice from Trader Joes. But now there are no Trader Joes where I live and I need more! I always thought it was called EVERYTHING spice because it had a little of everything in it. I was SOOOOOO wrong. It is SOOOOOOOO simple with only 5 ingredients so why not make your own? And by the way, it’s called EVERYTHING spice because you can use it on everything 😀

The combination of toasted, salty savory flavors blend together so well that it seems like you’re truly getting EVERYTHING, but yet each bite is a slightly different flavor.

EVERYTHING SPICE

1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon dried garlic
1 tablespoon dried onion
2 teaspoons coarse salt

  • Grind together.
  • Store in a sealed container.

NOTE: Adjust amounts to your personal preferences.

STUFFED GREEN CHILE CHEESE CHICKEN

As everyone knows bacon is the duct tape of the culinary world or more commonly BACON MAKES EVERYTHING BETTER 😀

This recipe is super simple, yet extremely tasty! PERFECT for any night of the week. It is also grill friendly if you don’t want to heat up the kitchen, but I prefer the oven.

STUFFED GREEN CHILE CHEESE CHICKEN serves 6-8
8 slices bacon
4 LARGE chicken breasts
1 LARGE can WHOLE green chiles, rinsed and sliced open
FRESH ground black pepper
Garlic Salt
4 ounces COLD cream cheese, sliced into 8 pieces
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup BBQ sauce, optional

  • Preheat oven to 375°.
  • Line baking sheet with foil and top with roasting rack LIGHTLY sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Slice chicken breasts lengthwise so you have 8 thin steaks.
  • Season both sides of chicken steaks with garlic salt and FRESH ground black pepper.
  • Place cream cheese slices on top of chicken steaks.
  • Add a green chile on top of the cream cheese.
  • Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.
  • Roll each piece up TIGHTLY.
  • Wrap each piece with a bacon slice and secure with toothpicks.
  • Arrange chicken bundles in a single layer on roasting rack.
  • Bake 30-35 minutes.
  • Brush with BBQ sauce and bake another 5 minutes or until bacon is crisp and chicken is cooked through.

SUPER EASY SCALLOPED POTATOES or AU GRATIN with CHIVES

For years and years I was taught to make scalloped potatoes with even layers and a sprinkling here and a seasoning there… BUT, here is the easiest recipe for a scalloped, au gratin potato dish. 😀 The shallower the dish equals more golden gooey cheese 😀

SUPER EASY SCALLOPED POTATOES or AU GRATIN with CHIVES & FLAVOR serves 6-8
2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, washed and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon FRESH thyme
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup WHOLE milk
2 tablespoons WONDRA flour
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
2 cups QUALITY grated Gruyere cheese (I sometimes use Havarti)
1/4 cup FRESH chives, minced for garnish

  • Preheat oven to 400°.
  • Spray a 9×13 inch shallow baking dish with non stick spray.
  • In a large bowl whisk together the heavy cream, milk, flour, salt and pepper until well blended.
  • Fold in the potatoes, green onions, garlic, thyme and most of the chives until well mixed and coated.
  • Fold in 1/2 cup of the cheese.
  • POUR (here’s the easy part) the mixture into your baking dish.
  • Press the mixture down so that the potatoes are submerged in the liquid.
  • Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes.
  • Remove the foil and bake 20 minutes more.
  • Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake 5-7 minutes more until golden and bubbling.
  • Top with remaining chives and serve.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY week 31 of 2022 with RECIPE LINKS & MENU PLANS

 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 absolutely LOVE doing Happy Homemaker Monday so extensively so that it helps keep me on track and it summarizes the past week and lays out a fairly concise plan for me to follow this week.

Our heat has returned to a normal level of hot. I have to refrain from rolling my eyes and sighing every time someone complains about the heat and humidity here. Fortunately for me I’m from south east Texas and grew up in the desert of southern California so while it’s very warm here, it’s not going to be anywhere close to truly “humid” or anything close to “HOT” and is something that can be dealt with pretty easily by staying indoors as much as possible 😀 BUT that said, the winds shifted on Saturday and gave us an inversion layer of smoke that made it pretty muggy over the weekend, even for me. So, I spent a lot of time at the computer inputting recipes and getting pictures uploaded and posts scheduled for August. I’m actually going to be posting EVERY day in August which is a first in a long time for me. I’m hoping to do the same in September and October as I remake some recipe favorites to get better pictures. I need to spend some serious time in the winter then linking the recipes to the index.

Fortunately, we’re supposed to be in the mid-high 80’s this week with lows in the low 60’s, which is really tolerable.

I have a sundress, cute cover up and sandals on today as I’m heading to town to get my shopping done.

I’m going to have some yogurt and hot water before I go.

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS
  • LAUNDRY & CLEANING I got all the laundry done on Saturday when we stayed in because the muggy smokey weather was just plain yucky!
  • GROCERIES & ERRANDS I have a long list and hope to accomplish it all today 😀
  • PAPERWORK, PHONE CALLS & PROJECTS This is a never ending category. I swear EVERY time I get caught up with something two more things have taken its place 😀
  • RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING Our menu is made through the third week of August. I’m planning on sorting through older recipes on my food blog that need new pictures and work the menu around those through September. I KNOW A LOT of my early days of blogging had substandard pictures and I’m trying to update those as I can.

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV
  • NETFLIX We started watching a new series, Keep Breathing  and I started the new season of Virgin River. We’re just into season 2 of NCIS. We also watched Trading Paint with John Travolta and Shania Twain as well as Gray Man with Ryan Gosling was fun.
  • PARAMOUNT + We’re watching Hot in Cleaveland Reruns late at night.
  • CABLE NASCAR, COOKING SHOWS – FOOD TRUCK RACE, BEACH BRAWL, GUY’S GROCERY GAMES, SUPERMARKET STAKE OUT and BEAT BOBBY FLAY and a few CHRISTMAS in JULY HALLMARK MOVIES

I finally started Heather Webber’s In The Middle of Hickory Lane and am going to savor it.

Even here in our little small town burb we seem to encounter road work everywhere lately, even on the short cuts! LOL, the Pilot car took off and the sign still said STOP so he had to back up and remind her to turn the sign around so we could follow 😀 It was a slow go as the ENTIRE road from this point which is about 7/8 of the short cut route was complete gravel as they are literally redoing the ENTIRE road 😀

The fence post was the most exciting view I had while we waited for the sign to turn.

Callie is growing into THE cutest kitten! My friend who wants to adopt her has asked me to start calling her LuLu. 😀 and there was an AMAZING sunset on Wednesday night.
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
DINNER
CHICKEN ala ORANGE, RICE & VEGGIE
STEAK & TOMATO SALAD with CORN BREAD
CUBAN CHICKEN & RAMEN SALAD SLAW
C.O.R.N. CLEAN OUT REFRIGERATOR NIGHT
CHICKEN BLT PASTA SALAD, HONEY BEER BREAD
MEXICAN MEATLOAF & MARMALADE CARROTS
BALSAMIC CHICKEN PEACH SALAD
DESSERT
CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY BUNDT CAKE
CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD PUDDING

SHORT CUT APPLE PIE CUPCAKES

SHORT CUT APPLE PIE CUPCAKES

yields 24 cupcakes PREP 15 minutes COOK 15 minutes TOTAL 30 minutes

A fun and easy apple pie cupcake recipe made with a spicy cinnamon roll dough, spicy apples and a sweet crumble topping. Is there anything better than the sweet smell of an apple pie baking? I think not.

APPLE FILLING
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced in to 1/4-inch cubes
6 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons QUALITY ground cinnamon (I use red ape)
3/4 teaspoon FRESH ground nutmeg
SCANT 1 teaspoon salt
Juice from LARGE lemon

  • Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Add the diced apples and cook 5 minutes or so, tossing occasionally, until they start to soften.
  • Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and the salt.
  • Cook 5 more minutes, or until tender.
  • Stir in lemon juice.
  • Set aside.

CRUMBLE
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup WONDRA
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon QUALITY cinnamon
1 teaspoon FRESH grated nutmeg
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

  • Add the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and walnuts to a medium bowl.
  • Grate the butter with a cheese grater over the bowl.
  • With a pastry cutter work the butter in until crumbly.
  • Set aside.

CUPCAKES & ASSEMBLY
3 cans (8 count) refrigerated cinnamon roll dough (store bought or home made is up to you!)

  • Heat oven to 400°.
  • LIGHTLY spray muffin tins with cooking spray.
  • Separate cinnamon roll dough into 24 rolls.
  • Flatten each into 4-inch round then place into each muffin cup so it comes up the sides evenly.
  • Divide the cooled apple filling mixture evenly into muffin cups.
  • Top with the crumble topping.

  • Bake the cupcakes 15 minutes or until bubbly and tops are light brown.
  • Cool in the pan 5 minutes then transfer to a cooking rack.

TOPPING – your choice – store bought or home made is up to you!
Whipped cream
Ice cream
Caramel sauce drizzle

  • Serve the cupcakes with topping of choice.

COCONUT MACAROONS

Soft, chewy and yet crispy and golden. YUM!

COCONUT MACAROONS yields 2 dozen cookies

14 ounces sweetened Baker’s Angel Flake flaked coconut
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon PURE vanilla extract
2 LARGE eggs whites
¼ teaspoon salt
4 ounces QUALITY (GHIRADELLI) semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

  • Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  • Arrange oven racks near the center of the oven.
  • Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats.
  • In a medium bowl, mix together the coconut, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract. Set aside.
  • Beat the egg whites and salt until stiff peaks form.
  • Use a large rubber spatula to fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.
  • Using a mini ice cream scoop or gloved hands sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, form heaping tablespoons of the mixture into mounds on the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart.
  • Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back, until the tops and edges are ALL golden.
  • Let cool on the pans for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl at medium power, stopping and stirring at 30 second intervals, until just smooth and creamy or melt the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water.)
  • Dip the bottoms of the macaroons in the chocolate, letting any excess drip back into the bowl, and return to the lined baking sheets. Place the macaroons in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to allow the chocolate to set.

NOTES:

  • A drop or two of food coloring can make these festive for any special occasion – red for Valentine’s Day, green for St. Patrick’s Day, pink or blue for a baby shower, etc…
  • The cookies keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for about a week or they can be frozen for up to 3 months.
  • If freezing, DO NOT DIP in the chocolate until you thaw them out. Remove the cookies from the freezer and let them come to room temperature before dipping in chocolate or serving.