BEEF (PRIME RIB) BARLEY SOUP

Snowy and cold this winter? It is here! Warm up with a hearty bowl of this beef barley soup using your leftover Christmas prime rib. These tender bits of prime rib with the hearty barley, pair perfectly with a traditional mirepoix of vegetables for one SUPER delicious bowl of soup. If you don’t have any left over prime rib, it’s just as good substituting steak tips, stew meat or even browned ground beef!

I made up this recipe when I got my Christmas wish and we got snow for Christmas (and then some). I was originally going to try and do some after Christmas shopping, but decided to make soup instead. We did splurge on our traditional prime rib for Christmas day and the butcher did cut it much smaller for me and yet we still had leftovers! And even more leftovers. So at the price of beef this year I am determined to find multiple ways to use every piece with no waste.

The butcher always cuts the bones off for me and then ties them back on so I save the bones for soup later in the spring, but this year I’m even adding the fat pieces to the bone bag to be boiled down for some tasty broth 😀

BEEF (PRIME RIB) BARLEY SOUP

Prep Time 15-20 minutes    Cook Time 1 hour    Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

1/2 stick salted butter
1 cup diced celery
2 cups diced carrots
1 cup diced red onion or shallot
1 LARGE clove garlic, minced
4-6 cups homemade beef broth (depending on your desired thickness)
4 cups SMALL chopped prime rib
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Bragg’s liquid aminos
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1 cup barley

  • Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
  • Add the celery, carrots, and onion, cooking 5-6 minutes, until softened and starting to brown.
  • Add in garlic and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  • Add in beef broth, prime rib, Worcestershire sauce, liquid aminos and barley.
  • Simmer 45 minutes or so over medium heat until the barley is tender.
  • Adjust seasoning to taste.
  • Serve with some nice sourdough or crusty bread.

BAKED BEAN DIP

One of the things I have realized lately that is I have become TOO precise in my blogging. Some days it just seems to be a struggle to get the words out so I write my recipe precisely and get it posted without the commentary. Well, that needs to end. Not only do I need to add more commentary to the recipe, I need to get back to regular blogging.

I LOVE cooking and only post those recipes that are successful so I need to use more words and tell you WHY we love the recipe and WHY it works and WHY I use certain flavor combos and cooking dishes. I promise to try and get better starting with this recipe.

It’s fall y’all and tailgating season for NFL and NASCAR on top of that was what I wanted to be able to and intended to write, but time got the best of me and now we’re having it as an appetizer for New Year’s Eve 🙂

Who couldn’t resist this warm to the touch AND the taste buds creamy, cheesy, mouth watering re-fried bean dip???? It is so easy to make AND ALWAYS a crowd favorite, even if that crowd is just the two of us,  when you add your favorite tortilla chips and garnishes for that extra crunch.

BAKED BEAN DIP

16 ounce can of FULL FAT re-fried beans
1/2 cup Mexican sour cream
4 ounce can diced mild green chiles, drained WELL
1/4 cup of your favorite salsa
1-2 tablespoons Pampered Chef Tex Mex seasoning
FRESH ground sea alt and black pepper, to taste
2 cups shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese, divided

GARNISHES
1 small bunch green onions, sliced thin
chopped cilantro,
copped avocado,
sliced jalapeños
chopped grape tomatoes
chopped olives
a dollop or two of sour cream
sliced limes
Cotija cheese sprinklings
Tortilla chips, for serving

  • Preheat oven to 375°.
  • In a large bowl, combine the re-fried beans, sour cream, salsa, seasoning, salt and pepper.
  • Stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheese.

  • Spread the bean mixture into a 2-quart baking dish (8×8). Personally I like a nice enameled cast iron to retain the heat, but also make it easy to clean.
  • Top with the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese.
  • Bake 20-30 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven.
  • Top with garnishes of choices
  • Serve warm with tortilla chips.



NOTE:

  • You CAN use low fat ingredients, but I truly believe the flavor suffers if you do! You can also substitute the sour cream with Greek yogurt, but again I feel that the FULL fat sour cream works best.
  • You can also add a protein if you want to load it up

ALTERNATIVE SEASONING BLEND
1-2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon smokey paprika

SHORTBREAD TOFFEE

SHORTBREAD TOFFEE

Buttery almond shortbread with a layer of gooey caramel and a thick layer of chocolate – who could say no to a piece?

1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup finely chopped, toasted slivered almonds
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sea salt, divided
2 Giant Hershey Bars
3/4 cup chopped honey roasted peanuts
1/3 cup chopped almonds, pecans or pistachios
2/3 cup broken stick pretzels

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang all long sides.
  • Lightly grease foil.

  • Beat powdered sugar and 3/4 cup butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Reduce mixer speed to low and add almonds, flour, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt just until combined.
  • Press on bottom of prepared pan.
  • Bake until golden brown, 25 to 28 minutes.
  • Cool on a wire rack 30 minutes or so.
  • Melt chocolate in microwave for 1 minute, stir and melt 10 more seconds at a time until smooth.
  • Immediately spread chocolate on top of the shortbread layer and spread even with an offset spatula.
  • Immediately sprinkle with nuts and pretzels, pressing down slightly.
  • Cool in fridge 15 minutes.
  • Slice and serve.

Turkey Tetrazzini ~ Memories past

This recipe was originally posted in January of 2010. BUT, it needed a MAJOR picture overhaul!! I’ve also made a few updates over the years to make the recipe more “scratch made”.
When I was a kid and just starting to do the majority of the family cooking we had a set group of recipes that were the “weeknight” recipes. One of those recipes that was especially popular during the holidays was Turkey Tetrazzini. We also substituted ham and chicken for the turkey throughout the rest of the year.

Back then I prepared the recipes exactly as they were written and they were okay, but the Tetrazzini recipe used ALL Velveeta and canned mushrooms and stuff I wouldn’t think of putting into my body now so it was my goal to create the same recipe in a more health oriented way, but still easy for a weeknight meal.

TURKEY TETRAZZINI
2 tablespoons butter
1 LARGE bunch green onions OR 1 LARGE shallot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped small
8 ounces spaghetti or linguine, broken in half and cooked al dente
FRESH ground sea salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded turkey pieces**
1 can cream of celery soup (see soup substitutes)
1 cup WHOLE milk
1 cup grated mild cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Melt butter in a skillet.
  • Saute onions and celery just until tender.
  • Add soup and milk, stirring to blend. Cook just until thick.
  • Add cheddar cheese.
  • Add salt and pepper.
  • In the bottom of an 11×7 baking dish scatter first the pasta and then the meat pieces.
  • Pour soup mixture over top.
  • Top with Monterey Jack cheese.
  • Bake 25-30 minutes.

NOTE: ** ham and rotisserie chicken work well too

Casseroles tend to call for a can of some form of “cream of” soup.  Since those soups tend to be full additives and preservatives I came up with some quick and easy substitutes that are homemade as you needed.

CREAM SOUP SUBSTITUTES

Do you hate buying canned soups for use in recipes? Do you want something healthier and less costly?  These recipes make perfect substitutes for 1 can of soup.

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk or other liquid (as specified in variations)

  • Melt the butter in heavy saucepan. 
  • Blend in flour and salt. Cook until bubbly. 
  • Remove from heat and gradually stir or whisk in liquid. 
  • Return to heat and cook, constantly stirring until smooth and thickened.

VARIATIONS

  • Cream of chicken: Use 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup chicken broth as the liquid. Add 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning or sage.
  • Cream of celery: Saute´ 1/2 cup chopped celery and 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion in the margarine before adding flour. Use milk for liquid.
  • Cream of mushroom: Saute´1/4 cup finely chopped mushrooms and 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion in margarine before adding flour. Use milk for liquid.
  • Tomato: Use tomato juice as liquid. Add a dash each of garlic salt, onion salt, basil, and oregano.
  • Cheddar cheese: Use milk for liquid. Stir into the finished sauce 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese and 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard.
  • Cream of shrimp: Drain the liquid from a small can of tiny shrimp into a measuring cup. Fill cup with milk to measure 1 cup of liquid. Add a dash of pepper, onion salt, curry powder, and paprika to the finished sauce, and stir in the shrimp.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY with MENU PLAN & RECIPE LINKS week 53 of 2021

Be sure to join us for Happy Homemaker Monday and link up
with our host, Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Good Morning! Here we are in the last week of 2021. I honestly DO NOT know where this year went so fast! We lost power again early this morning for several hours so I’m quickly trying to catch up.

I have high hopes for 2022 after 2020 and 2021 being such a chaotic mess. Let 2022 be the year that we prove the glass is refillable instead of half full OR half empty! Please Lord help them find a cure for this dreaded virus!

This is one of those categories that falls under the BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR titles, at least for this week. I really wanted snow for Christmas – just a little – well I got it! and got it again! 😀 It does look like by the end of the week we will be returning to our “normal” wet weather, but then again there wasn’t snow predicted during SNOWMAGEDDON 2019 🙂 We were a soggy mess before the snow, so as it melts and we return to more rain, it could be even messier.

I included Saturday and Sunday in the picture above so you could see what we’re getting. We did lose power for a short time yesterday morning, but fortunately it returned fairly quickly 😀

Hot water and baby food squeeze 😀

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS
  • LAUNDRY & CLEANING When the power came back on I was able to get caught up on laundry yesterday (just in case the power goes out again like the DISH cable has). I also deep cleaned the kitchen yesterday after the mess I’d made from all the baking and Christmas cooking. I’ll also do a bit of vacuuming later today.
  • GROCERIES & ERRANDS & PROJECTS Fortunately we have no where to go until Thursday and then that’s just a quick errand. I have no intentions of really being out and about until 2022. I’m working on some drawings for some spring paintings I’ll begin later this week.
  • PAPERWORK & PHONE CALLS Once again NOT the week for phone calls, but I will keep moving forward on some paperwork.
  • RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING LOTS of leftovers between now and 2022 using up the Christmas turkey and Prime Rib starting with last night’s Prime Rib Barley soup.

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV
  • NETFLIX Joyuex Noel
  • TUBI A Chance for Christmas
  • DVD White Christmas, Home Alone 1 & 2, It’s A Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th street 1947 & 1994Die Hard 1 & 2
  • CABLE A few Christmas movies to catch up on, Kids Baking Championship

I’ve started 3 different books, but hope to finish them all this week.

  • Marie Force’s State of Grace from the FATAL series
  • When Never Comes by Barbara Davis
  • Lisa Wingate’s The Sandcastle Sister from the (CAROLINA CHRONICLES) series

My psuedo STEP SIL (long story there) makes these every year for her Christmas cards. I was lucky enough to receive 3 this year and they look awesome on the tree.

I still need to edit yesterday’s snow pictures, but here are a few unedited. These are from yesterday. I’ll probably get a few more today as we got several more inches last night and everything is completely covered again. I just loved the little old lady (probably about 90) clearing her driveway and walk with the wheel barrow, but I feel sorry for her as it all covered again.

Santa and his hot air balloon are buried under there somewhere. He was already on his last legs 😀 but the snow cinched it.

As you put away the Christmas wrappings, keep this in mind. Those missing/mismatched socks from the dryer that have no mates can have more use in them. I store the wrapping rolls inside of each other and then use the socks to keep them tight and protected.

with the links to last week’s posted recipes, featured party links for the week and upcoming recipes to be posted soon.
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
DINNER
PRIME RIB QUESADILLAS
PRIME RIB STROGANOFF
PRIME RIB & CARAMELIZED ONION SANDWICHES
TURKEY TETRAZINNI
BLACK EYED PEA CHILI
BRAISED LAMB SHANKS with MAC & CHEESE inspired by BOSTON’S DARYL’S CORNER BAR
C.O.R.N.  CLEAN OUT REFRIGERATOR NIGHT
DESSERT
WHIPPED SHORTBREAD COOKIES

  • NONA’S TOFFEE BARS
  • SHORTBREAD TOFFEE
  • BAKED BEAN DIP

DRIED BEEF PICKLE DIP

DRIED BEEF PICKLE DIP
1 cup sour cream
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon onion powder
5 ounces dried beef, chopped and rinsed WELL
1/4 cup small chopped dill pickles

  • Beat together sour cream, cream cheese and onion powder, beating until smooth and well blended.
  • Fold in dried beef and pickle pieces.
  • Cover and chill 2 hours at least.
  • Serve with tortilla chips and/or crackers.

NONA’S TOFFEE BARS

This recipe came from my niece’s, mother’s mother who I never met. This recipe was also written so simplistically that it left a lot to the imagination! I made it as written (with interpretation) the first time. The next time I wrote out new directions and adapted the ingredients to our liking.

NONA’S TOFFEE BARS (as written)
1 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
1 egg yolk
2 c. flour
1 Giant Hershey Bar
– Nuts as topping

  • Spread on cookie sheet – cook – cool – melt bar and spread on bars – cover w/ nuts – slice

NONA’S TOFFEE BARS (adjusted)
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon PURE vanilla
1 LARGE egg yolk
2 cups flour, leveled
1 Giant + 1 regular size Hershey Bar
1/2 cup chopped honey roasted peanuts
1/2 cup chopped almonds or pecans
1/3 cup broken stick pretzels

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Melt butter in large skillet.
  • Add brown sugar and whisk until dissolved.
  • Add egg yolk and vanilla, blending well.
  • Gradually add flour until well blended.
  • Using an offset spatula spread mixture onto a small cookie sheet.
  • Bake 15 minutes.
  • Cool.
  • Melt chocolate in microwave for 1 minute, stir and melt 10 more seconds at a time until smooth.
  • Immediately spread chocolate on top of the toffee layer and spread even with an offset spatula.
  • Immediately sprinkle with nuts and pretzels, pressing down slightly.
  • Cool in fridge another 15 minutes.
  • Slice and serve.

NOTE: I ALSO like to use the shortbread bottom from the Millionaire Shortbread combined with the toppings from this recipe and I call it Shortbread Toffee. I’ll be posting that combination soon.

BLOGMAS 2021 ~ DAY 29 ~ NORAD, TRACKING SANTA & THE MEANING of the 12 DAYS of CHRISTMAS

We’re on winter storm watch here just like so many other places this Christmas, but there is no need to worry ~ NORAD will be watching to track Santa’s progress.

Every day of the year, Cheyenne’s Mountain (AKA Stargate to many SYFY fans 😀 ) NORAD defends North America using an all-domain and globally integrated approach to track everything that flies in and around Canada and the United States. But, on Dec. 24, NORAD adds a VERY special mission ~ tracking Santa Claus. 

Like so many origin stories, NORAD’s mission to track Santa truly began by accident when in 1955 a young child, trying to reach Santa, dialed the misprinted phone number from a department store ad in the local newspaper. Instead of calling Santa, the child called the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Operations Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.  

Air Force Col. Harry Shoup, the commander on duty that night who answered the child’s phone call, was quick to realize a mistake had been made and assured the child he was Santa. After more incoming calls, Shoup assigned a duty officer to continue answering calls and a tradition was born, that continued when NORAD was formed in 1958.  

Each year since, NORAD has dutifully reported Santa’s location on Dec. 24 to millions of children and families across the world. Because of the support, services and resources generously provided by volunteers and our government and corporate contributors, NORAD Tracks Santa has persevered for more than 65 years.  

In fact, what started because of a typo has flourished and is recognized as one of the Department of Defense’s largest community outreach programs. 

Each year, the NORAD Tracks Santa Web Site receives several million unique visitors from more than 200 countries and territories around the world. Volunteers typically answer more than 130,000 calls to the NORAD Tracks Santa hotline from children across the globe. 

In addition to the phone line and website, children and the young-at-heart can track Santa through our mobile apps and our social media platforms:  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noradsanta 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NoradSanta 

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/NORADTracksSanta  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noradtrackssanta_official 

NORAD Tracks Santa Website: https://www.noradsanta.org 

NORAD Tracks Santa Newsroom: https://noradsantanews.com/newsroom

Several contributors such as OnStar and Amazon Alexa also provide convenient ways to keep tabs of Santa’s location. 

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly.  Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.

It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

  • The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
  • Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
  • Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
  • The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
  • The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
  • The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
  • Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit–Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
  • The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
  • Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit–Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
  • The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
  • The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
  • The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles’ Creed.

So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol… so pass it on if you wish.’

Merry (Twelve Days of) Christmas Everyone – and, remember, the Twelve Days of Christmas are the 12 days following December 25th.  The Christmas Season runs until Epiphany, January 6.

COMPANY CHICKEN

This recipe was originally made with chicken thighs, but breasts always make for a fancier dish, especially when you call it Company Chicken! You’ll notice that I don’t list sea salt in the list of ingredients. That’s because the liquid aminos will add more than enough salt.

COMPANY CHICKEN
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
FRESH ground black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup WONDRA flour
2 tablespoons avocado oil
1 LARGE Vidalia onion, sliced thin
1/8 cup Bragg’s liquid aminos
1/3 cup Smuckers apricot jam, PUREED to remove chunks
1 LARGE clove garlic, FINELY minced
1-2 pinches crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup FRESH orange juice

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Season chicken breasts generously with FRESH ground black pepper.
  • Dredge the seasoned breasts in the flour and set aside.
  • In a cast iron skillet heat avocado oil over medium heat.
  • Sear the chicken 2-3 minutes per side and then set aside.
  • Add onions to pan until they are caramelized.
  • Nestle the chicken into the top of the onions.
  • Whisk together the liquid aminos, apricot jam, orange juice, garlic and red pepper flakes.
  • Pour the sauce over the chicken and onions.
  • Bake uncovered 30-35 minutes. The sauce will thicken and get sticky. But, if it gets too brown too fast cover with a piece of foil.

BLOGMAS 2021 ~ DAY 28 ~ CHRISTMAS MENUS

While there are family and even cultural traditions for Christmas menus, we try and vary it to OUR own tastes each year. Sometimes that is also dependent on regional availability of the specialty items needed to create those menus.

This year with it just being the 2 of us, we’re really making a super simple “trimmed” down menu. I found a turkey breast instead of the WHOLE turkey and the butcher is even cutting me an extra small prime rib 😀

BLOGMAS 2021 ~ DAY 27 ~ FAVORITE CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

WOW I’m truly blessed with so many to choose from!

Some of my favorites are my very first personal desk when I was 9, my aunt coming to visit from Texas around that same time and sitting on the floor in a leather dress playing  A Barrel of Monkeys with the younger kids or maybe the year I got my first bike, whoops wait that was the birthday before Christmas.

But I think my all time favorite was when my grandfather worked for General Electric as an X-ray technician of sorts (he oversaw the installation and calibration of X-ray equipment) and the year he brought home a GE Snow tree and the beautiful ornate ornaments (I still don’t know the correlation between between being an X-ray technician and Christmas trees).

Anyway this tree had a HUGE decorated cardboard base and once the tree was up and decorated you filled this base with thousands of tiny Styrofoam balls and when you turned the switch on the tree would make it’s own snow.  As a kid I thought it was pretty cool, but as an adult I look back and realize what a MESS it made!! Especially when the Santa Ana winds were blowing and the static electricity was high – those damn balls stuck to EVERYTHING! We lived in the high desert of southern California and the winds were ever present during December, often morphing into their severe form of Devil Winds and the snow was nowhere to be found so the tree was a novelty we all enjoyed.

But wait, that is not my favorite memory.  It turns out that my favorite memory is of trying to stump my dad each AND EVERY year with his gift – it became a mission of sorts to be the first to stump him.  I swear the man was Carnac when it came to knowing what was inside a box. We tried EVERY year to stump him and I don’t remember ever being able to do it.  We tried adding bricks, taping a silver dollar with duct tape to the bottom so it would flip back and forth to make noise when you shook it, the box insides a box trick, adding a pair of old shoes… but he ALWAYS guessed!  I still don’t know how he did it.