Tag: BLOG 365

OUR FAVORITE BACON CHEESEBURGER BALLS ~ BLOG 365.17

BACON CHEESEBURGER MEATBALLS

BEEF OUTER LAYER
1 LARGE egg
1 envelope LIPTON Beefy onion soup
1 pound LEAN ground beef

  • Whisk together egg and soup mix in a mixing bowl.
  • Crumble beef over mixture and mix together lightly, but thoroughly.
  • Divide into 12 portions and set aside.

CHEESE FILLING
2 tablespoons WONDRA flour
2 tablespoons WHOLE milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4-5 bacon strips, cooked crisp and crumbled into small pieces

  • In a mixing bowl whisk together the flour and milk.
  • Add the cheese and bacon, mixing all together gently, but thoroughly.
  • Shape cheese mixture into 12 portions and roll into balls.
  • Shape 1 portion of the beef mixture around each cheese ball.

COATING
2 LARGE eggs
1 sleeve (1 cup) FINELY crushed saltines
5 tablespoons avocado (neutral) oil

  • In shallow bowl whisk the eggs until smooth.
  • Place cracker crumbs in another shallow bowl.
  • Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.
  • Dip meatballs into egg mixture and then roll in cracker mixture.
  • Add meatballs to hot skillet, cooking 10-12 minutes until seared golden brown on all sides and cooked through.
  • Serve with ketchup, mustard and pickles.

APPLE WALNUT CAKE with CARAMEL GLAZE ~ BLOG 365.16

APPLE WALNUT CAKE with CARAMEL GLAZE
Tart apples, crunchy walnuts and homemade caramel sauce makes for the perfect decadent autumn dessert.


CAKE
1½ cups neutral oil
2 cups granulated sugar
4 LARGE eggs
3 cups AP flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon QUALITY cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons PURE vanilla extract
3½ cups Granny Smith apples peeled and FINELY chopped (3-4 LARGE apples)
1 cup TOASTED walnuts, FINELY chopped

  • Preheat oven to 325°F.
  • Grease and flour a bundt pan or two loaf pans COMPLETELY.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the oil, sugar and eggs until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
  • In a another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
  • Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing JUST until combined. DO NOT OVER MIX!
  • Add the vanilla extract.
  • With a large spatula FOLD in the chopped apples and walnuts until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s).
  • Bake 50-60 minutes. Begin checking for doneness at 50 minutes by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. If not, continue baking but monitor closely to avoid over baking.

GLAZE
¾ cup unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks)
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup whole milk
1 teaspoon PURE vanilla extract

  • In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.
  • Stir in the brown sugar and milk, and bring the mixture to a SLOW boil over low heat. Reduce to a simmer and continue to stir constantly, SLOW boiling for 10 minutes until it thickens slightly, then remove from heat.
  • Stir in the vanilla extract and let the glaze cool slightly. It should still be pourable but not too hot.
  • When the cake is mostly cooled and the glaze is the right consistency, pour the caramel glaze evenly over the top of the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides.

TEXAS TRASH DIP aka CHEESY BAKED COWBOY DIP ~ BLOG 365.14

This is one of those southern recipes (in one form or another) that magically appears on potluck tables, football tailgating parties or backyard BBQs during the cooler months. Warm, cheesy and the creamy richness of cream cheese plus the smoky and savory notes of bacon added to the subtle heat of jalapeño makes this dip both delicious and addicting! Serve it with freshly made tortilla chips, crackers or even vegetable sticks for a super tasty appetizer that your guests will make disappear in no time! The chopped green onions on top add an extra burst of color and flavor. Not a “looker”, but definitely a “taster” 😀

TEXAS TRASH DIP aka CHEESY BAKED COWBOY DIP

2 cans (15.25 ounces each) whole kernel corn, drained **
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed, drained
½ cup Duke’s mayonnaise
4 ounces cream cheese, diced small and then softened
1 + ½ cups mild cheddar cheese, shredded
1 + ½ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
½ cup FINELY grated Parmesan cheese
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded, FINELY diced
8 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked, crumbled
1 medium red onion, FINELY diced
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
1 bunch green onions, chopped for garnish
Chopped tomatoes, for garnish

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
    In a medium, oven-safe skillet, combine corn, black beans, mayonnaise, cream cheese, 1 cup cheddar cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, jalapeños, bacon, onion, salt, and pepper. Stir until combined.

  • Top with the remaining cheddar and mozzarella cheese.

  • Bake 25-30 minutes until the cheese is melted and the dip is heated through.

  • Garnish with green onions and FRESH chopped tomatoes.
  • Serve with tortilla chips, crackers, and fresh vegetables for dipping.


**As an alternative I use 3 cans of Green Giant Mexican Corn or white shoepeg corn.
To make the cream cheese easier to dice, place it in the freezer for 20-230 minutes and then soften.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY, MENU & RECIPES ~ week 2 of 2025 ~ BLOG 365.13

Be sure to join Happy Homemaker Monday with our host, Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

LAST WEEK RECAPPED

Using British slang today – this past week has left me completely knackered! It was just the kind of busy that was non-stop. I did 20,000 steps alone on Monday when I put up the Christmas decorations. Every day since was over 15,000 – just had so much to do! The weekdays were full of Eagle’s maintenance chores and shopping for the bar and kitchen. Two of the older trustees were getting married on Saturday and I wanted to get things stocked up well!

My girlfriend, Dana did the Friday auxiliary meal which had A LOT of moving parts. The menu was a choice of Reuben soup with grilled cheese dippers or Chicken Chile Verde soup with a mini quesadilla and a Kahlua brownie trio. It was all quite delicious. I ended up taking over for her on the grill and soup and then we did an extra deep clean for the kitchen that night as the wedding reception was being held there on Saturday and Nellie (the lady who owned my favorite sandwich shop until she decided to retire! 🙁 ) was catering and I wanted to leave it good and clean for her.

Saturday was the wedding and reception which went well, but no one had made arrangements for keeping things stocked or clean up. Nellie asked me to keep the trays stocked with food and to take charge of her personal items, but I took it upon myself to keep plates, forks and napkins stocked, stray items and bar glasses picked up and the dishes done because we opened at 3PM for business after the reception and had a band that night.

Sunday was spent watching NFL playoff games, helping another friend fish her diamond out of her bathroom sink drain and sorting the pantry and freezer, making menus for the rest of January and February to use what I have on hand in an effort to rotate things well and cleaning as I went so we could take apart the laundry room to clean it well and install new flexible venting on the dryer today. I guess I have really started an early spring cleaning.  🙃

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE

BRRRR COLD!!!! Our lows are getting into the 20’s and highs barely into the 40’s which is NOT a great combination when it’s a WET COLD that seeps into your bones!!! Lots of layers are the plan this week for anytime I have to leave the house!

ON MY MIND

🙁 Having grown up in Los Angeles County in Southern California with Santa Ana and Devil Winds, living in rural areas where we always had a go bag packed with important papers and a change of clothing, my heart is just breaking for all of those affected by the devastating fires this past week. 🙁

TO DO LIST, APPOINTMENTS & PROJECTS

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS
  • LAUNDRY & CLEANING Christmas is ALL cleaned up and stored so the deep cleaning has begun. I’m starting in the laundry room as I noticed the dryer vent is having an issue so we’ve replacing the flexible venting first. After that I’ll get busy on the baseboards and the dust that collects deep in the edges. I’ve already done under ALL the sink areas.
  • GROCERIES & ERRANDS I have some things to pick up for my Fundraiser dinner on Friday as well as the shopping for the kitchen and bar at the Eagles. I also have a meeting tonight that I hope goes super quick because it’s in the middle of the playoff game I really want to see!
  • PROJECTS & TRAVELS Nothing this week, but we are going to the coast for a CRABFEST at the Lions the 24th-26th.
  • RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING I have the next couple weeks planned using much of the freezer and pantry up, but will start working on February’s menu soon.

DVR/TV TIME

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV
  • STREAMING We’re re-watching BONES and then HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER for a late night comedy (we always end the day with a comedy to go to sleep by).
  • CABLE I think there are a few new shows starting this week. I’ve also been taping the Saturday Night Hallmark movies. 😀

READING TIME

I’m just about done with The Rose Code by Kate Quinn and am going to start LILAC INK THE KNOCKNASHEE STORY by Jean Grainger

FUNNIES

MENU PLANS

BREAKFAST is always a work in progress for me – it will generally be hot water and a fruit yogurt 😀
1/13 MONDAY
1/14 TUESDAY
1/15 WEDNESDAY
1/16 THURSDAY
1/17 FRIDAY
1/18 SATURDAY
1/19 SUNDAY
DINNER
CHICKEN CABBAGE STEW
 REUBEN SOUP
BEEF & SWEET ONIONS over RICE
 PORK CHOPS IN CREAMY GARLIC SPINACH SAUCE
 CHICKEN ENCHILADAS and RE-FRIED BEANS for the Eagle’s Auxiliary Fundraiser Dinner
 CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own!
 PORK & BEAN BREAD
DESSERT
 
 
GOLDEN BREAD PUDDING
 LEMON, CARROT and CHOCOLATE EARTHQUAKE CAKES

FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMERA

INSPIRATIONS

LIFE TIP

HOMEMAKING / COOKING TIP

RECIPES COMING UP THIS WEEK

  • LEMON MELT AWAYS
  • TEXAS TRASH DIP
  • BACON CHEESEBURGER BALLS
  • APPLE WALNUT CAKE with CARAMEL GLAZE

RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

WEEKLY FEATURED PARTY LINKS

SLOW COOKER TEX-MEX CHICKEN ~ BLOG 365.10

This is super easy and packs a punch of traditional Mexican flavor and spices with the ease of a slow cooker that allows the chicken to absorb all the seasonings and make it tender and juicy that’s ready to serve whenever you are. It is not only easy, but versatile! Serve it in tacos, in burritos or over rice. Works well to feed a crowd also.

SLOW COOKER TEX-MEX CHICKEN

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon avocado oil
FRESH ground salt and pepper
1 LARGE onion halved and sliced
16 ounce jar PACE chunky mild salsa (or use medium for a spicier kick)
3-4 tablespoons brown sugar
4 ounce can mild diced green chilies
14.5 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon FRESH ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chili pepper (optional, for added heat)
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
Hot sauce, to taste
Warm tortillas, for serving
Chopped green onions, for serving
Shredded Mexican cheese, for serving
Sour cream, for serving

  • Rub the chicken breasts all over with the oil and place them in the bottom of your slow cooker.
  • Generously season with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
  • Scatter onions over chicken.
  • Mix together the brown sugar, seasoning, liquid smoke, salsa, green chiles and diced tomatoes. Pour over the chicken and onions.
  • Set your slow cooker to high and cook for 2-4 hours, or on low for 6-7 hours until the chicken is tender enough to shred.
  • Shred chicken and return it to the slow cooker adding the **black beans at this time, letting it simmer on low for an additional 20 minutes to absorb the flavors.
  • Drain off any excess liquid if necessary before serving.
  • Adjust the seasoning to taste.
  • Serve with tortillas, green onions, shredded cheese and sour cream.

NOTE:

  • You can replace ALL of the seasonings with 2-3 tablespoons of your favorite Mexican blend seasoning or taco seasoning.
  • I often add the black beans into the salsa mixture and it’s just as tasty. 😀
  • You can also substitute 2 cans of ROTEL tomatoes for the green chiles and fire roasted tomatoes making it easier to choose your heat level.

CLASSIC BURGERS with BACON AIOLI ~ BLOG 365.7

CLASSIC BURGERS with BACON AIOLI 8 Servings
1 pound black pepper uncured bacon, cut into thin strips
2 LARGE Egg yolks
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (OPTIONAL)
3/4 cup avocado oil
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground sirloin brisket
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
8 hamburger buns (OPTIONAL)

CONDIMENT SUGGESTIONS
Lettuce
Tomato
Sliced Red Onions
Pickles
Sliced Cheddar Cheese
Crispy Onion Strings

  • In a sauté pan over medium heat, fry bacon until crispy (about 8 – 10 minutes).
  • Drain bacon pieces on a paper towel and cool. Discard or save bacon grease for another use.
  • In a food processor, add bacon, egg yolks, vinegar, garlic and mustard. Purée ingredients and slowly add oil until emulsified and liquid is thick like a mayonnaise.
  • Season aioli to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready to use. Aioli can be made up to a week in advance.
  • Preheat grill to 350-375º, or a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
  • In a stainless steel bowl, combine ground pork, brisket and beef, mixing gently and thoroughly by hand.
  • Form burgers into 6 – 8 ounce patties and set on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
  • Make an indentation in the center of each patty.
  • Season all patties liberally on both sides with salt and pepper. For even cooking, allow to come to room temperature for about 20 – 25 minutes.
  • Place burgers on grill or in pan and cook 6-8 minutes per side until internal temperature reaches 155º. Allow burgers to rest 15 minutes.
  • Serve burger on a toasted bun (we prefer bunless) with bacon aioli, piled high with your favorite burger condiments.

EPIPHANY to NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS ~ pre-blogmas 2025 ~ BLOG 365.6

The epiphany, January 6th is an important date for many Christians as it’s when people celebrate how a star led the Magi, aka the Three Kings/Wise Men, to visit the baby Jesus after he had been born. ‘Epiphany’ comes from the Greek word meaning ‘to reveal’, as it is when the baby Jesus was ‘revealed’ to the world.

The Star of Bethlehem is central to the Christian feast of Epiphany, which celebrates the wise men’s visit to Bethlehem. According to the Bible, the wise men, also known as the Magi, followed the Star of Bethlehem to find Jesus in Bethlehem. The Magi were astrologers and probably from the area of present-day Iraq, Iran, Yemen, or Saudi Arabia. They were skilled at observing stars and celestial patterns, and saw the star as a sign that the prophecy of the birth of the “king of the Jews” was being fulfilled. 



In western Christianity the Epiphany is celebrated on January 6th. In the Catholic Church, Epiphany is sometimes celebrated on the Sunday between January 2 and January 8. 

Some say that the star was an ancient form of the internet and that the wise men’s stargazing was an ancient form of internet search. Others believe that Mary is the real star at Epiphany.

In today’s “reality” of scientific research the Star of Bethlehem was probably a planetary conjunction. A conjunction occurs when two or more celestial bodies appear to meet in the night sky. In the years before Jesus’ birth, there were several conjunctions between Jupiter, Venus, and the star Regulus. These events could have been interpreted by the Magi as the birth of a king in Judea. However, there are other possible explanations for the Star of Bethlehem, including: A comet, a supernova, an alignment between planets and stars or constellations.

The nature of the Star of Bethlehem is a matter of faith. There’s no clear record in history AND science can’t explain it as a known physical object. 

While the Epiphany is a Christian holiday it can also be a time to reflect before making resolutions for the new year. Epiphany is a time to reflect on the encounter of the Three Kings with Jesus and how it changed each of them. The Three Kings were sent by Herod to find Jesus, but after their encounter, they resolved to go home by a different road. 

Epiphany is also known as Twelfth Night, and is a common deadline for taking down Christmas decorations. 

Epiphany is a Christian feast day that takes place on January 6th. It celebrates how the Magi, also known as the Three Kings or the Wise Men, were led by a star to visit the baby Jesus.

Some say that Epiphany is a time to consider what to add or subtract from your life, and to depend on God to set your course. Others say that Epiphany is a time to be open to the needs of your community and to offer Christ’s love.

The New Year can bring anxiety and trepidation, but also love and excitement for everything to come. It’s a time for reflection on what worked in the previous year and what didn’t and make the changes necessary for happiness and contentment in the new year.

Here are a few suggestions for you if you’re not into making resolutions. The only TRUE resolution I make each year is to make the new year better than the last.

Don’t forget to make some KING CAKE too!

HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY with RECIPE LINKS & MENU ~ week 1 of 2025 ~ BLOG 365.6B

Be sure to join Happy Homemaker Monday with our host, Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

WEEKEND RECAP

I don’t care for Christmas and New Years falling in the middle of the week! Last Wednesday felt like a Sunday and I was messed up for the rest of the week! I’m looking to return to a routine this week!

So our “weekend” really began last Wednesday. We watched the Rose Parade, went and saw a friend who had to work (fortunately she runs a bar and grill so we got breakfast) and then watched the Rose Bowl before we ate Black Eyed Pea Chili made from our left over Christmas Prime Rib for dinner.

I spent Thursday cleaning the refrigerator and freezer and making an inventory list for both to start the year out fresh. Fortunately, it was also trash day, so that helped a lot. The woman who normally mans the Eagle’s kitchen for me on Thursdays had to bow out because her grandson came down with the flu virus while he was staying with her and we didn’t want to expose people, so I ended up covering for her.

Friday we were getting a bit of cabin fever from all the rain so decided to take a drive down to the river and were rewarded with a fantastic new little restaurant. On the way we encountered a barn that made me think of Jean so I took a picture for her. But, Jean and Carrie, I’m so sorry about the Chiefs and Packers yesterday 🙁

The rest of Friday through Sunday was spent de-cluttering and washing linens from Christmas and beginning to pack it all away for another year. I’ll finish packing away Christmas today. We also watched A LOT of football for the final regular season day.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE

While the temperatures are still supposed to be in the 40’s we are supposed to FINALLY dry out a bit this week, at least enough to dry out a bit and not be so soggy. That said, nighttime lows will be much lower with clear skies.

ON MY MIND

I was so saddened to wake up on the 1st to hear about all the senseless terror situations in New Orleans, Las Vegas and all over the world! I pray for an answer every day to the senseless violence!

TO DO LIST, APPOINTMENTS & PROJECTS

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS
  • LAUNDRY & CLEANING I’ll need to deep clean after I finish putting away the Christmas decorations. I also am going to try and deep clean the baseboards. Fortunately, I’m up to date on the laundry.
  • GROCERIES & ERRANDS I’ve searched high and low for an 11×14 frame for my small jewelry tree and finally resorted to ordering one from Amazon. I TRIED to shop local!!!
  • PROJECTS & TRAVELS I’m trying to finish my jewelry “forest” so I can get it packed away until next Christmas.
  • RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING working on next week’s menu

DVR/TV TIME

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV
  • STREAMING We finished season 6 of Virgin River and Man on the Inside – can’t wait for the new seasons of both.
  • HALLMARK When Calls the Heart’s new season started last night. I’m excited for the changes that this new season will bring. And The Way Home started last Friday.
  • CABLE New season starts this week so we’ll see – looks like a couple of promising new shows.
  • THEATRE I saw a preview for FLIGHT RISK (opens 1/24) with Mark Wahlberg that looks like it’s going to be pretty good.

READING TIME

I’m reading The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. I LOVE WWII stories that empower women! The new book club book was supposed to be announced last night, so we’ll see what her “wheel of chance” chose for us. We’ve all been feeding her titles and to make it fair she’s using an APP that chooses at random. I just checked again and the book has been chosen, NONE Of This Is TRUE by Lisa Jewell. So many of the titles the others are throwing out have such a sinister true crime, psychological thriller type vibe to them, not titles I would choose on my own 🙁 we’ll try another month and see what comes of it.

FUNNIES

MENU PLANS

BREAKFAST is always a work in progress for me – it will generally be hot water and a fruit yogurt 😀

 
1/6 MONDAY
1/7 TUESDAY
1/8 WEDNESDAY
1/9 THURSDAY
1/10 FRIDAY
1/11 SATURDAY
1/12 SUNDAY
DINNER
NUMERO UNO PIZZA REMAKE
COCA COLA PORK LOIN with CARROT CASSEROLE
PIZZA EGG ROLLS
 BEEF & BBQ BEAN STEW
 GREEN CHICKEN CHILE
 SWEET CORN DIP & HOT DOGS
 BEEF & NOODLES
DESSERT
 
 
 

FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMERA

INSPIRATIONS

LIFE TIP

HOMEMAKING / COOKING TIP

RECIPES POSTING THIS WEEK

  • CREAMY LEMON PARMESAN CHICKEN
  • CLASSIC BURGERS with BACON AIOLI
  • SLOW COOKER TEX MEX CHICKEN

RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

  • CHICKEN TOSTADA CUPS
  • COUNTRY FRENCH CHICKEN GARLIC SOUP

WEEKLY FEATURED PARTY LINKS