Leftovers = Dinner #4

Brunswick Stew - (I like it spicy)

About 2 cups of chopped Barbecue (leftover from Friday)

1 large can diced tomatoes

Plus one can of water

1 chopped white onion

1 chopped Poblano pepper

1 chopped Anaheim pepper

1 chopped Jalapeno pepper

Corn - (cut off the cob - leftover from Sunday) or 1 can of corn

1/4 cup of Carolina Gold (or your choice of barbecue sauce)

Splashes of Tabasco sauce & salt/black pepper to taste

Simmer all these ingredients on medium about 30-45 minutes

Make some corn bread to go with it!

Corn Bread

(makes a 8 or 9 inch square pan)

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup Quaker yellow corn meal
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
Mix all together and bake at 350 for about 25 minutes - brown around the edges and done in the middle!
Spread butter on top as soon as it comes out of the oven - *can drizzle with honey if you like!

Dinner #3

Easy Barbecue

I like to use a pork tenderloin (comes in a package with 2 pieces)
Cut it into 4 pieces and put in a slow cooker on high (4 hrs)
Splash about a 1/4 cup of Liquid Smoke on the meat
When it is done...you will be able to pull it apart easily with a fork.
Drain the juice off and pull it apart (shreds)
It is good just like this...or add 1 bottle of your favorite sauce (turn to a lower setting and let the sauce simmer in for a half hour or so) 
I like "Sticky Fingers" Carolina Classic (mustard) and "Stubbs" Spicy (red)

Put on a bun or a roll - top it with some chopped red onion and pepper rings or eat it plain!

Broccoli Slaw

1 package of broccoli slaw shreds

1 cucumber - quartered and cut small

1 package of grape tomatoes - cut in half

Dressing - Mix 1/2 cup of Paul Newman's light Balsamic with

1 T mayo...whisk in a small container and then add to broccoli salad and stir until well coated.

*I put the lid on my tupperware bowl and shake it all together.

Mississippi Mud Brownies

Grease a 9 x 13 glass cake pan

Melt and blend 2 sticks of butter and 1/2 cup Hershey cocoa in a saucepan over medium heat

In a large bowl, mix well - 2 cups sugar and 4 eggs - then add the cocoa and butter mixture

Mix well with a whisk

Add 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 tsp of salt...and walnuts if you like

Stir and mix well with spoon

Put into cake pan and bake @ 350 for 25 minutes

While brownies are cooking - make the frosting...

Put 1 stick of butter in a saucepan and melt

Add 1/2 cup cocoa, 2 cups powdered sugar and 1/3 cup of milk

Stir and blend on medium heat until smooth - set aside

When you take the brownies out of the oven ...plop marshmallow creme on top (7oz jar) - wait a few minutes and let it soften so it is easier to spread evenly.

Then drizzle your fudge topping over the marshmallow layer and gently spread over evenly.

It will be nice and gooey (mmmm) but will firm up a little more as it cools. 

This is definitely one of our "family favorites"!  I only make it when someone else is here to help me eat it...or else I will take a snip every time I walk by...and eat it all by myself :-)

The best ever!!

I am lucky (for many reasons)....because whatever I make...my husband will eat...including all his veggies :-)  But there are some things, no matter how good it is...his mom still makes it "the best ever".  This does not hurt my feelings...though I may not agree :-)...because all mom's have something like that.  It's not always the food itself, but the memory that wraps around our head, our senses and then our heart...taking us back home for a visit in the kitchen....comfort food.  I love my mom's fried chicken! Growing up, I remember going on these family picnics...and even though I don't remember ever seeing her make it...or me helping...there was this picnic cooler full of everything Yogi Bear and Boo Boo could ever want!

For my family...it is my bread.  It doesn't matter what I make - the bread is "the best ever".  Even though they can now make it themselves...and it is just as good...they always tell me that mine is "the best ever".  It is intoxicating to walk into that "fresh bread" smell.  I don't know which is better....fresh bread or fresh laundry...but neither one lasts very long!

My daughter Megan, her husband Tommy, and my awesome grandson Damian are coming for the weekend.  Weekends are made for fun and I especially look forward to them!  They won't get here until late so I am keeping my meals simple today. I need lots of time to PLAY!  Damian has already informed me that we will be playing some Wii, jumping on the trampoline, playing baseball, going on the tire swing, playing the "army game" and having a sleepover! :-)

Barbecue/Broccoli Slaw/Homemade Bread/Mississippi Mud Brownies

Bread
Approximately 6 cups of Bread Flour
2 pkg of rapid rise yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 C warm water
3 T sugar
1 T salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil

In a smaller bowl - put 1/2 cup warm water and sprinkle packages of yeast over it (do not stir) then sprinkle 1 T of the sugar over the yeast and set aside while you do this....Put 2 cups of warm water in a large bowl, 2 T sugar, 1 T salt, 1/3 C oil - whisk together.  Add 1 cup of flour - whisk until smooth - add 1 more cup of flour - whisk until smooth.  Your yeast should be ready now (foamy) so add it into the flour mixture and whisk it smooth.  Put your whisk away now and get out a wooden spoon.  Stir in about 4 more cups of flour - one at a time.  You might have to get your hands into it for that last cup.  Plop it out onto the counter and knead (heel of your palm - kind of like doing CPR) the dough back into itself until it is soft but not sticky...sprinkle flour as you knead it (if you need to).  Place in a clean, large, lightly greased bowl and cover with a dish towel.  Let rise in a warm place for about an hour.  It should double in size.

Dump your dough on the counter, divide in half and roll out each piece into a rectangle.  Roll up long like a cinnamon roll...pinching down the side and ends.  Grease a cookie sheet and sprinkle some yellow cornmeal evenly.  Then put both loaves on your pan (seam side down) ...slice the tops diagonally, cover and let rise again for an hour.

When it is ready...put in oven @ 350 for about 20 minutes...or sometimes less.  Top should be golden brown.  Spread some butter over the top when you take it out of the oven.  Slice hot with an electric knife.

Pancakes and Mermaids...

Math was never my favorite subject in school - but I do like multiplication! My family continues to grow and I love the moments spent with them... doing whatever it is we do. Last weekend was spent in Atlanta, mostly at the Georgia Tech pool...watching my son Jordan dive for FSU at the Swimming/Diving ACC. It's hard to be everywhere for everyone...but honestly...I love it that they all still want a "piece of me". So, every morning, my grandaughter...little Miss Reagan, wanted to know where I was going and if I could make Grandma's special pancakes. Uhhmmm...being a Grandma...no is not a word I use very often :-) Now, I will tell you that my pancakes are good...but what makes them special is a little vanilla and the fact that I can make them into blobs that amazingly turn out to be...butterflies, dinosaurs, rocketships and even a mermaid :-)

Grandma's Special Pancakes -

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 T baking powder
1 T sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup of milk
2 T vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla

*Before you flip them, you can add mini chocolate chips or blueberries if you want. As soon as you flip them again...butter! To make shapes...use a spoon and experiment (think puzzle pieces)! NOTE - The Bisquick recipe on the box is just as goood....just add the vanilla.

Dinner #2

Italian Sausage Skillet Dinner

1 package of hot Italian sausage (about 5) cut into meatball size pieces (turkey for lower calorie)
1 green pepper sliced
1 white onion sliced
1 package of fresh mushrooms
1 large can of petite diced tomatoes -drained
1 1/2 cups of chopped zuchini squash

Cook cut sausage in a skillet and drain grease, add tomatoes & mushrooms...simmer about 10 mintues...then toss in all the veggies. Don't overcook! Should look colorful and kind of chunky. You can eat it just like this....or over rice, palenta...or even add your favorite pasta.  This is a real quick one...30 minutes until you eat :-)

Dinner #1

Talapia / Greek Salad / Sweet Potato

Make salad first - 2 or 3 cups of fresh baby spinach , 1 sliced fresh banana pepper, 2 roma tomatoes, small black olives, 1 can of quartered artichokes, 1/4 cup of shaved parmesan, 1/2 red onion sliced. Dressing - Good Seasons Italian - replace vinegar portion with fresh lemon juice. Do not add dressing until ready to eat.

Wash fresh sweet potatoes and cut off the ends. Poke with a fork a few times on each side and wrap with a thick,wet paper towel. While you are cooking the fish (takes about 10 minutes) put your potatoes in the microwave for 5...check and turn for another 5 minutes...should be soft like a baked potato. If you have more than 2 small ones - it might take longer. Cut in bite size pieces for your side.

Put a little oil in a skillet and get it hot. Sprinkle lemon pepper on both sides of your talapia and cook about 4-5 minutes on each side. Your potatoes should be ready at the same time and just add the dressing to your salad.....very colorful and healthy dinner. *Remember you can leave out or substitute things you don't like...like olives...red potatoes instead of sweet...etc.

A Blog is born....

2/23/2011

The labor pains of a Blog being born.......where to begin? How about with my original idea - "What's for dinner?"

Of all the things that I have to think about... make decisions about...worry about..."what to make for dinner" is absolutely the easiest! Yet, I continue to be surprised that it is not that way for everyone. So, do you want some help? I will tell you what I am going to make everyday...along with the recipe, the how and to... and maybe even a picture. Then you can work it into your meals at home and put it on your table :-)

Don't be afraid :-) I am not a gourmet cook. I enjoy creating a meal...but it can't take all day (about an hour on average unless it's something special). If there are too many ingredients and instructions...I move on to something else.  But, I do use a lot of fresh vegetables, peppers, onions etc., lean meat and fish. Most of the things I make are healthy...but I also make some "family favorites" that are to "die" for...literally.

I remember many times sitting up on the kitchen counter talking to my mom about my day. I remember my own kids (4 of them) coming home from school and yelling "Mom, I'm home". Somehow we would end up in the kitchen...for a snack...or to start homework at the table. Now, I lift my grandbabies up to the counter to help me make cookies or scrambled eggs....or just to talk to their cute little faces.  So...please join me...you are invited into my kitchen.  It is the heart of my home!