Menu Plan Monday - 12/27/2010

Here's my last menu for 2010 ... wow, what a year ... LOTS of cooking happened this year. I've decided to get back into my recipe box and am making up a bunch of our family favorites since I'M OFF WORK THIS WEEK! Woo-hoo. Actually, not TOO woo-hoo since this week is an unpaid furlough week due to the budget situation with Oregon schools, but I'm thankful to have a job and thankful to have some much needed down time, too.

(Scroll down for recipes with **)
Monday 12/27: Mama's Sweet and Sour Pork**
Tuesday 12/28: Navy Bean and Ham Soup
Wednesday 12/29: Mediterranean Upside Down w/Tzatsiki**
Thursday 12/30: Connie's Tarragon Chicken and Special Rice**
Friday 12/31: Homemade Pizza
Saturday 1/1: Michelle's Beef Enchiladas
Sunday 1/2: Provencial Beef and Potato Pie

Mama's Sweet and Sour Pork

2# pork (pork butt or loin chops), cut into 1" cubes

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

4 carrots

1/2 leek

2 stalks celery

1 green pepper

1 yellow onion

2 20-oz cans pineapple chunks

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

2 Tablespoons ginger powder

2 Tablespoons garlic powder

vegetable oil

Marinade 2# pork cubes in 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, 2 Tablespoons soy sauce and 1 Tablespoon minced garlic. While it's marinating, chop four carrots, one-half a leek, two stalks celery, and one green pepper into uniform-sized pieces. Also dice one onion.

Brown pork in a small amount of oil until golden brown and remove from wok/skillet. Saute onion in two tablespoons oil until tender, then add other veggies. While the veggies are cooking, prepare sauce in a gravy shaker: juice from two cans of pineapple chunks, 1/4 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 3 Tablespoons soy sauce, 2 Tablespoons cornstarch, 2 Tablespoons ginger powder, and 1 Tablespoons garlic powder. Add enough water to the sauce to make 2 cups; shake until smooth.

Add the sauce to vegetables, along with the drained cans of pineapple chunks and the cooked pork. Simmer until sauce thickens and veggies are desired tenderness. Serve over rice.

Mediterranean Upside Down

1 lb. ground beef

1 onion, diced

1.5 Tablespoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon cardamon

1 Teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup pinenuts

1 1/2 cup rice

2 15-oz cans garbanzo beans

Preheat oven to 350. In a 6-qt dutch oven, brown on the stovetop the ground beef with onion and spices. Drain. Stir in pinenuts; sprinkle with rice and add 3 cups water. Drain two cans garbanzo beans, rinse and add to top of rice (do not stir). Cover and bake for 30 minutes. To serve, empty upside down on serving platter, and serve with tzatziki and pita bread.

Connie's Tarragon Chicken and Special Rice

4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

half-pint sour cream (lowfat okay)

2 Tablespoons snipped chives

1/2 teaspoon tarragon

2 Tablespoons white tarragon vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar

2 Tablespoons melted butter

salt, flour, paprika

Preheat oven to 400. Combine sour cream with chives, tarragon, vinegar, and sugar in a medium bowl. Melt butter in the 4-qt baking dish. Place 1/2 cup flour and 1 tablespoon salt in pie plate or zipper bag and dredge chicken breasts in flour. Dip chicken in sour cream mixture then place in baking dish. Pour on any remaining sour cream sauce, then sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 400 for 45 minutes. (I always make extra sauce to pass at table.)

Connie's Special Rice

1 1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons butter

3/4 cup white rice

1 Boullion cube

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 lb fresh sliced mushrooms

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground thyme

Dissolve cube in water. Saute rice in butter, add broth to rice. Add onion, mushrooms, and spices. Pour into 2-qt casserole dish, cover and bake with chicken.

Menu Plan Monday - Week 12

Hmm, for some reason, I've been posting menus only every other week instead of weekly.  That's not working out so well for the budget and time management, for sure.  Of course, last week was Spring Break so we were a bit less structured.  This week, I'm excited to report that I've started taking classes toward a certificate in Human Resources.  I'm very excited and dreading it all at the same time; mostly, though, I'm trying to be more organized so the home life runs smoothly without Mama a couple of times a week.

Monday, 3/29 - Cheesy Chicken Bundles with whole wheat pasta and fresh green beans
Tuesday, 3/30 (first class!) - Mm-mmm Meatloaf, baked potatoes and applesauce
Wednesday, 3/31 - Sweet Asian Chicken Breasts, rice and cabbage slaw
Thursday, 4/1 - APRIL FOOLS - Tortellini Soup (not really fool-ish, just yummy)
Good Friday, 4/2 - Hungry Howies Pizza take-out
Saturday, 4/3 (at class all day) - Dad's Chili and Cornbread
Easter Sunday, 4/4 - Glazed ham, roasted asparagus, crockpot cheesy potatoes, "angeled" eggs

I will probably also make "Empty Tomb" Cookies for Easter.  I made these years ago when my grown kids were little but haven't made them with Miss T.  Here's one recipe:

Empty Tomb Cookies

Begin this recipe on Saturday, the day before Easter:

 

1 cup whole pecans

1 teaspoon vinegar

3 egg whites

pinch salt

1 cup sugar

zipper baggie

wooden spoon or a wooden meat hammer

duct tape or packing tape

Bible

 

Preheat oven to 300*F.

Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon or hammer to break them into small pieces.

Explain that after Jesus was arrested he was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 teaspoon of vinegar into the mixing bowl.

Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg whites to the vinegar. Eggs represent life.

Explain that Jesus gave his life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste. Then put your pinch of salt in the bowl.

Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus's followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27

So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing! Add 1 cup sugar to the bowl.

Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because he loves us. He wants us to know and belong to him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 10 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks form.

Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheets.

Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus's body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape to seal the oven door.

Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66.

Leave the kitchen. If you've been making these cookies just before bedtime, GO TO BED!

Acknowledge that the kids are probably sad that they've worked hard to make these cookies, and now have to leave them in the oven overnight. Explain that Jesus' followers were in sad when Jesus died and the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Ask the kids to notice the cracked surface. Have them bite into the cookies. The cookies are hollow!

Explain that on the first Easter morning, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9.

 

HE HAS RISEN!

Peanut Butter Lovers Day

Well, according to The Pioneer Woman's Tasty Blog, today is National Peanut Butter Lovers Day. So, I couldn't go to bed without posting a recipe that I made on Sunday for Tara's birthday celebration. It's from a new cookbook I found at the library called Salty Sweets.


I am so sorry that I don't have decent pictures for you ... my rotten camera cord is gone again and I'm being held hostage!!

I was trying to find something yummy for dessert that wasn't your typical over-sweet cake and found a yummy recipe for Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting.  The first thing I thought of was Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.  MMMMmmmmm.  The recipe was super easy, although I overmixed mine so the tops fell in while cooling.  Which made them perfect to hold in all the chocolate ganache I made instead of the fluffy frosting.  The bit of saltiness was just wonderful.  Enjoy!!

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.  Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium-size bowl; set aside. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium sped until light-colored and creamy, about 1 minute.  Beat in the egg for 30 seconds.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then mix in the vanilla and beat on medium speed for 1 minute.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl again.

Add the flour mixture in three increments, alternating with the milk (which you'll add in two increments), beginning and ending with the flour mixture and beating after each addition.  Mix until just combined.  DO NOT OVERMIX.

Fill each cupcake liner three-quarters full with batter.  Bake for about 20 minutes, until the tops of the cupcakes are golden and firm, and a cake tester comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.  When cool, frost each cupcake with chocolate frosting.  Sprinkle lightly with fleur de sel or chopped salted peanuts, if desired.  The frosted cupcakes will keep, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days.

FROM SALTY SWEETS, CHRISTIE MATHESON

Menu Plan Monday - Week 8

I really do enjoy menu planning. The adventure, the excitement .... the knowledge that even if EVERYTHING else falls apart, there will be hot food in the tummy tonight.  I didn't get to a couple of the meals from last week so you may see a repeat or two.  Here's this week's plan:

Monday, 2/22: Salsa Chicken (carryover from last week)
Tuesday, 2/23: My DD Tara's 24th birthday (but we're not seeing her tonight, she's too busy) Sesame Soy Sirloin and Asparagus
Wednesday, 2/24: Chicken Souvlaki and Rice
Thursday, 2/25: Supper Swap Night CP Roast Beef sandwiches
Friday, 2/26:  Chinese take out
Saturday, 2/27: Crockpot Sloppy Joes
Sunday, 2/28: leftover buffet (aka fridge cleanout)

For lots more menu planning idea, pop on over to OrgJunkie.com!

Yummy Dinner .. Dirty Rice with Smoked Sausage

Here's what I made for our Fat Tuesday dinner. It was quite yummy, with a bit more of a kick than I usually eat but not spicy at all. My 11yo told me so. I used frozen peas and carrots instead of bell pepper 'cause that what I had.

Ingredients
* 2 cups long grain white rice
* 5 cups chicken stock, divided
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 pound smoked pork sausage, sliced
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 1 stalk celery, chopped
* 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Make the rice, in a medium saucepan combine the rice and 4 cups chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until all the stock is absorbed into the rice, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile heat oil in a heavy-bottomed saute pan over medium-high heat. Brown the sausage. Once browned, add the garlic, onion, celery, and green bell pepper. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1 cup chicken stock and cayenne. Cook until the stock has reduced a little. Add the cooked rice and parsley and stir thoroughly. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.

Menu Plan Monday - Week 7

I am so behind in everything but I can't ignore menu planning.  Last week + no meal plan = overspending on food.  This week, I know a plan will help!

Sunday, 2/14:  Black Bean Chili (brown entire package of stew beef and reserve 3/4)
Monday, 2/15: Beef Stroganoff (beef from Sunday)
Tuesday, 2/16: Dirty Rice with Smoked Sausage for Mardi Gras
Wednesday, 2/17: Baked fish for Ash Wednesday
Thursday, 2/18: Cam's Ribs with Asparagus
Friday, 2/19: Salsa Chicken with Pommes Chef Anne (Potato Cakes)
Saturday, 2/20: Personal pizzas, green salad
Sunday, 2/21: Chicken and Dumplings

For lots more menu planning idea, pop on over to OrgJunkie.com!

Weekends Go So Fast!

How in the world do the two days in the weekend just FLY by? Work never seems to go this fast. Hmmm.

I'm sitting here with Super Bowl halftime playing in the background. T and I just got back from antiquing. She just HAD to have a quill pen from our local antique town and has been asking for weeks to go. So, when do we go ... today when I have a million things to do and finish. But I only have one little girl still at home, and she wants the pen for her birthday party Friday night so this was our last chance. God is always so good on our little trips. I told her I would only spend $5 ("What! We'll never get anything!"). We went to four antique shops, one a huge "mall" that had over 24 vendors, and it was not looking good - absolutely no pens of any type and most everything was pretty overpriced. Then I hit my shopping wall, getting tired and low blood sugar ... at the last shop, unexpectedly, he had three pens locked away. One was $20, one was $15 and one was $5 but it didn't have the nib. The gentlemen did have nibs for $1 a piece, but he actually gave her two nibs FOR FREE because he was impressed she wanted to write with a real pen.  So, T got her wish.

Now, I'm sitting here instead of getting to work, just cause I'm tired.  My puppy woke me up at 5:30 am and he went out four times before 7 am with tummy troubles.  Then, I made the mistake of crawling back in the warm bed without setting my alarm and ended up late to church.  I so HATE that.  Right after church, the plan was to buy some necessary items for Friday's party but the Decorette Shop in Tigard was closed.  We went to Michaels crafts but they did not stock the frog candy molds I need for the Harry Potter party.  It looks like I'm gonna have to order online and pray for a quick delivery; why didn't I do this a couple of weeks ago??  I don't have time for this party; it's just that her birthday is so close to Christmas that I couldn't pull off a big party in January this year.  Of course, her big night of fun is the night before I have 1350 boxes of Girl Scout cookies stored in my dining room.  And three weeks before I coordinate the snacks for and attend Women's Retreat.

Plus, I'm late with my Hot Mama Apron - it's half done on my temporary sewing table - and my Martini apron hasn't been cut out yet and I'M hosting!  Yikes!!  I have the most scrumptious fabric and all the my add-ins, I just need time to sew. 

I have received some wonderful packages lately -- my own Hot Mama Apron arrived along with homemade meringue cookies and a red apple slicer.  I also got my Martini swap package from Edy, who spoiled me like nobody's business and I now own the cutest martini glass.  I'll add some pictures as soon as I can.

Well, enough typing .... sewing and dinner time calls!  Monday will be here before I know it.

PS - Oh, when you get a chance, check our my food site, Thyme for Fun.  I don't have much on it but I'm testing a tool for Recipe Key.  Recipe Key is a nifty website where you enter what you have in your pantry/fridge/freezer and the site recommends recipes based on what you have on hand.  Gotta love that!

Menu Plan Monday - Week 5

I cannot believe that February is already here. AND, since it's the shortest month of the year, it's going to run by lickety quick -- probably as fast as January. Here's our plan so far:

Monday: something with leftover Pork Chops
Tuesday: Sweet and Sour Lentils (p 251 from $5 Dinners)
Wednesday: Teriyaki Chicken from Chill MAMAs
Thursday: Creamy Penne Pasta (modified from p58 from $5 Dinners)
Friday: Breakfast for Dinner
Saturday: Crockpot Three Packet Pot Roast from Stephanie O'Dea's, A Year of Slow Cooking
Sunday: (the BIG GAME) MOP Sausage Burgers, homemade chips, BLT salad (Rachael Ray)

For lots more menu planning idea, pop on over to OrgJunkie.com!

The Cake Mix Doctor - Snickerdoodle Cake

Snickerdoodle Cake
adapted from Anne Byrn's The Cake Mix Doctor

1 box plain white cake mix (I used yellow and it was delish)
1 cup milk
8 T (1 stick) butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 t vanilla extract
2 t ground cinnamon
Cinnamon Buttercream frosting (recipe follows)

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Generously grease 2 round 9 inch cake pans with solid shortening and then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour and set pans aside.
Place the cake mix, milk, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute.
Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look well combined. Divide the batter between the prepared pans, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the pans in the oven side by side.
Bake the cakes until they are golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger 27-29 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edge of each layer and invert each onto a rack, them invert them again so that the cakes are right side up. Allow them to cool completely, 30 minutes more.

Meanwhile, prepare the Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting.

Place one cake layer, right side up, on a serving platter. Spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer, right side up, on top of the first layer and frost the top and sides of the cake with clean, smooth strokes. I kept the layers separate and gave one frosted cake to a family from church and my family enjoyed the other one. JUST RIGHT!

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting
8 T (1 stick) butter; at room temperature
3-3/4 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
3-4 T milk
1 t vanilla extract
1 t ground cinnamon

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until fluffy, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and add the confectioner's sugar, 3 T milk, and vanilla. Then add cinnamon. Blend with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 1 minute more. blend in up to 1 T milk if the frosting seems too stiff.

Day 6 Pantry Challenge

Day 6

Pesto Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Sauteed Green Beans and Mushrooms
Mandarin Oranges/Pineapple

$0.00

All the ingredients for this meal were in the pantry or freezer.

Day 5 Pantry Challenge

Day 5 - Baked Three Cheese Manicotti with Broccoli - $0.00

All the ingredients for this meal were in the pantry or freezer. I made a triple batch; two for ill families at church and one for us. Here's my secret recipe:

Ingredients for three:
3 boxes of manicotti noodles
6 lb. can of Marinara Sauce (will have extra)
3 lb. container of Cottage Cheese (6 cups)
3 cups shredded Mozzarella Cheese
3 cups shredded Parmesan Cheese
5 eggs
2 tablespoons Basil paste (or substitute chopped fresh basil)
Salt & Pepper
Chopped olives (optional)

Directions:
Combine 2 1/2 cups Mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese, 2 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, basil paste, eggs and a little salt and pepper. Stir gently and set aside.

Cook manicotti shells al dente. Drain. Loosely stuff (about 1/4 cup per shell). Pour 1/2 to 1 cup of sauce into shallow 8x12 casserole dish, arrange stuffed shells in sauce. Then spread 2 cups sauce over top. Sprinkle remaining Mozzarella/Parmesan (and optional olives) over top. Bake uncovered 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Recap so far:
Day 1 - Teriyaki Chicken from freezer w/Green Beans - $0.00
Day 2 & 3 - Crockpot Navy Bean and Ham Soup - $0.00
Day 4 - homemade Pepperoni Pizza (homemade dough) and salad - $0.00

Shawnee's Virtual Cookie Swap

Join in the fun over at Heather's blog!!

VANILLA SUGAR COOKIES
aka Karla's Christmas Cookies
375 DEGREES/5-6 MINUTES

1 CUP BUTTER
1 CUP SUGAR
4 EGGS
2 TEASPOONS VANILLA
4 TEASPOONS BAKING POWDER
5 1/2 CUPS FLOUR

CREAM BUTTER AND SUGAR. ADD EGGS AND VANILLA, BEAT WELL. ADD BAKING POWDER AND FLOUR. MIX WELL. ROLL OUT DOUGH AND CUT 3/16 INCH THICK WITH FLOURED COOKIE CUTTER.

FREEZE OVERNIGHT. FROST AND FREEZE AGAIN! THIS PART IS VERY IMPORTANT - IF YOU DON’T FREEZE THEM, THEY TASTE LIKE FLOUR.

BUTTER CREAM FROSTING
6 TABLESPOONS BUTTER
1 LB. BOX POWDERED SUGAR, SIFTED(ABOUT 4 3/4 CUPS)
1/4 CUP CREAM OR MILK
1 1/2 TEASPOONS VANILLA

CREAM BUTTER, GRADUALLY ADD 1/2 THE POWDERED SUGAR, BLEND WELL. BEAT IN 2 TABLESPOONS CREAM AND THE VANILLA, GRADUALLY BLEND IN REMAINING POWDERED SUGAR AND CREAM/MILK UNTIL OF SPREADING CONSISTENCY. I TRY TO MAKE IT THIN ENOUGH SO I CAN DIP THE COOKIE IN AND SCRAPE OFF THE EXCESS WITH A KNIFE – THIS MAKES IT REALLY QUICK AND EASY TO FROST.

December 09 Pantry Challenge

Where has all the money gone??

You know, you hit a few Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales and all of a sudden the food budget is nill! Anyone with me on that one?

So, I propose a little challenge for December. A pantry challenge is using your existing food stores and resources, your pantry, to make all of your meals. It is a challenge to not buy anything new from the grocery store to complete dinner from now until December 15, other than milk and fresh produce.

You can use anything from your freezer or pantry, so let's get creative. AND, count your savings! Blog about your menu and recipes, too, and let's encourage one another. Please blog about joining the challenge with a link back here, and sign up under MckLinky. Then, leave a comment. Woo hoo!

Thanksgiving Firsts

Well, this was a Thanksgiving full of firsts for me.

My dear husband loves to cook and has made Thanksgiving dinner for us every year he's been home. I help with the menu, shopping, prep work, coordinate the table, and act as sous-chef. The years Mikey wasn't around to cook, I would haven eaten dinner at my parents (when they were alive) or at Mike mom's Karen's house. We've even had Thanksgiving on a different day to allow Mike the pleasure of cooking - that was the plan this year, too, but that didn't work for the girls' schedule this year.

NEVER have I had to cook the whole dinner, since Mike's work schedule did NOT have a window of time where we could eat as a family. So, all the kids came and then we ended up meeting his city bus and brought him a plate full of dinner during his 2o-minute break at a bus stop.

Here was the menu:

Golden Roasted Turkey with Maple Glaze, Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove Cookbook
Mashed Potatoes made with cream cheese
Apple and Sausage Stuffing
Green Bean Casserole
Butternut Squash Casserole
Green Salad
Deviled Eggs
Tuna Cream Cheese Dip
Cranberry Orange Relish, blend of my mom's recipe and the Cedar Cove Cookbook
Yeast Rolls, Hillbilly Housewife
Chocolate Delight

Wow, I did it! I didn't realize how much food there was until I wrote it out. I also didn't realize exactly how much WORK it is. I told the kids they had to be sure their dad knew his cooking was better ! (No way do I want this job regularly!)

Anyhoo ... this was the very FIRST time I made a yeast dough. Were they perfect? No, but I did it! I wish I'd let them rise longer but I have this really bad habit of following the recipe exactly the first time and the recipe said to have them rise for one hour. Next time, I'll wait for them to double.

The turkey .. I've known how to make one but never actually done it myself. It was delish, too. I was severely tempted to put a foil bikini on ours but resisted. Only Mike would have appreciated it, anyway.

The relish ... my mom made homemade cranberry sauce every Thanksgiving. I didn't appreciate it as a child (so tart) but I really like sauce now. And, I was sad because I didn't get the recipe from my mom before she died. So, I found a recipe I liked in the Cedar Cove cookbook, tweaked it some and it tasted really good. Then, when we served it again today at our second Thanksgiving (that Mike DID cook - but both girls had to work and couldn't come home), Karen told me Mom gave the recipe to her and it's actually in the self-published Kastrup family cookbook that we're getting as Christmas presents. I just looked it up and it's different than I expected. I might stick with my new version.

Shawnee's Cranberry-Orange Relish
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
Zest of one orange
1 12-oz bag fresh cranberries
1/3 cup dried cranberries, cherry flavored
1/4 cup Grand Marnier or orange juice
1/4 cup roasted hazelnuts, chopped
Pinch salt

In heavy saucepan, combine sugar, water, orange juice and orange zest. Bring to simmer over high heat until sugar dissolves. Add cranberries; reduce heat and cook at gentle simmer until cranberries begin to pop. Smash the cranberries with the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and stir in dried cherry-cranberries, Grand Marnier, hazelnuts, and salt. Transfer sauce to medium bowl; let cool. Cover and refrigerate until cold.


Cedar Cove Cranberry-Orange Relish
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup orange juice
1 12-oz bag fresh cranberries
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup Grand Marnier or orange juice
Pinch salt

In heavy saucepan, combine sugar, water and orange juice. Bring to simmer over high heat until sugar dissolves. Add cranberries; reduce heat and cook at gentle simmer until cranberries begin to pop. Remove from heat and stir in dried cranberries, Grand Marnier or OJ, and salt. Transfer sauce to medium bowl; let cool. Cover and refrigerate until cold.

Mom's Cranberry-Orange Relish
2 oranges
2 cups fresh cranberries
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup walnuts

Grind all in a blender, including the peel of the oranges. Refrigerate.

Baking Gals - Sign Up NOW

Here are some pictures from the last Round (and still blurry from a cell phone - sorry). We made it a family baking day with me, my husband and 10-yo daughter baking our hearts out.


This first picture is of cookies that we determined too fragile to ship - Chocolate-Cherry Bar Cookies with Hazelnuts. Quite delicious! The recipe is from America's Test Kitchen.

For our box, we made Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookies, Peanut Butter cookies, and Chocolate Chip Biscotti - about 10 dozen total.

Here's our goodie box, all packed up!

I hope you decide to join a team and cook for a member of the military this Christmas!

Mama's Cauliflower Spaghetti

Last week, I made a recipe from my childhood that I haven't eaten in years. My mama was raised in an Italian neighborhood of New York, and she picked up lots of yummy recipes that I managed to learn through osmosis. It's a simple, vegetarian meal that I loved more and more the older I got.

Cauliflower Spaghetti:

1 large or two small heads of cauliflower
small yellow onion, diced
2 cloves/2 tsp minced garlic
1 lb. spaghetti (I used multi-grain)
olive oil
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon salt

Preheat oven to 400. Rinse and divide the cauliflower into flowerets, place on a silpat-lined baking sheet, brush with olive oil and put the pan in to roast (around 20-25 minutes. (If I'm in a hurry, I've also just boiled the cauliflower and pasta at the same time, veggie first, but roasted tastes better.)

While waiting for the cauliflower, fill a large stockpot with water, then add the salt and glug of oil; prepare pasta as directed. DO NOT overcook noodles. Next, in a large skillet, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil. Add one or two ladles of the pasta water to the skillet; drain the spaghetti and add pasta to the saute. Remove the roasted cauliflower and add to the pan, too. Mix in the Parmesan cheese and more olive oil if dry, and ENJOY!!

Fun Four-Day Weekend

My goodness, this past weekend has been a blur. I also received several amazing swap packages, mailed off quite a few and still have a couple to finish. Thank you Suzee, Jennifer, Terri, Angie, and Joey. Pictures and details to follow!!

Here's a quick overview of the weekend:

Thursday started off with T's student-led parent/teacher conference. She's doing quite well and was so proud of her recent math test where she had the highest score in the class (a first). So fun! We also made and delivered a meal of baked enchiladas to a Sherwood family from our church who is experiencing some medical problems.

Friday, three of us girls plus Molly puppy went to the coast. It was a GORGEOUS day! Absolutely amazing and we had a spectacular time on the beach and doing a little shopping - I love my kiddos.

Saturday, I attended a terrific discipleship training at church by Muriel Cook (Kitchen Table Counselor) while T's big sis played with her AND sat at the Girl Scout cookie booth, too. BONUS points for Tess! Then, Mike had a surprise evening off and we watched a RedBox movie after T went to bed.


Sunday, we DID set our clocks ahead but I was still running slow getting the nursery worker treats made and we arrived at church by the skin of our teeth. On a happy note, the recipe I had to heavily modify was well received (see below) AND I got a nap, which I desperately needed. Unfortunately, it had me in slow-mo for the rest of the day and I still have a really long to-do list. And, next week is chock full of evening activities .... [sigh]

Black-Bottom Banana Bars
A bit like chocolate-banana bread...

½ cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract (I used almond extract)
1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas (I used applesauce)
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9x13" pan. In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar and cream together. Add egg and vanilla and beat until thoroughly combined. Blend in bananas. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture and mix well. Divide the batter in half. Add the cocoa to ½ the batter. Spread the cocoa batter into the prepared pan. Spoon remaining batter on top and swirl it with a knife. Bake 25 minutes, or until bars test done (toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean).

Yield: 3 dozen

What's Karen Cooking?

My mother-in-love, Karen, is an amazing cook and baker. Truly. She taught Mike since he was a rug rat and HE'S an amazing cook, too. Me, I didn't learn how until years after we were married and I am more efficient than delicious or adventurous though I try.

In addition to making yummy food, she's EXTREMELY frugal. That woman can stretch a dollar more than anyone else on the planet. So, I asked her to start sending me what she's made for dinner so I can share with YOU. I know money is tight everywhere, and one of the biggest areas we gals have control over is the food budget. Karen meals are from scratch so you know exactly what's in 'em and very budget friendly.

Here's what was for dinner a few nights ago, directions in her own words:

Danish Chicken with Asparagus

You cook a whole chicken in four cups of water and cook the asparagus in a little water until tender crisp. Keep the asparagus water. When the chicken is done I take the skin off and break into pieces but you can leave in whole pieces too. I put the asparagus water into the broth. Use 3 Tablespoons of flour and two egg yolks to thicken the broth. I put all together in a casserole dish and put in the oven to heat til bubbly. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Whole chicken $4.69
Asparagus $1.99
Medium Onion, Flour, Eggs and Potatoes on hand