Today has been all about food here!! I was on a roll and it was (is) FUN!!!
I decided to pull out my food dehydrator and figure it out since I have several bags of organic red delicious apples in the basement from the last food auction. They are close to going bad and I don't want to lose more money. They turned out beautifully!!! So awesome to make a favorite (healthy) treat all on my own. I also threw some grapes int here. They are half way done. While I had the dehydrator open to pull off the apples I decided to try making yogurt leather too. We'll see what happens. I used half blueberry, half strawberry Greek yogurt.
I also made my perfected banana chocolate bread recipe into muffins. I am finally completely happy with the recipe AND I use whole wheat flour but it doesn't even taste like it. Instead of putting the oat/brown sugar/butter streusel on it I sprinkled oats and a tiny bit of raw sugar on top. PERFECT!!!!
I also made Dave brownies since he commented late last night that he wished he had made brownies like he had thought of doing. I used Betty Crocker premium chocolate chunk brownies for the last time. They are super yummy and gooey and chocolatey deliciousness but it is time to embark on finding the perfect homemade brownie - HFCS(high fructose corn syrup or whatever they are calling it these days) free. I usually just doctor up boxed mixes because I never like the homemade recipes I try. They are always just kinda blah. Although I just checked my favorite boxed mix - Pillsbury. They still use plain old sugar(Who knew they could be AS good??!!! I actually like them better than BC). However, since the days of free brownie mix seem to be drawing to a close I still need to find a good recipe.
Finally, I have a friend who very graciously gave me her bread machine that was collecting dust(??) in her home. Today it is kicking off it's debut in its new home. Since I never do things by the book and I didn't have bread flour, OR all purpose flour, I substituted homemade oat flour. We'll see if it works.
Thankfully we have leftover chicken soup and salad from the last few nights' meals so dinner has an appointment with the microwave.
**Edited to add - the bread turned out great. I can only shake my head in amazement. I really though it wouldn't turn out.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Trying New Things: Dinner
I tried out 2 new recipes today. Both were a hit!!! Dave is not a huge "soup person" and he loved it. We had cauliflower soup, organic brown basmatti rice, and chicken oreganato.
Recipe 1 - Cauliflower Soup, from Pioneer Woman
I changed it up a bit. I used beef broth in place of chicken broth. Then I used 1 3/4 cup skim milk and 1/4 cup heavy cream for the whole milk. Instead of 1 cup half and half I used 3/4 cup heavy cream. I also skipped the sour cream. The recipe made enough for tonight's "veggie" and lunch for tomorrow for Dave, Kieran, and I.
The rice turned out the best rice has ever turned out for me. I adapted a trick online where you bring the rice to a boil then simmer it 5 minutes without doing anything to it. I simmered it for 30 minutes and it was done perfectly. Maybe I had a smaller amount than they used. Either way, I added some freshly made butter (like 5 minutes old) and a dash of salt and we were set.
The chicken oreganato is actually from my new recipe book that I have been reading at night. Yeah, literally. I have told my husband about 10 times that I couldn't wait to try it. It is "Don't Panic, More Dinner is in the Freezer. I bought it at Borders for, oh, maybe $3. I guess I can thank the college girl who needed to educate her guy friend on what Kegels are and how they help your sex life, in very descriptive terminology in Borders, in the cookbook section, in front of my 8 year old son. Seriously, I don't know why her reading off cookbook names had to changes from Kugels to Kegels. Anyway, her reading off the name of the book that is now ALL MINE, and proclaiming "how dumb it is. Why would anyone want that" is what brought my attention to it. Girl, little do you know that someday those Kegels might lead to "the best sex you ever had"(another thing she alluded to) and in turn, end you up with a darn good reason to have some dinners in the freezer.
Ok, so here's the recipe, just in case you ever need "dinner in a hurry".
Chicken Oreganato
6 Servings
3 # cut up chicken pieces
4 medium potatoes cut into chunks
4 roma or plum tomatoes
1 large onion cut into medium chunks
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh oregano, coarsely chopped
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. freshly ground pepper
In large bowl combine chicken and vegetables. Add oil, salt, pepper, and oregano. Stir until chicken and vegetables are evenly coated. Place chicken and vegetables in freezer bag and freeze.
Thaw completely, Preheat oven to 50 degrees. Place chicken and vegetables in large roasting pan, making sure chicken is skin side up and resting on top of the vegetables. Roast until chicken juices run clear, appr. 1 - 1 1/2 hours.
Ok, so, do you think I actually followed this?? No, but I will next time. It was very good with the time and ingredients I had. I had to use the chicken up fast. I was actually afraid that the difference in last night and this morning would be the difference in good and bad chicken. I put the chicken in a pan with onion but no other veggies, drizzled the oil over and then appr. 1/8 cup dried oregano. Covered the dish with foil and baked it over night, 11 PM to appr. 5:15 AM on 200 degrees. Dave pulled it out and put it in the fridge before he left for work. This evening I put it in the oven at 375, covered with foil. It cooked while the rice cooked and was heated when the rice was done (30'ish minutes. It was so good and moist. We loved this also.
Recipe 1 - Cauliflower Soup, from Pioneer Woman
I changed it up a bit. I used beef broth in place of chicken broth. Then I used 1 3/4 cup skim milk and 1/4 cup heavy cream for the whole milk. Instead of 1 cup half and half I used 3/4 cup heavy cream. I also skipped the sour cream. The recipe made enough for tonight's "veggie" and lunch for tomorrow for Dave, Kieran, and I.
The rice turned out the best rice has ever turned out for me. I adapted a trick online where you bring the rice to a boil then simmer it 5 minutes without doing anything to it. I simmered it for 30 minutes and it was done perfectly. Maybe I had a smaller amount than they used. Either way, I added some freshly made butter (like 5 minutes old) and a dash of salt and we were set.
The chicken oreganato is actually from my new recipe book that I have been reading at night. Yeah, literally. I have told my husband about 10 times that I couldn't wait to try it. It is "Don't Panic, More Dinner is in the Freezer. I bought it at Borders for, oh, maybe $3. I guess I can thank the college girl who needed to educate her guy friend on what Kegels are and how they help your sex life, in very descriptive terminology in Borders, in the cookbook section, in front of my 8 year old son. Seriously, I don't know why her reading off cookbook names had to changes from Kugels to Kegels. Anyway, her reading off the name of the book that is now ALL MINE, and proclaiming "how dumb it is. Why would anyone want that" is what brought my attention to it. Girl, little do you know that someday those Kegels might lead to "the best sex you ever had"(another thing she alluded to) and in turn, end you up with a darn good reason to have some dinners in the freezer.
Ok, so here's the recipe, just in case you ever need "dinner in a hurry".
Chicken Oreganato
6 Servings
3 # cut up chicken pieces
4 medium potatoes cut into chunks
4 roma or plum tomatoes
1 large onion cut into medium chunks
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh oregano, coarsely chopped
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. freshly ground pepper
In large bowl combine chicken and vegetables. Add oil, salt, pepper, and oregano. Stir until chicken and vegetables are evenly coated. Place chicken and vegetables in freezer bag and freeze.
Thaw completely, Preheat oven to 50 degrees. Place chicken and vegetables in large roasting pan, making sure chicken is skin side up and resting on top of the vegetables. Roast until chicken juices run clear, appr. 1 - 1 1/2 hours.
Ok, so, do you think I actually followed this?? No, but I will next time. It was very good with the time and ingredients I had. I had to use the chicken up fast. I was actually afraid that the difference in last night and this morning would be the difference in good and bad chicken. I put the chicken in a pan with onion but no other veggies, drizzled the oil over and then appr. 1/8 cup dried oregano. Covered the dish with foil and baked it over night, 11 PM to appr. 5:15 AM on 200 degrees. Dave pulled it out and put it in the fridge before he left for work. This evening I put it in the oven at 375, covered with foil. It cooked while the rice cooked and was heated when the rice was done (30'ish minutes. It was so good and moist. We loved this also.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Islander Pork: Recipe and Review
http://giveawayblogdom.com/2011/09/islander-pork/
We had this for dinner the other night. It is really simple. I made it even easier. I put the raw roast in the crock pot and then followed the rest of the steps minus the nutmeg since I didn't have any. Seriously, who doesn't have nutmeg? Well, after dumping my nutmeg the other month and being too cheap to pay THEYWANTHOWMUCHFORTHAT?! I have none. Oh well. I added whole small potatoes and baby carrots - no peeling, no chopping!!!
It was in the crock pot on high for 6-8 hours. I wish I could tell you what time exactly but your lucky I even remembered we ate this week.
It was really good but next time I will thicken the juices like it suggests at the end. That wold add a richer flavor to it. Because I made it in the crock pot it was very tender and moist. I will definitely make this recipe again.
We had this for dinner the other night. It is really simple. I made it even easier. I put the raw roast in the crock pot and then followed the rest of the steps minus the nutmeg since I didn't have any. Seriously, who doesn't have nutmeg? Well, after dumping my nutmeg the other month and being too cheap to pay THEYWANTHOWMUCHFORTHAT?! I have none. Oh well. I added whole small potatoes and baby carrots - no peeling, no chopping!!!
It was in the crock pot on high for 6-8 hours. I wish I could tell you what time exactly but your lucky I even remembered we ate this week.
It was really good but next time I will thicken the juices like it suggests at the end. That wold add a richer flavor to it. Because I made it in the crock pot it was very tender and moist. I will definitely make this recipe again.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
What an Adventure...
Ha! But not one I really wished to take. Our car battery stopped working. Of course, right before a hurricane was suppose to hit. We left it at Wawa(gas station) overnight and the next day we went back with a new battery from Wal Mart. You really see how nosy people are when you are standing in a gas station parking lot trying to change a battery. I stood there holding a huge musty smelling black umbrella while Dave tried to get the battery out in the rain and wind that started kicking up, a precursor to what later made it appear to be a slight breeze.
Well, that battery lasted 3 days. I got a call from Dabve at 5:50AM asking if I could pick him up from right up the road and take him to work. Fun times. Obviously there was something else wrong with the car. We both thought alternator. Not like we have ever had car problems before. That was sarcasm in case you didn't catch it. (I'm thinking of you Aunt Sylvia and the time you let us borrow your car. Oh, and the time Chuck and Jan let us borrow their boat....and the time....and the time...) It's been quite a few years since "those days".
We finally figured out "how to jump start your car" amid dire warnings of battery explosions, acid burns, frying your car, you name it. We were able to get it home thankfully. Anyway, so we called the mechanic we like to use - we buy the parts and pay $50 an hour. He usually fits us right in and we are golden. However, our mechanic is approximately 16 miles away. I am laughing now. Most of the trip is highway which is great - there's a wide berm IF the car dies. Which, you know, is quite likely. I prayed so hard!!! Yeah, right. We were about 6 miles away and he coasts off the side of the highway. THE HIGHWAY!!! Dave pulled into the grass so I could pull up next to him and he jump started the car AGAIN and much more quickly this time Thank God!! I was, of course, imagining all sorts of horribleness like some tractor trailer blowing by us so fast he flipped the car or someone hitting the van, then knocking into the car and hitting Dave and of course, everything blowing up from the cars charging and something going horrible wrong.
Thankfully it was over in no time and 5 minutes later we were exiting the highway. Of course it was busy and uphill and wouldn't you know, there was another car off the exit, hood up. I saw Dave starting to gesture with his arms just as the car I started jerking. He made it around the corner and amazingly, a few driveways down, where we needed to go. We both fit into the driveway and the car stopped. I started laughing. Seriously, we made it!!! Apparently he put it in neutral as soon as we got off the exit because it had completely died, and coasted down the slight slope to where we needed to go.
Now we are just waiting for a phone call to say the car is ready....I'm worried. It was suppose to be ready about 20 minutes ago.
Well, that battery lasted 3 days. I got a call from Dabve at 5:50AM asking if I could pick him up from right up the road and take him to work. Fun times. Obviously there was something else wrong with the car. We both thought alternator. Not like we have ever had car problems before. That was sarcasm in case you didn't catch it. (I'm thinking of you Aunt Sylvia and the time you let us borrow your car. Oh, and the time Chuck and Jan let us borrow their boat....and the time....and the time...) It's been quite a few years since "those days".
We finally figured out "how to jump start your car" amid dire warnings of battery explosions, acid burns, frying your car, you name it. We were able to get it home thankfully. Anyway, so we called the mechanic we like to use - we buy the parts and pay $50 an hour. He usually fits us right in and we are golden. However, our mechanic is approximately 16 miles away. I am laughing now. Most of the trip is highway which is great - there's a wide berm IF the car dies. Which, you know, is quite likely. I prayed so hard!!! Yeah, right. We were about 6 miles away and he coasts off the side of the highway. THE HIGHWAY!!! Dave pulled into the grass so I could pull up next to him and he jump started the car AGAIN and much more quickly this time Thank God!! I was, of course, imagining all sorts of horribleness like some tractor trailer blowing by us so fast he flipped the car or someone hitting the van, then knocking into the car and hitting Dave and of course, everything blowing up from the cars charging and something going horrible wrong.
Thankfully it was over in no time and 5 minutes later we were exiting the highway. Of course it was busy and uphill and wouldn't you know, there was another car off the exit, hood up. I saw Dave starting to gesture with his arms just as the car I started jerking. He made it around the corner and amazingly, a few driveways down, where we needed to go. We both fit into the driveway and the car stopped. I started laughing. Seriously, we made it!!! Apparently he put it in neutral as soon as we got off the exit because it had completely died, and coasted down the slight slope to where we needed to go.
Now we are just waiting for a phone call to say the car is ready....I'm worried. It was suppose to be ready about 20 minutes ago.
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