2008 Christmas Dinner

Christmas Dinner this year was just our family. Our extended family couldn't make it over with the snow and ice on the roads. We had a delicious time by ourselves though. This year we had a brown sugar glazed ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, homemade cranberry sauce, beets (the unpickled kind), corn from our garden, beans from our garden, homemade stuffing, homemade rolls, homemade freezer jam and butter. For dessert we had apple pie, pumpkin pie and banana cream pie.

German Chocolate Cheesecake

German Chocolate Cheesecake
This recipe was made for Russell for his birthday. He loves German Chocolate Cake and he loves a good cheesecake. So why not combine them? I found a really super yummy recipe by Swan Valley Tammi at recipezaar. I used her cake recipe and my sister Lynda's Coconut Pecan Frosting recipe. It is very similar to the 'zaar recipe.

1 box German chocolate cake mix
2 8 oz each cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten

Prepare cake batter according to package directions; set aside. In a small mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar. Beat until smooth. Add eggs and beat just until combined.
Pour half the cake mixture into a greased 9x13 pan. Gently pour cream cheese mixture over batter. Gently spoon remaining batter over top, spreading to edge of pan.
Bake at 325 degrees F for 70-75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour.

Coconut Pecan/Walnut Frosting
1 12 oz can evaporated milk
3 egg yolks, beaten
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cubes butter or margarine
1 1/4 cups coconut
1 1/4 cups chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)
1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients in large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring often. Boil for about 8 minutes or until thickened. Cool then frost cake.
Store cake in the refrigerator.

Stir-Fried Shrimp and Mushrooms

This is another recipe I made for the December Aussie/NZ recipe swap 2008. The chef is NurseJaney from Maryland, USA. The ingredients are simple, the flavors are simple as well. I took the liberty of adding additional veggies as I was already making another stir-fry for the boys! They hate mushrooms - which was perfect for Russell and I! A stir-fry all to ourselves? Amazing!

Stir-Fried Shrimp and Mushrooms
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used thawed frozen shrimp - as I have never actually deveined them - I wouldn't know what to do....)
3 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 cup green onion, sliced
1/2 cup chicken broth
cooked rice

Saute garlic in oil. Add any hardy veggies like carrots, green bell pepper and zucchini. (This is what I added.) Saute for a little bit then add mushrooms and green onion. Add chicken broth and let the veggies kind of steam. I added the shrimp just before serving since it was already cooked. We served this with wild rice. So tasty!

Oreo Milk Shake

Oreo Milk Shake
I made this recipe as a pressie (Australian term for present) for the December 2008 Aussie/NZ recipe swap. The chef is Charlotte J in Iowa, USA. The original recipe calls for regular Oreos. I figure it's Christmas time. I used mint oreos and it went over really well! The possibilities....many!

12 oreo cookies (generic work just as well. I know.)
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups vanilla ice cream, softened
2 TBSP chocolate syrup

Chop or coarsely break cookies. Place milk, ice cream and chocolate syrup in blender container. Add chopped cookies and blend on high speed until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve immediately.

Serves: 4

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken
I love bacon. I was wanting something with bacon and chicken together and found this at taste of home. The boys weren't too keen on it - BUT Russell and I loved it! So - it's definitely a keeper at my house. The ingredients are very minimal too!

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 8 oz carton spreadable chive and onion cream cheese
6 bacon strips

Flatten chicken to 1/2 inch thick. Spread 3 TBSP cream cheese over each. Roll up chicken breasts. Wrap each roll-up with a bacon strip. Place, seam side down in a greased 9x13 pan. Bake, uncovered at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until juices run clear. Broil 6 inches from heat for 5 minutes or until bacon is as crispy as you like it.

Cashew & Pork Stir Fry

Cashew and Pork Stir-Fry
I had some pork in the freezer that needed to be used. I was searching on recipezaar for something to fit the bill. I came across this wonderful gem and will be making it often. I did add some changes like the chicken breast, celery, carrots and mushrooms. This recipe comes from Galley Wench in Mexico currently - on a sailboat in the Sea of Cortez.

2 lb pork tenderloin (I used 3/4 lb pork chops and 3/4 lb chicken breast)
8 TBSP soy sauce
3 TBSP cornstarch
1 cup cashew nuts (unsalted is preferred)
4 TBSP vegetable oil
1/4 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (use sparingly)
5 green onions, sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 tsp ground ginger
1 bell pepper, deseeded and sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 medium carrots, sliced
8 medium mushrooms, sliced
1 15 oz can chicken broth (I used 1 pint chicken stock)
1 TBSP dry parsley
hot cooked rice

Slice pork and chicken into 3/4 inch slices. Place in a ziploc bag. Add soy sauce and cornstarch. Knead the bag so the meat gets well coated with the soy sauce and cornstarch. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Heat skillet or wok until hot. Add cashews and dry-fry until toasted - it won't take long at all. Transfer to a bowl and save.
Add 2 TBSP oil to wok. Add meat with marinade sauce. Stir fry until meat is cooked. Add remaining ingredients except chicken stock,parsley and rice. Stir fry until veggies are done to your satisfaction. Add chicken stock. Bring to a boil and simmer until sauce thickens. Stir in toasted cashews and parsley. Serve over rice.

* Freshly cooked oriental noodles are called for in this recipe - but I didn't have any on hand.

Potato Chowder

I don't have a picture of this tasty cold weather chowder. So....when I make it again - I will be sure to take one to post. This recipe comes from Ellie at http://thisismydisease.com/ . She sent this recipe with some other ones to try. So far - this is the first. It's a very versatile recipe. I will post what she does and what I did. She likes to put hers in a crockpot.

Potato Chowder
3/4 bag frozen o'brien potatoes (I used mashed potatoes since I had a bunch that needed to be used)
1/4 cup onions, finely chopped
2 1/2 quarts chicken broth (I used my homecanned chicken stock)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup powdered milk
1 tsp black pepper or to taste (I would use less then add more later)
1/2 tsp cayenne or to taste (I would use less then add more later)
2/3 tsp sea salt (I used regular as I don't have sea salt)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp hot sauce (I opted out on this one)
1/3 bag carrots, shredded (I used frozen carrots I ran through the mini processor - about 1 cup)
6 oz cream cheese, cubed and at room temp. (I used the whole 8 oz brick)
1/3 cup sour cream
12 oz broccoli florettes, steamed in bag (I used fresh and chopped them up)
4 oz cooked bacon (I love bacon so used more than 4 oz) :)

Sour cream, cheddar cheese, chives for garnish

Place first 10 ingredients in a 6 quart crock pot. Set temperature to low for crockpot and cook for 4 hours. Increase temperature to high and add carrots. Cook 2 hours. Remove as many of the solid potatoes as you want. Mash and return to crockpot with cream cheese and sour cream. Reduce temperature to low. Cook for 1 hour. Steam broccoli according to package directions. Add broccoli and bacon. Cook for 1 hour on low. Serve with sour cream, cheese and chives.

**I combined everything in a large Dutch oven and simmered until heated through. Certainly very tasty. The kids like dunking french bread in their soups/chowders and this one was no exception!

Pizza Casserole

Pizza Casserole
Who doesn't like pizza? Okay - I know there are people who do - but I am not acquainted with any of them. I like this casserole because of the possibilities. I got it from Taste of Home and the boys loved it so much they took it to school the next day for lunch!

3 cups uncooked spiral pasta
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 can (8 oz) mushroom stems and pieces, drained (why not use fresh ones....)
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 14 oz jar pizza sauce
3 oz tomato paste
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 3.5 oz pkg sliced pepperoni
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (I just have the kind in the canister. If you have fresh...by all means use it...)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet or dutch oven - cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in mushrooms, tomato sauce, pizza sauce, tomato paste, sugar and seasonings. Drain pasta, stir into meat mixture.
Put half of the pasta mixture in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Add 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Layer half of the pepperoni. Repeat layers starting with the pasta and ending with the pepperoni. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over casserole. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10-15 minutes longer.

**I like the possibilities. If you like meat on your pizzas - add more meat to your layers. If you only like veggies - leave out the meat and add veggies to your heart's content. If you only are a cheese pizza kind of person - just leave out the meat and veggies altogether!

Dilly Rolls

I made the below recipe into a french style loaf for the 2012 Tillamook County Fair.  I entered it into the Bob's Red Mill Baking Contest and it won a blue ribbon!  I used all the below ingredients except for the flour.  I had to use two of Bob's flours to make the recipe so I chose his Unbleached White Flour and his specialty Oat Flour and used a combination of both.  Because I won the blue ribbon - I also won a $100 gift certificate to use either online or at a Bob's Red Mill store!  

Dilly Rolls
The first time I had Dilly bread was on my mission in Texas. A lady named Holly had made some in her bread machine. I was hooked. I've had this recipe for quite some time but haven't ever made them. After making them and the kids scarfing them down as quickly as they did - I wonder what took me so long! Donovan likes these rolls to use as sandwichs for a ham sandwich.

2 cups small curd cottage cheese
2 TBSP butter or margarine
2 TBSP yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
2 TBSP dried minced onion
2 TBSP dill weed
1 TBSP salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
5 cups flour

In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook cottage cheese and butter until butter is melted. Cool slightly. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add eggs, sugar, onion, dill, salt, baking soda and cottage cheese mixture. Add 3 cups flour; beat until smooth. Add enough extra flour to form a soft non-sticky dough. Place in a greased bowl turning once. Cover and let rise until double - about 1 hour. Form into 24 balls and place on greased cookie sheet. Cover and let rise until double - about 45 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

**I use my non-stick cookie sheet and don't spray that.

Disney's Monterey Clam Chowder

This very tasty recipe comes from participating in the November Aussie/NZ recipe swap. TasteTester is the chef and she comes from Florida. She says she got this recipe from the "Disney Magazine." The Pacfic Wharf Cafe in Disneyland makes this chowder and this is one of their most requested recipes.

My kids ate all of their dinner last night. I am wondering if it was because the word "Disney" was in the title of the recipe! I did make a couple changes like increasing the veggies and adding additional flavor.

Disney's Monterey Clam Chowder
5 TBSP butter
5 TBSP flour
2 TBSP vegetable oil
3 cups red potatoes, cubed
3/4 cup diced onion
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup celery
1 cup clam juice
1 pint chicken stock
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup chopped clam (next time I will use 2 cans drained, minced clams)
1/2 TBSP dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1 pinch white pepper
3/4 tsp tabasco sauce (I will decrease this next time. It does give a kick.)

Melt butter in a saucepan and add flour to make a roux. I added part of the chicken stock to this. Stir often and set aside.
In a large pot, heat the oil. Saute the potatoes, onion peppers and celery over medium heat until the potatoes are just barely tender. Add cream, clams thyme, salt, pepper, tabasco sauce and roux. Whisk well to blend.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer - stirring often. Add more seasoning to taste. I added some garlic salt and celery salt.
We had this with homemade french bread for a very satisfying meal.

Cranberry Sauce

I love cranberry sauce. I don't like big huge chunky pieces in my sauce and yet I don't like it all pureed either. So - I make my own. It's very easy to do.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce
2 qts cranberries (2 bags from the store)
3 1/4 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups water

Place the sugar and water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes.

Simmer your lids.

Pick through the cranberries. I have 2 quarts here. I used two packaged bags from the produce section at the store.

After the sugar water has boiled for 5 minutes add in the cranberries.

Give a quick stir and take out the spoon.

Without further stirring - let everything come to a boil. You will hear popping sounds as the skins break on the cranberries. This is good. You want this to happen. This process will take about 5-10 minutes.

Since I don't like chunks in my cranberry sauce I get out the potato masher.

I start smashing the berries until it is the consistency I want. Basically it's broken berries and not pure sauce or pure whole berries. Personal preference. You make yours the way you like.

Start filling your jars. Leave 1/2 inch headspace. I like to use pints and half pints. You can use quart jars as well.

Using your handy lid tongs - start putting the lids on your jars.

Next - screw on the bands.

Place your jars in/on your canner. I am using my steamer canner this time. Waterbath canners are another way to go to. Process for 15 minutes adjusting time for your altitude.

This batch of cranberry sauce gives me 2 pints and 4 half pints. I can't wait for the holidays!

Taco Soup

This recipe belongs to my Grandma Stone. It is perfect for a dreary, drizzly, rainy Oregon day!

Taco Soup

1 - 1 1/2 lb ground turkey or hamburger
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup red or green pepper, chopped
3 cups water
1 qt tomato sauce
1 qt stewed tomatoes
1 qt pinto beans
1 pint corn, drained
1 pkg taco seasoning mix

Brown turkey and add onion and peppers to saute. Add remaining ingredients and heat through. Serve with tortilla chips. May also add cheese, sour cream and guacomole.

**This does very well in the crockpot simmering all day.
**Freezer friendly.

Lasagna Soup

I was on the prowl for a tasty soup/stew I could make in the crockpot that we haven't had before. My father-in-law and brother-in-law were over working on Russell's car and I had cub scouts to do. I needed something that I could make during the day and leave for a few hours to simmer. I've seen this recipe several times on recipezaar's Aussie/NZ recipe swap and the pictures people took were so outstanding! The chef is Seasoned Cook from Eastern North Carolina.
Just before we served this tasty soup.
Christopher said this soup was Amazing! Michael took it to school for lunch the next day.

Lasagna Soup

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1 onion, chopped

28 oz chicken broth (I used my homecanned chicken broth)

28 oz diced tomatoes (I used my homecanned tomatoes)

15 oz tomato sauce (I ran a pint jar of tomatoes through the blender to make sauce)

2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (I only had the non-grated kind)

1 1/2 cups lasagna noodles, broken (I used the kind that don't have to cook first)

2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

In large 5 qt saucepan - brown meat and onion. Drain. Put in 5-6 quart crockpot. Add remaining ingredients except lasagna noodles and mozzarella cheese. Two hours before serving add broken lasagna noodles. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. We loved this with garlic bread.

**This makes awesome leftovers! I bet it would freeze well too. There wasn't any left to find out.

Pumpkin Bread

We first had this tasty fall quick bread when Russell was attending Brigham Young University. I have found it's a great way to use a portion of all the pumpkin I canned last fall. And it's pretty healthy as it uses applesauce instead of vegetable oil. Sometimes I add mini chocolate chips and nuts to the batter. I didn't this time. The kids like to take mini loaves of these to their teachers.
This bread also freezes very well if you like to make double batches like I just did because you have many mouths to feed. Not that it will last very long - even in the freezer!

Pumpkin Bread
1 cup applesauce
4 beaten eggs
2 cups pumpkin, pureed
3 cups sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking soda
3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
handful chocolate chips, optional
chopped nuts, optional
Combine all ingredients in a large mix. Mix very well. Pour into loaf pans. (2-3 large pans. Can also use mini-loaf pans.) Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour then test for doneness. May need additional cooking time. Enjoy!

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

I was at WinCo yesterday stocking up on essentials in their bulk section. I love the bulk section! I came across a wild rice mixture so bought just enough to try. I knew I had saved this recipe and today was the time to make it! This recipe comes from recipezaar and the chef is Juenessa. This is a thick hearty soup and one we will be making often!
Chicken Wild Rice Soup
2 quarts chicken broth
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, chopped (this was the only item left out)
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp chicken bouillon granules (I ended up with 4 tsp. Personal preference)
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup flour
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
3 cups cooked wild rice
2 cups cubed cooked chicken

In a dutch oven melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in chicken broth. Add vegetables, bouillon and spices. Reduce heat and simmer until veggies are done. Add cream soup, rice and chicken. Heat through and serve with your favorite bread. We enjoyed this with homemade biscuits. It will be awesome in school lunches on Monday!

Canning Venison

The procedure for canning venison comes from the University of Georgia Extension. This procedure can be applied to a variety of meats such as bear, beef, elk, pork, sausage, veal and venison.
You want to choose quality chilled meat. Obviously if you are the hunter there isn't going to be a deer waiting near a freezer for you. Remove excess fat and soak strong-flavored wild meat for 1 hour in a brine consisting of 1 tablespoon salt/quart of water ratio. Rinse and remove large bones.

There are two ways to can meat. You can hot pack or raw pack. Raw pack is easy. Fill jars with raw meat leaving 1 inch head space. Add 2 tsp salt per quart. Process 75 minutes pints/90 minutes quarts at appropriate altitude.

Today we are going to hot pack. I've done raw pack many times and wanted a change. I am canning the venision and thought it might help with the flavor. This actually was a good experience for me as this deer has great flavor. Almost a roast beef flavor. Much to my family's happiness. We aren't big game fans. But I didn't want to say no to something free!
If you are not so lucky to have someone do the butchering for you - well roll up your sleeves and get to work. Here in the bag are 2 hindquarters, backstrap and a couple other cuts. I have no idea what they were.
I was wondering how long it would actually take to carve up this slab of meat. It didn't take as long as I thought it would. I wasn't aiming for steaks, roasts, etc. I just cubed the whole thing for the meat size I would use for stew.
And I don't think I could get anything else off the bone.

I did freeze some of the bounty. This bowl is what we are working with today. We are canning it.

According to the University of Georgia instructions for a hot pack we need to do the following...precook the meat until rare. There are various methods such as roasting, stewing or browning in a small amount of fat. I chose the browning in fat method. My fat of choice is bacon fat. I browned all the meat in batches and filled 8 quart jars.
Jars filled with hot browned meat. I haven't added any liquid just yet.
For precooked meat add 1 teaspoon salt per quart. The following may be added - boiling broth, meat drippings (I didn't have any), water, or tomato juice. Leave 1 inch headspace. I chose boiling water. Which I didn't take a picture of. Fill jars with the water, put on lids, screw on bands and put in pressure canner.
I have only quarts so I processed for 90 minutes at 10 lb pressure in my weighted-gauge cannner. Don't forget to let your canner vent for the required time.
The finished product. I will use this venison for stew, in a gravy over mashed potatoes and drain- heat and add bbq sauce for bbq sandwiches. We aren't adventurous in our venison usage just yet.

Stew and Homemade Rolls

These rolls won a red ribbon at the 2012 Tillamook County Fair!  The texture for some reason didn't turn out like the normally do.
These rolls. I love these rolls! It seems my mom made them every Sunday that I can remember for Sunday dinner. Maybe not every Sunday - but it sure seemed that's when we ate them. We have them at family reunions on her side of the family. Dinner is just not complete if we don't have mom's rolls. They are very light and fluffy and I dare you to eat just one.

Mom’s Rolls
2 cups hot water
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
2 TBSP yeast
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
6-7 cups flour
Dissolve sugar and salt in water. Add yeast. Let rest 10 minutes. Add egg and oil. Add flour. Make a smooth but elastic dough. Let rise until double (about an hour). Shape into rolls. Let rise 30 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Brush tops with butter.
Yield: 24 rolls
(This recipe can be halved. If you do that still use 1 egg.)
Stew.
You are probably thinking this is a beef stew. Well - it's a good guess but not correct. Remember the part of the deer I had to butcher the other day? Well today I seared about 2 cups of venison cubes in hot oil and 1/4 cup flour. While the meat was browning I mixed 1 package of brown gravy mix, 1 package of onion soup mix and 1/4 cup flour in a bowl. I sprayed my crockpot with veggie spray and added the meat. I added 2 cups water to the gravy/soup mix and mixed well. I poured that over the meat. I added 1/2 chopped onion, 2 carrots peeled and sliced, 2 celery stalks sliced and 2 cups diced potatoes. (I used one of the pint jars of potatoes that I canned last month.) I let all this goodness cook on low for about 6 hours. I tell you what. Russell thought I made the stew with beef. The deer meat was that good! I am so glad because I was a little apprehensive of eating it myself. My parents used to disguise venision in a handful of different ways and we always knew something was up. The meat just tasted "funny." There were hardly any leftovers - which Russell wants to take to work tomorrow for lunch.

Cashew Chicken

Nephi saw this recipe in one of my books and asked for it for dinner. It's okay if he didn't actually want to EAT it! Russell and I absolutely loved it as it is chalk full of mushrooms. We love mushrooms.
We had this with the Shredded Beef and Pepper Stir-fry so everyone could have a choice. I chose both because a) hungry, b) wanted both or c) both of the above.

Cashew Chicken
Marinade:
1 egg white
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1 1/4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Sauce:
1 cup chicken broth
2 TBSP soy sauce
1 TBSP rice vinegar
1 TBSP soy sauce

Vegetables:
1/2 cup cashews
8 oz white mushrooms
4 green onions
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1/2 tsp powdered ginger OR 1 TBSP peeled, minced fresh gingerroot

Marinade:
In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except chicken. Mix well. Add chicken. Mix to thoroughly coat chicken and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Sauce:
Mix all ingredients in smallish bowl and set aside.

Clean mushrooms, trim stems. Cut into quarters. Trim green onions and thinly slice.

In a heavy skillet or wok, heat 1 TBSP oil over med-high heat. Drain chicken; discard marinade. (If you are like me and forgot to - it will make the finished dish very runny. I somehow overlooked this little detail until I was typing this up.) Oops. Cook chicken, stirring occasionally, until it turns white. Add mushrooms and green onions to the chicken. Cook just until mushrooms reach desired doneness. Add sauce. Bring to a boil and cook until thickened. Add cashews.
Serve over rice.

Stir-Fried Shredded Beef with Peppers

I came across this recipe years ago. It is a family favorite. I don't make it often. When I do there are never any leftovers. I usually use 2-3 different colors of peppers but this time only used the green ones.

Stir-Fried Shredded Beef with Peppers
1 lb boneless beef sirloin or round steak
1 TBSP cornstarch
2 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
2 medium bell peppers
3 green onions
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp water
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
3 TBSP vegetable oil
1 tsp ground ginger
Trim fat from beef steak. Cut beef into very thin strips. Toss beef, 1 TBSP cornstarch, 2 tsp oil, the salt and pepper in ziploc bag. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Cut bell peppers into thin strips. Cut green onions into 1 inch pieces. Mix 2 tsp cornstarch, water, soy sauce and sesame oil. Set aside. Heat skillet or wok until very hot. Add 3 TBSP vegetable oil; rotate skillet to coat bottom. Add beef and ginger. Stir-fry 1 minute or until meat is browned. Add bell peppers; stir-fry 1 minute. Stir in cornstarch mixture; cook and stir 15 seconds or until thickened. Stir in green onions. Serve over hot rice.
Serves: 4-5

Sandwich Wraps

We had these for dinner tonight. The idea comes from Happyfrog in Oregon. I changed some things in her recipe to make it work for us. I put everything out on the table and let everyone create their own wraps. It was a huge hit! Russell is even taking one to work tomorrow for lunch. I was impressed as I associate wraps as being "girly" lunches.

Sandwich Wraps (per person)
desired amount of leaf lettuce
shredded carrot
2 strips of bacon, cooked and chopped
dash of garlic powder
1/2 cup softened cream cheese
1/4 cup ranch dressing
mustard
lunch meat, your choice
2 slices favorite cheese
1 burrito size tortilla

Mix cream cheese, garlic powder and ranch dressing very well. Add enough mustard to add color. Spread mixture on tortilla peanut butter style. Next add lettuce, carrot, bacon, meat then cheese. Fold up bottom third of tortilla. Roll tortilla up starting on one side ending on the other.

*I didn't think these would be very filling - but one was enough for me! My filling choices were chicken for the meat and provolone for the cheese. :)

Chocolate "B" for Beet Cake

I found this recipe on recipezaar but have changed some things to make it work for me. It's a great disguise for people who don't like beets....which Michael and I have discovered we do...

Chocolate "B" for Beet Cake
2 cups beets, drained if canned - then pureed
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 1/3 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
5 cups flour
5 TBSP cocoa powder
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk

Thoroughly combine all ingredients. Spray 2 9x13 pans with vegetable spray. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes.
The frosting is actually from the Lemon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese frosting post. I omitted the lemon juice from the frosting and added some vanilla and milk. It worked really well.

Coconut and Caramel Bars

This recipe comes from recipezaar and the chef is Bev from Along the Potomac. This is ooey gooey yummy!

Coconut and Caramel Bars
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 cups shredded coconut, toasted and divided
30 caramel candies, unwrapped
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 TBSP milk or cream

Toast coconut. Spread coconut in a 9x13 pan. Bake in preheated 300 degree oven for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir half way through baking time.
Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl beat butter, sugar, vanilla and egg until well blended. Mix in flour, salt baking powder and 1 1/2 cups toasted coconut.
Spread mixture in a greased 9x13 pan. Bake 15 minutes.
Meanwhile melt 1/2 of the caramel in microwave. Drizzle melted caramel over baked crust and return to oven for 10-12 minutes or until medium brown and caramel is bubbly.
Remove crust from oven. Working quickly - loosen edges of the crust from the pan. Cut into bars while they are still warm.
Sprinkle bars with chocolate chips. Allow chocolate chips to soften about 5 minutes then spread evenly over bars. Set aside to cool completely.
Loosen the bars from the edge of the pan again and carefully remove. I placed mine on a cookie sheet lined with foil for easy cleanup.
Combine remaining caramel with 1 TBSP milk or cream and heat until caramel is melted. Stir to combine with the milk. Drizzle over bars. Garnish with reserved coconut.

Black Bean and Tortilla Bake

We thought this recipe was a great summertime one. Everyone loved the flavors. We served it over rice. Russell especially liked it and wants to know when we are having it again. This recipe comes from spatchcock on recipezaar. This person comes from the Mississippi area.

Black Bean and Tortilla Bake

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin powder

1 8oz can tomato sauce

1 16oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 TBSP chopped cilantro (I didn't have any so didn't use it)

salt and pepper to taste

12 soft corn tortillas

8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded, reserving 2 TBSP

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray. Add garlic, onions, tomato, green onion, cumin and chili powder. Cook on medium heat until onion is tender. Add tomato sauce and cook 5 minutes more.

Stir in beans, cilantro, salt and pepper.

Spray a 9 inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Layer 4 tortillas, 1/3 cheese, and 1/3 of the bean mixture; repeat 2 more times.

Top with reserved 2 TBSP of cheese.

Bake 20 minutes, covered, then 10 minutes uncovered or until bubbly.

Golden Coconut Crisps

These little gems come from the "joey" I got to adopt in the August Aussie/NZ recipe swap. My "joey" had to be someone from either New Zealand or Australia. I picked Jacqui from Oz. She lives in Australia. It's interesting to read ingredients from other countries. I will post her original and what it means to us in the USA! These are so yummy by the way.

Golden Coconut Crisps ( a very yummy cookie)
1 1/2 cups self rising flour (if you don't have self rising flour - use 1 1/2 cups all purpose and add 1/4 tsp salt and 1 tsp baking powder. this is what I did.)
1 tsp cinnamon
5 oz butter or margarine ( I used 1 stick - it's close enough)
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup caster sugar (granulated sugar)
1 TBSP golden syrup (corn syrup)
favorite jam

Combine flour, cinnamon coconut and sugar in large bowl. Melt butter and corn syrup together. Add to dry ingredients and mix well. Roll dough into balls, flatten out on cookie sheet and make hollows in the center. Fill hollows with jam. (not much jam is required)
Bake in 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Or until the bottoms are a light brown.

Lemon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I had some sisters on my visiting teaching route this past week that had birthdays. I thought that this would be perfect to surprise them with! I am not a fan of cream cheese frosting - but this one really takes the cake! No pun intended.

Russell and the boys were sad that there weren't more! The recipe comes from TasteTester who lives in Florida.

Lemon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

18 oz white cake mix

1 cup water

4 egg whites ( I just used 3 whole eggs)

2 TBSP vegetable oil

3 oz pkg lemon flavor instant pudding and pie filling

2 cups powdered sugar

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 TBSP lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cake mix with water, egg whites (or eggs) and oil. Add dry pudding mix and beat in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed until moistened. (Batter will be thick.) Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Spoon batter into paper-lined muffin tins. TasteTester says her recipe fills 24 muffin tins. I only got 18. But then I did fill the muffin tins rather full.

Bake 21-24 minutes or until cupcakes test done. Cool in pans 10 minutes then remove to wire racks. Cool completely.

Meanwhile; beat powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter and lemon juice with electric mixer on low speed until well blended. Frost cupcakes. Add sprinkles if you want too. I like to. It brings the kid out in me.