What you need:
2t chili powder
1/4t garlic powder
1/4t onion powder
1/8t cayenne pepper
1/4t dried oregano
1/2t paprika
1/2t cornstarch
1/2t granulated sugar
1t ground cumin
1t salt (I use garlic salt)
1/2t ground black pepper
What you do:
Mix well and add to one pound browned ground beef (or turkey)along with 1/2 to 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Yum! Or you can triple the recipe, store in an airtight container and use when needed.
I save my spice containers, wash them well and reuse.
If you prefer more spice, increase the cayenne pepper to 1/4-1/2 teaspoon.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Monday, May 5, 2014
Ham Spaghetti Pasta Salad~A Great Recipe For Leftover Spaghetti Noodles...
This is a great way to use up leftover spaghetti noodles and other items in your fridge.
What you need:
8oz. cooked spaghetti, cold
7T butter
3 cloves chopped garlic
1/2C chopped onion
8oz. broccoli, chopped-use frozen or fresh
1 6oz. can drained black olives, sliced
11/2-2C cooked chopped ham
1 can UNDRAINED artichoke hearts
What you do:
Melt butter in a large skillet. Add garlic, onion, broccoli, olives and ham. Sautee until onions are translucent. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with spaghetti and undrained artichoke hearts. Chill. Makes about 6 servings.
What you need:
8oz. cooked spaghetti, cold
7T butter
3 cloves chopped garlic
1/2C chopped onion
8oz. broccoli, chopped-use frozen or fresh
1 6oz. can drained black olives, sliced
11/2-2C cooked chopped ham
1 can UNDRAINED artichoke hearts
What you do:
Melt butter in a large skillet. Add garlic, onion, broccoli, olives and ham. Sautee until onions are translucent. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with spaghetti and undrained artichoke hearts. Chill. Makes about 6 servings.
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Liquid Laundry Detergent
I'm on the fence about this one-not because it doesn't work well or smell nice. It's simply because I'm lazy.
What you need:
One-gallon container with a tight fitting lid
Twenty Mule-Team Borax
Super washing soda or soda ash (sodium carbonate)-I could find neither, so I bought Spa pH increaser (98% sodium carbonate, 2% other.) Nobody has experienced any skin irritation, warts, an extra eye or second head.
BLUE Dawn liquid dishwashing soap. It must be blue and it's better if it's the original formula.
3/4 cup measuring device
What you do:
Measure 3/4 cup borax and 3/4 cup sodium carbonate and pour into one-gallon bottle. Add 2-3 cups hot tap water. Apply the lid and shake vigorously. Shake until everything is dissolved and it looks milky.
Fill the one-gallon container with water until it's about two inches from the very top of the container. Slowly pour in 3/4 cup Blue Dawn. If you pour quickly, it will bubble up and make a mess.
If there's room, fill the container to the top with water. Apply lid and just kind of roll the container around until everything is mixed. If you shake it too much, it gets all bubbly. You will add 1/4 cup of this to your laundry load. That's it.
This is low sudsing for HE washers and also works well for washers that are not fancy-smancy, like mine. If you see the ingredients in your homemade detergent separating, simply roll it around gently to mix it up again.
What you need:
One-gallon container with a tight fitting lid
Twenty Mule-Team Borax
Super washing soda or soda ash (sodium carbonate)-I could find neither, so I bought Spa pH increaser (98% sodium carbonate, 2% other.) Nobody has experienced any skin irritation, warts, an extra eye or second head.
BLUE Dawn liquid dishwashing soap. It must be blue and it's better if it's the original formula.
3/4 cup measuring device
What you do:
Measure 3/4 cup borax and 3/4 cup sodium carbonate and pour into one-gallon bottle. Add 2-3 cups hot tap water. Apply the lid and shake vigorously. Shake until everything is dissolved and it looks milky.
Fill the one-gallon container with water until it's about two inches from the very top of the container. Slowly pour in 3/4 cup Blue Dawn. If you pour quickly, it will bubble up and make a mess.
If there's room, fill the container to the top with water. Apply lid and just kind of roll the container around until everything is mixed. If you shake it too much, it gets all bubbly. You will add 1/4 cup of this to your laundry load. That's it.
This is low sudsing for HE washers and also works well for washers that are not fancy-smancy, like mine. If you see the ingredients in your homemade detergent separating, simply roll it around gently to mix it up again.
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Move Over Spaghetti O's!
If you have a little one that loves Spaghetti O's, this is the recipe for you! This is even better than Spaghetti O's. My son can't stand them, but loves this recipe!
What you need:
7oz. elbow macaroni-sometimes I use two cheese packets in one Kraft Mac n Cheese, then I have a box of elbow mac left over. Or just use one of those little bags you can pick up for .59 cents
1 8oz. block sharp cheddar cheese, cubed
1 can tomato soup
1/4 can water
What you do:
Cook macaroni and drain. Spread in large 11x8 casserole pan. Top with cheese cubes and pour soup and water over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Makes about 5-6 one cup servings.
What you need:
7oz. elbow macaroni-sometimes I use two cheese packets in one Kraft Mac n Cheese, then I have a box of elbow mac left over. Or just use one of those little bags you can pick up for .59 cents
1 8oz. block sharp cheddar cheese, cubed
1 can tomato soup
1/4 can water
What you do:
Cook macaroni and drain. Spread in large 11x8 casserole pan. Top with cheese cubes and pour soup and water over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Makes about 5-6 one cup servings.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
The Perfct Meatloaf Recipe....
has yet to be discovered by me. I tried one the other night that isn't bad, but I'm still tweaking it. So, here I give you: Mini Meatloaf Pies. These are delicious!
What you need:
1lb. ground beef
1 package stuffing
1c water
3/4c spaghetti sauce
3/4c grated cheese of your choice
1t Italian seasoning
What you do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix meat, stuffing, water and seasoning. Press into greased or sprayed (12 cup) muffin tin. Make an indentation in the center of the meat mixture and add about 1 teaspoon of sauce in each one. Cook for 30 minutes. Top with cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Warning: these will be eaten quickly because they're so damn good!
What you need:
1lb. ground beef
1 package stuffing
1c water
3/4c spaghetti sauce
3/4c grated cheese of your choice
1t Italian seasoning
What you do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix meat, stuffing, water and seasoning. Press into greased or sprayed (12 cup) muffin tin. Make an indentation in the center of the meat mixture and add about 1 teaspoon of sauce in each one. Cook for 30 minutes. Top with cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Warning: these will be eaten quickly because they're so damn good!
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Homemade Dumplin's
These dumplin's are delish! Pop them on top of boiling soup or stew for a hearty, homey meal. Please note: using actual butter makes all the difference, but you can substitute margarine if you must.
What you need:
1c flour
2t baking powder
1/2t garlic salt
2T butter
1/2c milk
1/2t granulated sugar
What you do:
In large mixing bowl, stir flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add butter and mix until a crumbly dough forms. Add milk and "just" mix. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto boiling soup or stew, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Makes about 10-15 dumplin's.
What you need:
1c flour
2t baking powder
1/2t garlic salt
2T butter
1/2c milk
1/2t granulated sugar
What you do:
In large mixing bowl, stir flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add butter and mix until a crumbly dough forms. Add milk and "just" mix. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto boiling soup or stew, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Makes about 10-15 dumplin's.
Monday, March 31, 2014
I Made This For Dinner Tonight-Marinated Pork Chops
These came out great! Found three 1" thick pork chops at a local grocery store for $2. Here's the marinade:
3 1" pork chops
4t teriyaki sauce
1t brown sugar
1t corn syrup (I didn't have molasses)
Mix together and marinate at least an hour. I'm lazy and let those suckers sit for two days. Then I fried them for 10 minutes on each side in some oil. Healthy? Hecks no! If you want healthy, use cooking spray. These were moist and delicious and here I usually overcook my pork chops.
3 1" pork chops
4t teriyaki sauce
1t brown sugar
1t corn syrup (I didn't have molasses)
Mix together and marinate at least an hour. I'm lazy and let those suckers sit for two days. Then I fried them for 10 minutes on each side in some oil. Healthy? Hecks no! If you want healthy, use cooking spray. These were moist and delicious and here I usually overcook my pork chops.
Friday, March 28, 2014
Crock-Pot Pulled Pork & Easy Coleslaw
I don't know about you, but I am ready for summer! Here's an easy summertime meal that you can easily make in your nice, warm home. For the pulled pork, you need four ingredients:
1 2-3lb. pork roast
1 8oz. can of Coke or beer
1 18oz. bottle of barbecue sauce
whatever bread you have on hand-hamburger buns, rolls, etc
Place the pork roast in the crock-pot and pierce the roast with a fork. Pour the barbecue sauce over the roast, followed by the Coke or beer. Cover with the lid and cook on high for about 3 1/2-4 hours or low for about 6 hours. You'll know it's done when it shreds easily with a fork.
Heather's Easy Coleslaw
What you need:
1 9oz. bag of broccoli slaw
1/2C Best Foods mayo
2t granulated sugar
3T white vinegar
1t pickle juice
What you do:
In a medium bowl, whisk everything together until well blended. Refrigerate on hour. Serve as a side or pile on top of your pulled-pork sandwiches.
1 2-3lb. pork roast
1 8oz. can of Coke or beer
1 18oz. bottle of barbecue sauce
whatever bread you have on hand-hamburger buns, rolls, etc
Place the pork roast in the crock-pot and pierce the roast with a fork. Pour the barbecue sauce over the roast, followed by the Coke or beer. Cover with the lid and cook on high for about 3 1/2-4 hours or low for about 6 hours. You'll know it's done when it shreds easily with a fork.
Heather's Easy Coleslaw
What you need:
1 9oz. bag of broccoli slaw
1/2C Best Foods mayo
2t granulated sugar
3T white vinegar
1t pickle juice
What you do:
In a medium bowl, whisk everything together until well blended. Refrigerate on hour. Serve as a side or pile on top of your pulled-pork sandwiches.
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Ham & Cheese Sliders-Super Easy, Super Yummy!
I made these for dinner tonight & they were yummy! I don't post any recipes on here I haven't tried.
What you need:
12 Dinner Rolls
1lb. thin-sliced ham
About 5 slices of cheese cut into 12 squares (I used Swiss)
4T melted butter
1 1/2t spicy mustard
1t Worcestershire
*1t poppy seeds
1t dried minced onions
*If you don't have poppy seeds on hand, just add an extra teaspoon of dried minced onions. At $5.29 for a jar of poppy seeds, it just isn't worth it.
What you do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together butter, mustard, poppy seeds, Worcestershire and onions. Set aside. Cut the dinner rolls apart, separating tops from bottom. Place dinner roll bottoms in a 9x13 pan. Place half the ham on each roll. Top that with a slice of cheese and then remaining ham, layering it ham, cheese, ham. Place dinner roll tops on and spread butter mixture across the tops. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve warm. Before serving, put a squeeze of mustard on the sandwich. It gives it a little extra yum.
What you need:
12 Dinner Rolls
1lb. thin-sliced ham
About 5 slices of cheese cut into 12 squares (I used Swiss)
4T melted butter
1 1/2t spicy mustard
1t Worcestershire
*1t poppy seeds
1t dried minced onions
*If you don't have poppy seeds on hand, just add an extra teaspoon of dried minced onions. At $5.29 for a jar of poppy seeds, it just isn't worth it.
What you do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together butter, mustard, poppy seeds, Worcestershire and onions. Set aside. Cut the dinner rolls apart, separating tops from bottom. Place dinner roll bottoms in a 9x13 pan. Place half the ham on each roll. Top that with a slice of cheese and then remaining ham, layering it ham, cheese, ham. Place dinner roll tops on and spread butter mixture across the tops. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve warm. Before serving, put a squeeze of mustard on the sandwich. It gives it a little extra yum.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Easy Enchilada Sauce
It's Wednesday and we are halfway through the week! Why not celebrate by making something delicious and easy for tonight's dinner. Usually on Wednesdays I have some kind of meat or beans left over. You can take shredded/ground turkey, chicken, refried beans & leftover veggies, whatever you have on hand and roll them into flour or corn tortillas. Put this delicious sauce over the top, sprinkle with cheese and other toppings if you have them (I put green onions and olives on mine), and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes. It will be nice and bubbly. My enchiladas, regardless of what I fill them with, never make it to the next day.
What you need:
1/4C Vegetable Oil
2T flour
1/4C chili powder
1 8oz. can tomato sauce
1 1/2C water
1/4t ground cumin
1/4t garlic powder
dash of salt (I use garlic salt)
What you do:
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in flour & chili powder, reducing heat to medium. Cook until lightly browned, stirring constantly. Remove pan from heat and stir in tomato sauce, water and seasonings. Return to medium heat stirring constantly until it thickens. This will take about 5 minutes or so. Remove from heat & let rest for five minutes.
What you need:
1/4C Vegetable Oil
2T flour
1/4C chili powder
1 8oz. can tomato sauce
1 1/2C water
1/4t ground cumin
1/4t garlic powder
dash of salt (I use garlic salt)
What you do:
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in flour & chili powder, reducing heat to medium. Cook until lightly browned, stirring constantly. Remove pan from heat and stir in tomato sauce, water and seasonings. Return to medium heat stirring constantly until it thickens. This will take about 5 minutes or so. Remove from heat & let rest for five minutes.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins
I made these last night and they were yummy! Here's what I learned:
DON'T use fat-free cream cheese.
DO feel free to substitute cream cheese flavor-I used strawberry.
Use just a dollop of cream cheese in the middle so the muffins aren't such a mess to eat.
What you need:
1 large package (18.25 ounce) blueberry muffin mix
1 8oz. package softened cream cheese (trust me, don't use fat-free)
1/4C granulated sugar
What you do:
Prepare the muffin mix according to the package directions. Line a cupcake pan with 12 paper muffin cups or spray/grease the heck out of them. Divide half the muffin batter into these cups, reserving the other half.
In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese and sugar. Beat on medium high speed until well blended, or hand mix well. Put a dollop on top of the batter in the muffin pans. Cover with remaining batter and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 20-22 minutes.
DON'T use fat-free cream cheese.
DO feel free to substitute cream cheese flavor-I used strawberry.
Use just a dollop of cream cheese in the middle so the muffins aren't such a mess to eat.
What you need:
1 large package (18.25 ounce) blueberry muffin mix
1 8oz. package softened cream cheese (trust me, don't use fat-free)
1/4C granulated sugar
What you do:
Prepare the muffin mix according to the package directions. Line a cupcake pan with 12 paper muffin cups or spray/grease the heck out of them. Divide half the muffin batter into these cups, reserving the other half.
In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese and sugar. Beat on medium high speed until well blended, or hand mix well. Put a dollop on top of the batter in the muffin pans. Cover with remaining batter and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 20-22 minutes.
Monday, March 24, 2014
Strawberry Lemonade
Happy fourth day of spring! I make this when I have in-laws to impress or just want some good lemonade. Yes, I'm a little late with spring-like recipes, so without further ado, here you go!
Strawberry Lemonade
What you need:
10C water
2C granulated sugar
5 large lemons
1C lemon juice-because it's okay to cheat sometimes
1lb. strawberries, rinsed & drained
What to do:
Zest each lemon, avoiding the white pith. In case you have no idea what zesting is like I did, I'll tell you. It is scraping off the colorful skin of the lemon, avoiding the white bitter part under the skin (also known as the pith.) I get a few good little zest pieces off of each lemon.
Place these zest peelings in a bowl with one cup of granulated sugar for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, juice the lemons into a separate bowl. Get as much juice out of those suckers as you can, throwing seeds away.
In a large pan, bring 10 cups of water to a boil. Remove from heat. Add the remaining sugar, lemon juice and strawberries to the water. Mash it all with a spatula. I mean mash the hell out of it. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
Add the lemon peels and sugar mixture to the fruity water. Stir well. Strain through a mesher into a pitcher. Refrigerate. If you have any extra lemonade left over, put it into ice cube trays and freeze. These are perfect for your lemonade. I freeze the mooshed strawberries for frozen daquiries or margaritas.
Feel free to add vodka. I know you will, Lindsey. Hehe.
Strawberry Lemonade
What you need:
10C water
2C granulated sugar
5 large lemons
1C lemon juice-because it's okay to cheat sometimes
1lb. strawberries, rinsed & drained
What to do:
Zest each lemon, avoiding the white pith. In case you have no idea what zesting is like I did, I'll tell you. It is scraping off the colorful skin of the lemon, avoiding the white bitter part under the skin (also known as the pith.) I get a few good little zest pieces off of each lemon.
Place these zest peelings in a bowl with one cup of granulated sugar for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, juice the lemons into a separate bowl. Get as much juice out of those suckers as you can, throwing seeds away.
In a large pan, bring 10 cups of water to a boil. Remove from heat. Add the remaining sugar, lemon juice and strawberries to the water. Mash it all with a spatula. I mean mash the hell out of it. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
Add the lemon peels and sugar mixture to the fruity water. Stir well. Strain through a mesher into a pitcher. Refrigerate. If you have any extra lemonade left over, put it into ice cube trays and freeze. These are perfect for your lemonade. I freeze the mooshed strawberries for frozen daquiries or margaritas.
Feel free to add vodka. I know you will, Lindsey. Hehe.
Friday, March 21, 2014
Free Up Your Fridge Friday
It's Friday! TGIF! Sit back, grab a beer and make an easy dinner tonight. If you made that pizza dip yesterday, I know you have extra spaghetti sauce, olives and cheese left over. So, grab whatever bread you have: bagels, English muffins, French bread, whatever you have on hand to make some mini pizzas. Top the bread with sauce, cheese, whatever toppings you can find in that nasty ol' fridge you should probably clean out this weekend (especially you, Lindsey) and bake for about 10-15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.
Another quick meal-brown up some ground turkey, sausage, beef, whatever you have, dump the leftover spaghetti sauce over that and there's another easy meal. If you need to extend the spaghetti sauce, add a little beer and tomato sauce or paste. Throw in a dash of dried oregano, basil and/or rosemary and there you go. Open up a can of vegetables and you're all set. Dinner is served! Or just go out to eat.
I hope everybody has a great Friday and an even better weekend! I'm off to go eat some pizza that someone else made and spend today with my family. Talk to you Monday.
Another quick meal-brown up some ground turkey, sausage, beef, whatever you have, dump the leftover spaghetti sauce over that and there's another easy meal. If you need to extend the spaghetti sauce, add a little beer and tomato sauce or paste. Throw in a dash of dried oregano, basil and/or rosemary and there you go. Open up a can of vegetables and you're all set. Dinner is served! Or just go out to eat.
I hope everybody has a great Friday and an even better weekend! I'm off to go eat some pizza that someone else made and spend today with my family. Talk to you Monday.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Super Easy Pizza Dip
What the hell, it's been FOREVER since I posted on here, so here's a tried and true deliciously easy recipe to serve at your holiday party, potluck or just because football's on.
Super Easy Pizza Dip-This is great hot or cold. Serve it with tortilla or bagel chips.
Ingredients
1 8 oz. cream cheese softened
1/2t dried oregano
1/4t dried basil
1 1/2c shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1c spaghetti sauce or pizza sauce-either works great
1/2 can sliced black olives
1 package pepperoni
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cream cheese, oregano, basil, 3/4c mozzarella cheese and 3/4c sharp cheddar cheese. Spread into a pie or cake pan. Sprinkle with 3/4c sharp cheddar cheese. Top with pepperoni and olives (or toppings of your choice). Sprinkle the remaining 3/4c mozzarella cheese on top, bake 25 minutes until warm and bubbly and pig out!
Super Easy Pizza Dip-This is great hot or cold. Serve it with tortilla or bagel chips.
Ingredients
1 8 oz. cream cheese softened
1/2t dried oregano
1/4t dried basil
1 1/2c shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1c spaghetti sauce or pizza sauce-either works great
1/2 can sliced black olives
1 package pepperoni
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cream cheese, oregano, basil, 3/4c mozzarella cheese and 3/4c sharp cheddar cheese. Spread into a pie or cake pan. Sprinkle with 3/4c sharp cheddar cheese. Top with pepperoni and olives (or toppings of your choice). Sprinkle the remaining 3/4c mozzarella cheese on top, bake 25 minutes until warm and bubbly and pig out!
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