2014 Eating Less
Not Me!!

SPICES

     TACO MEAT SEASONING

    1/4 cup and 1 tablespoon corn flour

    1/4 cup and 1 tablespoon chili powder

    1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

    1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

    1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt

    1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

    1/2 teaspoon cumin

    1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt

    1/2 teaspoon sugar

    1 tablespoon and 1/4 teaspoon dried minced onion

    2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules

    1 teaspoon ground red pepper

    Whisk all ingredients together and place in a sealed container.  When you are ready to use add the whole thing to 1 pound of hamburger meat and ¼ cup water. 

COWBOY RUB (For Beef)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon ground Spanish paprika

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons mustard powder

2 teaspoons ground garlic powder

2 teaspoon ground onion powder

1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground lemon pepper

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

  Whisk all ingredients together and place into a sealed container.  When you are ready to use the spice, sprinkle what you want on top and bottom of steak.

CREOLE SEASONING

    1 1/2 cups paprika

    ½ cup ground black pepper

    ½ cup kosher salt

    1/3 cup granulated garlic powder

    1/3 cup dried ground thyme

    1/3 cup dried oregano

    1/3 cup dried basil

    ¼ cup granulated onion powder

    ¼ cup Turmeric

    ¼ cup cayenne

Combine all ingredients together and place into a sealed container.

Great to shake onto fish, shellfish and dirty rice.

For a sauce;

Add 3 tablespoon Creole Seasoning

3 tablespoon Vinegar 

1/4 cup Ketchup 

Mix together and let it set for 30 minutes. 

CHRISTMAS DAY

It all starts with Breakfast;  
Monkey Bread, Pigs-N-Blanket and Coffee! 

The only difference with this monkey bread is that we use 3 cans of Cinnamon Rolls.  In a small plate add 3 tablespoon white sugar and 3 tablespoon brown sugar, blend together. Melt 4 tablespoons of Butter in a bowl. Cut each cinnamon roll into 4th, roll them into a ball with your hands.Place it pan add each roll.  Repeat until all is done, if any butter or sugar mixture is left add it on top. Bake 350*, 30 minutes or until brown on top. Cool for 10 minutes on a rack. Using a knife loosen the sides and the middle hole. By placing a plate on top, invert the pan and plate together. Remove cake pan and let the ring of Cinnamon Monkey Bread cool. 
Remove all the icing that came with the cinnamon rolls into a bowl and microwave for 10 seconds. Using a spoon drizzle the icing on top the ring. Serve! 

Pigs-N-Blanket are easy, some people use biscuits and some use croissants.  Wrapping those small little smokies up tight and bake following the instructions on the biscuits or croissants. Try adding a small slice of jalapeno and a small slice of cheddar cheese with the little smokie. Roll it up tight and bake! 

Coffee! Yes please! There is a recipe for Fireside Coffee in my blog. If you like Instant Hot Chocolate try adding 2 teaspoon Peppermint flavor creamer to it, or make your own creamer. Take 1 pint Half/Half and add 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract to it and 2 tablespoons of white sugar. Shake until the sugar is dissolved.  Store in refrigerator. 

Using Christmas Plates and Christmas Coffee Cups it makes this small breakfast very festive. 

HOLIDAY DRINKS

HOLIDAY PUNCH

4 Cup Cranberry Juice Cocktail

2 Cup Pineapple Juice

½ cup Mulling Spice Mix

2 Bottles Ginger Ale

1 Cup Fresh Cranrasin's or Cranberry's 

¼ Cup Brown Sugar packed

1 Lime for fresh garnish

Night Before

Make an ice ring with 1 cup pineapple juice, 1 cup cranberry juice and 1 cup fresh cranrasins, place in freezer to freeze.

Combine Mulling spice, 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1 cup ginger ale in small saucepan. Heat, never boil, to dissolve mix, cover and let cool overnight.

Ready to Serve

Combine the rest of fruit juices and the Mullin Spice mixture.  Just before serving, put block of ice in punch bowl and pour in the punch mixture.  Add ginger ale and stir gently.

FIRESIDE COFFEE

½ Cup Instant Coffee

½ Cup Hot Chocolate Instant Mix

½ Cup Instant Powder Creamer

½ Cup Sugar

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

¼ Teaspoon Grated Nutmeg

Mix all together.  Store in a sealed container.

For 1 Cup;

3 Tablespoon of Mixer

1 cup hot water

I double the recipe except for the nutmeg.

This is a great gift to give during the Holiday’s.

SPICE TEA

1 Cup Instant Tea 

1 Cup Instant Apple Ciders (6 Envelopes)

½ Cup Instant Orange Drink

½ Cup Sugar

1 Tablespoon Cinnamon 

Mix all together.   Store in a sealed container.

For 1 Cup;

3 Tablespoon of Mixer

1 cup hot water

You can make a Hot Punch with the whole recipe.  Add 1 Gallon of Water and Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring.

Or make it cold and serve in the summer! Great for parties! This is a great gift to give during the Holiday's.

Magic of Christmas Recipes

Holiday Truffles
This Truffle recipe is one that will melt in your mouth and easy to prepare.

2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 teaspoon Vanilla
12 - oz. tub Milk Chocolate Frosting
3 tablespoon Cocoa Powder
1 tablespoon Powder Sugar

Place chocolate chips in a microwave safe dish and microwave for 1 minute. Remove and whisk.
Add the frosting and place back in microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and Whisk.
Add vanilla, stir until well combined.
Cover with plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Place Cocoa Powder and Powder sugar in a small bowl. Spoon chocolate in one inch balls, roll with your hands. Place into the cocoa powder mixture and until covered. Repeat with remaining chocolate. Makes approximately 6 doz

Options to do to make this your own;
Roll in 1/2 cup ground Pecans
Roll in 1 cup Flaked sweet Coconut

BUT, This is what we do!
Almond Joy's Truffle
1 teaspoon Almond Extract
1/2 cup Chopped Blenched Almonds
Dark Chocolate Frosting
1 1/2 cup Flaked Coconut
Mix the truffle recipe, add the almonds and 1/2 cup coconut after you stir in the frosting. Refrigerate 1 hour
Roll chocolate balls into flaked coconut, lots of coconut. 
I store them in a container in the refrigerator, we like them cold.

Peppermint Truffle
White chocolate morsels, French Vanilla Frosting, and Rolled in Crushed Peppermint Candy or you can buy the peppermint bark.
  

Ham Steak and Brown Sugar Apples

I have fixed this twice and each time it is a winner. Ham Steak is very affordable and so good to eat.

2 tablespoon Butter
1/4 cup Brown Sugar, packed
2 tablespoon Country Style Prepared Mustard
2 medium Tart Apple, peeled and sliced
1 pound Ham Steak

Add butter to a skillet and let melt.  Add in brown sugar and mustard; stir to blend well.  Add in apples and stir/simmer for about 5-8 minutes or until apples are just tender.  Transfer apple mixture to another dish.  Place ham steak in skillet and top with apple mixture. Place in a 350* oven, cook 30 minutes.

Happy Thanksgiving and Pumpkin

What do you do with pumpkin besides making pies and more pies.
I love pumpkin pie, and every year at Thanksgiving I will eat my fill until another year of them.  But I married a man who does not quiet like pumpkin pies, so through the years I have come up with several recipes I use pumpkin solid from the can.
Soups, Gravies, Cheesecakes, Bread puddings and Pies are going to be the ones I will share with you!

IMPOSSIBLE PUMPKIN PIE

3/4 cup Sugar
2 tablespoon Butter
2 Eggs
2 1/2 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie spice mix
1/2 cup Bisquick Baking Mix
1 13-oz. can Evaporated Milk
1 16-oz. can Pumpkin Solid
2 teaspoon Vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a pie plate.  With a hand mixer, beat all ingredients until smooth about 2 minutes.  Pour mixture into the grease pie plate.  Bake until you can insert a knife and it comes out clean.  Cook 50-55 minutes.

CREAMY FALL SOUP

1 cup Butter

1 cup onion, chopped fine

4 garlic cloves, chopped fine

8 teaspoons packed brown sugar

4 cans chicken broth

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground pepper

1 cans carrots, no salt

4 yellow squash (butternut squash is great)

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

2 cans pumpkin solids

3 cans evaporated milk

Melt butter in large soup saucepan over medium heat.

Add onion, carrots, squash, garlic and sugar, cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add broth, salt and pepper; bring to a low boil, 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.

Pour small amounts into blender to puree.

Pour back into saucepan, but no heat.

Add the two cans of pumpkin and stir until blended.

Place in the freezer for two days.

Remove the morning of and thaw in refrigerator.

Add the evaporated milk and stir until well blended.

Serve warm or cold.

I like to divide up the soup to freeze and then add 1 can of evaporated milk and 1/2cup milk before serving it cool.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

15 oz. can Pack Solid Pumpkin

12 oz. can Evaporated Milk

1 cup Sugar

4 eggs

½ teaspoon Vanilla

Whisk wet mixture until smooth.

In large bowl mix together dry ingredients;

1 ½ teaspoon Cinnamon

2 teaspoon Pumpkin Spice

¼ teaspoon Salt

1 cup Bisquick Baking Mix

Mix wet with dry ingredients until well blended.

12 slices of white bread cut and cubed, placed into mixture and stirred until well covered.  Place into refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven 350*.  Spray Pam into a 9 x 13 pan.  Pour pumpkin/bread mixture into pan.  Bake 40 minutes. To cool place on a rack.

Walnut Sauces;

3 Tablespoon Butter

½ cup chopped Walnuts

¼ cup Sugar

½ teaspoon Cinnamon

¼ teaspoon Pumpkin Spice

Pinch of Salt

¼ cup Milk

4 oz. Cream Cheese

Mix all ingredients on low heat until well smooth.  Remove from heat and add ½ cup powder sugar, whisk and let cool.  (Or for fun add ¼ cup Bourbon and 1 cup powder sugar, instead of milk and cream cheese)

Fluffy Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

2 pkg (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened

2/3 cup Sugar

2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice

2 Eggs

1 can (15 oz) Pumpkin Solid

1 large Graham Cracker Pie Crust (or 8 small individual sizes)

In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese on medium speed with a hand mixer until fluffy. Add sugar and spice. Beat until combined.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until just combined after each addition.  Stir in pumpkin.  Pour into crust. Bake at 350* for 35-40 minutes or until center is almost set.  Cool for 1 hour and then Refrigerate for 3 hours.

Pumpkin Gravy

1 can 15 oz. Pumpkin Solid

1/2 cup Heavy Cream

1/2 cup Chicken Stock

1 clove Garlic, grated

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg ( fresh grated is the best)

Salt and pepper

directions

In small saucepan over medium heat, cook pumpkin and cream until heated through, 3 minutes; add garlic, cheese and nutmeg; simmer 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and thin with water if desired.

I use this gravy over; 

Turkey Meatballs and Egg Noodles

Left-over Turkey and Dressings

Grilled Chicken with a Fried Egg on top

Happy Thanksgiving! Many Blessings!

An Oldie But Goodie

ITALIAN SAUSAGE WITH PASTA

1 Pound of Ground Italian Sausage
1 cup sm Shell Pasta
1 sm can Tomato Sauce
1/2 can Tomato Paste
1 can of Beef Broth
1 cup Water
8 oz Sour Cream
1/4 cup Green Bell Pepper, chopped
1/4 cup Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1/2 cup White Onion, chopped
1 Garlic Clove, minced
3 teaspoon Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper flakes 
1 teaspoon Basil 
2 teaspoon Oregano 
1 tablespoon Olive Oil

Large Sauce Pan, add oil on medium heat. Add onion, and bell peppers until tender, add garlic and stir in spices, chili powder, paprika, red pepper flakes, basil, oregano.  Add sausage until brown. Mix in tomato sauce and paste, cook for 5 minutes stirring until well incorporated, add beef broth and water. Stir and place lid on for 10 minutes and boiling. Turn heat down to low and add Shell Pasta place lid back on for 10 more minutes. Turn off heat  stir and set with lid on for 5 minutes.  Stir in Sour Cream until smooth, leave lid on for 5 more minutes.  Serve 6 mugs full
A change up from chili!  Ready good on those cold nights. 

Enjoy this even better the next day! Plus it freezes, place left-overs in a freezer bag. To thaw, heat sauce pan with water. When water starts to boil turn off and place freezer bag into the water until thawed out.  Place mixture into a casserole dish, cover with foil and cook in oven 350* for 30 minutes.  May need to add 1/2 cup water so it will not be dry.