family-favorite-recipes

Kitchen Tip: Concentrated Cream of Mushroom Soup Cubes

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 11:43:46 +0100

My kitchen tip for today is creating flavor cubes that allow me to very quickly whip up recipes that use cream of mushroom soup. Not only is is WAY less expensive than using canned soups, but it's a big space saver as well. Twelve "soup starter cubes" take up very little space in the freezer!

I've seen lots of homemade versions of cream-of soup recipes, but this one is unique, as it's a do-ahead of all the spices and flavorings, and you just add the butter+flour+milk into the recipe as you make it. This not only gives you very fresh flavors, but also retains the thickening properties of the white sauce, which would be lost if frozen or canned.

I use these cubes for adding a burst of flavor to any recipes that call for a can of cream of mushroom soup, as well as for adding a savory depth of flavor to sauces, stews, and casseroles. The real focus here is on flavor, and even non-mushroom liking people in my house enjoy dishes with this in it, and never suspect my secret ingredient.

If you're looking for a healthy, inexpensive, but VERY tasty alternative to canned soups, then this is it!

Here is the recipe, along with a printable that tells how to sub it for cream of mushroom soup. Enjoy!

Cream of Mushroom Soup Cubes

This post is a part of Kitchen Tip Tuesday...which is usually hosted at Tammy's Recipes.com, but this week is over at ArmstrongFamilyFare.com. If you enjoy a good kitchen tip, then head on over to Kitchen Tip Tuesday!

More Easy Bread Dough Recipes: Pretzel Dogs!

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:31:40 +0100

When I first started making the No-Knead-Refrigerator-Dough-easy bread recipe, I thought it was pretty spectacular. It's the recipe that I've gotten the most positive feedback about so far, so I think you guys are liking it too. The more I experiment with it, the more I realize that I really underestimated how life changing this one little recipe is. I mean, have you tried the pizza? Friday night IS pizza night at our house, and take out just isn't an option now. It takes too long, and isn't as tasty..

And then there was the day that I scrounged up a pack of hot dogs out of the freezer to feed the natives. I generally like to plan and cook healthy, well balanced meals, but there are THOSE days. The days when convenience foods are necessary for survival. This was that day.

Of course, if I would have had a pack of hot dog buns, the kids would have picked the hot dogs out of them. But if they get the impression that there are NO buns in the house, they act like it's their constitutional right to have a bun.

Being theoretically bunless on that particular day, I had an idea...what would happen if I wrapped the hot dogs in the refrigerator dough before baking? And pretzel dogs were born.

I will never buy hot dog buns again. These are SO much better and tastier! And super-duper easy to make.
Here's what you do:

Grab your container of easy bread recipe, and a pack of hotdogs. Mine came straight from the freezer, and it worked just fine. Grab a wad of dough a little smaller than the palm of your hand. Wrap the hot dog by twisting the dough around them. Add more dough if you need to, and pinch closed any holes that might open up...it's a very flexible deal. You can leave the ends open, if you like.

Salt your pretzel dogs with coarse or kosher salt, then bake at 400* for about 20 minutes. Or until they are...

golden brown and delicious!

This same technique makes some awesome pig-in-a-blankets too! We used mini beef sausages for this party tray full. So, I guess, technically, they are cows-in-a-blanket. But rather tasty!

Here's what we did:

Go ahead and preheat your oven to 400*. Pinch off a plug of dough about the size of your thumb. Lay it on a cookie sheet (we used parchment paper on ours).

Lay the plugs of dough out on a cookie sheet, fairly close together. This was my job. My sister then pressed a sausage into the middle, and pulled the dough up around it and pinched it closed.

Just fill the pan with them. They can be pretty close together!

Schprinkle with kosher salt, and slide into the oven to bake. Brown and toasty, yada, yada. Between 15 and 20 minutes.
Voila!

I could eat about a dozen of these. SO yummy. The mustard sauce I made was a Tablespoon of my ranch dressing spice blend mixed into a cup and a half of regular mustard. Num, num, nummy!

I'll be posting more fun things to do with refrigerator dough in the future...it's amazing and fun stuff! Here's a printable of this pretzel dog & pig in a blanket recipe!

Kitchen Tip Tuesday: Grease Your Pan

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 16:54:54 +0100

My Grandma taught me how to grease a pan. You can learn a lot of amazing kitchen tips from the generation that lived through the great depression. I think of her whenever I unwrap a stick of butter. She would scrape all that extra butter off, OR...

fold it (butter side in) and stash it in the freezer. I have started stashing mine in a zipper bag. The next time you need to grease a pan...

grab a butter paper and unfold it. Voila! An instant perfectly sized pan-greaser! The frozen bits of butter are all you'll need to grease up a cake pan or two. The heat from your hands melts it quickly.

Thank you, Grandma for such a practical and easy lesson in frugality!

This Kitchen Tip is brought to you by Tammy's Recipes...check out her blog every Tuesday for more great kitchen tips!

Updated the Recipe Index

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 02:17:20 +0100

I finally updated the Master Recipe Index...sort of forgot about it for a while. Oops! The index button is pictured above, and is over on the right sidebar over there -------->
It's just under the widget that shows a random and recent post.
If y'all are ever looking for something, the search bar, the recent post widget, or the master index are all great spots to search.

Kitchen Tips: Cleaning Burnt On Food

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:53:38 +0100

I found this little kitchen tip 'jewel' on Pinterest today: Apartment Therapy's post on How to Clean Burnt Pans With Vinegar and Baking Soda.

I was so excited to try this! Providentially, while I was pinning this tip, my son was upstairs burning the grits. Breakfast was saved by the 'burnt beans' kitchen tip. But the bottom of the pot was rather encrusted. Indeed, rather more burnt than the frying pan of my apartment dwelling friend.

My 'normal' is to put the stinky pot outside, and save it for a 'crabby chore'. But instead, I decided to field test the new tip for cleaning burnt on food, and here are the amazing results!

You'll need vinegar, baking soda, and a scrubby pad. Put a shallow layer of water into the bottom of the pot, and add about a cup of vinegar. I used apple cider, but I'd wager that any kind of vinegar would do.

Yuck.

Put the pot back onto the stove top, and bring the water/vinegar mix to a boil. My kitchen sort of smells like dirty socks, but if this works, it's worth it, right?

Right.

Once you get a boil going, then you get to do the fun part.

I'm about to shake in a bit of baking soda...........and.............................WHOOOoooOOOSH!!!!

Now THAT was fun! I bet the kids will stand in line to clean my burnt pans from now on. <waggling eyebrows>

I scraped the bottom a bit with my flipper, just to see if it was loosening up...it was! Look at this! It even smells different once the baking soda hits.

I spent less than a minute scrubbing off the remainder...easy peasy. No elbow grease needed.

Something about the acidic vinegar, the heat, and then the rapid ph change from baking powder really softened the previously 'permanent' baked on finish.

And minutes later...

Uh-maze-ing.

If you love a good kitchen tip, then head over to Tammy's Recipes Kitchen Tip Tuesdays, where I am posting this link.

Fudge Recipe with Coconut Oil

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:23:23 +0100

This healthy fudge recipe is made with extra virgin coconut oil, honey, and a few other common pantry ingredients. It's easy, and this is a tasty way to get the health benefits of extra virgin coconut oil and raw honey, which I'll tell you more about at the bottom of the page. If you use the butter, the coconut flavor is very mild and not really noticeable. Though this isn't a traditional 'holiday' fudge recipe, it packs a really amazing chocolate punch, and is more of a 'fill the craving' type of recipe, using ingredients that make you feel better about an afternoon chocolate splurge.

Check out the variations below for fun ways to dress up this basic recipe.

1/2 c. extra virgin coconut oil, gently warmed to a liquid
1/2 c. butter, softened (for a very subtle coconut taste...or you can just use another 1/2 c. coconut oil if you want to really bring out the coconut flavor)
1/2 c. natural peanut butter
cocoa to taste-I used dark cocoa
raw honey to taste

Put all ingredients into an 8x8 or 9x9 glass dish. Mix well with a fork. It will look like watery chocolate syrup. Taste it to make sure it's sweet and chocolatey enough and then adjust the cocoa and honey. Mix it really well, as the honey can separate out. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into small squares, and enjoy! I store extras in the fridge.

This is a really tasty treat, but it's best to start with just a few small pieces a day, allowing your body to gradually adjust. Overindulging can cause unpleasant side effects (a 'cleanse' if you will).

Variations: There are several *delicious* ways to vary this recipe...

Mint Fudge recipe-add a drop of peppermint oil to the mix.
'Peanut Butter Cup' fudge recipe- hold the 1/2 cup of peanut butter out of the recipe. Pour only half of the fudge into the pan, and then chill to harden. Top with peanut butter, and then pour on the remaining fudge mix. Chill to set.
Chocolate Orange Fudge- Add a drop or two of orange oil to the mix (I love NOW brand therapeutic grade essential oils).
'Almond Joy' fudge recipe- Substitute coconut oil for peanut butter in fudge recipe above. Add all ingredients but cocoa powder, and scoop out about a half cup of sweetened coconut mixture. If desired, stir in shredded coconut to the reserved half cup. Add cocoa powder to original mix, and pour half of the chocolate mix into pan and chill. When first layer is hardened, pour on coconut layer, and stud with almonds. Chill to firm, and top with remaining chocolate mixture.
'Mounds' fudge recipe- Follow instructions above for almond joy fudge, but omit almonds.
Nutty Fudge Recipe- follow original recipe, but stir in 1/3 cup chopped nuts.
Crunchy Double Chocolate fudge recipe- Follow original recipe, and top with cacao nibs. Alone, they don't taste that impressive, but on top of your fudge, they add a crisp, deep cocoa flavor that's really yummy!

And here is your printable fudge recipe with coconut oil.

Star Ingredients in the Coconut Oil Fudge Recipe:

Extra Virgin Coconut Oil has anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-microbial benefits from the high concentrations of lauric acid. I actually like to use it on my skin as well, but some find it 'drying'. It is a saturated fat, but it is a rich source of healthy medium chain fatty acids (MCFA). These are thought to benefit metabolism and digestion, nutrient absorption, heart health, 'good cholesterol' levels, and more, according to nutritionist and biochemist, Dr. Mary G. Enig.
According to a study published in "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in 2005, MCFAs, increase energy and promote a 'full' feeling faster than long chain fatty acids. Coconut oil would be a great choice to replace other fats in the diet. It helps slow down the emptying of the stomach, but is easily digested and sent to the liver as fuel, making it far less likely to be stored as fat.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/117427-extra-virgin-coconut-oil-benefits/#ixzz1kjAq0Ed0
I buy mine locally at the Dekalb Farmer's Market, or I like the Nutiva brand, which I buy through Amazon here:

Raw Honey is another amazing food. If you've only ever had grocery store honey, you have to treat yourself to a taste of real honey. There are many different flavors. Tupelo and orange blossom are my favorites, so far. Raw honey has amazing health benefits, both for internal use, and also for use on the skin. It's amazing for healing burned skin, and is even effective in healing MRSA infections (1). Nutritionally, honey is loaded with mineral, vitamins, enzymes, and amazing taste and sweetness. I love to buy it locally, and I know several friends and family members who use it to help with seasonal allergies.

Cacao Nibs are simply crushed cocoa beans. They are not at all sweet, but they're LOADED with antioxidant flavonoids. In fact, they're higher than any other known food, including blueberries and green tea. I love them for the crunchy texture...it's a velvety crunch that lends itself perfectly to recipes where there is already enough sweetness. This is what they look like, and this is a GREAT price through Amazon for organic cacao nibs!
(Full disclosure: if you click the links and purchase these items, it is through my affiliate account...so thank you!)

Peanut Butter adds a bit of creaminess and protein to the mix.

1. Honey heals MRSA infections: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17927079

Let me know if you try it, and what you think!

The Best Meatloaf Recipe Ever

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:43:32 +0100

This IS the best meatloaf recipe ever...according to my son. "The kids in my class were CRAZY...they didn't LIKE meatloaf! I couldn't believe it. I guess it's just because they had cafeteria meatloaf." I'm generally not a fan of tooting-my-own-horn, but the other suggestion was 'meat muffins'...and that just didn't sound appetizing.

Truly, though, this is a very awesome meatloaf recipe, and I think you should try it, even if you like your current recipe, or if you have family members who 'don't like meatloaf'. That was us...that was ME, before I discovered this recipe! It's my own modification of a Boston Market Meatloaf recipe knockoff that I found online years ago.

There are lots of opinions on meatloaf out there. My siblings and I sure had them when we were kids. 'Slimy onion chunks'? Gone. Bell Pepper? No way-uh, Hosea. You won't even need any eggs or ketchup for this one. It's kinda' special and unique!

This is everything that you love about a good meatball, 'cept it's in a meatloaf form. Or, in the case of what I'm making today, 'Mini Meatloaf'. If you prefer the traditional 'loaf', then feel free to bake in a regular loaf pan. The printable recipe has directions for both. I am going for the muffin tin with silicone liners today , because baking time is significantly reduced, and they freeze/reheat easily.

Let's get started!

First, crank the oven to 400*. Now, you'll need a cup of tomato juice, 2 tablespoons of bbq sauce...and a tablespoon of sugar. Warm in a small sauce pan, until it bubbles around the edges, and turn off heat. The bbq sauce just adds depth and more flavor to the tomato sauce...it's not going to taste like BB-Q meatloaf. Although, that might be a kinda tasty modification to try out!

While the sauce heats, I'm going to go ahead and combine my pound and a half of ground beef, 2/3 cup of oatmeal (regular or quick cooking), 1/3 c. flour, and spices in a bowl. I use 1/2 t. of onion powder, 3/4 t. salt, and a pinch of garlic powder and ground black pepper. Not tons of spices, but the sauce will impart a lot of flavor. And speaking of the sauce...I think it's bubbly by now.

Pour in all but what you'll need to top your meatloaf or mini-meatloaf. Usually, I reserve just shy of a 1/4 cup, but I should have saved a bit more...maybe 1/3 cups for one batch of mini-meatloaf.

mix, mix, mix.

Once you've got a nice, even blend, it's time to transfer it to your meatloaf pan! Here is my little mini-meatloaf pan all ready to go. I like to use a large stainless steel scoop to transfer it into the cups.

The last thing I do is make an indention down the middle that will later hold the sauce. Almost ready to go!

To keep them from drying out, I cover the pan with foil. Into the oven they go!

Bake for 20 minutes. They'll be nearly set. Now, you want to take them out and remove the foil. I want a nice, browned top and some sticky nummy sauce on each one...

Yes! Back into the oven for 7-8 more minutes, until they're browned and the house smells sooooo good that you can't stand it!

...and there you have it!

The amounts I gave here are for one loaf, or 10 minis, but I almost always double the recipe, to get either 2 regular sized meatloaf, or 20 minis. Both are fantastic frozen, just cut the loaf into slices and freeze individually.

And here is your printable version of the best meatloaf recipe ever! Hope you enjoy!

Kitchen Tip: Freezing Bacon II-Space Saver Option

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:10:07 +0100

A while back, I posted a kitchen tip on freezing bacon flat on a cookie sheet. This weekend, my man and I were making breakfast together, and he had a great idea for freezing bacon in a much smaller space. So I took a few snapshots for you. This is for everyone who has a side-by-side freezer, or (like me) keeps their freezer too full to slide in a cookie sheet.

I first learned the value of individually freezing bacon when we were newlyweds. I'd used part of a pack of bacon, and tossed the rest of the package in the freezer. When I went back to use it a week or so later, it was frozen into a solid slab of bacony goodness, and my best efforts at separating the slices produced bacon bits for breakfast.

Here's a simple and space-saving kitchen tip to freeze bacon slices separately:

Step 1- Lay down a piece of wax paper on counter or cookie sheet.

Step 2- Lay bacon strips down on wax paper.

Step 3- place a sheet of wax paper over the top of your bacon layer.

Step 4- Roll up wax paper.

Step 5- Slide into a freezer bag, and freeze. (Repeat with any remaining bacon.)

There you have it. When you need a slice of bacon, just unroll and take out what you need...no more chipping away at rock solid slabs of bacon!

Hope this is a useful tip for you! Stay tuned this week for one of my signature recipes...my son calls it the best meatloaf recipe ever. "The kids at school are crazy! They don't even like meatloaf!"

Fajita Recipe

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 04:13:10 +0100

Mmmm...can you hear the lime fajita recipe sizzling? I crave good, savory food this time of year, and this is such a simple, quick dinner with loads of flavor. It's a nice change from sugar cookies and cheeseballs. And it's *fast*...as in 'set the table before you start heating the pan' fast.
And delicious. It's definitely man pleasin' vittles.

Oh, and I've been playing around with a new way to do a printable recipe...check the end of the post for the link!

This is what you'll need to make this *easy* lime fajita recipe:

Fajita strips...or you can buy a flank steak or (my favorite) london broil...aka 'top round' steak, and slice it thin.
You'll also need an onion or two, some oil with a high heat point (not olive oil), freshly diced or granulated garlic, a few limes, and some salt. Just a few, simple ingredients that pack huge flavor.

Oh, and I wasn't kidding about setting the table first. Go ahead and slice up the avocado and get it ready to go. We're on a mission.

First, turn the oven on low, and warm up a serving platter, and your tortillas. I remove the tortillas from the package, and wrap them in foil, with a splash of water.

Now, to prep all of your ingredients. If you've bought a whole steak, you want to slice your meat thinly. Sometimes, I will freeze the meat for an hour or two to make it easier to slice. A little under 1/4 inch slices do nicely. You want it to cook quickly.
Next, you can start heating up a heavy skillet on high heat, while you finish your prep work. Slice 2-3 limes in half, and cut your onions into 1/4 inch slices...separate the onion slices out into rings. Put all of your prepped ingredients, the warm serving platter, and your salt and garlic right at hand. This comes together quickly.

Add a quick pour of oil to your pan, and keep it over a high flame. You want the pan *HOT*.
When it's smoking and shimmering nicely, carefully lay in onion slices to cover the bottom of the pan. I like to use tongs to add ingredients into the pan and stir or toss them around. As soon as you lay the onions down, start laying in the meat slices on top of them.

You want the meat laying over the onion slices, so it's not really directly touching the pan yet...just steaming over the cooking onions. Of course, parts of it will touch and sear, and that's just fine. Let it cook for a minute, and then add in fresh or granulated garlic. Immediately begin flipping it over and tossing it around sort of like a stir fry. You want to flip it over, and then let it rest just a minute to get some browning going.
It cooks fast. As soon as the meat is cooked and just a bit seared, move it off onto the platter, and squeeze a lime over it, and sprinkle with salt.

Repeat these same steps...oil/onion/meat (pause) garlic/toss (pause) move to platter/lime/salt...

keep it going until the meat is gone...

and you've got a gorgeous stack of fajita meat, and drooling men swarming your kitchen.

Serve with additional lime wedges, and fresh cut avocado if desired.

Printable Lime Fajita Recipe

Mulled Cider Recipe

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 03:10:21 +0100

This is the perfect mulled cider recipe, and I don't say that lightly...I'm actually not a big fan of spiced apple cider usually. But this recipe has a tartness that strikes a perfect balance with the sweet and spicy. My sister brought a steamy pot of this to Thanksgiving last year, and I've been dreaming of it ever since cool weather hit. So, here it is...a warm and puckery toast to a lovely fall.

You'll need:
Apple juice or cider, cranberry juice, allspice, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and a bag of fresh or frozen cranberries.

First, combine equal amounts of cranberry and apple juice. (I like the 100% juice instead of the cocktail blends.)
Two 64 oz. bottles filled my 3 quart saucepan up to the top.

Next, drop in your cinnamon sticks.

You may add the cloves and allspice directly to the juice (as I'm doing here) and whisk in, but we decided that we liked it better the second time I made it, when I tied the ground spices in a coffee filter, and dropped that in while it simmered. Less sludgy at the bottom of the glass. :-) I used 1 t. allspice, and 1/8 of a teaspoon of cloves (really, just a pinch).

Finally, dump in your fresh cranberries. This not only adds to the presentation, but it also adds more flavor, I think.

I'll be buying up extra bags of fresh cranberries and tossing them in the freezer, since they're only 'in season' for such a short while. I love cranberry orange muffins and this cider made with fresh berries!

Let your cider simmer for 10 minutes or longer...just to let the spices blend in and lend their flavors to the juice. When it's cooled down just a bit, pour yourself a mug full. Then, find a porch somewhere, and sit and enjoy the general splendor of the fall season!

Happy Fall Y'all!

P.S. I stored the rest of the cider in the fridge in a pitcher. I have an old glass Pyrex coffee percolator carafe that's stovetop friendly, so I use that to warm it up for breakfasts.

P.S.S. Here is your printable for the best mulled cider recipe ever:

Open publication - Free publishing - More spiced cider

(and a black and white printable mulled cider recipe is here: http://issuu.com/GwenElisabethBrown/docs/mulled-cider-recipe-bandw )