Princess in the House

The princess dress I made was a HUGE success!

Once my granddaughter opened the package, she was stripping out of her clothes so she could put on the dress. I added store bought crown, jewelry, shoes and of course a star topped wand that lite up...just right for a princess. I wished I had made the elastic in the sleeves a little tighter and the skirt a little longer, but for a "dress-up" play dress...it works just fine.

Now, my only real question is...I wonder how my son got her out of it to put her pjs on for bedtime...lol

Fore!

Drum Roll Please.......

My last project was for my favorite bunny collector/golfer.

Jean has a welcoming home full of hippy hoppy love. I had this cute handmade rabbit and decided it would be great fun to create a cute golf outfit for it to add to Jean's collection. The challenge was...I did not have any patterns. So, in my best Lifetime's "Runway" impression I began draping, cutting and sewing. I soon had a creation that I was very pleased with. I found the golf clubs at "Build a Bear".

And now, Santa's workshop needs a good cleaning, straightening and organizing...

Apple Pie in a Jar - What could be Better!

Christmas Project 4....Check!

Not wanting to disappoint those on my gift list who love and look forward to this holiday treat, I stirred up two batches of a yummy jam on Sunday for my next Christmas project. It has become a family and friends favorite...Dutch Apple Pie Jam. A mixture of apples, raisins and spice...makes for an excellent holiday treat.

One of the secrets to making Jellies and Jams is to prepare your works space before you start cooking by: pre-measure sugar into a separate bowl; sanitizing jars (I like to run them through the dish washer) and temper the jars with hot water - as with the lesson we learned this summer - have more jars ready than you think you will need; have your lids simmering in warm water to prepare seals; have a clean cloth ready to wipe jar lips and treads; and have a large metal cooking spoon and ladle ready to use (never use wood or plastic when making jellies and jams).

Dutch Apple Pie Jam

Ingredients:

2 Large Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped (you need around 4 cups of fruit)

1 1/2 cup water

1/2 cup raisins

2 Tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground clove

1 box of pectin (such as Sur Jell or Ball)

1/2 teaspoon butter (to keep jam from foaming up during cooking)

4 cups of granulated sugar

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Directions:

Sprinkle the apples with lemon juice - I like to do it as I am chopping the apples to insure they do not start turning brown while I am chopping. Mix apples, raisins, butter and water into your cooking pot. Start cooking the apple mixture for 3-4 minutes. Add pectin, stir until fully dissolved. Bring to a full boil. Add sugars all at once. Stir and continue cooking - add more water (1/8 of a cup at a time) if the mixture is too thick. Bring the mixture to a full boil, boil for 1 full minute.

Ladle hot jam into jars, wipe jar lip and threads with clean cloth, lay on the hot seal, tighten with jar ring.

Now you have two options to finish sealing your jars. You can place them in a water bath caner and process for 10 minutes. Or turn the jars with hot jam over, allow to sit for 5 minutes then flip the jars over - this causes a vacuum and seals the jar.

Not only will you enjoy this jam on toast and breads, but it is also yummy stirred into a warm bowl of oatmeal.

Enjoy!

All I Want for Christmas...is My Two Front Teeth (or how about 2 Pajama Bottoms)

Christmas Project three...check!

I made these adorable pajama bottoms for my grand kids...pink ones for Gabbie and the blue plaid for Jaccob. I found nice little T-shirts to go with them. I must say...they were a breeze to make and had my new Mom-In-Law surge them so they will last...at least until they out grow them. Thanks Mom also for the flannel...they were such great fabrics.

Now on to my fourth Christmas project...homemade Dutch Apple Pie Jam...it's a family favorite. And then I only will have one project left to do (which is good since Christmas is knocking on the door) but I will not be able to show you that one until Christmas since it is for my new sister-in-law Jean and I know she peeks in here once in a while.

Back to work in Santa's workshop...Ho Ho Ho!

And, huhhh Santa if you are reading this...I can explain everything...I'm trying to be a good girl...really! lol

The Lowdown on Short Ribs

I love to try new things and this past weekend I stepped outside of my comfort zone and cooked a new dish. Bill was my willing victim...ahhh taster.

I have been watching for a while on the cooking shows how they make Short Ribs. I thought they always looked so yummy...but I've never had short ribs and had never cooked them. But with steadfast determination I cooked them on Saturday.

One thing, they are not cheap...I paid almost $10 for a pound and a half at Meijers...which was just enough for Bill and me. But I must say...they were worth every penny. I have now became a fan of Short Ribs.

I followed Paula Deen's recipe as follows:

Short Ribs

3 pound short ribs - I used half this amount for 2 servings

House seasoning - made of salt, pepper and garlic powder (I make my own and put it in an old salt shaker)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Oil - I used Crisco solid

2 cloves garlic, chopped, plus 2 more cloves chopped

Water

Beef broth

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 onion sliced - we love onions - so I did 2

White rice for serving - I cooked the rice in beef broth to tie it to the ribs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Season ribs liberally, or to taste with house seasoning. Lightly dust with 2 tablespoons flour.

In a dutch oven, place a small amount of oil. Add the 2 garlic cloves and cook until lightly browned. Add the ribs and brown on each side. Add half water and half beef broth to cover ribs. Bring to a boil. The recipe did not specify how long to cook them in the broth - once they came to a boil, I cooked them for about 10 minutes. Remove the ribs from the dutch oven and place in a casserole dish. Add the remaining garlic, salt and pepper, onions and about 1 cup broth to the ribs (I used the cooking liquid from the dutch oven). Roast ribs for 2 hours. Again, the recipe did not specify, but I covered with foil.

Served over buttered white rice.

Cooking up a Party Treat

Party, Party, Party...can you hear the music, the laughter of family and friends, and of course the clinking of glasses....it's that magical time of the year when we release our cares and worries to enjoy the company of those we love. To make the gathering even better, here is a sweet treat to pass around. I also like to bagged it up, tied with a red ribbon to make cute little gifts.

This little treat is guaranteed to please and will have your guests saying - it's wonderful.

Puppy Chow for People

1 stick of butter
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 cup smooth peanut butter
4 cups of chex type cereal
2 cups powder sugar

Melt butter, chocolate chips, peanut butter. Stir in cereal. Turn mixture into a paper bag, add powder sugar. Shake to coat cereal and serve to delight.

Enjoy!

Snug as a Bug

Christmas Project number 2 - check!

Who hooo I've just finished Christmas project number 2 which is a jeans quilt for my 9 year old grandson.

Jason, my son, was sharing with me how his son Tyler is always trying to get to the afghan first (before his little sister and brother) to wrap in while watch TV. This gave me an idea to make Tyler his very own quilt. I've been saving jeans for a while - I originally was going to make a quilt for Jason when he was a boy - never did get it sewed - now it's for his son...I guess better late than never - lol.

Cutting squares out of jeans is not the easies - but do able - this was the longest part of the project. Mom had flannel for me to use for the backing (thanks Mom for the donation to this project - gotta love a mother-in-law with her very own room filled with material!) - there is no padding needed - so this project's only cost was the time to put it together. Snipping the seams with very sharp clippers (which I borrowed from Aunt Judy) and running the quilt through the washer and dryer fluffs up the seams which gives the quilt it's unique look.

Now Tyler can snuggle up on a cold winter night in his very own quilt - and if his little sister and brother wants one too - I have plenty of jeans left to make them one -- perhaps that will be a great idea for them for next Christmas! hmmmm....I think I'm adding it to Santa's list ;-)

Now on to Christmas project #3...

Ho Ho Ho

You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not shout, I'm telling you why...Santa Claus is coming to town.

Santa's workshop has been open for business with paper, scissor and glitter flying through the air. Here is the fun Christmas Card that I crafted this year for my family and friends. In keeping with my Santa collecting, I channelled my inner Santa with a glittering beard, twinkling mittens and a gold leafed belt buckle. Inside there was no other options, but to stamp it Ho Ho Ho. I hope you will be blessed with this jolly old elf.

Say...Cheese

It's party time!! The hustle and bustle of the season has begun.

I know you can easily pick up a cheese ball for your party tray at the store, but there are times when "Homemade" just makes it better. This is sooooo easy, your friends will think you have taken your holiday hosting to a whole new level.

Holiday Cheese Ball

8oz. cream cheese - softened
1 roll of garlic flavored cheese - these are soft cheese packaged in a round tube
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Worcester sauce
chopped nuts - such as pecan or walnut

Mix together cheeses, salt and Worcester sauce. Make into a ball and roll in chopped nuts. Refrigerate to harden. Serve with assorted crackers.

Enjoy!

I do

In the middle of a snow storm...Bill and I said "I do" surrounded by family last Friday (December 4th).

We Awoke to a Winter Wonderland

Old man winter has awaken for the season, as we found this morning covered with our first beautiful blanket of snow for the season (yes, for those who have heard me grumbling about the weather forecast...I said beautiful). Snow seems so magical in how it transforms the landscape and makes everything look new again (I just wish I did not have to drive in it.)

Fit for a Princess

There are times when life just takes over, and that is what has happened to me the last few days... Sorry I have not posted recently.

I've been busy with transforming my home into a Santa haven and channeling my inner elf by creating fun surprises for my family and friends for Christmas. Speaking of Christmas surprises, here is the cute little dress I just finished this afternoon for my 3 year old granddaughter. I think she will feel like a true princess in this purple and pink gown. I just know she will love playing dress-up. Now, on to the next project which is a jeans quilt for my 9 year old grandson.

Drum Roll Please

Can you smell Thanksgiving? Too bad they have not found a way to transfer smells via the internet...my home smells absolutely yummy. It just brings back so many wonderful memories of Thanksgiving gone by!

As I was saying in my last post...do not freak out when you see the cheese cloth turn dark...mine did within the first half hour. Do not pick up the cheese cloth to check your turkey either, you might pull on the skin. Have faith and keep basting through the cloth. Here is a picture of how mine looked like at the end of the cooking time. When you are getting towards the end, you can peek to see if the the temperature button has popped, just try not to disturb the cloth too much.

And here is my finished turkey. Is it not absolutely beautiful! I still get excited when I pull a turkey out of the oven.

Let it rest before you start carving it. It allows the juices to settle and will keep them in your bird so the turkey will stay moist.

Enjoy....and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Now for the Main Event - Let's Talk Turkey

Thanksgiving is almost here!! It's time to get ready to make the bird. We are going to Aunt Judy and Uncle Butch's for Thanksgiving dinner, but I wanted to have leftover here at home for the weekend, so I am cooking a small turkey today for Bill and I. Thanksgiving weekend is just not the same without leftover Turkey sandwiches!

I know I was a little intimidated the first time I cooked a turkey, but trust me, once you do it...it's a piece of cake. There are many methods out there to cook your bird. I found this one through Martha Stewart (ok...get the signing and eye rolling done...now feel better...lol....we all know I have a Martha complex....except for that going to jail part...lol).

Begin by making sure your bird is completely thawed...the best way is to put it in the refrigerator a few days before you are going to cook it. Make sure you have a pan big enough...you do not want to crowd the turkey...this leads to uneven cooking.

You want to remove the neck and giblets from inside the turkey - make sure to check in the neck area - they are often packed in there (I did not know this the first year, we got a big surprise when we went to carve the turkey...it does not hurt anything...if you forget). And I like to rinse my bird and pat dry with a paper towel.



Preheat your oven at 325 degrees. Turkey is something you can not rush...so plan ahead for your oven use. Cooking time is based on the size of your bird and if you stuff it or not. Follow this link to Butterball to calculate the cooking time for your bird size.

Next for the dry rub...I make my own rub by mixing together: salt, pepper, paprika, thyme, sage and poultry seasoning. Rub the mix all over the outside and inside of the bird.






Next... melt one stick of butter with 1 cup of white wine. I then take about 2 yards of cheese cloth and place it in the pan to soak up the butter and wine. Use more butter, wine and cheese cloth if you have really big bird.

You then place the cheese cloth over your turkey...it should look like a mummy when you are done. You do not need to cover with foil. You baste the bird through the cheese cloth. And do not be alarmed as it cooks because the cheese cloth will turn brown, and almost look burnt.

I will post the finished bird when it comes out of the oven...

Start the Day on a Sweet Note

Who says you only have to celebrate Thanksgiving at dinner time? Why not set the stage by starting the day with a special treat for your family...

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed
butter
1/2 - 3/4 cup brown sugar
cinnamon
nutmeg
ground clove

Using a rolling pin, roll out the bread dough into a rectangle. Spread the dough with butter, top with brown sugar. Sprinkle seasonings over the brown sugar.

Working on the long side, begin to roll your dough, tucking in the toppings as you go.

Slice your rolls in 1" slices.

Place rolls, cut side down in a baking pan. Cover with a towel and allow to continue to rise.

Bake as directed on your dough package.

Variations:

Add nuts or raisin...or both!

Add frosting - mix 1 cup powdered sugar mixed with 1 Tablespoon milk (add more milk - 1 teaspoon at a time - to thin frosting).

Try this yummy breakfast -- and your family will Thank You!

Enjoy!

Bringing the Green to Your Meal

I need to make a salad for this Thanksgiving to take to our family gathering. This salad came right to my mind - with it's cranberries - it's a fantastic choice for Thanksgiving.

Salads are great ways of adding a little green to your holiday meal. I came across this salad a few years ago and have made it for many family gathering. It is very easy to make. One thing I did discover was that you can put the ingredients together ahead of time, just do not toss the dressing with the greens until just before serving (the dressing caused the spinach to wilt).

Cranberry and Spinach Salad

1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered
1 pound spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces
1 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons minced onion
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Cook and stir almonds in butter until lightly toasted. Remove from heat, and let cool.

In a large bowl, combine the spinach with the toasted almonds and cranberries.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, onion, paprika, white wine vinegar, cider vinegar, and vegetable oil.

Toss with spinach just before serving.

Enjoy!

Undercover Squash

I have family who would not touch a butternut squash to save their soul...but there is ways to sneak the yummyness (is that even a word??) into your holiday menu.

I found this spice cake some time ago and love the flavors.

Butternut Squash Spice Cake

1 cup pureed cooked butternut squash**

1/2 cup butter

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 cup buttermilk***

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1/2 cup golden raisins

confectioner's sugar

Sift together flour, baking soda, powder, salt and spices into a bowl, set aside.

In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar; add eggs - beat well. Add squash.

Stir in the sifted dry ingredients to make a smooth batter.

Add the buttermilk, nuts and raisins - mixed well.

Pour batter into a greased and floured bunt cake pan

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Allow to cool, dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

** You can use frozen, thawed squash puree or to use fresh squash - split squash in half, clean out seeds. Place squash cut side down in a sided pan. Add enough water to cover bottom of pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Drain water from pan and turn squash over, return to oven to bake 30 additional minutes or until squash is tender. Allow squash to cool - remove squash with a spoon or fork from squash skin.

***You can also use a buttermilk substitute:

Ingredients:

Milk (just under 1 cup)

1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice

Add vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup, add milk up to the 1 cup line. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before using.

Enjoy!

Bewitching Potatoes

I know, I know... mash potatoes are the standard for Thanksgiving, but sometimes a girl just want something else. And what better way to stir up a standard than with cheese and crunch.

This recipe was part of my Mom's recipes, and I've seen it in several variations. The recipe is known by different names - but what ever you call it - I think we can all agree it's delicious!

Potato Supreme

Topping:
1 cup cornflakes - crushed
1/4 cup melted butter

Base:
2 pounds hash browns - lightly thawed
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pint sour cream
1 small onion - minced
1/2 cup melted butter
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Mix together base ingredients and turn into baking dish. Mixed together topping ingredients and spread over potato mixture. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Now, sit back and enjoy the smiles on everyone faces.

Yams Delight

What would Thanksgiving dinner be without yams. I am such a fan of this yummy vegetable that I have it all year long (I like to oven roast it...but that's for another blog entry...lol). They are not only tasty, but provide a source for vitamins B1, B6 and C.

This recipe adds a little twist to the old traditional casserole with apricots.

Apricot Glaze Yams
1 - 16 oz. or 2 - 9 oz. can of yams - drained
1 - 17 oz. can of apricot halves - drained, reserving syrup
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
Salt to taste
dash of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup light raisins
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel

Arrange yams in a 10 x 12 baking dish, add water to syrup to equal 1 cup and set aside. Arrange apricot halves over yams. In a saucepan combine, brown sugar, cornstarch, and spices. Stir in apricot syrup and raisins. cook over high heat stirring constantly until mixture boils. Stir in grated orange peel. Pour mixture over yams and apricots.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until well glazed, basting occasionally.

May be served warm or cold.

If you wish to use raw yams instead of the canned...chop yams into serving size pieces and place in a steamer. Cook until almost tender. Then follow the recipe above. Increase the baking time with apricots and glaze to 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Giving Thanks for Sides

It's time to give Thanks for all our blessings.

In a short few days we will all gather around tables of family and friends, to enjoy each other's company, good food and you can not forget football. It's this time of year we look for dishes that all will enjoy. Whether you are responsible for one dish or the whole meal, help is on the way. I will be sharing over the next few days great dishes that are easy to make, crowd pleasing dishes, that will make you a star at any Thanksgiving or Holiday gathering.

Let's start with the sides. I came across a recipe that made a nice rice dish...I've made some changes that moved it from a nice dish to a fantastic dish. I hope you enjoy it.

Confetti Rice

1 1/2 cup long grain white rice
2 chicken bullion cubes
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup white wine
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 Tablespoon dried parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste
4 Tablespoon butter - divided
1 small onion - finely chopped
1 large or 2 small carrots - finely chopped
2 stalks celery - finely chopped

Melt 2 tablespoon butter in skillet, add vegetables and saute until onions are translucent and carrots begin to soften.

In a casserole dish place rice, 2 Tablespoon butter, and seasonings. Add cooked vegetables, water and wine. Stir to mix. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour - or when all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Add more water as needed if you need to cook a little longer - adding water by Tablespoon at a time.

Serves 4 - 6.

To change this dish from a side to a main dish - add 1 cup of thawed mixed vegetables (such as broccoli, cauliflower, etc) and 1 cup of cooked chopped chicken when adding cooked vegetables. Increase water by 1/2 cup.

Another Crowd Pleaser

Having company? Looking for an easy recipe to make a fabulous dessert?

Here is a cake that will bring you rave reviews without a lot of work or a dirty kitchen. I found this recipe last week too when I was looking through the stacks of cards I have from long ago. I really need to get those organized...and share more with you. Still have all of my mom's cards to look through.

Applesauce Nut Cake

1 yellow cake mix
1 pkg. (3 3/4oz.) vanilla instant pudding & pie filling
1/2 cup chopped nuts (your choice)
1 1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 eggs
powder sugar for dusting

Mix all ingredients with a fork in an ungreased 13 x 9 pan, making sure to scrape corners, for 1 minute. Scrape sides of the pan with a spatula and even batter in the pan.

Bake at 350 degrees 35 - 40 minutes, or until cake springs back when touched.

Dust with powder sugar.

I just love those mix in the pan cakes - not much clean up! Would be great served with cinnamon ice cream.

Enjoy!

And They All Fall Down

Mother Nature blanketed our back yard with the color of Fall. We have had lots of rain last week and I think all the leaves fell over night. Thanks to Bill's garden tractor, we were able to pick-up and chopped-up all these leaves in about 30 minutes. Now our yard waste container is full, the compost bin is full and we layered the garden beds.

Now waiting for the front yard tree to drop...

Enjoying an Autumn Treat

An apple a day...keeps the doctor away. Or so it is said...it did not say you could not enjoy an apple baked into a wonderful, tasty dessert...lol

As I was saying in my last post, I was searching my stack of old recipe cards from something different to make for my Bible study group. I wanted something that did not need a knife and fork (finger food), I'm not big on cookie baking but thought I might have a bar the fit the bill. I came across this recipe...I actually think it was from my high school cooking class - boy, does that take me back. Apples this year are very afforadable. We had lots of ran this summer which produced a bumper crop of apples.

The recipe made a nice little bar dessert, that was a hit at the Bible study this morning. I hope you will enjoy it too.

Applekuchen (Apple Cake)

2 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 Tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup butter

2 Tablespoon milk

2 eggs

3 cups sliced peeled apples - I used figi apples, but granny smith would be a good choice too

Sift dry ingredients together. Cream butter and sugar, add dry ingredients, milk and egg. Press the dough on bottom of a greased 9 x 13 pan (I floured my hands to help keep the dough from sticking to my fingures). Press apple slices into dough so they over lap. Sprinkle with topping.

Topping:

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2 Tablespoon butter

Mix topping ingredients together, cut in butter until coarse crumbs appear.

Bake 375 degrees for 50 minutes.

Adding a Little Spice to a Kid Friendly Dinner

I was digging through my stacks of old recipe cards yesterday (what did we do before everything was on a computer...lol) - I am to make the treat for the Bible Study on Friday morning and wanted to find something different. (I'll share what I found for that in my next post.) While I was looking, I came across a recipe that I have not made in years. It is one that I made when Jason was little - fast, easy and kids will eat it - what more could a busy mother want. Today, we like our food a little more spicy, so I added Italian sausage to my original recipe and made it for dinner tonight. Give it a try, and you will have a new fix it fast dinner too.

Easy Macaroni Casserole

1 jar pasta sauce (your favorite flavor)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 lb. elbow macaroni - cooked
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green pepper
1 lb. Italian bulk sausage
1 - 3 oz. pkg. pepperoni - cut in halves
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped (or if you cheat like me - 2 heaping spoonfuls of jarred chopped garlic)
salt & pepper to taste
grated Parmesan cheese

In a skillet, cook the sausage, onion, and green pepper to sausage is cooked through and onions and peppers begin to brown. Add pepperoni and garlic. Cook until pepperoni is warmed - be careful not to burn the garlic. In a dutch oven, add the cooked pasta, pasta sauce, meat mixture, mozzarella cheese and salt and pepper. Mix well. Top with Parmesan cheese. Bake in 375 degrees for 30 minutes - until cheese is melted.

Serve with a toss salad and garlic bread.

Enjoy!

Experimenting With a New Twist

Have you ever made a recipe that sparked ideas to use it differently? That is what happen when I made the Tasty Meat Pie a few weeks ago. Bill suggested we try the meat pie filling in a cabbage roll.

Today, I decided to do a little experiment. Jan and Jean stopped by and we talked them into staying for dinner to help with the tasting. We all decided my experiment was a success!

I made the filling for the cabbage rolls the same way as the meat pie.

Tasty Meat Cabbage Rolls

1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 can condensed beef with vegetables and barley soup
1 can beefy mushroom soup
3 medium uncooked potatoes, pealed and 1/2" cubed
4 medium carrots, sliced thin
1 Tablespoon of dried parsley
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (about 3 shakes)
salt & pepper to taste
1 head of Cabbage
1 can condensed Tomato soup

In a skillet, cook beef and onion until meat is no longer pink. Add carrots and potatoes. Continue to cook for a few minutes, until the potatoes and carrots begin to soften and brown just a little.

In a large mixing bowl, blend together the Beef Mushroom and Beef with vegetable soups, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper. Add the meat and vegetable mixture. Combine together.

Carefully take the leaves off of the cabbage as much in whole form as possible (you will need around 16-18). I usually start by cutting out the core which will loosen the cabbage leaves at the base. Loosely chop up the remaining cabbage.

Bring a large pan of water to boil. You will use the water to wilt the cabbage leaves. Dip each whole leaves in the boiling for 2-3 minutes. Remove the leaves from the boiling water and drain.

Prepare a 9x12 dish with no-stick. Layer the bottom of the dish with the chopped cabbage (this cabbage does not need to be wilted).

To prepare cabbage rolls - take one wilted cabbage leaf, cut out the large vain at the base of the leaf. Spoon in one heaping spoonful of meat filling. Close leaf around filling, secure with toothpick. Place the cabbage roll, seam side down on top of the chopped cabbage. Repeat until all rolls are made.

Pour the tomato soup over the top of the cabbage rolls.

Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 1 hour.

Enjoy!

I had some filling left over and used some puff pastry to make some Tasty Meat turnovers too!

Turning To An Old Faithful

Do you have one of those "go-to" recipes? Today I felt like making a casserole and decided to turn to one of my "go-to" recipes - Chicken and Rice Bake. I like this one better than the recipe my mom made when I was a child. I've used this recipe for almost 30 years - wow, putting that in writing just made me feel old..lol.

Hope your family enjoys this as much as my family does.

Chicken and Rice Bake

1 can Golden Mushroom Soup
1 cup milk
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 - 3 oz. can chopped mushrooms
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 cup regular rice (uncooked)
1 - 10oz. pkg. frozen peas and carrots, thawed
1 broiler-fryer chicken, cut up
Paprika

In bow stir together mushroom soup, milk, dry onion soup mix, undrained mushrooms, salt and pepper. Reserve 1/2 cup of the soup mixture and set aside. Stir uncooked rice and thawed vegetables into remaining soup mixture.

Turn rice mixture into a 12 x 7 1/2 x 2 - inch baking dish; arrange chicken pieces atop of rice mixture. Pour reserved soup mixture over chicken, sprinkle chicken pieces with paprika. Cover tightly with foil. Bake at 375 degrees till rice is tender and chicken is cooked through, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.

Makes 4 to 6 serving.

It Souper Weather Outside

They have already forecasted snow for Michigan! brrrrrrr! Time to get the soup pot on the stove. Nothing helps you forget about the weather outside than a warm dinner inside. This soup has become one of our favorites - it's both hearty and tasty; and has flavors I love - plus - it's pretty.

Potato and Sausage Soup with Peppers

3 medium potatoes, cubed (3 cups)
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup white wine
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 small yellow pepper, chopped
1 small red pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 - 1 lb. pkg smoke sausage, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
2 1/2 cups milk

In a medium saucepan combine potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Important: Do not drain.

Meanwhile in a large saucepan, cook the peppers, onions and sausage in hot butter until tender and just starting to brown. Stir in flour, salt and peppers. Add wine, continue to stir (make sure to stir up the bits in the bottom of the pan - there is alot of flavor in those bits). Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 minute more. Stir in undrained potatoes. Heat through.

Makes 4 servings.

Serve with a nice grainy bread and you have a complete meal.

Enjoy!

Keeping the Home Fires Burning

I just love to have a fire in the fireplace. The smell and the popping of the wood is one of those things that relaxes me. We've started to stock up on wood for winter, thanks Aunt Judy and Uncle Butch! I've already burned some of it. When stacking wood, you should stack the wood by size small, medium, large. Placing a tarp over your stack will help keep it dry. I also pick up twigs from the yard and keep them in a basket to use as kindling.

Starting a fire can be a challenge. You could use one of the starter logs, but they are a little expensive, and what is the fun in that. I learned how to make these fire starters in Girl Scouts. They are called candle kisses. Easy to make and easy to use. I make several at a time.

Start with a piece of a tapered candle - around 2 inches long. I keep tappers that have burned down, or have broken to make these.

Tear a piece of wax paper and fold in half. Lay the candle on top.

Begin to roll the candle up in the wax paper

Twist the end together, it will resemble a candy kiss.

To build the fire, first - make sure the flew is open (I've smoked us a couple of times...lol). Stack your wood in the rack in your fireplace. I like to lay a couple of medium size logs on the bottom side by side. Place the candle kiss on top, then put some of the kindling twigs on the candle kiss, leaving the twisted ends accessible. Light both twisted ends of the kiss. As the kiss burns, it will light the wood. Start adding bigger wood as the kindling starts to burn, and before you know it, you have a blazing fire.

Jazzing up a Tasty Meat Pie

Looking for something new to do with ground beef? I was looking for the same a while back, and came across an interesting recipe. I've made it several times and have added my own spin to it. Serve with a toss salad and you have a complete meal - don't you just love that!

Theresa's Tasty Meat Pie

1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 can condensed beef with vegetables and barley soup
1 can beefy mushroom soup
1 small can sliced mushrooms, drained (I use the one with the stems - nothing fancy)
3 medium uncooked potatoes, pealed and 1/2" cubed
4 medium carrots, sliced thin
1 Tablespoon of dried parsley
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (about 3 shakes)
salt & pepper to taste
pastry for double-crust pie (I use one box with 2 prepared pie crusts found in the refrigerator section of the grocery store)

In a skillet, cook beef and onion until meat is no longer pink. Add carrots and potatoes. Continue to cook for a few minutes, until the potatoes and carrots begin to soften and brown just a little.

In a large mixing bowl, blend together the soup, mushrooms, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper. Add the meat and vegetable mixture. Combine together.

Spray two pie plates with no-stick. Divide meat mixture between the two pie plates. Roll out pastry on a floured surface. Lay each pastry across filling. Trim to fit, seal and flute edges (I do an easy flute of pressing a fork around the edges - this will seal it at the same time).

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown. Let the pies rest for 15 minutes before serving.

This will make 2 pies - each cut into 3 sections will serve 6 people.

I have found the pies are even better warmed up the next day, and they freeze well too.

Enjoy!!

Chasing Away the cool Autumn Nights

Fall is knocking at the door, a few trees have started changing colors, and the cool nights have begun. I have to say, that I am in my glory with all my warm to the tummy one-pot dishes. This has become one of my favorites, and now it is Bill's too; we just had it this past weekend.

I originally began this recipe to use up leftover Thanksgiving turkey, but now I like it all fall and winter long. I changed the recipe to use store bought rotisserie chicken, but if you want, you can oven roast a chicken yourself or substitute turkey. It's easy to make and I assure you, your family will really enjoy it. What better way to chase way the cool nights than with a warm comfort dinner.

Chicken Stew with Dumplings

For the Stew:
1 rotisserie cooked chicken - picked off the bone and chopped in bit size pieces
3 Tablespoons of butter
3 carrots, chopped (I leave the peel on, but it's your choice)
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
6 cups chicken stock (if I do not have enough stock - I use 1 box of stock, plus 2 cups of water with 2 chicken bouillon cubes)
2 Tablespoon minced parsley
1 teaspoon dried poultry seasoning
1 Tablespoon Chicken Seasoning (I found this wonderful mixture at Frankenmouth, but I think you can find something like it in any grocery store)
Salt & Pepper to taste

For the Dumplings:
2 1/4 Cup Bisquick
2/3 cup Milk
3 Tablespoon fresh minced parsley

Directions:
Melt the butter in a large pot, I like to use my dutch oven. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften and brown a little. Begin adding the stock - 1 cup at a time. Make sure to stir and scrap the bottom of the pan to pick up all the bits on the bottom from browning the vegetables. Continue until all the stock is added. Add seasonings. Cook on medium another 10 minutes or until vegetables are fork tender. Add chicken. Bring, stew to a soft boil.

Mix the Bisquick, milk and parsley together in a bowl. Drop the dumpling mixture by spoonfuls on to the low boiling stew - do not stir the dumplings in, allow them to sit on top of the stew. Cook uncovered for 5-8 minutes. Cover stew and dumplings and continue to cook for another 5 - 8 minutes. It is done when the dumplings feel firm to the touch (the dumplings will continue to be white) - you may see one split open a little - that is ok - they are done.

Serves 4.

Enjoy!

Art in the Eye of the Beholder

What is art? Who said it was art? Is it art? These are the words we explored today. On the last beautiful Sunday in September, Bill, his mom and sister and I explored our downtown in a whole new way than ever before.

Artprize has hit Grand Rapids, MI! The contest invited artists to our community to display their art for a chance to win the top prize of $250,000. To say it was successful is an understatement. We have the pleasure of seeing 1,262 artists whose work will be on display until October 10th. I could not believe the number of people who were wondering downtown today. The weather was absolutely beautiful for it. I was amazed at the astonishing creations we saw...some I liked, some I did not get, some I did not like....but that is what art is all about.

Not Your Mother's Pasta

Let's talk Pasta!! Cooking pasta is one of my favorite dishes. It can be both an elegant main dish to serve to company and an easy family favorite meal. Not to mention it can be a very economical dish.

It has only been in recent years that I have begun to experiment with different flavors. In the past I always just made a red meat sauce served over spaghetti and that was it with a little Lasagna thrown in here and there for good measure. But pasta does not always need a heavy meat sauce to favor it. I enjoy it tossed with oven roasted veggies, baked into a casserole and served with chicken or shrimp.

Here is one of my recent discoveries - very yummy!

Enjoy!

Pasta & Peas

1 box of linguine - cooked - reserve pasta water
3 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 - small onion - chopped
3 clove garlic - minced
2 carrots - chopped
1 cup white wine
1 - 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 tablespoon dried Italian Seasoning
1 tablespoon dried Basil
1 tablespoon dried Parsley
1 - 16 oz. Frozen Peas - thawed
1/4 cup freshly grated or shaved Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in the bottom of a dutch oven (or other large sauce pan). Add onion, garlic and carrots. Cook until onions are transparent and carrots begin to soften.

Add white wine to deg lase the pan. Stir in the tomato paste.

Begin ladling in the pasta water, one ladle at a time until the sauce is at the consistency you want (I used about 3 ladles).

Add seasoning and continue cooking until carrots are tender.

Add peas and pasta. Toss until pasta is coated and peas are warmed. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Being My Crafty Self

I have been a flurry of scissors, paper, ribbons, stamps and punches. I think the cats are actually afraid of me when I am in "the Zone". As many of you know, I enjoy card making - also known as paper crafting. Thanks to a dear friend who has hooked me on this fun craft, yes - I talking about you Barb...lol.

I hope you all have been blessed with my creations. But I must say, I am no where near the level as those who's blogs I have listed in the Stampers who inspire me.

This week my plan is to have my Christmas cards done - I know, it only September. I developed a design which takes a little more time than what I usually do since I have more time right now...and am hoping I will be busy with work soon.

Now....where did that adhesive go to.....

Enjoy some of my most recent creations.

Happy Birthday to Mom!
Thank yous!

Thinking of you.

Happy Birthday to my sweetie!

It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

Well, not exactly the "great" pumpkin, in fact far from it...but a girl can dream can't she? I saved the seeds from a couple of the pumpkins I bought last fall to decorate our home for our House Blessing/Open House party. One was white and the other I am call heirloom - it was not the traditional jack-o-lantern style pumpkin instead it was flater with a soft orange and green coloring. I planted a hill from both seeds. Both forms of pumpkins came up. The white pumpkin produced one pumpkin, but the plant did not last and I have a pumpkin about the size of a soft ball. The heirloom pumpkin has done much better. I have two very large, aggressive vines crossing over the garden with one pumpkin each. Both pumpkins are still growing and current the size of a dinner plate.

Well, it's time to do some more cleaning out of the garden. The summer squash is ready to be taken out. I need to harvest the corn and cut down the corn stalks. I am planning on using the stalks to decorate the front of our home for fall. This is my most favorite time of the year. The trees begin to change and dance with color. The air feels cool and clean. And who does not like apple crisp....but that will be another blog posting.

Visiting the Ponte Vecchio in Florence

Close your eyes and envision a street packed with beautiful jewelry shops on both sides, with windows looking over the Arno River, and you have envisioned the Ponte Vecchio. During our visit in May, Vanessa and I were drawn to this bridge several times to shop and take pictures. Much of the jewelry was absolutely breath-taking. Vanessa found a lovely ring here. I reinforced my believe that I have very good taste - since everything I liked was way out of my price range...lol. I realized when I was pulling pictures together for this posting, we did not get a picture of one of the shops for you...guess we will need to return to Florence sometime soon to take that picture for you.

The Ponte Vecchio is the oldest bridge in Florence, built in 1345. One reason for this is because it is the only bridge not destroyed during World War II. We were told during one of our tours Hitler left it standing to celebrate that it was the bridge he crossed into Florence. Originally the bridge was full of butchers, tanners and blacksmiths. In 1593 it was changed over for workshops for the goldsmiths.

Florence Inspired Risotto

Risotto can be a little intimidating for those who had not made it before. I know that was the case for me, and I had even seen my professor make it when I was in Italy in 2005. But after watching the Food Network (I'm a huge fan! - my cats, if you don't know, are Paula and Dean - as in Paula Dean - hahaha) any way I digress. Once I tried making risotto a couple of times and got the knack of the rhythm of adding the liquid - it can be very simple. The risotto that I had at the Plazza Della Signoria in Florence this last May was very delicious and was made with a mixed vegetable, appearing to be the same blend as frozen mixed vegetables we have here at home (corn, beans, peas and carrots). After I returned home, I played with it a little and developed what I would consider very close to what I had experienced in Florence.

The risotto in Florence was made only with vegetables - no meat, but here at home I have added ham to satisfy Bill. I was telling him tonight as we ate our risotto, I think the next time I make it, I am going to try cooked chicken to see how that turns out.

Theresa's Vegetable Risotto

1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil (I know all the recipes say "good olive oil" but it's what your budget can handle)

1 1/2 Tablespoons butter (yes, I use butter and not margarine - makes all the difference in the world)

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (or risotto rice - they are the same thing - you just can not use regular white rice)

1 cup of white wine (use what you drink - don't feel like you have to buy some snooty expensive wine - unless you drink snooty expensive wines...lol)

5 cups of chicken stock (warmed)

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 Tablespoons of herbs to taste

1 - 16 oz. bag of frozen mixed vegetables - thawed

1/2 cup cubed ham

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Heat the olive oil and butter in a skillet until the butter is melted. Add the rice and simmer over low heat until the rice slightly browns - continually stirring. Add the wine all at once. Stir until most of the wine is absorbed. Now here is where you need to develop a rhythm - and do not leave your risotto alone. Begin ladling in the warmed chicken stock - one ladle at a time, stirring until most of the stock is absorbed before adding another ladle. You continue this until all the stock has been ladled into the rice, this process could take around 25 to 30 minutes. Do not rush the process or your will end up with hard, undercooked rice. Add the herbs of your choice (in this picture I only used parsley) about half way through.

Once the last of the stock has been added and almost completely absorbed, add the thawed vegetables and ham. Continue stirring until the vegetables are warmed. Take off the heat, add the Parmesan cheese - stir until the cheese is melted.

Now, sit back and enjoy with a nice glass of the white wine. Once you try it, I am sure you will be make risotto like a pro!

The party is over for the Tomatoes!

The blight that has been plaguing West Michigan gardens has come to mine. Because of our cool nights and amount of rain this past season (we did not even need to water our yard or garden at all in August) a blight has developed attacking tomato plants in the area. Over night all of my tomato plants died. On Wednesday I spent an hour in the garden cleaning out the dead plants (did you know it just as much, if not more, work to clean out the garden as it is to plant - great exercise - at least that is what I keep telling myself as I struggled to get out of bed this morning...lol). I made sure all of the plant material went into the garden waste container instead into the compost bin so I don't carry it over into the next growing season.

I have to say, I can not complain about how well the tomatoes produced this year. I even picked a bushel on Wednesday as I took the plants down. Most are still green, but will ripen within a few days and I can do one more canning.

What did I lean this gardening season about tomatoes?

1. Tomatoes and peppers don't mix within a raised bed. When I planted the raised bed, it looked like there was plenty of room for the tomatoes and peppers, but the tomatoes have over shadowed the peppers. I have picked a few peppers, but they could have done much better if they would not have been so crowded.

2. Don't go cheap on the tomato cages...I bought the cheapest tomato cages I could find last spring and during the summer the tomato plants bended them right over.

3. The "Pear Tomato" is a cute tomato (it is small, yellow and the shape of a pear) and nice for salads, but it is a very aggressive plant (I even trimmed it several times over the summer) and produces way more than what I wanted for a few summer salads.

4. Good soil leads to great tomatoes. We invested in good gardening soil when we were filling the raised beds this last spring and the proof was in the size of our tomato plants and tomatoes them selves.