Another Great Idea for Thanksgiving Leftovers

Want another idea to use up your Thanksgiving left-overs?

Have the iconic "Green Bean Casserole" left over? How about some mashed potatoes? I have just the ticket.... I call this Theresa Shepard Pie.

Theresa's Shepard Pie

Left overs of:
Green Bean Casserole
mashed potatoes
raw various veggies (chopped)

1 pound ground beef
1 onion - chopped
1 rib celery - chopped
Salt & Pepper to taste

Cook ground beef until cooked through, add onions, celery and raw veggies. Cook until softened. Mix beef, veggies and the left-over green been casserole (if this mixture is too dry - add another can of creamed soup such as mushroom or celery). Turn into a baking dish. Topped with mashed potatoes - spread evenly over mixture. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes (until heated through).

Variation - add shredded cheese to potatoes.

Enjoy!!

Turkey Left-overs

We recently celebrated with the family this wonderful harvest time. It just my favorite time of year to bring out all the comfort foods. On the menu was a turkey along with items I knew everyone would like. We had green-bean casserole for Marjorie, cabbage for Jan, squash for Mom, olives for Jean and I added a small little ham for Bill. To round out the meal, I added smashed potatoes with gravy and dressing. For desert there was apple crisp.

And with a big meal, you have lots of left-overs. One of the recipes I love to make with left-over turkey is Turkey Stew with Dumplings. It's great for an easy meal - ready in about 1 hour.

Turkey Stew with Dumplings

2-3 cups left over Turkey taken off the bone (fully cooked)
2 carrots - sliced
2 stalks celery - chopped
1 onion - chopped
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup white wine
2 Tablespoon butter
2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon sage
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tablespoon corn starch
1/4 cup water

Melt butter in dutch oven, add veggies and cook until tender. Add 1 cup white wine. Stir, scrapping bottom of pan. Add Turkey. Add chicken broth and enough water to cover turkey and vegetables (1/2 to 1 cup). Add seasonings. Taste stew, adjust seasoning accordingly. Bring stew to a slow boil. Mix corn starch with water in a separate glass or small bowl. Slowly add corn starch mixture to stew to thicken it.

Dumplings:
2 cups Bisquick
2/3 cup Milk
1 Tablespoon dried parsley

In a separate bowl, mix together dumpling ingredients. This will be a soft batter. Drop by spoon full into boiling stew. The dumpling will sink, then rise to the top. Once all the dumplings have been added, lower heat, cover and cook stew for 10 minutes, then uncover for 10 minutes. I like to shake a little paprika over the dumplings after they rise to add a little more flavor.

Once the dumplings are set - they should spring back to a light touch - your stew is ready to enjoy.

I'm Back....

Wow, I can not believe how busy my new job has been keeping me...but it's all good. I guess you can still call it new...I've been there 4 months already. Last year this time I was laid off with no opportunities on the horizon, now I'm happy doing work that is right in line with what I went to school to learn. My accounting skills have grown, my management skills have grown and I am definitely better with excel then I ever thought I was. I feel totally blessed.

Now with Christmas quickly sneaking up on us, it's time to start working on all my holiday projects. I've started making my cards...and have plans to do a few sewing and cooking projects. I have a few fun surprises on my list for this year that I think my family and friends will enjoy. Along with some entertaining plans...So keep checking in to see the latest tips, projects and recipes for the holidays.

Not your Mother's Fried Chicken

I was recently talking with some co-workers about cooking fried chicken. We all agreed we just love the taste of deep fried and skillet fried chicken - but we hate all the mess. I shared with them how I like to make oven fried chicken. It is so much simpler and cleaner than the traditional version. When I mix up the breading - I make a lot and put the extra in Tupperware for the next batch.

Oven Fried Chicken

1 stick butter
1 chicken - cut into pieces (using "bone-in" chicken gives it the best flavor)


Breading:
1 cup Bisquick
1/2 cup corn meal or seasoned bread crumbs - which ever I have in stock in the pantry
2 Tablespoons - dried parsley flakes
1 Tablespoon - paprika - lately I've been using the smoked paprika - but if you do not have the smoked - regular will work fine.
Salt and Pepper to taste
Other spices are fun to use here too - such as rosemary - use your imagination.

Note - if you are using fresh herbs - you will not be able to keep any left over breading - and any breading left in the dipping plate needs to be dumped since it was in contact with raw chicken.

Mix together.

Set the oven at 350 degrees. Melt one stick of butter in a 9x13 pan in the oven.

While the butter is melting, sprinkle some of the breading in a light layer on a plate. Dip the chicken pieces into the breading, making sure the chicken has a nice coating. Once the butter is melted and your pan is hot, remove the pan from the oven and arrange the chicken in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Remove covering, turn chicken and return to the oven uncovered for another 15 minutes or until the chicken reaches 180 degrees on a meat thermometer.

Your chicken will have a nice crunchy coating while still being moist in the middle - and you do not have all the grease splatters to clean up.

Where did time go?

Wow - I can not believe that summer is almost over and it's been a while since my last post. Time has simply flew by me. I've had a very interesting summer! We hosted a fun surprise birthday party for Bill's mom - she turns 80 this fall and we really wanted to surprise her - so on July 3rd - over 50 of our friends and relatives joined us in our back yard. Mom was truly suprised and everyone had a marvelous time! Check out the pictures. I started a new job at Hope Network, continued working part-time at Stepping Stones Montessori School until they hired a new business manager and went to Dallas for a week of celebration and learning with Mary Kay.

This weekend my very best friend Vanessa came up from Ohio for a little R&R from her working and studying. We had a fantastic time shopping, eating, saw a movie and went to a theatre performance - what more could a girl ask for. One of our stops during shopping was Fustini's oils and vinegars in Holland, MI - I must say I was so supervised at how delicious flavored vinegars and oils can taste. I purchased their Asian Blackberry Balsamic Vinegar and can not wait to try it out - I will keep you posted on my results.


We also went to see the "The Marvelous Wonderettes" at the Mason Street Warehouse in Saugatuck, Michigan. If you have not visited the playhouse before - I highly recommend you put it on your list. I just discovered this fun theatre this summer - and am looking forward to seeing them again next year. They offered 4 different shows this past summer - I made it to the next to last one. Vanessa and I could not have been happier with the performance.

Well, time to get back in the groove - the heat seems to have finally broken - at least for today.

Enjoy the day!!

Mary Kay Saphire Seminar

Dallas Texas in July! You could not think it could get any hotter! But get 10,000 of your closes friends together - and you have one HOT party!!

I enjoyed almost a week in Dallas for the Mary Kay Seminar - went a day early for shopping - spent a day touring -- you will see below pics of the MK headquarters and I stayed over one extra day to save on my flight home. What a fun time! It's like going to the Academy Awards! We start out with training and end with an evening of show stopping entertainment and awards for the top achievements.

Opening Session

Awards Night!

Linda and I at the Mary Kay headquaters.

Outside of the convension hall.

Dinner out our first night in Dallas.

It's a Super Secret Birthday Suprise

The gods were definitely smiling on us this day...during one of the hottest summers, we lucked out finding a perfect day to celebrate Mom's 80th birthday surprise. Her birthday is not actually until September - but we wanted to surprise her - in a BIG way! And we did it! On July 3rd over 50 family and friends gathered at our home for a back-yard celebration.

The weather was perfect - comfortable with a slight breeze. We grilled hamburgers, hot dogs and brats - the brats were the hit of the meat dishes. We asked everyone to bring a dish to share - which brought in wonderful salads, relishes and deserts - I am working to gather some of the recipes - and will share them when I do.

And the best part was enjoying the laughter of those we love -- I know, that sounds pretty corny - but it's true. :-)

At the Garden Gate

A garden gate can be a very magical entrance - calling for garden fairies and magical creatures to dance around encouraging the garden to grow. The gate leads into a new world of plants and flowers, where bunnies are not welcome.

I am soooo excited to have my new gate up on my garden. Cousin Dan (not sure why we refer to him as "Cousin Dan"...it's not like we have any other Dan's in the family...but I continue on the tradition...lol) came over a couple of Fridays ago, and while Bill worked on Dan's computer, my gate was built. We made it wide enough for the wheel barrel to go through. It is now so easy for me to enter into my garden without tripping.

Garden Update

It FINALLY stopped raining long enough for the garden to dry out so I could get into it to plant my green beans without getting up to my ankles in mud. I would wager that there was at least 1 -2 inches of standing water all around my raised beds with all the heavy rains we have had over the last two weeks. It really proved why I was changing the entire garden over to the raised beds.

My onions and beets are growing like crazy and I started to thin the beets today. I have blooms on my squash and peppers. I also have my first pepper - it currently is the size of my small finger - but it is there and earlier than last year. The bugs have been working on my cabbage so I gave them a good spray of some pest control. I know...for you hard core natural gardeners...there are natural ways I could attach the pests...but what can I say...it is so easy to give them a little squirt...lol.

On my "to do" list is to finish the garden fencing around the new area and bring in a ton of mulch to put around all the raised beds. Then I can relax and enjoy the view...watch Bill mow the yard.

Talking about the view reminds me...I was noticing how the boarder around our back yard is just green...not that green is bad...but I'm a girl who likes color. The yard looked lovely this spring with all the spring colors, but now the color is all gone. I have a huge snowball bush that is just exploding with blooms and will bring a big splash of white - but I need to work in other areas around the yard. Making lists for next year planting - I know I can add Day Lillies - they are not my most favorite, but they grow well here and are good bloomers all summer long. Now, I need to do some research to find what else I want.

Happy Gardening!
Theresa

May Flowers

Wild Mustard?

Does anyone know if this is wild mustard? There were larger plants with small yellow flowers, their roots remind me of a turnip. If so, can I harvest the seed after blooming to grind up to make dried mustard?

The Gardening Has Begun

I was beginning to get worried that I would not be able to start the garden. We had such a warm early spring, and then it turned cool and rainy. We just pasted our last chance of frost last week. So, now I'm free to get started.

The addition to the garden was tilled up yesterday. Bill's cousin was great to come over and work up the new section with his tiller. Chuck ran into a great deal of clay - which is why I am changing the entire garden over to raised bed...not to mention...when it's done it will look nice too. Now, I need to get the new section raked and ready for the raised bed. Bill has another cousin who will make me a garden gate so this summer I do not have to try to climb over the fence any more. It was just a pain on my legs.

I invested yesterday in plants for the herb garden. I bought - thyme, sage, dill, rosemary, cilantro, parsley and chives. I do have some herbs that made it through the winter from last year - wide leaf chives, oregano, bee balm and a ton of mint. In fact, I am having trouble with all the mint. I read over the winter you should not plant mint directly into your garden because it is very invasive (don't you just love it when you learn these things after the fact...lol). I think my best plan of action is that I should remove all the mint from the garden, transplanting a little into a container calling it good.

I added to my perennial flower bed - this year I added Aquilegia and Speedwell. I still need to fill in with a few annuals, but soon within a few years it should all be perennials. My plan is to add some each year, since these plants are more expensive then annuals.

Containers are also part of my garden plan. I put one together yesterday. This year I decided to play a little with the one for the back deck (see picture). I planted Tickseed, Candytuft, Meadow Sage and lantana. I am expecting a full color of purples and yellows.

Well, this is my last day of vacation this week - back to work tomorrow - so I should get busy with my gardening before the day has pasted me by.

Happy Gardening!

Sunshine in a Salad

It's the middle of May already and potlucks and summer holidays are just around the corner. No matter if we are enjoying a potluck at the little league ballpark and celebrating Memorial Day with a picnic what brings us most together for family and friends is food. As family cooks, we are all looking for quick and easy dishes that will be a hit of the table without looking like we just made a fast stop at the deli before arriving.

Here is a bright sunny salad sure to liven up your table...and it's good for you too. It needs to made the night before...so plan ahead. I've made this summer salad for many potlucks and holidays and always get great reviews. I hope your family will enjoy it as much as mine.

Carrot Salad

6 or 8 carrots, peeled and sliced

1 sweet onion, sliced

1 green pepper, chopped

Dressing:

1/2 cup salad oil

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup vinegar

1 can tomato soup

1 teaspoon dry mustard

salt and pepper to taste

Steam carrots until tender, but still crunchy. Set aside to cool. Mix dressing and pour over cooled carrots. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator over night. Enjoy!!

Potluck Salad Update

Ok, I made my salad for the potluck...but with a change. When I made the dressing as the recipe called for, I found it bland. I even tried to "doctor" it up a little, but to no avail. So, I threw it out. Yep - when things don't come out as planned, don't be afraid to just start over.

I changed the dressing to one I've made before and found very taste and it did not have to be cooked.

Dressing:
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons minced onion
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together until sugar is dissolved and well blended. Toss with vegetables.

Enjoy!

Salad for a Potluck

We are invited to a Birthday potluck this coming weekend. There is two issues I am looking at - one is that I am having vein surgery on my left leg on Friday (which means I will not be able to stand a great deal on Saturday to put something together) and the other is the fact that the party is about an hour drive from our home.

So, I need something I can put together easily/quickly and will travel well. I decided to go with a good stand by - a salad, but which salad.... After mulling my options over, I decided to look through my mom's old recipe box. I wanted to find something different and came across one that I remember my mom making many times - and many of those times was for a potluck. What luck! I hope all will enjoy it! Here it is - give it a try too and let me know what you thing.

Vegetable Salad
1 can french cut green beans - drained
1 can peas - drained
1 can white kernel corn - drained
1 small jar of pimentos
1 green pepper - chopped
1 cup celery - chopped
1 cup - green onions - chopped

Dressing:
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup oil
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup vinegar
Boil together for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Mix all vegetables and cooled dressing together. Refrigerate over night.

Enjoy!

I want your Opinion

I NEED FACES...Women with SKIN...who will give me their OPINION of our amazing products...It doesn't matter what you are using already and do not have to buy anything...I will send you a "facial in a bag"...then get your opinion...that's it. Could you possibly help me on this mission?? Thank you!!

Girls Night Number 2

What goes together better than food, movie and a bunch of girl friends? We celebrated a Girl's Night again this past weekend with my mom and sister-in-laws.

This time our movie was "The Blind Side" and since Sandra's Bullock's character and husband owned a bunch of Taco Bells - I decided to serve a "Taco Bar". This was one party that was a snap to put together! It was so easy to have soft and hard taco shells for people to choose from. I included bowls of seasoned ground beef, chopped tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese. And I added a side of Nachos and Salsa a long with a nice Spanish Sangria. Knowing how much I have trouble eating tacos without dropping it all down my front (lol), I choose to make mine into a taco salad with Frito's tossed in for crunch.

For dessert I made Chocolate Quesadillas. They were a little warm, and we very quickly learned to let them sit for a couple of minutes before enjoying that chocolate gooey deliciousness...lol. I had one suggestion by one of my sister-in-laws was to make them into smores by adding marshmallow...hummmm - I just might have to experiment with that.

Chocolate Quesadilla

Ingredients:
Honey
ground cinnamon
semisweet chocolate chips
2 flour tortillas

Directions:
In a non-stick skillet (if you do not have a non-stick - use a regular skillet with non-stick spray) lay your first tortilla. Add a small handful of chocolate chips, drizzle a little honey and then dust with the cinnamon to taste. Top with the second tortilla. Press the top tortilla down until you feel the chocolate chips have melted.

Carefully flip over the two tortillas to warm the other side.

Move to a cutting board and cut into 4 wedges.

Let cool briefly before serving. This would be fantastic served with a side of cinnamon ice cream.

Ode to a Dear Friend

My dear little kitty of 13 years passed away in November 2008 from cancer. All last summer I looked around for just the right think to remember her by. At the end of the season I found this adorable statuary with a kitty looking through spy glasses with a little birdie sitting on top. I waited until winter was over to set up my memorial.

Spookie just loved to sit and watch the birds. In fact that is why I started feeding them, to draw the birds closer so she could watch them from the patio doors. I can not help but look out into my garden and smile.

Yard Work has Begun

Dear Bloggers -- I am so excited to be back working on my blog. As Oprah would say...here we go.

I am in my glory now that I am able to start working in my gardens. I've been able to get out a few days during the last couple of weeks. We have had such rain during the spring, our yard was flooded. We have a good layer of clay just under the grass which causes water to stand and not drain off easily. We joke that Lake Palczewski appear off and on in our back yard under the crab apple tree. But for now it's dried out and I can get to work. We still are experiencing frost, so I am not able to start planting - but there is plenty of other work to be done.

In the back corner under the shelter of a pine tree and clumps of bushes of the yard there has been an area where it appears the past owners and to some extend us too have dumped branches and extra grass clippings over the years. It has really become an eye sore. I found out I had a lilac bush back there last year after it was done blooming. So all winter I have been spying that brush pile from my kitchen window, plotting my plan of attack. I've been able to clean out most of the tree branches. The smaller ones, I've filled up my yard waste container (actually I've filled it twice), and the larger branches we going to run through a chipper to make them into mulch. There is a thick layer of rich soil from all the grass clippings I will spread around my various gardens.

My herb garden did not fair well over the winter. I've lost all my lavender. But I have to say the mint has done very well...in fact it is trying hard to take over the entire garden -- I need to start pulling up some shoots very quickly (I worked on it some today...but there is much more to pull). Now to find a use for all this mint....hmmmm...I think I am seeing some Mojitos in my near future. Watch for recipes.

Now I need to find the extra strength Tylenol to work on these sore muscles.

Happy garening everyone!

The Spring Garden In Bloom

Enjoying a Meatless Favorite

We are right in the middle of Lent, and so on our menu this time of year includes meatless dishes. One of my most favorite meatless meals is Potato Pancakes. They are absolutely terrific - and we actually eat them not only during Lent - but all year long! My friend Ann taught me how to make them about 15 years ago. I've changed the recipe a little by adding more spices, onions and garlic to the mix. They are also great as a side dish to meat and a toss salad. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Potato Pancakes

4-5 potatoes - shredded - I leave the skins on, but if that freaks you out - go ahead and peel them.
1 onion - shredded (I run the onion through my food processor along with the potatoes)
1 egg - beaten
2-3 gloves of garlic minced
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon fresh nutmeg

Mix all together. Drop by spoon full into hot frying pan with oil. Flatten slightly. Fry until both sides are golden brown - this takes about 5-7 minutes depending on how hot you have your oil and how thick the pancake is. When done, move the pancake to a paper towel lined plate, sprinkle with a little more salt.

I like them with a dollop of sour cream, Bill adds ketchup instead. I've also heard of some adding applesauce - which would be great if you were serving them with a pork dish.

Enjoy!

Saturday with the Girls

We had a Saturday with the girls here in the Palczewski home, I hosted a Tupperware party on Saturday afternoon...about 10 ladies attended and we had a blast. Bill took off for the afternoon - not sure why he did not want to hang around with a house full of women...lol...or as he calls it...my hen party.

I tried my hand a pudding shots...I got the idea from my sister-in-law Kristin when she posted that she was making them for the Ohio State/U of M party last fall. I mixed 2 large chocolate pudding and French Vanilla Kahlua...the 2 puddings together called for 6 cups of milk, so I mixed 2 cups of Kahlua and 4 cups of milk -- they turned out a little soft (but tasty) -- so the next time I make them I think I will back off one of the cups of milk.

For a sweet treat I make these wonderful individual cheese cakes. I've had the recipe for I bet 20 years - always a crowd pleaser.

Cream Cheese Cakes
1 - 8 oz. soften cream cheese
6 Tablespoons sugar
1 egg

Cream together cheese, sugar and egg.

Put a vanilla wafer in the bottom of a cup cake pan - lined with cup cake papers. Spoon the cream cheese mixture in to cover the cookie. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. When cooled, spoon a bit of fruit pie filling (I like to use cherry - and put 2 cherries per cake) on top.

Will make 12 cakes.

Enjoy!

Signs of Spring

Dear Blog Friends -

Sorry I have not posted in a while -- my new job is taking up a lot of my focus...lol. I come home just beat.

Well, I have good news...my tulips and daffodils are popping their heads up out of the cold earth. I noticed them as the snow has begun to melt away over the weekend. We have been experiencing some warmer weather...well, warmer by Michigan standards and a ton of sunshine. I swear every one's mood has lifted 100% from just a couple of weeks ago.

It will soon be possible for me to begin working in the yard! It's way too soft right now, plus we still have snow in the back yard. Bill is going to shovel off the deck so we can grill on Tuesday - it's forcasted to be over 55 degrees. Rain is schedule for the last part of the week - that should finish up the snow...until next week when it's forcasted to snows again...uggg.

Sides for the Porkchops

When I was typing up my pork chops recipe...I thought I should share with you the sides that I mentioned at the end:

Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes

2 Sweet potatoes, cubed
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

toss the sweet potatoes with the olive oil and seasoning. Transfer to a cookie sheet and spread out in a single layer. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring the potatoes about halve way.

Variation: I sometimes like to add garlic to the sweet potatoes as I mix them with the oil and seasoning. Another variation would be to also mix in regular potatoes - I like to use the fingerling potatoes or the gem potatoes - keep the cooking time the same.


Green Beans with Almonds

1/2 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
2 tablespoon butter
1/4 sliced almonds

Steam the beans for 10 - 15 minutes (until tender, but still crispy). Melt butter in a skillet, add steamed beans and almonds - stir until beans begin to brown.

For a variation: you can also add onions to the butter, cook until translucent then add the beans and almonds.

Enjoy!!

My Secret Pork Chops

I can not believe we are almost to the end of February. Where has time flown to? Spring should be here any minute now...right? Yep....any minute....lol.

I have a few recipes that I have developed over time, and I've been wanting to share with you my secret pork chop recipe (which after I publish this...I guess I will need to changed that name...lol). I've made these juice chops for lots of company and everyone loves them. They are dressy enough for company, but easy enough for a family dinner.

Theresa's Honey Mustard Pork Chops (much better name....lol)

4 - thick cut (bone-in) pork chops

Honey/Mustard Mixture:

Mix together
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup stone-ground mustard.
If it's too thick, add a drop or two of water.

Breading:

Mix together
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 Tablespoons Bisquick
1/4 cup of chopped pecans
2 Tablespoons of parsley flakes
1 teaspoon of paprika (I like to use the smoked paprika - if you have the regular that will work too.)
Salt and Pepper to taste.

Dip pork chops in the honey/mustard (both sides) then into the breading. Being careful to maintain the breading, brown the chops on top of the stove in 2 tablespoons of butter (both sides). Transfer chops to a baking dish, cover. Place in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour - or until the internal temp of the chops is at 160 degrees. Remove from oven and allow the chops to sit for 10 - 15 minutes.

Transfer to your serving platter, try to not disturb breading.

Enjoy!

I like to serve these with oven roasted yams/sweet potatoes and fresh green beans.

Hope SPRINGS Eternal

We are in the middle of a snow storm...and what arrives today but my 2010 Burpee Seed Catalog! It just warmed my heart! :-)

I thought...what a perfect time to begin planning for my summer garden. I am so looking forward to having my hands in the dirt again. It is so exciting! It is so hard to explain in words how connected I feel when I am out in my garden.

For my vegetable garden I am planning on expanding the garden. We will be adding a large raised bed in the front and the back of the garden. I want to install a better fence with a gate so I do not have to crawl over it again (it was a little tall for me). I have two couple of cute items to put as decoration that I received as gifts for my birthday last year.

Now...what to plant.....

Definitely tomatoes, green beans (I think I am going to do both bush beans and pole beans), peppers (I like big green bell peppers - but I think I am going to try a few others so I can make salsa), onions, squash (both summer and winter), beets, cabbage, and egg plant. I think I will add some sunflowers too. I am going to skip the corn - it was so disappointing last year - they came up and looked great - but never developed full ears.

Girls Night Experienced

Oh what fun we had. My stew turned out great! I added a green salad (so we had some vegetable) and noodles. I was so surprised how easy proving a French dinner was - Julia's book provides fantastic step by step directions. I am looking forward to trying another recipe soon!

The one thing I did not thinks about is bread -- how could I not have thought of adding French Bread! I added it to my note so when I cook this meal again - I will not forget. My very best friend Vanessa gave me for Christmas a cooking journal so I can make notes from special dinners that I cook and host for family and friends...how fun!

We all laughed and enjoyed the movie too! Julie and Julia was definitely a hit in our home!

Preparing for a "Girls Night"

I am so excited for tonight...we are having our "Julia Childs night".

My sister-in-laws and mother-in-law is coming over for a "girls night". We are starting with dinner...I am preparing Julia's Boeuf Bourguignon - which is a beef stew cooked in red wine and then we are watching "Julie & Julia". For dessert - I am planning a French Apple Tart - it's not Julia's but it is French...so I think it will be ok.

Bill has graciously agreed to move to his man cave after dinner..lol.

It's going to be a lot of fun. I'll update soon with how the stew turned out.

Cabin Fever

I cannot believe we are looking at the end of January already! But to be honest...I am experience some serious cabin fever....with the little break in the weather we had last week, and all the seed catalogs beginning to arrive in the mail has me hungering for spring. I've been looking at the pictures I took last summer of my flowers and vegetable garden and they have put hope in my heart that warmer weather will return soon. I've begun to plan for my gardens. I am looking forward to making some changes in the front and enlarging my vegetable garden...adding 2 more raise beds.

Thought I would share with you some of my pictures...hope they bring a little sunshine you too.

Rib sticking Main Dish

Random recipe number 4. Here is a recipe for a cold winter night - serve with a nice salad and you have a full meal.

Meat & Tater Pie

Serves 4 to 6

2 refrigerated pie crusts
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup milk
1/2 envelope (1/4 cup) dry onion soup mix
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
salt & pepper to taste
1- 12oz. package loose packed frozen hash browns potatoes - thawed

Line 9 inch pie plate with one of the pie crusts.

Combine meat, milk, soup mix, seasoning. Mix gently. Lightly pat meat mixture into pie crust lined pie plate. Top with potatoes. Top with second pie crust, seal and flute edges. Slice small steam vents in top of pie.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour or until browned.

Serve with warmed catsup.

Enjoy!

An Easy Bean Salad

Random recipe number 3 comes from my childhood.

Recipes from childhood can help bring back fun summer times. I remember my mom making this recipe for every summer gathering from birthday parties to camping potlucks. You can tell it was one of her favorites by how warn the recipe card is. The salad pairs well with everything from hamburgers to steak. Easy to make and take along to the party. It must be made a head of time for it's one of those recipes that the longer it sits, the better it is.

Bean Salad

Dressing:
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup oil
1 Tablespoon water
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup vinegar

Mix together until the sugar is dissolved.

Salad Ingredients:
1 can french cut green beans, drained
1 can small peas, drained
2 cups celery
1 medium onion
1 medium green pepper

Mix salad with dressing, let set at least 24 hours and drain 1/2 hour before serving.

Enjoy!

Chicken sure to Please

Here is my random Recipe number 2 - a kicked up chicken recipe - sure to be a family favorite.

This recipe was written when you did not have cut up chicken available in the grocery store - now you can buy your favorite parts - all will work well with this recipe.

Glorified Chicken

2 1/2 to 3 pound of bone in chicken pieces
1 teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter - melted
1 can cream of broccoli soup

Arrange chicken skin side up in a baking dish. Sprinkle chicken with paprika, salt and pepper. Drizzle with butter. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.

Spoon soup over chicken, bake 20 minutes more or until meat thermometer reaches over 160 degrees and chicken if fork tender. Stir sauce before serving.

Makes 4 servings.

This dish would be great served with rice.

Enjoy!

Random Recipe Week

Welcome to "Random Recipe Week". I thought it would be fun to stir things up (stir things up...get it....ha ha...) Ok, I've had my moment...

I've pulled random recipes out of my mom's card file to share. I think I've found some wonderful choices.

So....let's get the party started....

Oatmeal Scotchies

1 cup butter - soften
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup quick oats
1 - 12oz pkg. butterscotch chips


Beat together butter and sugar. Add on egg at a time, vanilla and water.

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to butter/sugar/egg mixture in three additions - mixing well between additions.

Stir in oats and butterscotch chips.

Drop cookie dough onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 -12 minutes.

Enjoy!!

Adding Spice to Life

I absolutely love cooking with a variety of spices. They can add such depth to a recipe and bring out wonderful flavors from your meats.

This past fall I spied a new spice shop close to our home (on Alpine Ave - in the strip mall behind Taco Bell) and took some time in December to check it out. I was blown away. The variety and the prices were wonderful. The store is Penzeys Spices. They have jars of all of the spices available for you to smell. There are several stores located across the United States, but you can also order online.

The newest spice I bought last weekend (actually received it for free since I signed up on their mailing list and received a coupon - yes Jan and Jean - I used a coupon...lol) is Cajun Seasoning. At first when you hear the work "Cajun" you think of HOT...but it really is filled with savory flavor. It is a blend of sweet paprika, salt, celery, sugar, garlic, black pepper, onion, oregano, cayenne red pepper, caraway, dill, turmeric, cumin, basil, bay leaf, mace, cardamom, marjoram, rosemary and thyme. I added 2 teaspoons to my Chili that I made this week - and we could not believe how much better it tasted.

So, don't be afraid...embrace the spice!

Happy Cooking!

Chili - Theresa Style

One of my "go to" winter dishes is Chili - I just love it. My Chili is definitely not traditional - but is very yummy and tummy warming.

I've developed this recipe over the years of trying different flavors and textures. I've made it both with beef and a more figure flattering turkey. My chili is little thicker - more the consistency of a stew rather than a soup and have just enough spice that it warms the back of your mouth as you swallow. Lately I've been making it in the crock-pot which produce just a little thinner chili than when I make it on the stove-top, but it is all good.

It is such a wonderful feeling coming home after work (and yes, THANK GOD...I am working again) and opening the door to a home filled with warm smells of dinner.

Chili - a la Theresa

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
1 large can (or as in my case - quart jar of home canned) tomatoes
1 can (or as in my case - again pint jar of home canned) stewed tomatoes - if I am buying stewed tomatoes - I look for with Mexican Spiced or some may say ready for chili - if you can not find them - don't worry - purchase the regular steweed tomatoes and just kick up the amount of chili powder you add.
1 large can of hot chili beans - undrained
1 onion - chopped
1 green pepper - chopped
1/4 - 1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon garlic salt
chili poweder to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Direction:
Cook beef/turkey with onion and green pepper until the meat is cooked through and the onions and peppers are tender (note - if you are cooking with turkey - add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan to cook the meat in).

Transfer the meat mixture, tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, and beans to your crock pot. Break-up tomatoes as you stir the mixture together. Add seasonings and water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

We like to top our bowls of chili with cheese (either shredded Colby or taco cheese) and enjoy it with nacho chips.

Enjoy!

The "Eyes" Have It

Mary Kay Eye Workshop

Experience our New Eye Products and Learn how to use an eye look especially designed to enhance your eye shape and eye color.

Date: Saturday January 16th

Time: 11 AM - Noon

Cost: $35 (includes tax) - that's a $10 savings!

You will receive your Eye Look Bundle, Eye Definer/Eye Crease Brush, Brow Tools and Brow Gel.

Call or Email me (theresaltuttle@yahoo.com) today to RSVP with your eye color.

Bring a friend and receive a special gift.

Interested, but not able to make it? Let me know and we can make other arrangements.