So we made this last night and they were so yummy! It is from TOH pg 100...this made a lot of ribs. So remember that part in Genesis where Isaac & Abraham were climbing to Mt Moriah and Isaac was all, "hey Dad, where is the lamb for the sacrifice" and Abraham was all "God will provide Himself a lamb." So when I bought these 4 lbs of ribs, I was like "Who will eat these many ribs with us?" And God provided some co-eaters. Because I was watching the Del Monaco children while Lisa had an appointment yesterday afternoon. And they had been in the crockpot all day (the ribs, not her kids) and smelled so good, and when Lisa dropped the kids off, she was like "something smells good" and I was like "it's new recipe night." So when she was done I invited them to have supper with us and it was a great time of food and intercourse (hee hee. That's what they called fellowship in Old English...we are staying in Intercourse, PA when we go to Amish country...also I am reading Alfred Edersheim right now, and twice in 2 pages he called fellowship "intercourse"...isn't that funny? It certainly makes you look twice, anyway...in case I need to clarify here, we just had a good time talking last night with our friends). Well anyway here is the recipe...
Slow-Cooked Short Ribs
2/3 cup flour
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 to 4 1/2 pounds boneless beef short ribs
1/4 to 1/3 cup butter (I just used 1/4)
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups beef broth
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chili sauce
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup worcestershire sauce
5 garlic cloves, minced (thank you, Pampered Chef)
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
In a large ziploc bag, combine the flour, salt, and pepper. Add ribs in batches and shake to coat. In a large skillet, brown ribs in butter. Transfer to a 6 quart slow cooker. In the same skillet, combine the remaining ingredients. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil; pour over ribs. Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours (mine only took like 8) or until meat is tender. 12 servings.
See how easy? And they were really quite good. Ethan, the youngest Del Monaco (who can eat), even had seconds, and on other visits to my home he has not wanted anything to do with what I have cooked. So I would say this is a keeper. And the crock pot cooking smell is so good. Yankee should make a candle of like "Crock Pot Cooking" smell or something because it is a good aroma to come in the house to. We had this with buttered cheese noodles, which was a new recipe from like 2004, but now I make all the time, it's the only way I make noodles now, practically. I am including it here because Lisa said she liked it.
Buttered Cheese Noodles
1 pkg egg noodles
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried chives (Sam said this as "cheeves" one day, as in Mom, what are cheeves?)(I usually use a bit more chives than this though...maybe like 2 tsp)
In a large pot bring water to a boil. Add noodles, 1 tsp salt, and a pat of butter. Cook the noodles until they are done; drain. Return noodles to pan, add butter and stir to coat. Add remaining 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, parmesan cheese, and cheeves and stir. Serve warm. Last night I made the full bag, but usually when it's just the 5 of us I make half the bag of noodles and decrease everything else by half. Because otherwise it's way too much, and I have found that these do not reheat very well.
There. Also we had freezer burnt green beans with this, they were the dark spot of the meal. But then, the vegetable usually is the dark spot of the meal for me anyway. Saturday we are going to Amish country!! We are so excited! Talk to you all soon!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Split Second Cookies
Well, these took longer than that to make...but they were pretty easy. But it's a dumb name. If I was making these I would call them like sugar jelly cookies or something. But anyway...Emma and I made these yesterday while Nathan was "napping" (aka jumping in his crib, taking off his sheet, throwing books, etc, at nap time). It is from the TOH cookbook, pg 560.
Split Second Cookies
3/4 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup raspberry jam (I used seedless, and a bit more than this amount)
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Divide dough into four equal portions; shape each into a 12 inch by 3/4 inch log. Place 4 inches apart on 2 greased baking sheets. Make a 1/2 inch depression down center of logs; fill with jam. Bake @ 350 for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 2 minutes; cut diagonally into 3/4 inch slices. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. About 5 dozen.
I baked mine in 2 batches instead of both pans at once because 2 pieces of my stoneware wouldn't fit in there at the same time. They took like 16 1/2 minutes each. Then when I cut them, of course I cut them bigger than 3/4 inch slices...sheesh. So we got maybe 3 dozen out of them. But they are good. They would be good for a potluck, or dinner or something, since they are kind of small. But they were tasty. Everyone liked them.
Split Second Cookies
3/4 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup raspberry jam (I used seedless, and a bit more than this amount)
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Divide dough into four equal portions; shape each into a 12 inch by 3/4 inch log. Place 4 inches apart on 2 greased baking sheets. Make a 1/2 inch depression down center of logs; fill with jam. Bake @ 350 for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 2 minutes; cut diagonally into 3/4 inch slices. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. About 5 dozen.
I baked mine in 2 batches instead of both pans at once because 2 pieces of my stoneware wouldn't fit in there at the same time. They took like 16 1/2 minutes each. Then when I cut them, of course I cut them bigger than 3/4 inch slices...sheesh. So we got maybe 3 dozen out of them. But they are good. They would be good for a potluck, or dinner or something, since they are kind of small. But they were tasty. Everyone liked them.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Farmhouse Ham Chowder
We had this last night. I know, I know...chowder in July? Well, yes. We had ham from Kathy at the farm, and, not coincendentally, this was the next recipe in the queue. This was so delicious. Even Steve liked it, and he doesn't even really like ham. So you know it was a good recipe. Plus, I felt very domestic while I was like chopping 3 different vegetables, etc, to put in it. It's from S&D mar/apr 2008...we had it with Easy Cheddar Biscuits, which I posted earlier this year (Sept 2007), and it was a very good match.
Farmhouse Ham Chowder
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
4 1/4 cups milk
2 cups frozen cubed hash brown potatoes, thawed
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
2 cups cubed cooked ham
1/4 tsp dried thyme (remember that thyme?)
2 oz smoked gouda cheese, shredded (nope too expensive, so I left it out...it's just garnish anyway)
In a lg saucepan, saute the onion, celery, and red pepper in butter until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in flour and dressing mix until smooth; gradually stir in the milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the potatoes, corn, ham, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with the cheese before serving. 8 servings (2 quarts)
So...me and Steve were like lapping our bowls. Steve had seconds. But strangely, Sam and Emma were not that excited about it (okay, it's not at all strange for Emma...but for Sam it is). This was really so so yummy. We are definitely making this one again.
Farmhouse Ham Chowder
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
4 1/4 cups milk
2 cups frozen cubed hash brown potatoes, thawed
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
2 cups cubed cooked ham
1/4 tsp dried thyme (remember that thyme?)
2 oz smoked gouda cheese, shredded (nope too expensive, so I left it out...it's just garnish anyway)
In a lg saucepan, saute the onion, celery, and red pepper in butter until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in flour and dressing mix until smooth; gradually stir in the milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the potatoes, corn, ham, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with the cheese before serving. 8 servings (2 quarts)
So...me and Steve were like lapping our bowls. Steve had seconds. But strangely, Sam and Emma were not that excited about it (okay, it's not at all strange for Emma...but for Sam it is). This was really so so yummy. We are definitely making this one again.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
MREs with Daddy
For you who have been with me from the beginning, you will know that what I'm about to do is a New Recipe Night first. I am going to feature a guest chef and his new recipe, as well as the kids' response to it. Now, the guest chef is my husband, the amazing and talented Steve. I was at work on Thursday, and he had an MRE left over from his hike in Haiti a couple of weeks ago, so he decided to make it for the kids, thinking that at least it would be fun for them to see how it self-heats and stuff. The main reason I am posting this is Samuel's reaction, which will follow the recipe:
Cheese Tortellini MRE
Follow the directions on the package. Open it and eat it.
Okay. So Steve said it was not that good. Sam had a couple bites, and he said (and this is almost a direct quote): "Well, Dad, I'll try again when I'm older, because I read that some of our taste buds die when we get old, so maybe I'll like it then." What a crack up! This kid is brilliant and funny. And what's even cuter is that he was not trying to be sarcastic. He was trying to make Steve feel better about not liking it, and saying he would try again later. What a sweet boy. Emma and Nathan, predictably, did not eat it. Guess I will remain the chief cook around here.
Cheese Tortellini MRE
Follow the directions on the package. Open it and eat it.
Okay. So Steve said it was not that good. Sam had a couple bites, and he said (and this is almost a direct quote): "Well, Dad, I'll try again when I'm older, because I read that some of our taste buds die when we get old, so maybe I'll like it then." What a crack up! This kid is brilliant and funny. And what's even cuter is that he was not trying to be sarcastic. He was trying to make Steve feel better about not liking it, and saying he would try again later. What a sweet boy. Emma and Nathan, predictably, did not eat it. Guess I will remain the chief cook around here.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Seasoned Swiss Steak
Why is it called Swiss? I do not know. It didn't seem very Swiss, based on the Swiss things I am familiar with, such as Swiss Miss and Swiss Army Knife. So I don't know the origin of the title, but it was a very tasty meal. We had it last night. It's from Taste of Home cookbook pg 98.
Seasoned Swiss Steak
1/4 cup flour
1 tbsp ground mustard
1 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp pepper, divided
1 1/2 pounds boneless beef top round steak (about 1 inch thick), cut into serving-size pieces
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup diced carrots (who dices carrots? Not me. I just cut them up)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper (which I did not have, so I left it out)
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup cold water
Combine the flour, mustard, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper; set aside 2 tbsp for gravy. Rub remaining flour mixture over steak. Pound with a meat mallet to tenderize. In a lg skillet, brown steak in oil over medium-high heat. Transfer to a greased 2 1/2 quart baking dish. Top with carrots, onion, green pepper, brown sugar, and worcestershire sauce. Pour tomatoes over all. Cover and bake @ 350 for 1 1/2 to 2 hours (did I actually have my oven on that long on a hot summer day? Yes I did, because I have to follow my system) or until meat and vegetables are tender. Transfer meat and vegetables to a serving dish; keep warm. Strain pan juices into a measuring cup; add water to measure 1 cup. In a saucepan, combine reserved flour mixture with the cold water until smooth. Whisk in pan juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add remaining salt and pepper. Serve over steak. 6 servings.
So these were like little yummy pot roasts. They were so good and tender. Nathan didn't try it, but everybody else liked them, even Emma. I think I am keeping this one, even though I probably won't make it often because steak is so expensive. But I will have it in my file anyway. Now I am all caught up from when Steve is gone and can proceed as usual. Have a good day girls!!
Seasoned Swiss Steak
1/4 cup flour
1 tbsp ground mustard
1 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp pepper, divided
1 1/2 pounds boneless beef top round steak (about 1 inch thick), cut into serving-size pieces
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup diced carrots (who dices carrots? Not me. I just cut them up)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper (which I did not have, so I left it out)
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup cold water
Combine the flour, mustard, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper; set aside 2 tbsp for gravy. Rub remaining flour mixture over steak. Pound with a meat mallet to tenderize. In a lg skillet, brown steak in oil over medium-high heat. Transfer to a greased 2 1/2 quart baking dish. Top with carrots, onion, green pepper, brown sugar, and worcestershire sauce. Pour tomatoes over all. Cover and bake @ 350 for 1 1/2 to 2 hours (did I actually have my oven on that long on a hot summer day? Yes I did, because I have to follow my system) or until meat and vegetables are tender. Transfer meat and vegetables to a serving dish; keep warm. Strain pan juices into a measuring cup; add water to measure 1 cup. In a saucepan, combine reserved flour mixture with the cold water until smooth. Whisk in pan juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add remaining salt and pepper. Serve over steak. 6 servings.
So these were like little yummy pot roasts. They were so good and tender. Nathan didn't try it, but everybody else liked them, even Emma. I think I am keeping this one, even though I probably won't make it often because steak is so expensive. But I will have it in my file anyway. Now I am all caught up from when Steve is gone and can proceed as usual. Have a good day girls!!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Molasses Raisin Chews
So I had planned to make these while Steve was gone, because he doesn't really care for raisin-containing foods. But, VBS kicked my butt while he was gone and I didn't do anything extra. Except what I needed to survive (thank you Spaceballs). So I made these on Monday, when my excitement about seeing him gave me a 2nd wind. Yes, I could've skipped them and made something he would've loved, but you see I have a system that I must stick to (thank you Mom). The reason I wanted to make these is because this is my favorite cookie that they make at the hospital, and this is the first recipe I've really seen for them. I'm sure this will be one I make again (sorry Steve) because all the kids like them. Even Nathan. And that is impressive.
Molasses Raisin Chews
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
4 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves (or chives, if you are Jessi trying to taste out the recipe. Hee hee)
1/4 tsp salt (important...I almost forgot this and added it at the very end...)
1 cup milk
1 cup raisins
In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk (very easy to do with my sweet Kitchen Aid mixer), beating well after each addition. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets. Arrange 3 raisins on each cookie (now that seemed silly to me, and like it would take too long. So I added the raisins after everything was mixed together, just all at once and mixed them in like chocolate chips). Bake @ 350 for 10-12 minutes or until set (mine took like 17-18 minutes for each cookie sheet. Not even kidding). Remove to wire racks to cool. 5 1/2 dozen.
So when Nathan woke up from his nap and saw the cookies on the cooling rack, he was like "Tootie! Tootie!" So he had the first one and he has had several since. So we are definitely keeping this because that just doesn't happen very often. And tonight we went to the park for a picnic with Jessi and JoJo and I made Jessi eat one even though she said she didn't care for molasses cookies. But she ate it. And a 2nd one. So you see this is a good recipe.
Molasses Raisin Chews
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
4 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves (or chives, if you are Jessi trying to taste out the recipe. Hee hee)
1/4 tsp salt (important...I almost forgot this and added it at the very end...)
1 cup milk
1 cup raisins
In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk (very easy to do with my sweet Kitchen Aid mixer), beating well after each addition. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets. Arrange 3 raisins on each cookie (now that seemed silly to me, and like it would take too long. So I added the raisins after everything was mixed together, just all at once and mixed them in like chocolate chips). Bake @ 350 for 10-12 minutes or until set (mine took like 17-18 minutes for each cookie sheet. Not even kidding). Remove to wire racks to cool. 5 1/2 dozen.
So when Nathan woke up from his nap and saw the cookies on the cooling rack, he was like "Tootie! Tootie!" So he had the first one and he has had several since. So we are definitely keeping this because that just doesn't happen very often. And tonight we went to the park for a picnic with Jessi and JoJo and I made Jessi eat one even though she said she didn't care for molasses cookies. But she ate it. And a 2nd one. So you see this is a good recipe.
Change-of-Pace Burgers and Loaded Waffle Fries
Well, my faithful readership (Mom) has probably noticed I have been on a bit of a hiatus lately. While Steve was in Haiti, I didn't really cook much of anything. I liken it to painting for a blind man. My kids are so picky it seems pointless to make something that I am reasonably sure they will not eat (except Samuel who is such a good eater). So anyway, Steve got back yesterday afternoon. I made cookies (a separate post) and this is what we had for supper. It is from Simple & Delicious Mar/Apr 2008.
Change-of-Pace Burgers
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
3 tbsp chopped fresh mushrooms (I left these out)
3 tbsp chili sauce
1 pound ground beef
4 hamburger buns, split (duh. who would not split a hamburger bun? Would they just place it on top of the bun? or the bun on top of the burger like a hat? Come on people)
In a large bowl combine onion, green pepper, mushrooms, and chili sauce. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 4 patties (they didn't really hold together very well...). In a large skillet, cook patties over medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side or until meat is no longer pink. Serve on buns (we added cheese as well). 4 burgers.
Loaded Waffle Fries
Okay so I couldn't find waffle fries at Walmart or Hannaford. So I used crinkle cut fries. If you make this, I would follow the french fry-cooking directions on the bag of fries you get, rather than these here.
4 cups frozen waffle cut fries
1/2 to 1 1/2 tsp steak seasoning (I used Mrs Dash steak blend. It's what I had)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp chopped green onion
2 tbsp real bacon bits
Arrange fries in a greased 15x10x1 inch baking pan. Bake @ 450 for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Sprinkle with steak seasoning; toss to coat. Top with cheese, onions, and bacon. Bake 2-3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. 4 servings
So. This made a way lot of fries. We have half of them left over. Steve and I liked them but the kids didn't really. I gave Nathan the ones from the edge with no seasoning or cheese and he ate them. Same with Emma. I gave Sam loaded ones and he didn't even touch them. I think I will save this recipe but if I make it again I think I will leave out the steak seasoning. It was just a weird thing, I guess. The burgers were pretty good. The little ones had hot dogs, but Steve, Sam and I had the burgers. They were moist and tasty, even if they were hard to keep together. So I guess we have a keeper.
Change-of-Pace Burgers
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
3 tbsp chopped fresh mushrooms (I left these out)
3 tbsp chili sauce
1 pound ground beef
4 hamburger buns, split (duh. who would not split a hamburger bun? Would they just place it on top of the bun? or the bun on top of the burger like a hat? Come on people)
In a large bowl combine onion, green pepper, mushrooms, and chili sauce. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 4 patties (they didn't really hold together very well...). In a large skillet, cook patties over medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side or until meat is no longer pink. Serve on buns (we added cheese as well). 4 burgers.
Loaded Waffle Fries
Okay so I couldn't find waffle fries at Walmart or Hannaford. So I used crinkle cut fries. If you make this, I would follow the french fry-cooking directions on the bag of fries you get, rather than these here.
4 cups frozen waffle cut fries
1/2 to 1 1/2 tsp steak seasoning (I used Mrs Dash steak blend. It's what I had)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp chopped green onion
2 tbsp real bacon bits
Arrange fries in a greased 15x10x1 inch baking pan. Bake @ 450 for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Sprinkle with steak seasoning; toss to coat. Top with cheese, onions, and bacon. Bake 2-3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. 4 servings
So. This made a way lot of fries. We have half of them left over. Steve and I liked them but the kids didn't really. I gave Nathan the ones from the edge with no seasoning or cheese and he ate them. Same with Emma. I gave Sam loaded ones and he didn't even touch them. I think I will save this recipe but if I make it again I think I will leave out the steak seasoning. It was just a weird thing, I guess. The burgers were pretty good. The little ones had hot dogs, but Steve, Sam and I had the burgers. They were moist and tasty, even if they were hard to keep together. So I guess we have a keeper.
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