Cooking Day Today

I had a cooking day today.
I made:
Granola cereal
Chewy granola bars - heavenly homemakers recipe
Mexican chocolate dipped pecans
Breakfast burritos (freezer)

Tomorrow I plan on making:
applesauce muffins (freezer) - heavenly homemakers recipe
pancakes (freezer and for our breakfast)

I also cleaned out 2 of the pantries and the small freezer. I spent most of the day indoors other than to hang clothes on the line. It's been around 106-110 the last few days so the dryer will not be on any time soon! The only plus is the clothes sure don't take long to dry.

Healthier Chicken Nuggets or Strips

Most of us enjoy chicken nuggets until we started hearing here & there about what "bad" things are in them. Then we watched a show called "Kill it, Cook it, Eat it." Well after seeing all the "junk" we have all given those babies up!
Of course, there is a healthier way to make something similar and much tastier too!

Homemade chicken nuggets/strips

Take some boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
Cut them into nuggets or strips.

In a bowl mash up cornflakes OR rice krispies OR use bread crumbs.
Add a little onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, & basil.
OR (another OR) just use shake & bake like my mama does. They're good.

Roll the chicken around until covered.

Put on a sprayed cookie sheet. Then spray the top of the chicken with the spray. (Get one of those misters you can put coconut or olive oil in)

Put in oven on 350 for about 30 minutes or until done.

YUMMY!

*In case you're wondering why I have so very many "or's," it's because I use what I have on hand for many recipes & it almost always turns out fine. No need to run to the store for bread crumbs when you have crackers, etc.

Easy Southern Supper

Purple Hull Peas with Ham

3 cups fresh or frozen purple hull peas
1/2 lb ham chopped in little chunks
1/2 small onion (chopped in little chunks)
1 tsp. cajun seasoning
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
6 cups water

Put all in crockpot. Set to low and let cook for about 6-7 hours. Serve over rice & with a big hunk of cornbread on the side!

1,2,3, Easy & Delicious Chicken Dinner

#1-Place some chicken in crockpot (bone in or out). Pour on a can of cream of chicken soup. Then sprinkle on some cajun seasoning (we use Tony's). Cover and cook for about 7 hours.
#2-When almost done, make some noodles, mashed potatoes, or rice to smother with the delicious gravy that this will make in the crockpot.
#3-Open a can of veggies and viola!

Meatball subs

Oven Meatball subs:

1lb ground beef or pork
1/2 cup oats
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder

Also need 1 jar spaghetti sauce, hotdog buns, & motzarella cheese.

Mix all in bowl. Place meatballs in a 9x13 casserole dish. Put in oven at 350* for about 30-40 minutes or until done.
Then pour on a jar of red pasta/spaghetti sauce.
Put back in oven for about 10 minutes or until bubbly.
Slice meatballs in half (or if you make smaller ones leave them whole). Lay on a hotdog bun & sprinkle with motzarella cheese.
Delish!
**As with almost all my recipes feel free to replace some ingredients with what you have. Use fresh garlic, spices, or onions. Use breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs in place of oats. Use cheddar cheese, or no cheese, whatever! lol This is just what we had tonight.

Food Storage Update

8 pts jalapeno slices

2 qts jalapeno slices

4 pts & 2 half pits of grape jelly made

4 half pints apple jelly made (this one didn't set up so now I need to see what I can do with it) Any ideas???

Also got some squash blanched & frozen & 3 gallon bags of bell peppers.

Today's kitchen tasks:

Make 2 loaves bread & 1 batch sandwich buns

Make granola

Make 1 batch cookies

Get stew going in the crockpot

I figure since it's going to be in the 90's and I'll have to run the big oven I may as well get several things done at one time. Mostly I use my little electric oven out on the porch during summer. The crockpot is run outdoors mostly too!

Barley & Stuffed Bell Pepper Recipe

Do you eat barley? I have to admit this grain is one that used to rarely be seen on our menu. Did you know there is such a thing as quick barley? So maybe not as totally healthy as the regular stuff, but it's still good for you. Fiber is one of the main things that our bodies are usually missing. When you don't get much fiber things tend to not "move" as well through our bodies. So we are trying to add much more whole grains to our diets.

So how to use barley? My favorite way is in soups. Add some into vegetable soup, beef soup, chicken soup, also you can use barley in place of rice in some recipes for a change.

The other night we had stuffed bell peppers made with barley where I would normally have used rice. No one ever said anything. They just ate them & even my daughter who normally doesn't care for that ate it!

Here's the simple recipe.

Stuffed Bell Peppers with Barley

4 bell peppers
1 cup cooked barley
1/2 lb ground pork (or beef)
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. chopped garlic
salt & pepper
1 pt. canned tomato sauce (or tomato soup)

Wash, seed, & cut bell peppers in half legnth wise. (to make 8 little pepper bowls)
Set in a casserole dish.
In a bowl mix meat, onion powder, basil, garlic, salt, & pepper.
Then stuff a handful into the pepper.
Pour sauce on top.
Add about 1 cup water to the pan to soften the peppers & so they won't stick.
Bake in 350 oven for about 45 minutes or until meat is done.

Getting ready...

So I'm getting ready for canning & preserving season.
Today I picked 10 yellow squash from the garden. Tonight I'll use a couple of them in our chicken stir-fry over rice. The rest will probably be used later this week. After that I'll make up some squash dressing casseroles to freeze. --We don't care alot for frozen squash sliced up so I would prefer to do it as casseroles and also shredded up for squash fritters. yum!
My plans this year are similar to last year.
I plan on freezing the following:
soup & chili starter (made with peppers, onions, tomatoes & italian seasonings)
bell pepper (sliced & chopped)
onion (sliced & chopped)
corn on the cob
Also frozen tomato paste in ice cube portions (as suggested by one of my readers)
purple hull peas
blueberries & blackberries

Canned:
tomato products (plain sauce, pizza sauce, pasta sauce, whole, salsa, & tomato juice)
whole kernel corn
creamed corn
green beans
potatoes (for quick parsley potatoes & potato salad)

Blueberry jam
Blackberry jam
Apple butter & jelly
Peach jam

Freezer Meals

I enjoy cooking most of the time, but we all have days where we're gone or just really don't want to go to the trouble of making, mixing, & cleaning up lots of things. So that's why I LOVE to have a freezer meal or two on hand for a night like tonight!


So, tonight we're having a really delicious meal with very little effort from me. We're having:


Beef enchilada casserole and a hearty green salad.


Casserole was in the freezer, now in the oven. Salad is some left-over lettuce and sliced cucumbers from yesterday and to that I'm sprinkling on a little bit of left-over chopped chicken breast and a boiled egg. (All already cooked & in the fridge)


The enchilada casserole is the same recipe as my rolled beef enchiladas that I already posted but I just layered the ingredients.

All-around home organization...

I didn't want to say at the time, but my children were on vacation to Alabama & Virginia with my mother for a couple of weeks. So I was here all alone during the work days. I got so much accomplished though & worked out a few things around the home that I'd been putting off for one reason or another.

In my home binder: a new monthly menu planned, pantry/shopping lists, bills in order, & new daily routines printed out

In my home: kitchen floor down, cubbords wiped down & organized, fridge wiped down & organized, all bookshelves organized, slip covers washed, bathroom cabinets all washed & organized, I also bought a potato/onion bin at a yard sale for $5 and love it...now I just need 2 more!

Homeschool: All books ordered & are now here ready to go, put a couple things on ebay, school supplies bought

I had plenty of extra time on my hands so I was able to accomplish alot. I mostly wanted to get things in order so come school time we can get back to a routine & be able to basically "upkeep" what was done.

Another thing I worked on was scheduling in a baking/cooking day. Now I prepare the majority of our meals anyway, but I am meaning like a day to bake our weekly bread & extras to freeze. I'm really trying to keep eating healthier and part of the drawbacks to all scratch meals is time. I usually have the time, but when it's getting late & we've been out or whatever then it's like what do I do now. So I made up a few things that are in the freezer now & will make at least 1 extra thing on baking day to keep it stocked.

Right now I have 2 meals frozen:

chili & vegetable barley soup

Other I made:

1 gallon bag filled with french toast

1 bag of pancakes

2 loaves strawberry bread

2 single layer zucchini cakes

All made with low or no sugar (honey) and my freshly ground flour so they are more healthy.

Around our homestead...

On the agenda today...yep dealing with more tomatoes. Today's canning will be just whole tomatoes. Peeled, and packed into a jar w/lemon juice & salt.

We will be hanging out around home & enjoying the pool & a grilled lunch/supper. Pork chops, veggie packets, & homemade bread. Yum!

Grilled pork chops- liberally sprinkle with cajun seasoning & grill

Veggie packets- chop fresh, bite-size squash, potatoes, carrots, corn, peppers & onions. Toss with olive oil, garlic, salt & pepper. Put into a "pocket" made of heavy duty aluminum foil. Seal up & grill for about an hour. --Can make 1 giant one or 1 for each person.

Hope you enjoy your Sunday!

Coleslaw

Coleslaw

1 small/medium sized cabbage

2 carrots

1 1/2 cups salad dressing (like miracle whip)

3 T. rice wine vinegar

2 T. honey

1/2 tsp onion powder

Shred cabbage & carrots. (I used the small shred in the food processor)
Then wisk all other ingredients in a bowl until smooth.
Pour dressing over the cabbage & carrots.
Mix well & refrigerate for at least an hour.
The great thing about coleslaw is it gets better as it sits so you make it a day in advance if your having a bbq or party.

Food Storage...

I must be honest, cooking & canning I know how to do, but the food storage aspect is fairly new to me. I am going to do my best this year to preserve at least most of the vegetables, sauces, & meats that we will use.

I've printed up some lists of things that I feel we "need" in the household & then food & other items that maybe aren't 100% necessities, but things we like to have around. ~example...peroxide is a need in case of injury, ketchup we all like but would survive without. lol

Today I thought I'd start with meats.

I must admit I'm blessed with the fact that other than a couple of chickens a month or some canned tuna I have not had to purchase meat at a grocery store in about 2 years!

I never thought that was possible, but here's how we have done it.

Beef- a friend raises a cow for us that will be ready in the fall. Come next spring we will be raising our own steer!

Pork- we raise our own hogs

Venison- I'm lucky to have 2 hunters that usually get at least a couple of deer a year, sometimes more.

Fish- I've also got fishermen. We live about 5 miles from a big lake so we usually have bream, catfish, perch, & bass in the freezer.

I have not canned meat, but I have canned the stock & it's delicious.I saw a recipe online for a chunky type beef stew that you can. I plan on trying this and also canning some of the beef in chunks this in broth.There are many recipes online to do this & my pressure canner came with some recipes as well.

Anyone have anything to share about this? Any recipes for storing meats? Just leave me a comment...

Yummy Refrigerator Pickles

My cucumbers did not do well this year. I did end up with about 8 that were ok, but the rest were bitter & half-dead (Thank you Mr. Gopher) So the pigs & chickens are enjoying them. I only made up 1 batch of yummy refrigerator pickles.

Refrigerator Pickles:

Peel & slice about 4 cups of cucumbers

Slice 1-2 bell peppers, about 4 banana peppers, & 1 small onion

Place in jars, bowls with lids, etc ~Remember these are to be kept in fridge NOT shelved.

Then in a pot combine 2 cups vinegar & 2 cups sugar.

Bring to a boil until sugar is dissolved.

Pour over veggies.

Put on the lid & refrigerate.

Let set for a few hours & then enjoy!

Tamales, A Family Affair

This past weekend we made a big batch of tamales. All of us had our part in the "assembly line."

We used the recipe from Alton Brown (Good eats on food network) The only thing we changed was that we cooked 2 whole chickens overnight in the roaster oven & used this meat in place of the pork in his recipe.

They turned out GREAT!!!

We ate a bunch that night & the next day for lunch. The rest were wrapped in newspaper & placed in the freezer.

There was a pretty good bit of chicken filling left-over so I divided it in 2 and used one part to make chicken enchiladas for supper last night...oh yeah! I will share that recipe later.