Tostadas

corn tortillas
refried beans
Monterrey Jack cheese
1 lb taco meat
lettuce
tomato
sour cream
cheddar
salsa

Fill a skillet about 1.5 inch with vegetable oil. One at a time place corn tortillas in HOT oil and let cook about 1-1.5 minutes. Using tongs turn once during cooking and remove to paper towel. Salt while hot.

Spread refried beans and Monterrey Jack on tortilla. Place on baking sheet and heat at 350 degrees in oven until cheese melts. I used a can of refried beans so I heated them in the microwave first and stirred the contents from the can to blend together.

Add taco meat, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, and cheddar cheese to garnish tostadas.

We ate 2 tostadas per person. One lb of meat made 6 tostadas, feeding 3 people.

Quiche

In continuing to use up freezer/pantry food I made a quiche for supper. I had a Kroger coupon for free eggs. It turned out really good.

8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
4 oz montery jack/mozzarella cheese mix
1/4 onion, diced and sauteed in a little of the bacon grease (optional)
6 eggs
2 Tbsp butter- I used a knife and cut into small pieces adding it to flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup all purpose flour (I used my gluten free mix)
1 cup milk
2 oz cheddar

I sprayed a quiche/pie pan with cooking spray and preheated oven to 350 degrees. I then sprinkled the bottom of the pan with six slices of the crumbled bacon and the montery jack/ mozzarella cheese blend until the whole bottom was covered. Whip the eggs and then add salt, flour, and milk to blend. Stir in sauteed onions. Pour into quiche dish. Sprinkle top with 2 slices of crumbled bacon and cheddar. Bake for 35 minutes or until browned and set. This served us five- that was three teens, so if you have small children you could probably serve more.

Eating out of the Freezer

I cleaned out my inside and outside freezers two weeks ago because they were so stuffed we couldn't get another thing in them. I organized them and made an inventory of what all I had so that I could eat up the frozen meat and vegetables and get ready to put up new vegetables as they come in this summer.

Last week the only thing I bought at the store for our menu was milk, bread, and eggs. I did buy pizzas and bacon to use my $5 off $30 purchase at Dollar General. So the boys had pizza one night. I made up Tater tot casserole (half a bag of tater tots, hamburger meat, frozen french green beans, cream soup.) I used up two frozen Steamer bags of rice with broccoli and a bag of precooked chicken to make a casserole with cream soup and cheese. Chili. I broiled smoked sausage and steamed broccoli and then mixed it together with Italian dressing. For the family you add in spaghetti noodles. I had four preformed Angus hamburger patties so we had that with corn on the cob I put up last year. I was going to have fries but forgot to put them in. Then, I made spaghetti.

This weeks menu:
1.Use frozen roast in crock pot juice, add carrots and potatoes for a beef stew over rice.
2.Quiche- have a Kroger coupon for free eggs. Will add diced ham, cheese, onion.
3.Chicken tostadas- Have cooked chicken. Will mix that with taco seasoning, corn, black beans and serve over corn tortillas with lettuce, tomato, and sour cream.
4.Broccoli cheese soup- I bought the Sams bag of broccoli and we don't like it steamed as well as the Walmart store brand. The pieces are too big. So I am going to use it up in the soup.
5.BBQ or Italian grilled Chicken, corn on cob (put up last year), and lima beans
6.Ham and potato casserole- I accidentally bought two bags of potatoes so I need to use them up and have chopped ham from Thanksgiving/Christmas time where I put up the rest of our hams.
7.Tacos

Lunches
We have a large package of ham for sandwiches. I need to buy some more American cheese.
Leftovers
Tuna sandwiches/salad
Chicken fajitas for me- have two bags of pregrilled chicken.
Stir Fry kit for husband/kids- I can't have it b/c it has gluten in it.
If I need anything else I will make a pot of soup using up bits of vegetables, and the tomatoes I put up in the freezer last year.

Breakfasts:
Pancakes- I'd like to try some pumpkin gluten free ones for me
Biscuits
Cereal
Grits and eggs
mini quiches- with hash brown crust
burrito with egg, sausage, cheese
Smoothies- use Greek yogurt, frozen strawberries and frozen bananas
I have a bag of bread end pieces so may make a breakfast casserole for the family with them.

Ham and Potatoes, Cooking Dry Beans

I promise my blog is not becomming all about food! I guess it has been a big part of my focus lately as I try to clean out the house and eat up some stuff. I did go through the boys clothes. My 11 year old tried on all the clothes from my 13 year old and found a lot of winter shirts. They are built totally different so he can't ever wear his pants and some of the shirts he says he will not wear so I put them in a box to put in the attic to sell later. Their closet has a lot more room now.

I made two more weeks of menu plan to eat out of the freezer and pantry. I will have to pick up bread, chips, milk, eggs, and fresh fruit but other than that we are pretty good on meat and I have a lot of frozen vegetables I need to use up.

I had one more ham steak. I bought them at Sams. They were in a four pack and have been really good to cook up and add to potatoes and eggs. I browned it this morning.

What I didn't use for breakfast I chopped and put on a baking pan to flash freeze. I know, this pan is well used and ugly, but it does the job. I let it freeze about an hour or two then will put in a zip top bag. I freeze it this way so when I put it in a bag it won't freeze together. Then, when I want some all I have to do is grab a handful. I add it to eggs, potatoes, beans, soups, whatever!

I had potatoes from supper a couple of nights ago. I had made Ranch potatoes for supper. I cut potatoes in wedges and drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle on dry Ranch dressing. Bake that for about 35 minutes at 375. Save the extras for making this. I diced the potatoe wedges and put in a skillet that I had sprayed. I let that heat up and brown the outside of the potatoes a little. I then added in some of the chopped ham. My husband made an egg to go with his, but the rest of us ate it alone. Sometimes I cook it with onions and sometimes I add cheddar cheese to the top.

My husband requested chili for supper. I was out of cooked beans so let some red beans and white beans soak overnight. I also took out two containers of homemade chicken broth out of the freezer to cook the beans in. This morning I put on the beans in a crock pot. I added the container of chicken broth and then filled it the rest of the way with water to cover the beans. I added in the small amount of ham fat and the bone that was on the ham steak. I am cooking on low about 6 hours. I will add some onion flakes ( I only have one onion left so am trying to save it) and salt later after they cook about an hour.

When the beans are cooked I will put one cup portions in ziploc bags and freeze. I take out what I need to add to soups, casseroles, etc. later.

Chicken Salad, Cheese Baked Tomatoes, and Apple Cobbleer

 I had a friend come over for lunch today and wanted to have something I could pretty much make ahead and get out when she got here. I love my chicken salad. I can't have bread so I serve it over lettuce, but it is so good on toasted bread. I sprinkled both sides of chicken breasts with Greek seasoning and baked it about 25 minutes in the oven. It is also good to grill it for added flavor. I then shred into small bites and let cool. Add salt, pepper, and mayonnaise. I chopped some grapes and added that in. I toasted pecan halves and then chopped and sprinkled on top.

These tomatoes were awesome! I sliced them and added mozzarella, drizzled on olive oil, then made a mixture of Parmesan, oregano, salt and pepper and sprinkled that on top. Bake for about 15 minutes.

I made a peach cobbler with my home canned peaches. I mixed the peaches with cinnamon and sugar. Then I made a topping with oats, butter, and a spoonful of brown sugar. I mixed it until it was crumbly and added it to the top. I chopped pecans and added them. Bake 375 degrees for 35 minutes.

Ham steak with friend potatoes and onions

I've been married 23 years and have never made ham steaks. I was at Sams and all their baking hams had a gluten glaze so I found a package with four hamsteaks in it. I have eaten them, just have never made them. I cooked it in a skillet with a tiny bit of bacon grease. It took about 5 minutes per side. For the potatoes I sauteed an onion then added the diced potatoes. I let that cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. I then added a lid and turned it down to almost low and let it continue to cook for another 5-8 minutes. A very quick meal! I didn't have everyone eating or it would not have fed us to just eat it as is. If I had everyone I would add about 6 eggs with a touch of milk to the potatoes and then dice the ham and stir in. Then bake that for about 15-20 minutes.

Smoked Sausage and Broccoli

This is an extremely quick meal to put together. I use frozen broccoli and steam it in a double boiler. While it is cooking slice smoked sausage and broil until browned and heated through, turning once. My family makes spaghetti noodles, but since I can't have gluten I eat mine without the noodles. Mix in enough Italian dressing to coat everything. If you eat it with the noodles put it all in a large bowl and mix the dressing into it all.

Cowboy Caviar

I have had many versions of Cowboy Caviar, but used my friend Ginger's recipe for this one. I do not have any cooked black beans or I would have added them to this.

1 can (or equivalent cooked from dry) black eyed peas
1 can (or equivalent cooked)  white shoe peg corn
1 can Rotel tomatoes
small bottle Italian dressing
3 Tbsp (or 1 package) dry Ranch dressing mix

Stir all together and let sit in refrigerator until needed. This is better if prepared up to four hours ahead so flavors can marinate together. I added the whole bottle of Italian and ended up draining the liquid out, so next time I would add about 3/4 of the bottle and see if that is wet enough, adding more as needed.

English lesson:
Marinade is a noun and marinate is a verb.
Marinate the chicken in a marinade made from soy sauce, lemon, and garlic.

Sangria Punch and Book Swap Party

 Tonight I had the ladies from our home school group over Mom's Night Out and a book swap. I found the idea for the centerpiece off Pinterest. You use a can to put the flowers in. Cover the can with pencils, holding them in place with a rubberband. Then tie a ribbon around them to cover the rubberband. (I had moved the ribbon to show the ladies and didn't put it back) I used some of the kids' books stacked on the table with the centerpiece.

We drew numbers and picked a book from the pile. Only one other woman brought four books and I had three so we had enough for everyone, but I don't think they were really interested in the books. I think home school moms are just too busy to read for pleasure. Oh well :)

I made a sangria punch that was really good. This photo is from the Kraft site along with the recipe.

4 cups cranberry fruit punch
1 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp lime juice
3/4 cup dry mix Country Time lemonade or pink lemonade (I used pink)
3 cups club soda- I used ginger ale
2 oranges sliced
2 limes sliced

Mix cranberry punch, orange juice, lime juice, and lemonade mix and refrigerate until ready to use. Right before serving add ginger ale and sliced fruit. Serve over ice. This would be really good mixed in iced tea. This recipe makes 8 servings. I doubled it.

My battery was dead so I didn't get photos of the table with food or the people. This is what was left of the punch. Everyone said it was very good. Definitely a keeper.

Barbeque Ribs- gluten free

I soaked the ribs in 1/2 of a 2 liter bottle of Coke from morning until suppertime. This tenderizes the meat. While grilling dip the ribs into the coke everytime you turn them. I let them cook on a med-low heat about 6 minutes between dipping in the Coke and turning. The grill was flaming and some of them got a little blackened, only adding to the carmelized taste.



When they are browned on the outside and pretty much cooked through take off the grill and place in a baking dish lined with aluminum foil. The only commercial bbq sauce I can use that is gluten free is Sweet Baby Ray's Sauce. I poured some in a bowl and added dry onion flakes, and a large spoon of brown sugar. Pour over the ribs and completely cover with the sauce.

Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Turn ribs over and cover with sauce. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes.

They were very tender and you could cut through them with a fork. They had a good flavor, but I think next time I will add one or two tablespoons of mustard to the sauce and pour fresh coke into the pan to cook them in. I think the mustard will add a little zing to the sauce.

Canning Salsa and Tomatoes

I have a lot of tomatoes.A LOT of tomatoes!




I wanted to can some salsa. Since I am now gluten free I have to watch what they put into store bought salsa, canned tomato sauce, and stuff like that. So I want to find a great salsa, pasta sauce, and tomato sauce recipe so I can just can my own.

The first recipe I tried is from Belle Adorn. It claims to be the "best salsa recipe for canning" and had a lot of great comments saying it was the best salsa they had eaten so I was hopeful. It is pretty good, but my version was not hot enough. I seeded the jalapenos and would leave the seeds in next time for a little more heat.

This is a photo of the tomatoes after I blanched them and removed the skins.

Belle Adorn Recipe:

about 30 medium tomatoes, skinned and chopped

10 cups chopped onions

2 green peppers (didn't use b/c we don't like)

2 red peppers (didn't use b/c we don't like)

10 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup jalapenos

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups vinegar

8 tsp pickeling salt

2 tsp black pepper

2 large cans (12 0z each) tomato paste

cilantro- 1/2 bunch if desired

Put all, except cilantro, into a pot on the stove and cook for one and a half hours. At the end put in the cilantro. Jar and process 35 minutes for pints, 45 minutes for quarts. Yeilds 17 pints (I got 13 pints)

I also canned 7 quarts of tomatoes

To can tomaotes heat water in a pot. Blanch and prepare tomatoes. I cut in half or quarters to fit into the jar. Add 2 TBSP lemon juice and 1 tsp pickleing salt to each jar. Fill with hot water to 1/2 inch headspace. Process for 35 minutes.

Then: I tried a second salsa recipe which made 6 pints. This one is from Get Rich Slowly.

8 cups tomatoes, peeled and chopped

2 1/2 cups yellow onions, chopped

1 cup jalapeno, chopped (I left the seeds in this batch)

1 can chili peppers- recipe calls for Chipotle peppers but all I could find was basic chili peppers

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 1/2 tsp cumin

2 tsp black pepper

1/3 cup vinegar

2 TBSP canning salt

15 oz tomato sauce

12 oz tomato paste

juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup cilantro

In non aluminum pot mix everything except the lime and cilantro. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice and cilantro. Process for 15 minutes.

I like this recipe better because it had more heat with the jalapeno seeds and had the cumin flavor.

Snowcream Recipe

We put out large bowls to catch fresh snow and made icecream with the snow. It was so good.

8 cups snow

1 - 5 oz can evaporated milk, then fill the measuring cup up the rest of the way with regular milk until it reached a cup

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup sugar

I blended together with a whisk until it was the right consistency. Add more snow if it is not thick enough, more milk if it is too thick.

Cooking with Beans

One of the biggest money stretchers to our food budget is beans and rice. I keep all kinds of beans on hand because they are so versitile and can add volume to a soup or stovetop dish. I buy dry black, white, red, and pinto beans for their price and will cook a whole lb. of beans and package them in individual portions and freeze. That way they are ready to use in many ways. I try to keep a few varieties of canned beans on hand for those times when I have not soaked or cooked up any. My goal this year is to pressure can some beans so I get the best price.

A few of my favorite recipes are white and black bean chili. It is a vegetarian dish so really stretches the budget.

No southern person goes a week without seeing a butterbean or having peas for supper. I think our peas (black eyed, pink eyed purple hull) are really beans and it was just a southern phrase to call them peas. They have the texture of beans. You cook them in water enough to cover them adding in either some bacon strips or a spoonful of bacon grease to season them. I always add a ham bone to my butterbeans. They produce a liquid that is golden with cornbread or rice.

Some of my other favorite meals with beans are:

1. Red beans and rice
2. Ranch chicken with corn and black beans on salad
3. Black bean soup
4. Burritos with mexican filling (meatless meal)
5. Chicken soup with white beans
6. Bean and rice burritos
7. Chili
8. I add black beans to my taco filling to stretch it
9. Southern Caviar by Pioneer Woman
10. Ham and bean soup
11. Taco soup
    
    
    
    I am joining in the Bean Recipe Exchange at Homestead Revival.
    

Candy Christmas Tree

A year ago we went to a little Dutch village in Solvang, California. In the window of the bakery they had candy trees. I took a photo because they were so cute. Then, at Christmas last year Rhoda did a post on making them and I knew I had to make it. We had our ladie's banquet at church and I finally had the chance to make it with my boys. You can see my table here. I used it as the centerpiece on my table that I decorated.

I used a cone that I bought at Hobby Lobby. They have styrophome but they were around $14.00 and I hated to spend that. I found a cardboard material cone in the Christmas decoration aisle. Cover the cone with royal icing and then place the candies on.

Royal Icing Recipe

4 cups (1 lb) confectioners sugar

3 Tbsp meringue powder (found in the cake decorating aisle with Wilton products)

6 Tbsp warm water

Beat all the ingredients about 6 minutes until a peak forms. You can add water if you get it too stiff, or confectioners sugar if it is too runny. The candy will slide off if it is not stiff enough. Keep your bowl of icing covered with a damp towel so it does not dry out. Start at the bottom of the cone and work your way up, but only spread on small sections of icing so it does not dry out on you.

Pecan Cheesecake Pie

Southern Living Pecan Cheesecake Pie

This pie is better in a deep dish pie pan as the comments said it overflowed the regular pie plates.

1 refrigerated pie crust

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1 egg

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

Beat all ingredients with a mixer on medium speed until creamy. Pour into pie shell.

Chop 1 1/4 cup pecans and pour over cream cheese mixture.

1 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Whisk ingredients together and pour over pecans.

Place pie pan on baking sheet and bake at 350 degree preheated oven for 50-55 minutes. My pie was still very jiggly so I put aluminum foil on the top and baked an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Serve or cover and chill for up to two days.

Chicken casserole

Tonight I tweeked another recipe I saw and made a really good casserole. You will need:
2- boxes chicken flavored rice a roni type mix
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can cream of chicken soup
4 oz cream cheese

In a large skillet saute rice mix in butter per package directions. Add the water and seasoning packet per package directions. While rice is sauteeing place cubed chicken in a 9X13 baking dish. Pour rice and water mixture over the chicken. Then add corn and soup. Stir well to incorporate the soup into the water mixture. Bake at 350 about 35 minutes or until water is absorbed and rice is cooked through. Cut cream cheese into small cubes and stir into chicken dish to melt the cheese and blend it in. This was so good.

Homemade vegetable beef soup

I made a roast with potatoes and carrots in the crock pot yesterday. I am always left with a little piece of roast that is not enough to feed us another meal so I always make soup with it. I pour all the juice from the crock pot into a large pot. I add a can of petite diced tomatoes or tomato puree, corn, butterbeans, green beans, or really whatever I have around. I add all juices from either the can or the cooking liquid if I am using leftover vegetables from the refrigerator. If I am using frozen vegetables I add a little water. I tear the roast into small pieces and chop the potatoes and carrots into smaller pieces also. Let this simmer about 20-30 minutes.

Brownie trifle

This is one of my go-to desserts to bring places. It is so easy to make and everyone always loves it.

Brownie Trifle
1 box Brownie mix- or your favorite prepared recipe
large box chocolate Jello pudding- prepared
large container whipped cream
2 Butterfinger candy bars

Break the brownies into pieces and cover the bottom of the trifle dish. Put a layer of chocolate pudding on top of the brownies. Add a layer of whipped cream. Hit the Butterfinger with a rolling pin while still sealed in the wrapper. Crumble on top. Repeat layers. Chill until ready to serve.

Corn Chowder

Corn Chowder

4 large potatoes, diced

1 med onion, diced

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

3 cups creamed corn

2 cups water

salt and pepper

1/4 cup heavy cream or 2 cups half and half

Cook bacon in skillet. Remove and crumble, set aside. In the remaining grease add potatoes and onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add 2 cups water and stir, scraping all stuff off the bottom of the skillet. Add creamed corn, salt, pepper. Lower heat to low and cover. Cook for 20 minutes until potatoes are cooked through. Heat cream in microwave and add to soup. Stir and let thicken a few minutes. Serve in bowl with a garnish of bacon pieces.

Canning Apple Pie Filling and Apple Tart

I made an apple tart with one of my homemade cans of apple pie filling. I had a refrigerator dough crust, but had used the other one so didn't have a double crust so I made a tart instead of a pie. I just dumped the can of filling into the center and pulled the edges over the filling. I brushed the dough with melted butter and sprinkled sugar on it. I then baked it at 425 for about 40 minutes. About 30 minutes into baking it was browning so I covered it with foil to continue baking the apples. It seeped out over the edges, but was good.

Recipe for Apple Pie Filling- made 6.5 quart jars.

4 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup cornstarch
3 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp salt
Measure these dry ingredients into a large pot and blend together with a fork. Add 10 cups water and mix well. Bring to a boil and cook until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and add 3 tablespoons lemon juice.

Sterilize jars and lids.
Peel and core and slice about 6 lbs apples. Pack sliced apples into hot jars leaving about 1 inch headspace. Fill jars with syrup mixture leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Process in water bath canner for 20 minutes.

I had about 1/2 a jar of syrup mixture left. I did another batch and was able to fill another jar with the 1/2 left from each batch. If I was not making more I would save this in a container in the refrigerator to use as a topping on pancakes, icecream, or to make apple turnovers.