Canned Deliciousness

This summer I have made lots of dill pickles, salsa and canned tomatoes.  I will be enjoying them for months to come.

Homemade Applesauce

When I visited my friend Nancy a week ago, she told me how to make homemade applesauce in my crockpot. As soon as I got back, I gave it a try.  It was so delicious, that yesterday I made another even bigger batch.  The applesauce you buy at the grocery store cannot hold a candle to homemade, and it's so easy to do.  Nancy makes hers without any sweetener or spices, but I am a big cinnamon lover.  I found this recipe in Make It Fast, Cook It Slow, by Stephanie O'Dea.  I modified it to suit my taste. Here is my recipe.

Applesauce in the Crockpot

Peel, core and slice apples.  I filled my crockpot to the top.  For every 4 apples add:

1 Tablespoon of lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 Tablespoon brown sugar (I used 1/2 T brown sugar, 1/2 T Splenda)

Combine in the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 4 - 6 hours.  When the apples are soft, use a potato masher or fork to mash them.  Voila!  Applesauce!

It is delicious warm or cold. I placed mine in individual containers and froze about half of them. What a treat!

Whole Foods

I checked out the new Whole Foods Store today.  I actually didn't buy that much this time, but I saw lots of things I would like to buy.

Parmesan Roasted Green Beans With Mushrooms

This summer I'm trying to eat better and get more exercise.  In my effort toward improving my diet, I read the book, The Blood Sugar Solution by Mark Hyman.  The rules are no sugar, no flour, no processed foods, no alcohol, no caffeine (though I refuse to give up my tea).  That means I'm eating lots of veggies.  It's amazing how good things taste when you're not eating as much.  I saw this recipe on Pinterest.  You can find the original recipe here.  I added in mushrooms and some onion.  It was really delicious!

Parmesan Roasted Green Beans with Mushrooms

Ingredients:
1 lb of fresh green beans (trim off ends)
10-12 mushrooms, sliced
1 small thinly sliced onion
Grill Mates Garlic & Herb Vegetable seasoning (if you don't have this just use salt and pepper)
Olive oil
Parmesan Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. In a mixing bowl combine green beans, mushrooms, and onions. Separate the onions into rings. Sprinkle with olive oil and seasoning.
3. Spread the vegetables onto a cookie sheet and grate Parmesan cheese over the top.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
5. Garnish with extra cheese.

Cheeseburger Soup and Cheesy Bisquits

I am a soup lover and today I made one of my favorite soups, Cheeseburger Soup. The original recipe came from Taste of Home Heartwarming Soups.


Cheeseburger Soup


1 pound ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
4 tablespoons butter or margerine, divided
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups diced peeled potatoes
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups (8 ounces) Velveeta
1 1/2 cups milk (I use soymilk)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup sour cream

In a 3-qt. saucepan, cook beef until no longer pink; drain and set aside.  In the same saucepan, saute onion, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 1 tablespoon butter until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.  Add broth, potatoes and beef; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

In a small skillet, melt the rest of the butter.  Add flour; cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly.  Add to soup; bring to a boil.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Reduce heat to low.  Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper; cook and stir until cheese melts.  Remove from the heat; blend in sour cream.  Makes 8 servings.

I served Cheesy Biscuits with this.  These are actually called "Better than Jim 'N Nick's Cheesy Biscuits." I' ve never had Jim and Nick's biscuits, but these were definitely delicious.  You can find the recipe for these on the blog, Plain Chicken.

Photo #355/365: Caramel Corn

At Phillips we have treats almost every day during the month of December, and lots of them.  I had a taste for Caramel Corn, so I made a batch.  That way I could eat some at home, and take the rest to work.

Photo #333/365: Pizza

For a long time now, I have been looking for a recipe for a really good homemade pizza crust.  My cousin, Angela, gave me one that I like, but it wasn't quite what I wanted.  I saw this recipe on Pinterest.  It is from a blog called Lauren's Latest.  Tonight is the first time I every used my dough hook on my stand mixer.  It was easy, and worked very well.   Here is Lauren's recipe.

Fail-Proof Pizza Dough and Cheesy Garlic Bread Sticks 

Basic Pizza Dough
yield: 2-12 inch pizzas, approximately 1 lb. of dough
Ingredients:
1 cup warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey {or sugar}
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
3 cups bread flour

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, preferably that of a stand mixer, stir yeast and honey into warm water. Sit for 5-10 minutes or until bubbles form and mixture starts to foam. Pour in salt, oil and half the flour and mix.

Once that flour is incorporated, start adding flour in bit by bit until you get the pizza dough to the consistency you want: slightly tacky, but when you touch it it doesn’t stick to your hands.

Turn the mixer on high to knead for 6 minutes. Make sure to let it go the whole 6 minutes.

The dough should be smooth and easy to work with. And the bowl should be clean!

Lightly grease the bowl and the dough so it doesn’t dry out, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise 1-2 hours.



I baked it at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes.

Go to her blog to see the step by step tutorial and her recipe for Cheesy Garlic Bread Sticks.  You'll find it at:  Lauren's Latest

This is absolutely the best pizza I ever made!  I used some of my homemade pasta sauce, sweet Italian sausage, pepperoni, and a mixture of Italian cheeses.  Give it a try!

Photo #316/365: Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake

Tomorrow is our annual staff Thanksgiving feast at school.  I'm taking my famous scalloped corn, and this Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake.  I last made this cake about two years ago.  I wanted to make it last year, but I couldn't find the recipe.  Next time if I can't find it, I can come to this blog.  I hope it's as good as I remember it.  The original recipe came from the Nov./Dec. 2007 issue of Simple & Delicious Magazine.

Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake


1 package (18-1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup water
1 cup canned pumpkin
1-3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2-1/2 cups vanilla frosting
1-1/4 cups chopped walnuts


In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, water, pumpkin, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.  Beat on low speed for 30 seconds:  beat on medium for 2 minutes.


Pour into two well-greased and floured 9-in round baking pans.  Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the centers comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.


Combine frosting and remaining cinnamon;  spread between layers and over top and sides of cake.  Press walnuts lightly into frosting on sides of cake.  Yield:  10-12 servings.

Photo #313/365: Sweet Potatoes With Apples

Family get togethers are a great time to try out new recipes.  This is a simple, but delicious dish that I made for our last two family dinners.  The original recipe comes from the Taste of Home Cookbook and my photo does not do it justice.

Sweet Potatoes with Apples


3 to 3 1/2 pounds of sweet potatoes
2 tart apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch rings
1/2 cup of orange juice
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter

1. Place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and cook for 30 minutes or until just tender.  Drain and cool slightly.  Peel and cut into 1/4-in. slices.
2. In a greased 13-in x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish, alternately layer potatoes and apples.  Poor orange juice over top.  Combine the brown sugar, ginger and cinnamon, sprinkle over potatoes and apples.  Dot with butter. 
3. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until apples are tender and heated through.

Yield:  8 servings.

Photo #218/365: Seafood Pasta Salad

Last weekend, when I went to visit Nancy, she made this pasta salad for me. It was delicious! I decided to try making it myself when I came home. I used things I had in the kitchen. It is such a basic recipe, you could make whatever changes you want. The dressing is mayo and cocktail sauce, which I never would have thought of.

Seafood Pasta Salad

2 cups of bowtie pasta (cooked)
1 cup of imitation crab
1 cup of cooked shrimp (shell and tails removed)
1 medium cucumber (chopped into bite size chunks)
1 medium zucchini (chopped)
2 medium carrots (peeled and sliced)
1/2 sweet red pepper (chopped)
1 cup of Miracle Whip Lite (or mayo)
1/4 cup of cocktail sauce

Combine the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl mix the Miracle Whip or Mayo with the cocktail sauce. Pour over the salad ingredients and mix gently. Chill and eat.

I served it with Garlic Parsley Wheat Thins Flatbread. The thing I like about meals like this, is I can mix it up early in the day, and then eat when I feel like it. So often I make menu plans, but as the day progresses, I lose interest in cooking.

Photo #209/365: Food Art

Jasmine Garden Thai restaurant is one place I enjoy. It's located in Altoona and my sister introduced me to it. The food is delicious and the presentation is fabulous. Each plate is a work of art. Check out the carrot rose and shredded cabbage.

Photo #193/365: Cherry Walnut Scones

When I was visiting my daughter over the weekend, her boyfriend, Colin baked scones for us. They were delicious, and it really inspired me to bake some myself, now that I'm back home. I have a package of dried cherries in the cabinet. They're delicious and I've been trying the think of some ways to use them. I definitely do not want them to go to waste.

To make my scones I adapted a recipe for cream scones that I found a while ago on JoyofBaking.com. I had never actually gotten around to making that recipe, so I had no idea how my adaptation would come out. Well I'm here to tell you that these are good!

Cherry Walnut Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup whipping cream or milk (I used Silk Vanilla Almond milk)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and place the rack in the middle of the oven. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Add the dried cherries and chopped nuts. Stir to distribute throughout the dough. In a small measuring cup combine the milk, beaten egg and vanilla. Add this mixture to the flour mixture. Stir just until combined. Do not over mix.

Knead dough gently on a lightly floured surface. Roll or pat the dough into a circle that is about 7 inches round. Then, cut into about 6-8 wedges or use a 2 1/2 inch round cookie cutter. Place the wedges on the prepared cookie sheet, spacing a few inches apart. Brush the tops of the scones with a little cream. (I left this step out, but I think I'll try it next time.)This helps to brown the tops of the scones during baking. Lightly sprinkle the tops of the scones with granulated sugar.

Bake for about 15 - 18 minutes or until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of a scone comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. These scones freeze very well. (If they last that long.)

Photo #175/365: Snacks

The facilitators may not tell you this, but a very important part of any professional development or workshop situation, particularly all day PD is having a few snacks on hand. Several of us brought treats, but the real hit was this bowl of S'mores Snack Mix that Becky Hutchens made for us. Not only is it colorful, it was delicious.

The recipe came from the most recent Hy-Vee Season's magazine, or you can find it on-line at the Hy Vee website.

S’mores Snack Mix

Source: Hy-Vee Seasons Summer 2011.

All you need:
Hy-Vee honey graham crunch cereal
Mini marshmallows
M&Ms™
Milk chocolate

All you do:
Mix ingredients in a bowl, then lay out on parchment paper and drizzle with melted milk chocolate. Let sit 5 to 10 minutes, break into pieces and serve.

Photo #165/365: Hot Dog

This morning I worked at the Huntington Learning Center out by Jordan Creek. Afterwards, I did my shopping at Costco, and you can't go to Costco without stopping in the food court afterwards. It's hard to beat $1.50 for a hot dog and pop!

Photo #134/365: Jasmine Thai Cuisine

Jacci, Mom and I had a really delicious dinner tonight at Jasmine Thai Cuisine in Altoona. Pictured here is the Phuket and the Thai Spaghetti. The presentation is fantastic. Each plate is a work of art. The taste is even better. I had the Phuket. I love the rice noodles, the vegetables were crisp and delicious, and it was loaded with scallops, calimari, oysters, and shrimp. If you're in the area, give Jasmine Thai Cuisine a try. I highly recommend it!

Photo #324: Food Drive Champs

My class fought hard, and we won! We brought in more food items than any other class, 621 to be precise. In all, our school collected 3,300 non-perishable food items to provide Thanksgiving dinner to some of our families. Not bad for a school that has only about 350 kids.



On Friday, they took the extra recess that they earned. Afterwards, they went to the library where they worked like a well-oiled machine to assemble the food boxes. Many of our families have been hit hard by the poor economy, so our school goal was to provide food for twenty families. Thanks to Mrs. Ellefson and our Student Council, who coordinate this food drive, we were able to put together 27 boxes of food.

Photo #321: Homework

Today was the last day of the food drive, and all my kids turned in their homework. Competition has been tough. Yesterday we were in first place, but only by one item. Once again I told the kids they could turn in a food item in place of their homework. Look at all that homework they turned in! We're hoping we won the extra recess. We'll know tomorrow. Whatever happens, we had fun, and it's for a good cause.

Photo #315: The Phillips Food Drive

Every year, our school collects food donations during the month of November. We put together Thanksgiving baskets for some of our families. Many of our families have been affected by the downturn in the economy, so We are hoping to put together 20 food baskets this year. The class that brings in the most food items, wins an extra 20 minutes of recess.

I always like to get things going by having a night where kids may turn in a canned good in place of their homework assignment. That helped move us into third place. Now my kids are really into this competition. This morning they brought in this heaping box of donations (pictured above.) We are hoping to knock Mr. A's class out of first place and win that 20 minutes of extra recess.



It is a big task to collect and sort all the donations. Members of the student council handle this big job. The stage area in the library is rapidly filling will all kinds of non-perishable food.