tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567701960315296792024-02-18T19:24:02.120-08:00Cooking in Kentuckymisplaced.hoosierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07839261891091659535noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556770196031529679.post-78211881079063736502015-03-17T16:13:00.000-07:002015-03-17T16:14:22.133-07:00Summertime<a href="http://www.tomoson.com/?code=TOP85ae827195a715ee5aaefa94849daed3" rel="nofollow"><img style="display: none" src="http://www.tomoson.com/images/front/pixel.png" /></a>
I can't deny that I love to eat. Anytime, anywhere. I have, however, learned that in the summer, my appetite decreases. I'm not sure if this is because of the heat or because I'm more active and just too busy and don't think about eating...but I usually have a 10 lb difference between my summer weight and winter weight. (I'm just glad it's not the other way around). Not only do I eat less, but I eat HEALTHIER. After a bike ride, I crave....applesauce. Weird, but true. <br><br>
I recently received a new product for free to review called a spiralizer (spiral slicer, basically). I couldn't wait to try it on...a salad. Now, there are a lot of uses for the spiralizer like making vegetable pasta noodles, slicing cheese etc., but I ended up making a fresh summer salad. Just like this one: <br><br><br>
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A lot like this one. In fact, it IS this one. How bout that! Some spring mix, blue cheese, strawberries, avocado, carrots, cucumber and some balsamic vinaigrette and you're set! <br><br>
Now, this spiralizer doesn't just come on it's own...oh, no...it comes with a cleaning brush, a lid to help grip the vegetable you are slicing and press it into the blades, a hand gripper, and a little mini cookbook. There are 2 different sides blades so you can slice thick (above) or slice a little thinner. <br><br>
Bottom line? I love this! I really like the texture of the spiral sliced veggies. I don't know why it should make a difference in how they are cut, but it does! I'll definitely be using this for future salads. I've never really tried vegetable noodles but it might be worth checking out since it seems like it would be easy to do with this slicer! I'll let you know! :)
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misplaced.hoosierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07839261891091659535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556770196031529679.post-38638404863280445382015-01-29T18:15:00.003-08:002015-01-29T18:16:44.952-08:00Marshmallow Filled S'more Cupcakes<a href="http://www.tomoson.com/?code=TOP629ebccd9b3a583fd97c9391f714f373" rel="nofollow"><img style="display: none" src="http://www.tomoson.com/images/front/pixel.png" /></a>
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I recently received two different baking products for free that I needed to test out. The first one was this <a href="http://www.bakeitfun.com/products">BakeItFun baking mat.</a> The second were these <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/b00oik5keo">silicone baking cups</a>. They come in fun colors and there are 24 of them in a package. I only needed 12 for this recipe. This recipe is more to test out the products and not necessarily for the actual recipe. Most of it is..well, cheating.
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To start with I used the silicone baking cups. I cheated and used a boxed mix. It was a S'more mix with graham cracker base, chocolate cake and marshmallow filling. Then I iced the cupcakes with chocolate icing, graham cracker crumbs and then...the fun part!
I put marshmallows on the baking mat. It's non-stick so that comes in handy in a bit.
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The I put them under the broiler in the oven and watched. It takes less than 5 minutes so watch carefully!
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After they start to brown, take them out of the oven. Use a flat metal spatula to pick them up and place them on the cupcakes. Smash them down a little bit so they'll stick!
And finally..you end up with..this!
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I liked both of the products. The baking cups are cute and colorful and easy to clean. The baking mat is dishwasher safe and very non-stick. It's easier to fit in the oven then the cookie sheet that you would NEED to wash if you hadn't used the mat. I'd definitely recommend both products!!
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misplaced.hoosierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07839261891091659535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556770196031529679.post-72156272921886443892014-12-08T19:01:00.001-08:002014-12-08T19:01:29.054-08:00Carmelized Onion, Mushroom, Spinach QuesadillaI'm alive! I post pretty often on my other blog, but I've neglected this one. I'm sorry. To be honest, it will probably continue to be hit-or-miss on posting. I bought a house and, at some point, the counters are going to need some work. My goal is to use a Giani Granite Kit on it, which requires you to stay off the counters for around 2 weeks. Until then...random ideas like this one may occasionally make their way onto this blog. I'm on a mushroom, onion, spinach kick right now. The mix can go on anything: quesadillas, pasta, etc. Tonight it went on a quesadilla!<br />
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First I put a little olive oil in a cast iron skillet on medium-high heat and added thinly sliced onion. Stir immediately to coat the onion with the oil. Stir occasionally. While this is cooking, I added more oil to another pan, added a combination of mushrooms and some minced garlic. I ended up cooking the onion for around 30 minutes and the mushrooms for about 20. <br />
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I don't know how that wine ended up in the picture.....<br />
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Anyway, add just a bit of balsamic vinegar to the onion and deglaze the pan. Then, I added the mushrooms to the onions, and added spinach. Let the spinach cook down (less than 5 minutes). <br />
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Then in another skillet (I used the same one that I cooked the mushrooms in) add a tortilla, mozzarella cheese, mushroom/onion/spinach mix, more mozzarella cheese, and a tortilla. <br />
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Heat until warm and the cheese is melted, flip, and then EAT! I added sour cream and started out with salsa, but in all honesty, I liked it better without the salsa. Salsa covered up the carmlized/balsalmic flavor of the onions that is sooo good!<br />
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<br />misplaced.hoosierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07839261891091659535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556770196031529679.post-90908204454418191152014-02-10T17:32:00.001-08:002014-02-10T17:32:19.996-08:00Steak Salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I don't know that a salad counts as cooking, but this was good, dang it, and it's my blog. It could have been a lot better though. Steak is not my job. I don't do steak. David is in charge of steak. However, due to the below freezing temperatures and the fact I decided to do this after he had gone to bed, I had to figure it out.<br />
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First, I marinated the steak in garlic herb marinade. I seared it after heating a little bit of oil on medium high heat for about 3-4 minutes on each side then I put it in the over and....overcooked it.<br />
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So.<br />
<br />
Don't do that.<br />
<br />
Anyway, this also included:<br />
Spinach/Spring Mix Combo<br />
Blue Cheese Crumbles<br />
Avocado<br />
Basalmic Marinated Cherry Tomatoes<br />
Shiitake Mushrooms<br />
Basalmic Reduction Drizzle<br />
Homemade Ranch Dressing.<br />
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I think I'll have to make this again. And again. And again. But with better steak. :)misplaced.hoosierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07839261891091659535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556770196031529679.post-4014580926654567162014-01-11T13:38:00.004-08:002014-01-14T18:24:58.450-08:00Avocado-Tequila-Lime Salsa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last week, I went to dinner with a friend at a local new restaurant, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/carleosfoodspirits" target="_blank">Carleo's</a>. I ordered Avocado Tequila Salsa to snack on until our food arrived. As I'm raving about how wonderful it is, my friend looks at me like I don't have a brain and says, "You know you could make this...right?!" Oh yeah!<br />
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I think maybe my brain was absorbing the tequila already.<br />
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Anyway, I took my first shot at it today. While the salsa at the restaurant was an amazing mix of chunks of tomato, onion and avocado, etc., I made mine a little more "saucy." Not because I think it would be better (not possible), but because good Roma tomatoes are hard to come by this time of year and I ended up deciding on canned diced tomatoes. In the right season, I would definitely prefer fresh tomatoes.<br />
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1 can diced tomatoes, drained (or fresh, if you're lucky!)<br />
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilis, drained<br />
1 cup diced onion<br />
chopped cilantro, to taste<br />
1 teaspoon kosher salt<br />
1 avocado, chopped<br />
juice of half a lime<br />
2 large garlic cloves, minced<br />
1 tablespoon tequila (or more)<br />
minced jalapeno, to taste (I used half of one)<br />
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If you're short on time, or have contacts, buy the diced tomatoes with jalapeno already in it. If you're going to dice the jalapeno yourself, don't forget to wear gloves! Trust me on this, dicing jalapeno without gloves and then removing contacts, even hours later, is a poor, poor decision.<br />
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Combine all ingredients and chill for half an hour.misplaced.hoosierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07839261891091659535noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556770196031529679.post-41855149479604330772014-01-05T18:37:00.000-08:002014-01-05T18:37:44.718-08:00Red Beans and Rice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Continuing with my cajun kick, I made Red Beans and Rice today. My mom's cousin, Bob, gave me this recipe and he credited Emeril with it. You can find Emeril's original recipe <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/red-beans-and-rice-recipe2/index.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Bob had altered it just slightly, and naturally, I altered it more. <br />
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Due to time constraints, I typically make a double batch of Zatarain's Red Beans and Rice and add andouille sausage. While more "authentic" red beans and rice has a red bean thick sauce poured over white rice, we like it all mixed together like Zatarain's, so that's what I did. Feel free to make your rice separately if you like. If you do, I'd subtract one cup of water from this recipe.<br />
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1 pound dried red beans, rinsed and sorted over, or 5 cans of red beans<br />
3 tablespoons of bacon grease<br />
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion<br />
3/4 cup chopped celery<br />
3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper<br />
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />
1 teaspoon (2 if you like it hot!) cayenne pepper<br />
4 bay leaves<br />
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley<br />
2 teaspoons fresh thyme<br />
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning<br />
1/2 lb andouille sausage, split in half lengthwise and cut into pieces<br />
2 smoked ham hocks<br />
3 tablespoons chopped garlic<br />
7 cups water/chicken stock (I used water and added some chicken bullion)<br />
minute rice<br />
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Place the beans in a large bowl of pot and cover with water by 2 inches. Let soak 8 hours or overnight. Drain and set aside. If you use canned beans, skip this step, but be sure to drain the beans anyway.<br />
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In a large pot, heat bacon grease over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, and bell peppers to the grease. Season with salt, pepper, cayenne, and cook, stirring, until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add bay leaves, parsley, thyme, Cajun seasoning, sausage, and ham hocks, and cook, stirring, to brown the sausage and ham hocks, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute. Add the beans and stock/water, stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender and starting to thicken, at least 2 hours (the longer the better!). If it gets too thick, you can add water, 1/4 cup at a time. <br />
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After about 2 hours, remove ham hocks. Let them cool enough that you can handle them. Cut through the skin and fat. Remove and chop ham from hocks and return to pot.<br />
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With a spoon smash some of the beans against the side of the pot. This will help thicken and make it more "creamy."<br />
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Finally, add 1 1/2- 2 cups minute rice. Put the lid on, and remove from heat. After 10 minutes, stir and serve!<br />
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Serve with hot sauce (if that's your thing!)<br />
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This was SO good. I definitely liked it better than the box mixes I typically make, but it does take quite a bit of time. The good news is that this is a pretty big batch so it makes leftovers. Cajun is always better the next day!misplaced.hoosierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07839261891091659535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556770196031529679.post-16060852027475276762014-01-01T18:54:00.000-08:002014-01-05T20:17:53.146-08:00Drunken ChickenThis is the latest edition to my cajun repertoire. I made my first visit to J. Gumbo's while I was in Evansville Christmas shopping. The Drunken Chicken was fantastic. I had to recreate it. I looked at a couple different recipes online, took bits and pieces from them and came up with this. This requires some morning work, and then it can cook the remainder of the way in a crockpot.<br />
<br />
2.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs<br />
3 tablespoons oil or butter (depending on how healthy of a mood you are in)<br />
1/2 cup flour<br />
2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes<br />
1 bottle of beer (I used Bud Light)<br />
2 tablespoons garlic powder<br />
1 tablespoon thyme<br />
1 tablespoon salt<br />
1 tablespoon molasses<br />
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper<br />
1 teaspoon black pepper<br />
1 teaspoon white pepper<br />
1 teaspoon oregano<br />
1 teaspoon file powder (you can find this with the seafood boil seasonings)<br />
1 teaspoon paprika<br />
4 bay leaves<br />
<br />
To start, heat oil or butter, add flour and make a roux by stirring constantly for at least 20 minutes. Wait until the mix starts turning darker, just a bit darker than peanut butter. When it reaches this stage, add everything else but the chicken. Stir well. <br />
<br />
Put chicken in crockpot. Pour mixture over chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. <br />
When you're almost ready to eat, remove bay leaves and shred chicken using two forks.<br />
Serve over rice.<br />
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<br />misplaced.hoosierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07839261891091659535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556770196031529679.post-86501005293118619362013-12-02T19:21:00.001-08:002013-12-02T19:29:20.092-08:00Turkey (Carcass) Sausage Gumbo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<br />
Yum! What a delicious sounding name for a soup, right?! Every year for Thanksgiving, my dad Cajun deep frys a turkey. It literally PAINS me to throw away the turkey carcass after getting every single last bit of turkey off of it because of all the delicious seasonings that are being thrown out. Pains me.<br />
<br />
Enter Turkey (Carcass) Sausage Gumbo. This is a time consuming recipe, I'll be honest. Probably best suited for a lazy Sunday at home. It makes quite a bit, but luckily it can be frozen. I'm going out on a limb and assuming any turkey carcass you'll be using WON'T be a cajun seasoned turkey, so I've adjusted this recipe accordingly by adding Cajun seasoning. Just for you! :)<br />
<br />
<b><u>Turkey (Carcass) Sausage Gumbo</u></b><br />
<u>Stock</u><br />
1 turkey carcass<br />
12 cups of water<br />
1 large celery rib with leaves<br />
3 large carrots<br />
1 large onion<br />
1 bay leaf<br />
<br />
<u>Soup</u><br />
1/2 cup of canola oil<br />
1 cup flour<br />
1 large onion, chopped<br />
2 celery stalks, chopped<br />
1 green bell pepper, chopped<br />
3 large garlic cloves, minced<br />
1 lb andouille sausage, sliced<br />
4 cups leftover turkey, in bitesized pieces<br />
Okra (I used a bag of frozen okra)<br />
Salt, to taste<br />
Cajun Seasoning, to taste<br />
Hot Sauce<br />
<br />
Put turkey carcass in a large stockpot, add water, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer. Skim off any foam after 20 minutes. Meanwhile cut celery and carrots into large chunks. Cut onion into large wedges. Add vegetables, a few pinches of salt and the bay leaf. Simmer for 2-3 hours. Strain stock into another pot. Discard veggies and bones.<br />
<br />
At this point, you can stop and freeze the stock if you like. If you'd like to continue on with the gumbo...<br />
<br />
Make a roux with the oil and flour. (Heat oil over medium heat, gradually add flour, stirring constantly, until it turns a deep brown, about 30 minutes). Add the celery, onion, and bell pepper. This will turn into a gloppy (technical term) mess. It will all clump together. Keep stirring for another 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir for another couple minutes.<br />
<br />
Add about 3 soup ladles of the hot stock to the roux. Stir until blended. Add one ladle at a time until it's well blended. Add remaining stock. Increase heat until it reaches a boil. Meanwhile, brown sausage in a pan. When stock begins to boil, reduce heat, add sausage, okra, Cajun seasoning, and salt, and simmer for 2-3 hours. Add turkey at the end. Serve over rice and with hot sauce!<br />
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<br />misplaced.hoosierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07839261891091659535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556770196031529679.post-83097448621213365012013-11-24T18:55:00.000-08:002014-01-01T19:48:58.254-08:00Ham & Beans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<br />
I've made ham and beans a number of times, but I'm pretty sure this time I perfected the recipe. It's a great Sunday afternoon recipe. It requires a lot of time to simmer but, trust me, it's worth it!<br />
<br />
2 Tbsp vegetable oil<br />
3 ham hocks (I had the best luck finding these at Walmart. They came in a package of 3 and were pre-smoked. Pre-smoked is highly recommended for this recipe!)<br />
2 large cloves garlic, minced<br />
1/2 large onion, chopped<br />
1 bag (mine was 1 lb 4 oz) of Great Northern Beans<br />
Pepper<br />
8 cups water<br />
Chicken bullion<br />
Hot sauce<br />
Salt<br />
<br />
Sort beans. Throw away any shriveled ones or any small rocks that made it into the bag. Soak in water over night in a large bowl.<br />
<br />
The next day, heat oil in dutch oven or soup pot. Add ham hocks. The point here is to draw some of the fat and grease out of the ham hocks. Sounds delish, right? After about 5 minutes, remove ham hocks and set to the side. Add onion and fresh ground pepper to the same pot. Be generous with the pepper! Saute for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic. Saute another minute. Add beans (be sure to rinse after soaking them!) Saute for 3 minutes. <br />
<br />
Add water and hot sauce. I added just a little bit of chicken bullion powder for taste. This is completely optional, it would still be great without it. Another option is to do half water, half chicken broth.<br />
<br />
Bring this to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer. After 2-3 hours, remove ham hocks, cut through the outer layer of skin and fat and keep the ham. Return ham to pot.<br />
<br />
To thicken, remove a few ladles of beans and mash. Return to pot. Salt to taste. Remember ham is very salty, so it may not need any additional salt. Be sure to taste it first!<br />
<br />
From this point you can go ahead and eat, or continue to simmer until you're ready!<br />
<br />
Serve with corn bread and other desired toppings. It doesn't need it, but I add ketchup to mine. That's how I ate it growing up. David adds hot sauce. Let me know if you grew up with different add-ons to a a bowl of ham and beans. I might be willing to give it a try!misplaced.hoosierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07839261891091659535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556770196031529679.post-16120651687189620082013-11-02T18:14:00.002-07:002013-11-02T18:14:53.815-07:00Jessica's ChiliIt's soup season. I love making a pot of soup. Some of my favorites are chicken tortilla soup, black bean taco soup and, of course, chili. This recipe is my own. Bits and pieces taken from here and there until I was satisfied. Here it is!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
2 lbs ground meat (turkey/bison/beef)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 medium onion, chopped</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
4 cloves garlic, minced</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 (15 oz) can black beans</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 (12) bottle of beer (are you really surprised?)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 (14.5 oz) can beef broth</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 (6 oz can) tomato paste</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 (4.5) can chopped green chilies (I only use half of the can)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 can diced tomatoes</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2 Tbsp chili powder</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2 tsp ground cumin</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 tsp ground red pepper</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 tsp salt</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 tsp paprika</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 tsp hot sauce</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Optional garnish: Shredded cheese, chopped onion, sour cream, parsley</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Start cooking chopped onions over medium heat, after 4 minutes add garlic, after another minute, add ground meat. Cook until meat is cooked and onion is tender. Drain and return to soup pot. Drain and rinse canned beans. Seriously. Have you ever touched canned beans? They're slimy and gross and should never be added to anything before being rinsed off. Add beans to pot. Add remaining ingredients except option garnishes. Bring all to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer 2-3 hours or until thickened.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Add desired garnishes. Serve with cornbread/crackers and enjoy!</div>
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<br />misplaced.hoosierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07839261891091659535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556770196031529679.post-21076849225480403822013-11-01T19:01:00.003-07:002013-11-01T19:02:14.227-07:00Holiday Candy BarkI don't like sweet and salty together. I realize most people do though, so when I'm making a treat for a group that is supposed to be sweet/salty, I'll follow the instructions (begrudgingly). This recipe can be altered for different holidays. Since we're so close to Halloween, I took that route. I would have preferred to use Halloween Oreos, but since I picked up the ingredients ON HALLOWEEN, I seemed to have missed that boat. Most all of these ingredients come in holiday versions (Oreos, sprinkles, and M&Ms) so this is a quick easy treat that you can match with the season!<br />
<br />
Oreos<br />
M&Ms<br />
Sprinkles<br />
Candy corn<br />
Pretzel sticks<br />
Vanilla candy coating (or white chocolate)<br />
<br />
Lay parchment or wax paper on a baking sheet. Spread out your Oreos, pretzel sticks, m&ms, sprinkles, and candy corn down. How much you use is up to you. I put three Oreos in a food processor and broke about four more up into chunks by hand. I'll probably only crush up one or two next time.<br />
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Melt vanilla candy coating. If you use one bag of this, it's not enough, if you use two, it ends up a little thick. Next time I'll probably do one and a half. Once candy coating is melted, pour over the other candy on the cookie sheet. Place in the refrigerator for half an hour or so. To break into pieces, I used a meat tenderizer, placed the pieces into bags, and tied them with ribbon! Viola!<br />
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<br />misplaced.hoosierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07839261891091659535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556770196031529679.post-26621467303659227402013-10-22T15:49:00.003-07:002013-12-08T10:05:31.758-08:00Chai Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Butter Cream Icing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love chai. Even if my boyfriend describes as tasting like a "Christmas ornament." Iced vanilla chai is the most delicious thing on the planet. Seriously. I'm currently in a cupcake mood and I figured why not combine 2 of my favorite things. Chai and butter cream! Here's how it goes...<br />
<br />
<b><u>Cupcakes</u></b><br />
1 cup milk<br />
1 tsp apple cider vinegar<br />
6 chai tea bags<br />
1/3 oil (I used canola, because I had 1/3 cup left and I wanted it out of my cabinet.)<br />
3/4 cup sugar<br />
2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour<br />
2 Tbsp cornstarch<br />
3/4 tsp baking powder<br />
1/2 tsp baking soda<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
2 tsp cinnamon<br />
1/2 tsp ground cardamom (expensive! sorry.)<br />
1/2 tsp ground ginger<br />
1/4 tsp ground cloves<br />
<br />
Preheat over to 350 degrees. Heat milk in pan. DO NOT BOIL. If you scald the milk, it will taste terrible and ruin everything for the rest of your life. Once heated, add chai tea bags, remove from heat and let sit. Sift flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices together. Put sugar, vanilla, oil in a large bowl. After milk has set for 10 minutes, remove tea bags, and add cold milk to warm milk until you have 1 cup. Add vinegar to milk, whisk, then let set for a few minutes. Add milk to wet ingredients and whisk. Add dry ingredients and stir until you only have small lumps left. Spoon batter into cupcake liners. Bake 15-20 minutes. Set on cooling rack.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Vanilla Bean Butter Cream Icing</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
2 cups Crisco<br />
2 lb bag powdered sugar (no, really, 2 lbs)<br />
2 egg whites<br />
1 Tbsp Meringue Powder (JoAnn's, Hobby Lobby)<br />
1 cup milk<br />
1 Tbsp Butryvan flavoring (order online? If you have trouble finding this, butter and vanilla extract will work)<br />
3 pinches of salt<br />
1 vanilla bean<br />
<br />
Start with Crisco and 1 cup powdered sugar in your beautiful orange Kitchenaid mixer. Or whatever you have. Mix. Add egg whites and Meringue Powder. Mix for a few minutes. Add milk. Mix. Add more powdered sugar, flavoring, and salt, and vanilla bean powder. Keep adding powdered sugar. Add milk if it gets too thick, but it will take the whole bag of powdered sugar to get it sweet enough.<br />
<br />
This might be my new favorite! Enjoy!<br />
<br />misplaced.hoosierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07839261891091659535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556770196031529679.post-41535306862231342582013-09-03T16:20:00.000-07:002013-10-20T09:06:20.430-07:00My Day OffI did it. I gave into the Pinterest pressure of spending near an entire day grocery shopping, chopping, slicing, trimming, and bagging in order to have my freezer full of crockpot meals. Ok, so maybe my version was a slightly smaller scale than the ones on Pinterest. It really only took me about an hour to "assemble" everything. I used mostly chicken recipes, as we try to avoid red meat. I ended up with 8 meals. (Side note: Not everything in the top picture went towards the crockpot meals. Muffin mix? Not so much.)<br />
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<br />
<b>Teriyaki Chicken</b><br />
1 bag of baby carrots, each chopped into 3 pieces<br />
1/2 red onion in large chunks<br />
1 can pineapple<br />
1 garlic glove, minced<br />
4 chicken breasts<br />
1/2 bottle teriyaki sauce<br />
sesame seeds<br />
2 cups broccoli<br />
<br />
Seperate this recipe into<b> TWO</b> seperate freezer bags. Before you put everything in the bag write your recipe name and instructions on the bag. Thaw overnight. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Serve over white rice.<br />
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<b>Chicken, Mushroom, and Broccoli Alfredo </b>(9/27 edit: This was good. It was amazing in the crockpot, but only "good" over noodles. It seemed just a tiny bit bland. I would add some seasoning. Maybe some garlic salt/onion powder. Or real garlic, salt, and pepper. Just something to add a bit more flavor!)<br />
4 chicken breasts<br />
2 cups frozen broccoli<br />
1 jar Alfredo sauce<br />
1 green pepper, chopped<br />
1 small can sliced mushrooms, drained<br />
<br />
This all goes in <b>ONE </b>bag. Thaw overnight. Cook in law 4-6 hours. Serve with linguine.<br />
<br />
<b>Zesty Italian Chicken </b>(9/11 edit: This is boyfriend approved. We both loved it. Plan to add celery and mushrooms next time!)<br />
3-4 chicken breasts<br />
1 can cream of chicken soup<br />
1 pkg cream cheese, cubed<br />
1 pkg Zesty Italian dressing mix<br />
1 stalk celery, sliced<br />
<br />
This goes into <b>ONE </b>bag. Thaw overnight. Cook on low 4-5 hours. Serve over noodles or rice.<br />
<br />
<b>Mexican Chicken</b><br />
4 chicken breasts<br />
1 cup salsa<br />
1 pkg taco seasoning<br />
1 can cream of mushroom soup<br />
1/2 c sour cream (added the day you cook it)<br />
<br />
This goes into <b>ONE </b>bag, but I doubled it and made 2 bags. That overnight. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Add sour cream at the end and serve over rice.<br />
<br />
<b>Black Bean Taco Soup </b>(10/12 edit: This was amazing. Boyfriend approved. Will definitely make again.)<br />
1 lb ground beef<br />
1 medium onion, chopped<br />
1 pkg taco seasoning<br />
1 can corn (drained)<br />
1 can black beans (drained)<br />
1 can stewed tomatoes (mostly drained)<br />
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce<br />
1 (4 oz) can green chilis<br />
<br />
Brown meat and onion, drain. Let it cool for a minute then split into <b>TWO </b>freezer bags. Split the rest of the ingredients between the 2 bags. Thaw 24 hours. Cook on high 1-2 hours or low 2-3 1/2 hours. Serve with tortilla chip, cheese, sour cream, and guacamole.<br />
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Try to lay the bags flat to freeze and be sure to get the extra air out of the bags before you seal them!<br />
These all seemed pretty basic, so hopefully they will all get David's stamp of approval. I might do some research before my next batch and try to find some other recipes to add. Let me know if you have any suggestions!misplaced.hoosierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07839261891091659535noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556770196031529679.post-51797932686703249562013-07-06T12:30:00.000-07:002013-10-20T09:06:48.811-07:00Jim Beam PeachesI don't have a better name for this because I just made it up, but I think Jim Beam Peaches sums it up. I think it's still a bit early for peaches (actually, I have no clue, I just overheard someone say that at the Farmer's Market today, so I've repeated it a few times so I sound knowledgeable about this kind of thing), but nonetheless, a nice gentleman had a table full of them at the Farmer's Market this mornings. I love peaches, so I bought a basket and added them to my Thirty-One Fresh Market Thermal with my blueberries. (Shameless plug? No, not at all. But if you want a Thirty-One Fresh Market Thermal, feel free to visit www.mythirtyone.com/JessicaDeckard)<br />
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For Jim Beam Peaches you will need: Unsalted butter, Jim Beam, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, vanilla extract (or a vanilla bean if you've got one!) and peaches. You will probably want some sort of dairy (I poured a little bit of unsweeted almond milk on mine, mainly because I try not to keep ice cream in the house, but ice cream would work great!) I also drizzled some honey on top. To start, slice up a few peaches, depending on how many you are serving. Put butter, Beam, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar in a sauce pan and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Now, the problem here is I have no measurements for you. I just made it up. I'd say about 2 Tbs butter, a little less then 1/4 cup Beam, 2 Tbs brown sugar, 1/8 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp cinnamon and nutmeg should do it. .<br />
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Saute peaches for about 5 minutes. Pour peaches and sauce over ice cream. Or pour almond milk over peaches. Your choice. Drizzle with honey and you're done!<br />
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UPDATE: I made this again. Forget what I said about using vanilla extract. Use a vanilla bean. It's more expensive but so, so worth it. I put it over ice cream this time. Lastly, my boyfriend changed the name to "Drunk Peaches." I think that covers all the changes.misplaced.hoosierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07839261891091659535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556770196031529679.post-77029797534087182032013-03-16T08:02:00.002-07:002013-10-20T09:46:27.109-07:00SmoothiesA few posts ago, I discussed a product I use with smoothies. You can see that post <a href="http://cooking-in-ky.blogspot.com/2012/10/healthy-breakfast.html" target="_blank">here.</a><br />
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As much as I love smoothies, my true love of breakfast food is...poptarts. Yes, the over processed, not one thing good for you, college student, breakfast of champions. I love them. Frosted brown sugar cinnamon. <br />
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Currently I'm 144 hours poptart free, so excuse me if I'm a little edgy. You see I've recently started going to the gym in the mornings. As long as I can remember, after a good work out, run, Zumba marathon, whatever, when I'm done I want FRUIT. I crave it. Back when I used to run pretty regularly (ancient history), I would eat a bowl of applesauce afterwards. Needless to say, when I get home in the mornings, I don't want poptarts. I want fruit. So I've been making smoothies. I use the product discussed above. All I have to do is take one out of the freezer when I get home, and by the time I'm ready to leave for work, I can eat in the car. Healthy and a time saver!<br />
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Today I'll share my 2 favorite smoothie recipes so far.<br />
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The first recipe is slightly altered from a recipe my co-worker gave me.<br />
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<b><u>Strawberry Banana Smoothie</u></b><br />
Frozen strawberries<br />
Banana<br />
Spinach<br />
Peanut Butter<br />
Orange juice<br />
Almond milk<br />
Honey<br />
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The second recipe I made up. About 15 minutes ago. I'm drinking it now. It's delicious, but it has a lot of seeds. Maybe not so good for your way to work unless you have floss! :)<br />
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<b><u>Triple Berry Smoothie</u></b><br />
Frozen triple berry blend<br />
Frozen peaches<br />
Spinach<br />
Pomegranate juice<br />
Almond milk<br />
Honey<br />
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I don't have amounts, because I've never measured. You can't mess it up. They're in order from the ingredient there is the most of, down the the one I use the least of. Don't let the spinach scare you. YOU CAN'T TASTE IT. Promise. Swear. Pinky promise. You can see little green flecks and that's the only way you would ever know it's there. You can use regular milk too if you want. I like the almond milk. Less fat. Less calories.<br />
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Do you have any favorite smoothie recipes you'd like to share?<br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>misplaced.hoosierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07839261891091659535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556770196031529679.post-60676155319952880872013-03-16T07:51:00.003-07:002013-10-20T09:07:22.080-07:00Fruit - Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I know at one point I promised pictures of my finished product of the fruit kabobs. Unfortunately, my neighbor decided to cancel his internet for a bit, which means I've been living off my iPhone. Not the ideal way of blogging. So, after much delay, here is the finished product.<br />
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As much as everyone loves greasy, unhealthy Superbowl food, these were a nice change. They also helped out with the whole guilt factor. I think these will become a regular addition when we have people over. <br />
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The leftovers aren't bad either. :)misplaced.hoosierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07839261891091659535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556770196031529679.post-12885297310582698792013-02-02T19:30:00.000-08:002013-10-20T09:09:17.224-07:00Fruit!I know, I know. You know how to "make" fruit. The question is, "do you know how to CUT fruit?" As part of our new healthy lifestyle (aka Dave's healthy lifestyle and my supportive girlfriend lifestyle), we've been eating a lot of fruit. Tomorrow for Super Bowl, we will have all the usual suspects: hot wings, dips, bite-sized sandwiches, more dips... but to make things a BIT healthier, I decided to do fruit kabobs. This means my evening consisted of slicing, dicing, and peeling. I like to cut fruit myself rather than paying to have someone else do it. This way I know it was done properly, and by properly, I mean cleanly! Remember, if the knife touches the outside of the fruit, it touches the inside! So wash your cantaloupe, pineapple, and kiwi before you cut it!<br />
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After washing comes the fun part, actually cutting the fruit. I started with cantaloupe. First, cut it in half. (Please don't criticize my cutting board. It's one of three I own and it does the job!)<br />
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Next scoop out all the pump and seeds, get some of the mushiness out too. <br />
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Now cut the half in half, and then half again. (It will be in eighths when it's all said and done. And cut.)<br />
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Now slice the fruit away from the rind, and slice to whatever size you'd like!<br />
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Easy enough!<br />
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Now onto a slightly more complicated fruit. Pineapple.<br />
Slice off the top (with the green), and the bottom. Then start slicing down the sides. Try to get as much of the rind off (it leaves little indentations), without losing too much of the actual fruit.<br />
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Once you get all the edges cut, you'll end up with this.<br />
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Cut into quarters.<br />
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Slice the core away from the fruit. Again, try to get all the core cut away, without losing too much fruit! Then cut into desired sized slices!<br />
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Lastly, my favorite. Kiwi! Not only do I love this fruit, I love this method of cutting it. It's so easy and you don't lose all the fruit you would normally lose if you tried to use a knife for the whole process. First of all, cut the top and bottom.<br />
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Next is where it gets tricky. Slide a spoon in-between the fruit and the skin. (This picture was not easy to take!) Then slide the spoon all the way around the edge of the fruit.<br />
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And you end up with this!<br />
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Perfect!<br />
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Now I'm all set to make my fruit kabobs in the morning. I already have the strawberries cut up, and my grapes are all washed. I'll try to remember to take a picture of the finished product tomorrow!<br />
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<br />misplaced.hoosierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07839261891091659535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556770196031529679.post-53868116810112449702013-01-29T19:44:00.001-08:002013-10-20T09:09:31.678-07:00No-Bake Energy BitesI love these. I love that they do not involve baking. I love how they taste. I love how easy it is to mix and match the ingredients. I've found a number of variations of this recipe online. The most basic seems to be this:<br />
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1 cup dry oatmeal<br />
1/2 cup peanut butter<br />
1/2 cup ground flaxseed<br />
1/3 cup honey<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
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Mix all ingredients. Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Roll into balls. Done!<br />
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I added 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips. I've seen some recipes call for dried fruit or coconut. I just eyeballed the amounts. Mainly because measuring peanut butter and honey is more trouble than its worth. I used reduced fat peanut butter for my batch and couldn't taste the difference. I just made these tonight and the one....or two....that I sampled were delicious! Perfect mid-morning snack! <br />
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misplaced.hoosierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07839261891091659535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556770196031529679.post-55073252825935865772013-01-15T18:16:00.000-08:002013-10-20T09:09:44.182-07:00Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed TilapiaUnfortunately, I have another photo-less recipe. My goal is to buy a nice Canon camera in the next few months and then I'll probably over-do the photo taking. Stick with me in the meantime. I made this recipe tonight. It might be my new favorite. There is a sauce that goes with it. I loved the sauce. David wasn't so sure. I think there was too much wine in it for his tastes. I may have overdone the wine...big surprise. I really didn't measure it. Another big surprise.<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
Fresh or frozen fish fillets, I used tilapia. You can also try sole, flounder or other white fish.<br />
1 cup frozen broccoli, thawed<br />
1 beaten egg<br />
1 8-ounce container soft-style cream cheese with chive and onion<br />
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese<br />
3/4 cup herb flavored stuffing mix<br />
2 tablespoons milk<br />
2 tablespoons dry white wine<br />
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1. Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towel. For stuffing, drain broccoli, pressing out excess liquid. Chop broccoli. Combine egg, HALF of cream cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Stir in broccoli and dry stuffing mix. Spoon mix into fillets, roll up, and secure with toothpick. Place in greased baking dish and bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.<br />
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2. For sauce, heat milk, wine, and remaining cream cheese. Serve over fish.<br />
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I made this with wild rice. I would serve with a salad..or maybe sautéed squash. As usual. Not my recipe, just passing it along!misplaced.hoosierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07839261891091659535noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556770196031529679.post-90462955032398316222012-12-24T19:05:00.005-08:002013-10-20T09:10:18.576-07:00Homemade Chicken and DumplingsProblem: I haven't decided if making the dumplings from scratch is worth it or not. One one hand, you don't get all the extra "stuff" that is thrown in a can of Pillsbury biscuits, but on the other...it's messy. As in, flour EVERYWHERE kind of messy. Even more so if your boyfriend intentionally uses the flour to draw what I assume was Indian warpaint on your face. If you have a large (really large) cutting board, it might be worth it to start from scratch. This recipe is from Pioneer Woman's page, Tasty Kitchen. I tried to find the exact recipe to link to, but I couldn't find it, so I'm plagiarizing a bit, but welcome to the internet.<br />
Here's what you'll need:<br />
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2 cups flour<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1 pinch salt<br />
2 tablespoons butter<br />
1 cup milk<br />
2 quarts chicken broth<br />
3 cups cooked chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken from Kroger)<br />
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Combine your first three ingredients in a bowl. Cut the butter into the flour mix. Cutting it means either using a potato masher, or two knives so you end up with a crumbly mix. Add the milk and mix with a fork until you have a ball. Flour your large cutting board (or your boyfriends countertop..oops) and use a rolling pin on the dough. Cut the dough into squares using a pizza butter. They don't have to be perfect. Using a floured spatula, lay your dumplings on a heavily floured plate. After the first layer, add flour on top and just keep stacking the dumplings. <br />
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Meanwhile, bring your broth to a boil. Add the dumplings one at a time, and stir as you add them. When you add them they will balloon up and almost triple in size. Keep in mind they will go down! I kept thinking I was going to have too many dumplings so I didn't add all of them and by the time they cooked down, I wished that I had. Cook them for 15-20 minutes. Add the cooked chicken to the pot and allow to heat up and you are done! The flour you added to the dumplings will thicken up the broth. If it were up to me, I'd add peas, corn, celery and carrots and make it almost like a pot pie filling, but the boyfriend likes the basics and really, it doesn't need the veggies. It tastes great just like it is! Enjoy!<br />
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**Keep in mind you can always skip all the work and just add Pullsbury biscuits. Cut them into quarters, and add some flour to the broth to thicken it. Delicious either way!<br />
<br />misplaced.hoosierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07839261891091659535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556770196031529679.post-55764714589647131472012-12-21T19:19:00.001-08:002013-10-20T09:10:38.343-07:003-Envelope.....AnythingThe best thing about crockpot meals is that they require little to no work when you get home. Fortunately, this can mean the work has to be done first thing in the morning and I am NOT a morning person. The idea of getting up early to prepare food that I'm not going to get to eat for 10 hours is not one that sets well with me. With a 3-Envelope meal, you can get this meal started without even setting your alarm clock back. If you can remember the name of the recipe, you can probably remember the recipe. You'll need: The meat of your choice, 1 cup water and 3 envelopes of seasoning, usually a ranch packet, an italian seasoning packet, and a gravy packet the corresponds with the type of meat you are using.<br />
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Example:</div>
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<u>Three Envelope Roast</u></div>
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1 Roast</div>
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1 Cup Water</div>
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1 Envelope Italian Seasoning</div>
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1 Envelope Ranch Seasoning</div>
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1 Envelope Beef Gravy Mix</div>
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Done! The great thing about this is you don't have to stick to the recipe. At all. (Not that I ever do anyway.) You can use chicken instead of a roast. You can use an Onion Soup Mix instead of the Ranch. I've tried it all of these ways and loved them all. There are two warnings that come with this recipe: If you're trying to keep your sodium down, this is probably not the recipe for you AND.... make extra.</div>
misplaced.hoosierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07839261891091659535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556770196031529679.post-40985464485820220802012-12-18T20:15:00.000-08:002013-10-20T09:47:23.570-07:00Christmas Candy!I get carried away with chocolate. This comes with years and years of working at a restaurant that sold candy decorating supplies...candy thermometers, chocolate molds, chocolate every color of the rainbow, coconut flakes, paramount crystals, and probably 40 different flavors of flavored oil. I usually plan on one or two chocolate projects, and end up with 10. The three easiest are peppermint bark, oreo balls, and thin mints. I made all three for a recent potluck.<br />
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1.) The peppermint bark is the easiest. In theory. I say 'in theory' because making it consists of melting white chocolate and adding red and green peppermint crunch to it. Finding the peppermint crunch, however, can be difficult. I have mine mailed to me from Pea-fections each year because I can't find it anywhere else. I'm certain there are similar substitutes, but I love this kind the best. Amazon has it <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Candy-Crunch-Peppermint-Red-Green-1LBS/dp/B003F2EGQE" target="_blank">here.</a> Once the ingredients are combined, pour it out onto a piece of wax paper and let it dry. Break into pieces and voila, peppermint bark!<br />
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2) Oreo balls. Also very easy to make, and easier to find the ingredients. Crunch up one bag of Oreos. I used double stuffed, mainly because the filling is the best part, right?! Now, by crunch, I mean reeeaally crunch. I use my Magic Bullet for this. A food process would work too. I tried to use a rolling pin (in my house this is an empty wine bottle) and a gallon sized ziplock bag. This was a disaster for a number of reasons including 1) the pieces didn't get small enough and 2) they stuck to the bag because of the cream filling. Disaster. Anyway, once they are all crunched up into the consistency of dirt (appetizing, no?) then add a bar of cream cheese and smoosh it all together. Roll into balls just bigger than a marble, set on a cookie sheet covered in wax paper and freeze for half an hour. Meanwhile, melt some milk chocolate. A double broiler is best. If you don't own one, you can use a microwave. Just put it in for a minute, take it out, and stir. Then 30 seconds. Stir. And repeat in 30 second increments. You do not want to overheat the chocolate. If it's too thick use some paramount crystals to thin it. Do NOT use water or milk. It will cause the chocolate to seize up, basically it becomes the consistency of a brownie and it's ruined. If you didn't plan ahead and buy paramount crystals you can use a few DROPS of oil. Preferably one without a lot of flavor (I use canola.) Dip half frozen oreo balls into the chocolate with a toothpick. Set on wax paper to dry. If you want a white chocolate drizzle, melt chocolate the same way, and put it in a ziplock back. Cut the teeny tiniest whole in the corner and drizzle.<br />
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3) Last are the thin mints. Melt dark chocolate and when completely melted, add a few drops of peppermint oil. Creme de menthe oil also works fabulously, but it's harder to find. Once this is complete, dip Ritz crackers into the chocolate and set on wax paper to dry.<br />
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I like making this combination together because it uses white, milk, and dark chocolate. The thin mints are usually a favorite. I don't usually do a drizzle on them like I did in the photo above, but I've already admitted I got carried away. Good luck with your candy making and Merry Christmas!misplaced.hoosierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07839261891091659535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556770196031529679.post-63859937692513967932012-12-08T07:52:00.000-08:002012-12-08T07:52:11.526-08:00Ashley's Coupon Lesson - Part 2I already explained the "old fashioned" way of couponing. Clipping, filing, handing the coupons to the cashier. With apps, however, there are tons of other ways to save money. With some apps you can load coupons directly onto your rewards cards. Others will supply coupon codes or bar codes that you can scan at the checkout. More recently, there have been apps that involve choosing your coupons or deals, and when you purchase the item that money is deposited into a PayPal account, rather than being deducted from your total at the checkout.<br />
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Here are some of my favorites:<br />
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Kroger. Of course, this is my favorite. It will show you the weekly ad (which often doesn't even show the best deals), your rewards to date, an somewhat inconvenient "grocery list" section, and coupons. These coupons load directly onto your Reward Card. Keep in mind at the register that if you have a $.50 off coupon loaded on your card through this app, and a $1 off coupon in your hand, the one pre-loaded on your card will automatically be used. I've had some cashiers go ahead and take my coupon in hand and deduct it on top of that, but really they aren't supposed to, and most the time I don't realize I've done it until I'm looking at my receipt afterwards.<br />
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Grocery IQ is another good one, and it's on my phone, but I haven't used it as much as I should. I know it involves a lot of grocery coupons and I believe it will load them onto your card. It's possible Kroger isn't an option and that's why I haven't used it much.<br />
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Coupon Sherpa - This one is great for retail shopping. It has a list of stores (American Eagle, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Bath and Body Works, Best Buy, etc) and when you are at the check out, you can click the store you are at, and it will bring up a coupon. The store will scan the bar code on your phone, or type in the coupon code, and you'll get whatever the deal was ($10 off $30 purchase, 20% off total purchase, etc). This one is great. Basically free money with next to no effort or time. I'm shocked how often I'll check the app while they are ringing my stuff up and it'll save me $10+. David likes this app too! <br />
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Ibotta is a new app I just recently signed up for. I'm not sure if I like it or not. You pick out the deals you want, answer a question, or "learn a fact" and then when you purchase the item, you scan your receipt and the bar code and they will "authorize" the purchase and the money goes into your Paypal account. <br />
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By the way, all these apps are free.<br />
Enjoy!misplaced.hoosierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07839261891091659535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556770196031529679.post-41652007671773108422012-12-06T19:10:00.000-08:002013-10-20T09:11:20.950-07:00Sante Fe Chicken (Crock Pot!)Unfortunately, I have another photo-less post. Fortunately, it tastes amazing. Of course I found it on Pinterest. I haven't been able to track down the original source, but it certainly isn't me! This is a VERY easy one to get started in the crock pot before work. It goes like this:<br />
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3 chicken breasts (I just buy one package at the grocery store)</div>
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1 can corn, drained</div>
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1 can black beans, drained</div>
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1 jar salsa.</div>
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Set to "LOW" and that's it! Well, that's all you do to get started. When you get home from work (or when you're almost ready to eat), throw in a block of cream cheese. I use neufchatel which is that stuff that's packaged just like cream cheese and is located right next to the cream cheese and tastes like cream cheese but because it has 1/3 the amount of fat, it has a different name. I cut this into a few strips. Crank the crock pot to high. Wait half an hour, then stir. You're done!</div>
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This can be served by itself, but the chicken falls apart, so we've eaten it on tortillas or with tortilla chips. I usually make Zatarain's Spanish Rice with it. It's a favorite!</div>
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misplaced.hoosierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07839261891091659535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556770196031529679.post-74930888035558590552012-12-05T18:02:00.004-08:002012-12-05T18:02:51.594-08:00Ashley's Coupon LessonMy best friend came to visit last weekend. I promised her a coupon lesson. I failed. I promised her I'd email her. I've failed. So far. It was my goal to work on this tonight. I decided to post it on here 1) because she is my only "subscriber" and I know she'll see it and, 2) so if anyone else wants to read it they can.<br />
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First, get organized. There are 2 ways to organize your coupons. You can 1) clip all coupons that you think you would use and organize them by "type." This is what I do. I have a half sized accordion folder, and the tabs are what makes the most sense for me. They've changed a few times as I've learned what works best for me. This is it:<br />
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Don't judge me by my blanket. It's the softest thing you'll ever touch. Except for my dog. The other option for organizing your coupons is to take the entire "booklet" out of the Sunday paper. Websites will tell you about a coupon and next to it will say "RP 12/2" This means it was in the Red Plum on December 2nd. The inserts are usually Smart Source, Red Plum, or P&G. You don't clip these coupons, you save the entire insert, so when you see a deal online, you can look it up by date.<br />
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I prefer the clipping method. I clip anything I MIGHT use. If I don't, no biggie. I also like this method because I have a lot of loose coupons that don't come from inserts.<br />
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Second step is to watch. Everything goes on sale at some point (except for maybe iPhones). The key is to use coupons when your item is on sale. This means learning to buy things when they are the cheapest, not when you need them. For example, David loves Zatarains Red Beans and Rice. I don't want until I plan on cooking this to buy the Red Beans and Rice. If it's on sale, and I have coupons, I'll buy 4 of them, and then wait for the next sale.<br />
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Now, start collecting. Buy Sunday papers. Visit your favorite food company's websites. Add your favorite products to Facebook. Subscribe to All You catalog (besides good coupons, they have great recipes, cute DIY projects and seasonal ideas!). Visit couponing websites. Some of my favorites are:<br />
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http://www.southernsavers.com/<br />
http://kentuckycouponin.blogspot.com/<br />
http://thekrazycouponlady.com/<br />
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Keep in mind most of these are Manufacturer coupons. I'll discuss why this is important later.<br />
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If you haven't already, get loyalty cards to the places you shop most often. I get most personal care items from CVS and they give out great coupons, not to mention Extra Care Bucks. I do my grocery shopping at Kroger. Their loyalty card is also great. This year I saved over $500 with JUST the loyalty card (not including coupons, etc.) Another great thing about Krogers Value Card is that if you go online and register your address, they will send you coupons BASED ON WHAT YOU BUY. Basically every coupon they send you, you will use. Some of these are Store coupons (vs manufacturer coupons). Many times they will send you FREE item coupons. It takes about 6 months after you start shopping there before you get the coupons. They need time to figure out your normal products.<br />
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Watch for good sales. Kroger has "Mega Events" where if you purchase 10 participating items, you get $5 off. So basically, each item is $.50 off. So then you want to use a coupon on top of that. And if you're REALLY lucky, you'll have a manufacturer coupon and a store coupon. And on top of that, if your coupon is for $.50 or less, Kroger will double the amount. For example, if I have a $5 item and a $.50 off coupon, Kroger will actually take $1 off and call it a "Bonus" coupon. <br />
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Most stores have posted their coupon policy online since the "extreme couponing" craze began. If not, if you request it, they will mail it to you. If you have more questions, the first of those websites has some great information. I suggest looking your store up on that page and seeing how that website is organized. It's how I determine my grocery shopping! <br />
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Good luck!misplaced.hoosierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07839261891091659535noreply@blogger.com0