Furnace Still Not Working...

So we took a short ride to McDonald's and Newby hogged the car heat.

Wednesday Afternoon

Milo, Dixie, Newby and I are watching Walt Disney's Miracle. Hockey. Don't understand it. I guess it's like soccer but with ice and a pick instead of grass and a ball.

But it's Olympic season, it's cold outside, and it's a great story. And since I've finished my day off chores I deserve a little snuggle time with my special furry kids.

Outing With the Puppers To PetSmart

We got more snow this morning. We are sick of the cold and wet. -_- The dogs are going a little stir crazy, so you can imagine how the people are feeling.

Yesterday we took a little outing to PetSmart to grab a special friend and her sister a Valentine's gift. Taking pictures and driving is pretty difficult, so I didn't get as many good pictures as I would hoped. And getting any pictures at PetSmart, on a Sunday, with all the activity and smells is not possible at all. Here are the best, which are pretty sucky.  They have matching Land's End monogrammed coats, btw. They always turn heads when they are out... and get called by their names, too, which I think is even more confusing... "Why is that stranger calling me by name, Mom?????" Makes them bark even more... "Stranger Danger!! Stranger Who Knows My Name Danger!!!"

Just a note from Shelle to all of you... we are sending you each lots of prayers and positive thoughts. I know we have been a bit shoddy about commenting and responding to your messages to us, but we are reading your posts and keeping all of you very close to our hearts and minds right now.

Today...

Ice Storm

This is the view from my kitchen window after last night's ice storm which left us without power for almost five hours late last night. I'm depressed as I loved that river birch. :(

I've not checked the rest of the property yet but I'm anticipating more of this look. I fell getting the mail yesterday so schlepping anywhere today isn't a high priority.

Wherever you are stay warm and safe.

Cheesy Hash Brown Chili Bake

Cheesy Hash Brown Chili
* 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
* 1 onion, chopped finely
* 2 tablespoons chili powder
* 2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 1/4 cup tomato paste
* 1 pound ground beef
* Salt and pepper
* 1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
* 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
* 1 1-pound bag frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
* 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F.
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, chili powder and cumin and cook, stirring, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the tomato paste. Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat, for 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
Add the beans and the tomatoes with their juice and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Transfer to an 8-by-11-inch baking dish.
In a large bowl, combine the potatoes and cheese. Scatter the potato mixture over the chili. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet and bake until the potatoes are cooked through and the chili is bubbling, about 35 minutes.

Hamburger Seasoning Mix

I am currently working on a rather largish project so food around my house has been pretty tame of late.

I tried a recipe for Monday I thought would be a hit, it wasn't. It was too bad, it had all the elements to make something fantastic, but somehow just didn't jive with the taste buds. I fixed homemade sliders Tuesday, a huge hit but as I am allergic to beef I will spend the next two days sniffing and snuffing around!

But they are amazingly good... the secret? The seasoning mix. :) I had thought I had the PERFECT Seasoning mix, which I did... but I adjusted it a bit more, cause that it the kinda thing I do in my life. I thought I would share my final, not to be changed seasoning mix with you. This makes 6 or so tablespoons, which is just enough to fit into my seasoning jar.

**The recipe holder was made by Reed at preschool. His favorite recipe? Octopus Hotdogs. I shall share those with you one day. **

Shelle's Burger Seasoning Mix
*6 teaspoons paprika
*4 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
*3 3/4 teaspoons sea salt
*2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
*1 teaspoon garlic powder
*1 teaspoon onion powder
*3/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Mix all the items together and place in a sealed container.

Peanut Butter No-Bake Bars

Someone looking through my blog asked if I had really made all the things shown and those were the pictures. I told them "yes, but for ever recipe that is perfection and beautiful, I have 3 or more failures that lead to it." When those failures happen, I resort to making something with peanut butter to make my little man happier than when he was trying to swallow something he just didn't like!

Yeah, so here is my new peanut butter recipe to make up for the smoked sausage penne pasta catastrophe.

No Bake Peanut Butter Bars
(adapted from here)
*2 cups creamy peanut butter, divided
*3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
*2 cups powdered sugar, divided
*3 cups graham cracker crumbs
*1 1/2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Morsels, divided

Grease 11x7-inch baking pan.

Beat 1 1/4 cups peanut butter and all of the butter in large mixer bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in 1 cup powdered sugar. With a wooden spoon, work in remaining 1 cup powdered sugar and graham cracker crumbs. Press evenly into prepared baking pan. Smooth top with spatula.

Melt remaining 3/4 cup peanut butter and chocolate morsels in a microwave safe bowl, on half power for 45 seconds. Remove from the microwave, stir and return to the microwave for an additional 20 seconds at half power until the mixture is melted and smooth. Spread over graham cracker crust in pan. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until chocolate is firm. Cut into bars. Store in covered container in refrigerator.

Powder Puff Sandwiches

Sorry, not enough brain power to write something about these... Just know that they are amazing... they are so pretty, and definitely worth the effort of making.
Go make now!!


Powder Puffs
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup cornstarch
* 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

* 3 eggs, separated
* 3/4 cup sugar

Fillings (pick any):
*Raspberry or strawberry Jam, Lemon curd, stiffly whipped cream
*Confectionery sugar for dusting.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, cornstarch, cream of tartar, and baking soda into a bowl. Separate the eggs into two bowls. Beat the whites to soft peaks. Add the sugar to the egg whites in 3 stages, beating after each addition to make a stiff meringue. Whisk in the egg yolks, 1 at a time. Sift the dry ingredients together, then sift them over the egg mixture, and fold them in with the whisk, without beating or you'll lose volume.

Pipe or drop by tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheets, leaving room between them so they can spread. Bake until lightly golden, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the cakes to a rack to cool. They will harden slightly as they cool.

Sandwich the rounds together with whatever combination of filling you would like. Let the sweets sit an hour or so to soften before serving.

6am, Why Not Bake?

We have the plague at our house... It isn't going away. Ever. So what does one do when they have a cranky boy child who is taking up all of your bed... sideways... You bake.

Easy, Sweet Scones
*2 cups all-purpose flour
*1/4 tsp salt
*2 tbsp baking powder
*1 stick unsalted butter
*1/2 cup granulated sugar (or honey maybe substituted)
*approx 1/4 cup milk

In your food processor bowl, place your flour, salt and baking powder. Pulse.
Cut your very cold butter into 8 pieces and add to the flour mixture. Pulse again until the mixture resembles large crumbs or pea size clumps.
At this point sprinkle in the sugar or honey. Pulse.
Add half of the milk and pulse until the small clumps become one big ball of dough (adding more milk as necessary). The ball of dough should come together and roll around the processor noisily.
After your dough has reached this stage, remove and knead one or two times on a floured surface. Not too much kneading as that can make them tough and melt the butter.
Roll out to about 1 1/2 inch thickness.
Cut out with cookie cutter (shape of your choice).
Arrange your scones closely on a clean cookie sheet.
You may sprinkle with sugar or brush with egg white at this point (optional).
Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Hamburger Supper with Noodles

Don't ask... its been one of those kinda weeks... When those sorta days happen, then comfort food is in order. :) So here is a favorite of mine!!

* 1 lb ground chuck
* 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
* 1 tablespoon chopped green onion
* 2 tablespoons brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard

In a medium bowl combine the beef, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Form into 4 patties In a skillet brown the patties and pour off the excess fat.
In a medium bowl combine the remaining ingredients. Pour over the patties in the skillet. Simmer for 10-20 minutes. Serve over egg noodles.

Shrimp and Cheddar Cheese Grits

I am in a 'mood'. Yeah, the 'OMG I am so grouchy I cannot stand to hear your voice, see your face, leave me alone for the remainder of my natural life' kinda mood. I have a feeling that I shall be taking a little trip this weekend back home to WV, if I can swing it. There is something about being at home, which never fails me.

Speaking of home, here is what I made last night to try and woo me out of my mood. It didn't work, obviously, but it sure was great. Thank you, Grandmother, for being such a great cook!

Shrimp and Cheddar Cheese Grits
Grits:
*4-5 Cups Chicken Broth
*1 Cup Yellow Stone Ground Corn Meal
*1 Cup Grated Sharp White Cheddar Cheese
*3 Green Onions Sliced for Garnish

Sauteed Shrimp:
*20 Large Shrimp, Shelled and Deveined
*1/2 lb Thick-cut Bacon
*2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
*3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
*Salt and Pepper

Bring 4 cups of broth/stock with 2 teaspoons of salt to a boil in a medium sauce pan over high heat. Slowly whisk in the grits and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the grits are soft, whisking every couple minutes. This will take 15-20 minutes depending on your stove/pan. If the mixture becomes too thick, add more of the additional broth/stock. Once the mixture is smooth, whisk in the cheese and add salt and pepper to taste.
Cook the bacon (I recommend baking, I prefer the faster method) and save the rendered bacon fat.
Pat your shrimp dry with a paper towel and salt and pepper them. Place 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat and the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat and add the shrimp and garlic to the pan. Cook until the shrimp is opaque about 1-2 minutes on each side.
Remove the shrimp and place in a bowl and reserve the garlic oil from the pan.
Divide the grits into 4-6 bowls (depending on what size portions you want) and add the shrimp on top. Drizzle on some garlic oil and top with the sliced green onions.

Valentine's Day Sugar Cookie Bars

A sweet for my sweet. :) Of course as I was having stove (which turned out to be electrical) problems, I was unable to make anything 'special' for the day of love. It turned out to be a "Hey, lets call into Pizza Hut" for dinner kinda day.

After my stove was fixed I got busy making these for my love. He was most appreciative.. well I think so.. He ate during his homework then went straight in to watch "Head Rush" on Discovery Channel. -sigh- Little boys...

Sugar Cookie Bars
*1 cup butter; room temp.
*2 cups sugar
*4 eggs
*2 tsp vanilla
*5 cups flour
*1 tsp salt
*1/2 tsp soda
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla & mix well. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt & soda & stir with a whisk to combine. Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined. Spread on a greased baking sheet (use a 13 x 18 pan). Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 min, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely and frost.

Frosting
*1/2 cup butter; room temp
*1/2 cup shortening
*1 tsp vanilla
*pinch of salt
*4 cups powdered sugar
*5 Tbsp milk
*food coloring (if desired to decorate for the holiday)
*sprinkles (if desired)
For frosting combine butter and shortening until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and salt. Add powdered sugar in 1-2 cup increments until combined, then add milk & mix until smooth and spreading consistency. Spread over cooled cookie, then cut into bars.

Sesame Chicken Tender Salad with Spinach and Cucumber

I have been on a spinach kick lately.. Well, I hate tomatoes in the winter, so a 'normal' salad is out until at least June in my thinking. Spinach with a bit of feta, a fruit and a light vinaigrette is just perfect to make the days of winter better. When you need something a bit heartier, you cannot get any easier than this.

These chicken tenders are perfect on a sandwich, with some dijon mustard, and a wee bit of shredded carrot and baby spinach leaves as well. You might wish to make a few extras :)

Sesame Chicken Tender Salad with Spinach and Cucumber

2 pounds Chicken tenders
1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs
¼ cup sesame seeds
Extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups baby spinach leaves
1 cucumber, cut into 1/4 inch slices

Vinaigrette:
¼ cup soy sauce
Juice of half a lemon
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 teaspoon light brown sugar

In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, ginger, and sugar. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Put it in another bowl large enough to hold it, pour over half of the vinaigrette and toss. Cover and let the chicken marinate in the fridge for about 2 hours if you have the time, or until you’ve got the rest of the dish ready to go. Set the rest of the vinaigrette aside.
When you’re ready to cook, put the panko and sesame seeds in a shallow platter and season with a little salt and pepper. Mix with your fingers so that the seasoning is incorporated and then taste it – the panko should be well seasoned. Roll the chicken pieces in the seasoned crumbs, patting gently so that the crumbs adhere, until well coated.
Heat 1/3 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Line a platter with paper towels and set that to the side of the stove. Add about half of the chicken pieces to the pan and cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden brown and crispy. Remove the chicken to the platter to drain. Do the same to cook the rest of the chicken.
Put the spinach in bowl with the cucumber. Add the rest of the vinaigrette, season with salt and pepper, and give it a good toss. Divide among 4 plates and top with the chicken.

S'more Pie

This is the best dessert ever.
Enuff said... do not hesitate... make it now...

S'more Pie
* 1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
* 1 1/4 cups sugar
* 6 tablespoons butter, softened
* 4 egg yolks
* 1/4 cup cornstarch
* 6 tablespoons cocoa powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 3 cups milk
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1 bag miniature marshmallows

Heat the oven to 375º. In a mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and 1/4 cup of the sugar. Add 4 tablespoons of the butter, rubbing it in with a pinching motion until evenly distributed. Press the crumb mixture into a 9-inch pie pan and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Allow the crust to cool.
Beat the egg yolks in a medium bowl and set them aside. Combine the remaining cup of sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and salt in a 2-quart saucepan. Set the pan over medium heat and gradually whisk in the milk, stirring until smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly, then remove the pan from the heat.
Whisk 1/2 cup of the hot chocolate mixture into the egg yolks. Repeat with 1 cup of the chocolate mixture, then return the chocolate and egg mixture to the saucepan. Boil over medium heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the vanilla extract. Pour the filling into the pie shell and allow it to cool at least 15 minutes, or chill it in the refrigerator overnight.
Just before serving, heat the oven to broil. Cover the pie with the mini marshmallows and broil it on the uppermost rack for about 30 seconds or until the marshmallows are lightly browned. (Watch carefully, or the marshmallows will burn.) Serve warm or chilled. Serves 8.

Italian Wedding Soup for Lovey

It was my friend's birthday this past weekend (his girlfriend calls him Lovey, so it is impossible for me to think of him as anything other than Lovey now) which allowed us to have a party filled with great italian fare, like mozzarella basil and tomato appetizers, this sundried dip for bagel chips that was to die for, some home made Cannolis that made me breathless,vegetarian (yay, Mackenzie for thinking of moi) and meat filled lasagnas, home made strawberry cake for Lovey to enjoy and other great things that I feel remiss about not mentioning... Lets just say, between the food and the great Merlot they had for us, I as quite the happiest of girls (and it wasn't even MY birthday!)

My offering for the evening was my homemade Italian Wedding soup. The concept of the meatballs is taken from Ina Garten's recipe... I modify everything to fit me... So, here is my recipe... It seems like a lot of work, but honestly after you chop the mirepoix, my child remembered whilst I was chopping away, yay!, which is called soffritto in Italian, you are free to sit back and wait for the aroma to fill the house.

Italian Wedding Soup
~For the meatballs:
* 1 pound ground turkey
* 1 pound Italian Chicken Sausage, crumbled (Whole Foods offers it without casings)
* 2/3 cup dried Italian Bread crumbs
* 2 teaspoons minced garlic
* 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
* 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
* 3 tablespoons milk
* 1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten

~For the soup:
* 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
* 1 cup finely chopped onion
* 1 cup diced carrots
* 1 cup diced celery
* 12 cups homemade chicken stock
* 1 cup Barilla Pastina
* 3 tbsp dried dill
* 12 ounces baby spinach

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Parmesan, milk, and egg in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don't have to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.
In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the dill and meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.

Beef Burgundy ala Shelle

I don't have a picture as I am just making this today. I have about 1000 places to go, and less than 3 hours to go there.. This is going to be dinner tonight. I will update this tomorrow when I take a picture tonight.


Slow Cooker Beef Burgundy ala Shelle
*1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
*1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
*1 cup beef broth
*1 small onion, chopped finely
*1 can sliced mushrooms, drained
*1 package (1 ounce) dry onion soup mix
*1 tablespoon minced garlic

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover; cook on LOW 6 to 8 hours or until beef is tender.

Toad in the Hole Muffins

I got up early today and made breakfast for Reed... Yeah, don't be too impressed, I had gone to bed before 9pm last night so I was up and raring to go by 6am! :) Once again, I was feeling a bit grouchy and am trying to fight it off... One day of grouchy is enough for me!! So I fixed something my grandmother made for me and my brothers all the time while we were growing up. Something I rarely fix though! :)

Regrettably, I am working through my menu ingredients for Breakfast later this week. Guess I will need to go to the store!! :)

Toad in the Hole Muffins
* 1 cup all purpose flour
* 2 tsp dry mustard
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1/4 tsp garlic powder
* 1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
* 1 large egg, beaten
* 1 1/4 cups whole milk
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used bacon drippings as I had made bacon the night before)
* 6 link sausages, uncooked
* 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Mix the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl and mix to a smooth batter. Do not overmix.

Grease a nonstick muffin tin with oil (or bacon drippings). Divide the sausage and onion evenly among the wells. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the onion is lightly golden, the sausage is golden around the edges, and the drippings are bubbling.
Remove the muffin tin from the oven and divide the batter evenly among the wells. Return the muffin tin to the oven and cook for 18 to 20 minutes, until popovers are puffed and golden brown on top.
Serve immediately, as they will deflate if you let them sit.

BLT Salad with Peaches, Blue Cheese & Roasted Potatoes

Tuesday was an all outta sorts kinda day. I have been dealing with a personal matter which is eating away at my positive brain matter and leaving me with nothing but grouchy. When I get this way I try my best to stay on the positive side, but sometimes a good wallow in the grouchy, grumpy side of life is advisable. At the end of the day I went to bed early with a headache (the kind where you've gritted your teeth all day long and now your head wants to fly off your head). But before that, I made some comfort food as a part of our dinner.

We were scheduled to have Monte Cristo sandwiches and fries, but I wasn't feeling it. Instead, it was salad time. :)

BLT Salad with Peaches, Blue Cheese & Roasted Potatoes
* 5 medium red-skinned potatoes, diced
* 3 Tbsp olive oil
* 12 slices bacon, cooked to crisp
* 2 peaches, thin sliced
* 4 Roma tomatoes, diced
* 2 tsp maple syrup
* 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
* 10 cups Spring Mix Lettuce (I used Artisan, which is my new favorite lettuce)
* 1/2 c. crumbled blue cheese

Heat olive oil over medium heat in large saute pan. Add potatoes, sprinkle with salt, and cook, turning occasionally until browned on all sides and cooked through.
In a medium bowl, mix together peaches, tomatoes, vinegar, and maple syrup. Toss to blend very well and set aside.
Divide the roasted potatoes on your dinner plates, I created of potatoes to act as a bowl of sorts for the lettuce. Divide the lettuce, and top with the tomato-peach mixture. Sprinkle bacon and blue cheese liberally over each, and then serve.

This can make 4 servings, but I made 3 larger servings, with one set aside for lunch today.

Weekly Menu

I decided to begin posting our planned menu for the week each Monday. I actually do plan these things out! :)
Actually I am doing this because Monday's posts are usually the most difficult for me to plan. I rarely do anything inspirational over the weekend, and our meals are a bit less inspired as well. :) So this will give me an easy peasy post to publish on Monday!! Win!

Actually this week is totally uninspired when it comes to menu as well! Mostly that is because I asked Reed what he would like me to fix, and he chose his favorites. :) I think subconsciously I knew that would happen and therefore I didn't have to try out new menu ideas and do test samples to see if things would be up to snuff.

So here is our menu for Week of February 7-11:
Monday: Salmon Foil Wraps with loaded baked potatoes
** I might make some adjustments to the ingredients... But when asked what Reed wanted, this was at the top of his list!

Tuesday: Monte Cristos with fries
**If you must have sandwiches one night a week, as our budget requires, might as well make them special, eh?

Wednesday: Crab cakes, parmesan corn, baked potatoes and corn muffins
**The corn is simply frozen, microwave in bag corn with butter melted in it and a sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese on top. Perhaps I might do a recipe for my corn muffins, but to be honest I do not have any measurements.. one of those passed down recipes!

Thursday: Turkey phyllo pouches and Ranch Cheddar Potatoes
**Plan to see my recipe for the turkey pouches later. I accidentally picked up phyllo instead of puff pastry for chocolate turnovers a couple weeks past. I thought I could use the stuffing for my turkey italian sausage ravioli for the pouches... we shall see if they turn out!

Friday: Breakfast which includes: eggs, bacon, french toast (or chocolate chip pancakes if I go purchase more mini chocolate chips before then), homemade hash browns and toast
**I do not like breakfast food in the morning. Only way I will eat breakfast food is later in the day or night!