Sourdough Starter

     I believe that everyone should have sourdough starter on hand.  There are so many things that you can make with it.  (Cake, biscuits, bread, pancakes, etc..)  Here is a recipe for making sourdough starter.  I keep mine in the refrigerator and feed it every couple of days.  (IMPORTANT:  DO NOT LET METAL OF ANY KIND COME NEAR YOUR STARTER!!!)

Sourdough Starter:

2 large potatoes
water
2 c flour
cheesecloth

Peel the potatoes and place them in a glass bowl or crock covered with water.  Let them sit on your counter overnight.  In the morning, discard the potatoes & all but 4 cups of the potato water.  Slowly stir in the flour.  Cover with cheesecloth and let it sit on your counter for 2 days before you use it.

Breakfast Pockets

     My husband and his buddies are getting up really early in the morning to ride 4 wheelers.  Today, I am making them breakfast pockets so that they have something quick to grab and eat for breakfast.

Breakfast Pockets:

pizza or biscuit dough
1 pkg breakfast sausage
6 eggs
4 c hashbrowns
1 t parsley
1 T minced onion
1/2 t garlic salt
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 c shredded cheese

Brown the sausage with the onion, parsley, salt, pepper & garlic salt.  Put the meat in a large bowl & set aside.  Cook the hashbrowns in the same skillet until done.  Add the meat back to the skillet  along with the eggs.  When the eggs are cooked, turn off the heat & sprinkle the mixture with cheese.  Divide the dough into 14 pieces.  Roll out each piece into a circle.  Place a large scoop of the meat mixture into the middle of the dough , fold  & seal.  Place on a baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Watermelon Popsicles

     I love watermelon and I love popsicles.  Why not put these two things together to make a tasty treat?  Enjoy!

Watermelon Popsicles:

3 c watermelon
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c water
2 t lemon juice

Place watermelon in a blender and blend until smooth.  In a large saucepan heat watermelon purée, sugar and water over medium heat.  Cook for 3 minutes or until the sugar is not grainy.  Remove from heat & stir in the lemon juice.  Pour the liquid into plastic popsicle containers and freeze.

Art

     My daughter and I really enjoy working on art projects.  I found a wonderful art book that we have been working on this summer.  It is called With Art In Mind by Patricia Parker Groebner.  Each lesson tells you the materials that you need, gives you step by step directions and gives you sample pictures of the finished project.  If you are looking for some fun art projects to do with your children over the summer, I highly recommend this book.   

Cheese Steak Sandwiches

     I am always trying to find a quick and easy meal to make for dinner.  This time of year is a busy time for me and I don't always have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen cooking.  You can add peppers and onions to this recipe if you like.  It is a quick and delicious meal that can be made up ahead of time and warmed up later.

Cheese Steak Sandwiches:

french bread rolls
cross rib steak
sliced provelone cheese
1/4 t pepper
1/2 t salt
1/2 t parsley
1 t minced onion
1 T minced garlic
1/2 t seasoning salt
dash of Tobasco sauce
2 T butter

Melt the butter in a large skillet.  Cut the steak very thinly in small pieces and add to the skillet.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, onion, garlic, & seasoning salt.  Cook until the meat is no longer pink.  Scoop the meat onto the rolls and top with the sliced cheese.  Roll tightly in  foil and bake at 250 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Missing You

     Yesterday I saw a quote that pretty much sums up how I feel about some of my loved ones who have passed away.  I thought I would share it with you today.  Maybe you can relate.

"I hide my tears when I say your name, but the pain in my heart is still the same.  Although I smile and seem carefree, there is NO ONE who misses you more than ME!!!"

Plain Cookies

     Here is another recipe from my grandma's collection.  These taste good plain or with frosting on top.  You can play around with the recipe to make it your own.

Plain Cookies:

3 c flour
1 c sugar
1 c lard
3 egg yolks
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 t salt
lemon rind & juice of one lemon
In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar and salt.  Cut in the lard until you get course crumbs.  Add the egg yolks, sour cream, rind & lemon juice.  Roll out the dough until it is 1/4 inch thick.  Cut into desired shapes.  Frost if desired.

Rockfish

     My mom gave me some rockfish a while back and I decided to make it for dinner.  It tastes delicious made into fish tacos or breaded by itself.  I breaded it for dinner.  Here is the recipe:

Rockfish:

2 rockfish fillets
salt & pepper to taste
1 T parsley
1/4 t cajun seasoning
1/2 c panko bread crumbs
2 T olive oil

Heat up the olive oil over medium heat in a skillet.  Generously sprinkle salt, pepper, cajun seasoning & parsley over the fish.  Press the bread crumbs onto both sides of the fish.  Gently place the seasoned fish into a skillet & cook both sides until it starts to fall apart when poked with a fork.

Alfalfa

     I was driving into town this morning and I drove past a farmer who was cutting down his alfalfa.  The smell of the alfalfa was strong as I drove by.  It was a familiar smell.  Then I remembered that it smells like one of the green smoothie recipes that I make sometimes in the morning.  I could actually taste it in the air.  Weird!

Oatmeal Shortbread Cookies

     I like to eat cookies while I drink my tea or coffee.  Shortbread cookies are some of my favorite to make and eat.

Oatmeal Shortbread Cookies:

3 1/2 c oats
2/3 c sugar
1/4 c flour
1/2 t salt
3/4 c butter
1 t vanilla

In a large bowl mix together oats, sugar, flour, & salt.  Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.  Add the vanilla.  Mix well.  Roll out in a greased baking sheet and cut into squares.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Antelope

     When my daughter was three years old, we ate at a restaurant for dinner.  My husband and I had taught her to order her own meal.  This time was no exception.  The waitress asked her what she wanted for dinner and she said, "I want chicken nuggets and antelope please!"  The waitress chuckled and told her they didn't have any antelope.  I looked over the menu and figured out that she wanted cantelope. We all had a good laugh over that one.

Brownies

     I have hundreds of brownie recipes.  I adore each and every one of them.  Here is a simple recipe for brownies that I found in my grandma's collection.  They taste especially good with a cold glass of milk.

Brownies:

1/4 c butter
1 c sugar
2 eggs
2 squares bitter chocolate
1/2 c flour
1/2 t baking soda
1 t vanilla
1/2 c chopped nuts (optional)

In a bowl, cream together butter & sugar.  Add eggs.  Melt chocolate & add to batter along with flour, vanilla, soda & nuts.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes in an 8 inch square pan.

Jam Muffins

     My daughter wanted to make breakfast this morning.  She got out her children's cookbook and decided to make jam muffins.  They turned out delicious and made our whole house smell good.

Jam Muffins:

2 c flour
1 T baking powder
3 T sugar
1/2 t salt
3/4 c butter
1 egg
1 c milk
your favorite jar of jam

In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, sugar & salt together.  Add softened butter, egg & milk to the dry ingredients & mix well.  Grease muffin tins & fill 1/2 way with batter.  Top the batter with 1 tablespoon of jam.  Add more batter until tins are 2/3 full.  Bake at 425 degrees for 23 minutes.

Joke For The Day

     Years ago, I worked in a salon that was in a retirement center.  One of my clients came in one day and said, "Did you hear that UPS and FedEx are merging?"  I said, "No.  Really?"  She said, "Yes, they are going to call it Fed Up."  Ha ha.  There is a joke to end the week with.

Country Girl

     My daughter said to me the other day, "Mom, I can never live in the city again.  I am a country girl.  I completely agree!

Little Bites From Heaven

     Have you heard of True Bliss Confections?  They are selling them at Costco right now.  They are dark chocolate covered bits of coconut and I am pretty sure that they came straight from a kitchen in Heaven.  If you have never tried these, you must  go get some today.  It does help if you love coconut as much as I do.  If not, I guess you are out of luck.  Have a blessed Thursday!!!

Breakfast BLTs & More

     BLTs are the best when you can pick the ingredients fresh from the garden.  I have lettuce in my garden right now but my tomatoes are still growing.  Here is a recipe for a breakfast version of BLTs. Enjoy!

Breakfast BLTs & More:

1 pkg bacon (cooked)
lettuce (torn)
tomatoes (sliced)
avocados (sliced)
eggs (hard boiled & sliced)
sourdough bread
butter

Butter the desired amount of bread & fry in a skillet until golden.  Place on a plate and top with four slices of bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado & eggs.

Walnut Pie

     My grandma LOVED walnuts!!!  She put them in everything.  (breads, salad, etc..)  Here is her recipe. You will really enjoy this if you like walnuts.

Walnut Pie:

1/4 c butter
2 T flour
1/2 c corn syrup
1/3 c sherry
1 c sugar
3 well beaten eggs
1 c walnuts
1 unbaked pie crust

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat.  Add the flour, corn syrup, wine & sugar.  Gradually add the eggs until combined.  Stir in the walnuts & pour into the pie crust.  Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

Blended Coffee Drink

     Over the weekend, I had a craving for a Starbucks Frappachino.  It cost me four dollars!!!  What a rip off.  That is the price of a gallon of milk, a carton of eggs, a loaf of bread, etc..  But it was Mothers Day weekend so a gave myself a treat.  (It was free.  I used the last of a gift card that I got at Christmas)  Still, the price was highway robbery!  Anyway, I decided there must be a better way.  Here is a recipe that you can make at home when you have a blended coffee craving.

Blended Coffee Drink:

1 c strong coffee
1 T chocolate syrup
1 T carmel syrup
1/4 c heavy cream
1 T raw honey
2 1/2 c ice

Place ingredients in a blender  in the order given.  Blend until smooth and drink immediately.

Happy Mothers Day!!!

     One of the greatest joys in my life is being a mother.  I feel so privileged to be given a job that is challenging, that blesses me beyond what I could have ever imagined,  that has taught me so much about myself and about life.  I feel a great responsibility as a mom.  I don't take my job lightly.  In my opinion, it is the MOST important job on the planet.  To all you moms out there:  Happy Mothers Day! I hope that you have a nice, relaxing day.

Venison Sausage Gravy

     I was given some venison sausage this week.  Some people don't like venison because they think that it tastes too gamey.  My family and I really like it.  I think the taste depends on the way that you cook the meat and the spices that you use.  This is a delicious recipe that you can serve over biscuits.

Venison Sausage Gravy:

1 lb venison sausage
1/4 c minced onion
1 T parsley
1 t salt
1/4 t white pepper
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t sage
1/2 t thyme
2 T flour
1-1 1/2 c milk

In a large skillet brown the sausage with the onion.  Drain off the grease.  Add the remaining spices and mix well.  Sprinkle the flour over the meat mixture and stir it in.  Gradually pour the milk in until you reach your desired thickness.  Serve over biscuits.

Where Did You Hear That?

     Yesterday, I was driving in the car with my daughter in the backseat.  It was very quiet for a long time.  (This is not normal.  Usually there is constant jabbering). I said,"Whatcha thinking about munchkin?"  She said, "Does donkey and ass mean the same thing?"  I said, "Yes, it can."  More quiet..  "Mom, is it ok for me to say ass?"  I said, "It's better to say donkey instead of ass because ass can also mean a naughty word."  She said, "Ok mom."  Even more quiet..  I said, "Who did you hear about ass from ?"  She said, "I read it in my bible this morning."  I said, "Oh."

Breakfast Hash

     Here is a quick and easy breakfast recipe.  Sometimes I feel like having corn beef for breakfast.  I don't know why.  Strange..  Have a great day!

Breakfast Hash:

1 can corn beef
1 c shredded cheese
1 T flour
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 t parsley
1/2 t onion powder
2 eggs
1 1/4 c milk

Crumble corned beef in a greased 9x9 pan.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Combine the rest of the ingredients and pour over the mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Favorite Lunch Salad

     I wanted to share my favorite lunch salad.  It takes a bit of work to chop up all of the ingredients but if you make it ahead of time it is an easy lunch for the week.  I eat this salad with Ranch dressing.(is there any other kind of dressing?)  You can choose your favorite dressing to top this salad with if you don't like Ranch.

Favorite Lunch Salad:

3 c spinach
1 head of broccoli (cut into bite sized pieces)
1 c cherry tomatoes (red & yellow)
3 diced carrots
1 can salmon
1/2 c diced cheddar cheese
2 diced hard boiled eggs
1 diced avocado
1/4 c slivered almonds

Layer all of the ingredients in a bowl in the order given.  Toss before serving.

Lavender - Lemon Tea Cakes

     I enjoy drinking tea.  I find it relaxing after a stressful day.  I have many fond memories of drinking tea with  special people in my life.  Here is a recipe for a light cookie that goes great with a cup of tea.  Enjoy!

Lavender - Lemon Tea Cakes:

1 stick butter (melted)
1/2 c brown sugar
1 egg
1 c flour
1 pinch of salt
1/2 t vanilla
3 drops of lavender essential oil
5 drops of lemon essential oil

In a bowl cream together the butter, sugar & egg.  Add flour, salt, vanilla & essential oils.  Mix until combined.  Scoop out by teaspoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 8 minutes at 375 degrees.

The Ladies

     Yesterday, I cleaned out the chicken coop.  Today, I thought that I would tell you about what I do to keep my coop clean and fresh for my chickens. Here are six easy steps for a clean coop. (I let my "ladies" roam around the backyard while I do this.)

1.)  I scooped the chicken poop out and put it in my compost pile.
2.)  I emptied out the water dish, sprayed it with an orange vinegar solution and wiped it clean.  I did the same with the food container. Then I set both containers in the sun to dry.
3.)  I sprinkled diotemacious earth all over the bottom of my coop and spread out bedding over the top of that.
4.)  I filled up the food and water containers and put them back in the coop.
5.)  I picked a generous amount of tall green grass  and put it in their nesting boxes.
6.)  Gently I herded them back into their coop.  They were very happy!

That is it!  Pretty easy and my "ladies" are VERY happy.

Pineapple Smoothie

     Pineapple was on sale at the store today.  I bought some.  I am the only one in my family who will eat it.  I decided to make a smoothie out of some of it and it turned out delicious!  I hope that you like it as much as I did.

Pineapple Smoothie:

1 large handful of spinach
1 T flax seeds
1 t honey
1 c diced pineapple
1/2 c blueberries
1/2 c frozen strawberries
1/2 c milk

Place the ingredients in a blender in the order given.  Blend until smooth.  Serve immediately.

Baked Custard

     This recipe uses a lot of eggs so I do not make it very often.  It tastes really good in the evening along with a hot cup of coffee.

Baked Custard:

3 qts milk
12 eggs
1 1/2 c sugar
3 t vanilla
3/4 t salt
1/4 t cinnamon
nutmeg

Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl.  Add the sugar, salt, milk, cinnamon & vanilla.  Mix well. Pour into ramekins and sprinkle the tops with nutmeg.  Place the ramekins in a 13 X 9 pan and pour some water in the bottom of the pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Potato Salad

     I made pork ribs for dinner.  I was trying to think of a yummy side dish that I haven't made in a while and potato salad came to mind.  My potato salad is very plain but really good.  My family doesn't like anything green, crunchy or fancy in their potato salad.  If you have a picky family like I do then you will love this recipe.

Potato Salad:

5 Russet potatoes
4 eggs
1/2 c mayonnaise
1/2 t  seasoning salt
1/4 t mustard

Place the eggs in a saucepan with cold water.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Boil for 15 minutes.  Let rest until the water is lukewarm.  Remove the eggs and set aside.  Peel and dice the potatoes.  Put them in the egg saucepan with water covering the top of them and bring them to a boil over medium high heat.  Boil for  20 minutes.  Drain the water and place the potatoes in a serving bowl.  Add mayonnaise, seasoning salt & mustard.  Peel and dice up the eggs and add them to the bowl.  Stir well.  Chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours before serving.

Grandma's Corn & Tomato Soup

     Some evenings it is nice to throw together an easy soup recipe with bread and a salad.  When it gets warm outside, I am usually looking for a light recipe instead of something heavy for dinner.  This is one of those light meals.

Corn & Tomato Soup:

1 1/2 c corn (cut off the cob)
1 1/2 c diced tomatoes
1/2 onion (minced)
2 T butter
2 T sugar
2 c water
2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 t celery salt
1 can evaporated milk (6 oz)

In a saucepan melt butter.  Add minced onion and cook until carmelized.  Add corn & tomatoes.  Season with salt, sugar, celery salt & pepper.  Add water and bring to a boil.  Turn down the heat to low and add the milk.  Simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Serve warm with bread.