Mashed Potatoes With Steak & Zucchini

     My family does not like chewing up big chunks of steak.  I take the extra time to cut up the steak in this recipe so that we don't have any dinner melt downs..  😉

Mashed Potatoes With Steak & Zucchini:

2 large beef steaks
2 T butter
1 zucchini
4 large potatoes
6 c water
1/2 c cream
1 T oregano
1 T minced onion
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t pepper
1/2 t salt
1 cup beef broth
1 T arrowroot powder
1/4 c cold water

Cut up the steak into tiny pieces.  In a skillet, melt the butter.  Brown the steak in the butter with the seasonings until no pink remains.  Meanwhile, in a saucepan boil the potatoes in water until tender.  Drain and mash with butter & cream.  Set aside.  In a small bowl, whisk together the arrowroot powder and cold water.  Pour it in to the skillet along with the beef broth.  Cook until thick and add the zucchini in the last 10 minutes of cooking time.  To serve:  Scoop mashed potatoes on a plate and pour the steak gravy on top.

Tri-tip Stew

     I had some leftover tri-tip that I cooked on the barbecue.  I needed to use it up and created this tasty stew.  It goes great with crusty bread.  This recipe makes a large batch and freezes well.

Tri-Tip Stew:

Leftover tri-tip cut into bite sized pieces
8 c beef broth
1 c barley
3 sliced carrots
2 stalks sliced celery
2 T diced onion
1 T parsley
1 t garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
1 c leftover beef gravy

In a large stockpot, add tri-tip, barley, carrots, celery, onion & spices.  Slowly pour in the beef broth and bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Stir in the gravy and simmer for several hours until you get desired thickness.  Serve with crusty bread.

Crockpot Cherry Cobbler

     My sweet friend Alicia gave me some sour cherries that she got from her mom's cherry tree.  I pitted and froze most of them for later but wanted to make a special treat for some dinner guests.  It turned out really great.  My only complaint is that I didn't have any vanilla ice cream to go with it.  It is a simple dessert to make and it makes the house smell divine.  It's also a nice dessert to make for someone with a gluten allergy.

Crockpot Cherry Cobbler:

3 cups sour cherries
1 c brown sugar
1/4 c clear gel
1 T cinnamon
1/2 c oats
1/2 c gluten free baking mix
2 T butter

Place the cherries, brown sugar & clear gel in a saucepan.  Cook over medium heat until thick.  (Stirring constantly)  Generously butter the inside of a crockpot.  Pour the thick cherry mixture in the bottom of the crockpot.  In a separate bowl, mix: oats, cinnamon and baking mix together.  Spread the dry mix over the top of the cherries.  Cook on low for 5-6 hours.  Serve with vanilla ice cream!

Broccoli Black Bean Rice Dish

     I love the taste of brown rice.  I am always trying to invent a recipe that uses brown rice.  This recipe is a great way to use leftover rice and veggies.  It tastes good as soon as you make it or the next day reheated.

Broccoli Black Bean Rice Dish:

1 c leftover brown rice
1 c cooked black beans
1 c corn (off the cob)
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 c broccoli (cut into small pieces)
1 T minced onion
salt & pepper to taste
1 t parsley
2 T cilantro paste
1 T minced garlic

In a large skillet, mix all of the ingredients together (except for the rice) & cook over medium heat until the broccoli starts to get soft.  Serve over brown rice and enjoy!

Easy Chicken Casserole

     I had some leftover chicken and I decided that I did not want a high maintenance dinner.  I whipped up this casserole in no time and it turned out yummy.  Give it a try if you are looking for a tasty quick meal.

Easy Chicken Casserole:

1 1/2 cups cooked chicken
1 cup elbow macaroni
1 cup milk
1 can cream soup (or homemade)
salt & pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon minced onion
1 Tablespoon parsley
1 cup chopped broccoli
1 1/2 cup shredded cheese

Place all of the ingredients into a greased casserole dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

Hazelnut Spinach Salad

     One thing that I miss about living in the west is the bounty of hazelnuts.  (or filberts as we call them there)  The other day, a sweet friend from Oregon sent me a box filled with hazelnuts.  I was SO excited!!!  I made this salad and thought that I would share it with you.  Enjoy!

Hazelnut Spinach Salad:

1 head iceberg lettuce
1 bag baby spinach
Feta
Hazelnuts
Ranch dressing

Tear up the lettuce and spinach and toss in a large bowl.  Sprinkle with feta cheese to taste.  Drizzle with ranch dressing.  Sprinkle hazelnuts on top!

Homemade Christmas

     Someone stole my covered trailer with many of my things before the holidays.  Grrrr!!!  What is wrong with people?!?!?  All of my Christmas decorations were in the trailer.  There were ornaments from mine and my husband's childhood, ornaments that we collected for the last twenty years of marriage and ornaments that I was given when my daughter was born.  Our fake Christmas tree was in the trailer along with advent books, angel figurines that represented loved ones who had passed on, snow globes, a tree skirt, etc..  I realize that all of this is just stuff but it was MY stuff.  I'm sure that it will be thrown into the trash because it isn't valuable to anyone but me...

     I decided to have a homemade Christmas this year.  I bought a Charlie Brown tree and strung it with popcorn and cranberries.  I made homemade ornaments and present tags, and tied a big red ribbon on the top of my tree.  I wrapped all of my presents with brown paper bags and tied them with ribbon.  I made lots and lots of homemade cookies and gave them away to friends.  I wish that I could say that all of this made me feel better.  The truth is it did not!   It wasn't the Christmas that I had planned.

     I learned that I can survive without my things, I can choose to be thankful for what is right in front of me, and that Christmas isn't about me anyway.  It's about Christ's birth!  For that, I am forever greatful!  Have a Happy New Year!

Drying Herbs

     I brought all of my herb pots in the house so that they would not freeze.  They took up a lot of space, so I decided to dry my herbs.  I had mint, oregano, basil, and parsley.  I picked all of the leaves off of the plants and then chopped them up really finely with a knife.  I dried eat one of them on a paper plate for one week until they were thoroughly dry.  I put them in small, glass jam jars, labeled them and put lids on each of them.  I stored them in my spice cupboard and used them to flavor my meals.

Peach Smoothie

     I love canned peaches!  There are so many things that you can do with them.  They taste good in pie, cobbler, fruit salad, jam, chutney, etc..  They are also really good in a smoothie.  Here is a recipe that I enjoy this time of year.  I thought that I would share it.  I hope you like it too!

Peach Smoothie:

1 1/2 c sliced peaches
1 c plain yogurt
1/4 c honey
1 t vanilla
1/2 t cinnamon
1 c almond milk
1 c crushed ice

Blend ingredients in a blender until smooth.  Pour into glasses and serve immediately.

Crockpot Pork

     I found a pork roast on sale and decided to make pulled pork sandwiches for dinner tonight.  I love crockpot dinners!  It is SO nice to have dinner all taken care of early in the morning so that I can focus on more important things in the evening.  (Like spending time with my family.)

Crockpot Pork:

1 large pork roast
salt & pepper to taste
2 T minced garlic
1 t chili powder
1 T parsley
2 T minced onion
1 T worchesterchire sauce
1 1/2 c water
1/2 c BBQ sauce

Rub the roast with the seasonings and place in the crockpot.  Pour the water, BBQ sauce & worchesterchire sauce over the roast.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Shred the meat & mix in a bowl with more BBQ sauce.  Serve on toasted, buttered kaiser rolls.

Dessert Pizza

     Tonight was Friday night pizza.  I decided to make a dessert pizza to remind me of one of my favorite pizza places in Idaho called Primos.  They had the BEST dessert pizza!  I can't say that mine tasted exactly like theirs, but it was pretty good.

Dessert Pizza:

pre-made pizza dough
pre-made chocolate chip cookie dough (with grated chocolate chips)
pre-made white icing
cinnamon to taste

Roll out the pizza dough very thin.  Dot with the cookie dough and drizzle with icing.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.  Bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Cut into slices and eat warm.

Leftover Beef Roast Recipe

     I made a roast a few days ago and we have been eating on it all week.  We had roast dinner one night, shepherds pie another night, and tonight we had barbecue sauce roast over brown rice.  It turned out really good.  It was a very quick recipe to make.

Leftover Beef Roast Recipe:

2 c finely cut roast
1 can tomato sauce
1 c water
1 T minced onion
salt to taste
1/2 t chili powder
3 T white rice vinegar
3 T raw sugar
cooked brown rice

Place all of the ingredients in a saucepan and cook on medium low until bubbly.  Serve over brown rice.

Tanya's Tasty Nachos

     My friend Tanya makes the BEST nachos!  We don't eat nachos very often, but when we do this is the recipe that I use.

Tanya's Tasty Nachos:

1 bag tortilla chips
1 whole rotisserie chicken shredded
1/2 c sliced olives
1 diced tomato
1 can black beans
1 can refried beans
2 c shredded cheese
1/4 c salsa (red or green)
1 bunch of diced cilantro
1/2 c sour cream
1 diced avocado

Spread out the chips on a large baking sheet.  Top with chicken, olives, tomatoes, beans, cheese, salsa & cilantro.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Dot with sour cream and sprinkle with avocados.

Pesto

     I am watering my neighbor's garden and flowers while she is out of town.  She told me to pick some produce so that she wouldn't be overwhelmed by it when she got home.  I picked a bunch of basil that was starting to go to seed and I made some pesto.  I didn't have any pine nuts or Parmesan cheese so I just improvised with what I had on hand.  It turned out delicious!  Here is the recipe:

Pesto:

2 c basil leaves
1/2 c walnuts
1 t garlic
salt & pepper to taste
3 slices of cheddar cheese cut into cubes
1/2 c olive oil

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.  You can add more olive oil if the mixture seems too dry.  I put half of my pesto into ziplock bags and place them in the freezer for later use.  The other half of the pesto I put in pasta.  It tastes really good with crackers or on a sandwich in place of mayonnaise.

Macaroni Tuna Casserole

     My daughter is learning to cook by herself.  Tonight, she made dinner for our family.  I was SO proud of her.  She even cleaned up after herself which was a bonus.  This recipe is one of the first casseroles that I learned to make when I was her age.

Macaroni Tuna Casserole:

1 box macaroni & cheese (we use Annie's or homemade works too)
1 can tuna in water
1 bag frozen peas
1/2 c. mayonnaise
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 c. shredded cheese

Cook macaroni & cheese according to the box instructions.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, place mayonnaise and drained tuna.  Stir well.  Add macaroni & cheese and fold in the frozen peas.  Salt & pepper to taste.  Place in a greased square pan and sprinkle the cheese on top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Round Steak & Noodles

     I made this dish for dinner tonight.  It was delicious and it made my whole house smell divine!  You can serve it over rice, toasted bread or noodles.  My family likes to eat it on top of egg noodles.

Round Steak & Noodles:

1 pkg round steak
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 c. flour
1 T. coconut oil
1 t. parsley
1 T. dry minced onion
1 t. oregano
1/2 t. thyme
1 c. beef broth

In a large skillet heat coconut oil on medium heat.  Meanwhile, cut the steak into 1/2 inch cubes.  Generously salt and pepper the cubes.  Flour both sides of the steak & fry in the oil until brown on all sides.  Place the meat in a large baking dish.  Sprinkle with parsley, onion, oregano & thyme.  Gently pour the broth over the meat.  Cover & bake at 300 degrees for three hours.  Serve over noodles.

Peach Cobbler

  I got some peaches at the farmers market last weekend.  I have enjoyed eating them throughout the week.  They are SO delicious!  Today, I decided to let my sweet tooth take over and make some cobbler.  It turned out really well so I thought that I would share.  Enjoy!

Peach Cobbler:

1 stick butter, softened
1 c raw sugar
1/4 c whole wheat flour
1 1/2 c oats
1 t vanilla
1/2 t cinnamon
4 or 5 peaches sliced with no skins

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  In a bowl, mix butter, sugar, flour, oats, vanilla & cinnamon.  Spread 1 cup of the mixture into a 8x8 pan.  Pour the peaches evenly on top of the mixture.  Sprinkle the remaining mixture on top of the peaches.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Crockpot Ham & Potato Dish

We recently moved into a tiny house.  The kitchen is so small that I can hardly move around in it.  There is no counter space.  When the dishwasher door is open all of the way it barely misses the oven that is right across from it.  Needless to say, I have had to be very creative with my cooking.  We have been eating a lot of crockpot dishes lately.  Here is one that turned out pretty well.  I hope that you enjoy.

Crockpot Ham & Potato Dish:

1 can cream of mushroom soup (or home made)
1 1/2 c. milk
1 c. diced, cooked ham
1 c. frozen broccoli
12 small potatoes
salt & pepper to taste
1 T. minced onion
1 t. parsley

Place all of the ingredients in a crockpot.  Cook on low for 6 hours.  Serve with bread. 

Emergency Bag

     My husband and I have been working on making emergency bags for each of our vehicles.  We have had a lot of snow, ice and fog here lately.  You never know when you might get stuck somewhere and need emergency supplies.  Here is a list of what we keep in our bags.  (It is important to make sure that you have enough supplies for each person that rides in your vehicle.)

1.)  backpack
2.)  wool blanket
3.)  water
4.)  granola bars
5.)  gloves
6.)  stocking hat
7.)  first aid kit
8.)  flashlight
9.)  jumper cables
10.) road flares
11.) sewing kit
12.) pocket knife
13.) hand warmers
14.) wool socks
15.) small shovel

Peppermint Bark

     It doesn't seem like the holidays unless I make peppermint bark.  I keep it in the freezer and when I want a cool holiday treat, I grab a couple pieces of bark and pop them into my mouth.  They are delicious and they give you minty fresh breath.  This is the easiest recipe on the planet to make and it does not take a lot of effort.  I like to use white chocolate for this recipe but you could use dark chocolate if you like it better.  It is a nice addition to the Christmas dessert table on a pretty plate. 

Peppermint Bark:

1 box candy canes
1 pkg white chocolate almond bark

Crush the candy canes with a hammer until you get small pieces.  Melt the chocolate in a glass measuring cup in the microwave for one minute.  Stir.  Keep melting one minute at a time until the chocolate is smooth.  (Make sure that you stir every 30 seconds so the chocolate does not burn.)  Stir the crushed candy into the melted chocolate.  Place several pieces of wax paper on the table or kitchen counter.  Pour the chocolate mixture on the wax and let harden for several hours.  Break into pieces and store in the freezer.