by Sharon | Jul 26, 2014
The weather’s heating up, so why not heat up the grill and make a family pleasing meal outside. It’s an easy meal to prepare ahead of time. Dice up an onion and a tomato or two, check to see if you have sweet pickle relish, maybe some jalapeno peppers to give it some extra spice, condiments, how about shredding some cheddar cheese — you could heat up some sauerkraut, don’t forget the hotdog buns and you’re ready to grill those delicious Hillshire Farm American Craft Sausages. Don’t overcook them, but about 10 minutes on a low grill should do it. Then you begin your assembly line of condiments and goodies and dinner is served.
By the time you sit down to enjoy your first savory bite, it may be time for seconds, but with everything cooked and set out, let them build their own masterpiece.
This is a fun recipe you may want to use with variations to close out the summer and early fall.
by Sharon | Jul 22, 2014
There are dinner recipes that just feel like home. Many people refer to them as comfort food, because they get that satisfied, almost nostalgic feeling of comfort and safety experienced in childhood. This classic stuffed bell pepper recipe is such a food for me. Each year I plant bell peppers in my garden and each year I cook up a batch of them just like my mother used to make and her mother before her. The only difference is I sometimes use different colors of bell peppers, but the classic green ones are my all-time favorite.
Classic Stuffed Pepper Recipe
Ingredients:
4 bell peppers of any color
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 1/2 cup cooked rice
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
fresh ground pepper
salt
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
Directions:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
- Cut off the tops of the peppers and remove seeds.
- Add several large pinches of salt to the boiling water, then add the peppers and boil.
- Keep the peppers completely submerged until the flesh slightly softens. It would take approximately 3 minutes.
- Drain peppers and set aside to cool.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often. Add garlic and a cook a minute longer. Remove skillet from heat.
- In a bowl mix the ground round, cooked rice, tomatoes and oregano together. You can add salt and ground pepper if desired.
- Drizzle some olive oil inside the peppers. Arrange them open end up in a baking dish. Stuff them with the meat filling.
- Combine tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and 1/4 cup water in a small bowl. Carefully spoon over the filling.
- Add 1/4 cup of water to the baking dish, place in the oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. The internal temperature of the stuffed peppers needs to be 150 to 160 degrees F.
Enjoy.
by Sharon | Jul 21, 2014
This summer seems to be rushing by, but we still have August and September before Fall officially is declared. Everywhere I go, the rush is on for Halloween and Back-to-School. My vegetable garden is doing well. I picked tomatoes for a nice salad. I thought about cooking up some squash, but wondered what I could have with it. Immediately, I thought of a good old-fashioned meat loaf.
Image from http://www.food.com
Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients:
For the Sauce, you’ll need:
Putting it all together:
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Combine the meat loaf ingredients together and place in a loaf baking dish.
- Smooth out the top.
- Combine the sauce ingredients and pour over the top and sides of the meat loaf.
- Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes. It may take longer, you want to make sure it is done. The milk or half-and-half should make the meat loaf plumb, but it should not be runny.
If you like, you can make up more sauce and serve it hot to pour over the meat loaf or for dipping.
Be sure to refrigerate the left-overs.
The thing I like about meat loaf is that it’s almost better the next day for meat loaf sandwiches.
by Sharon | Jul 20, 2014
I’m learning that a gingerbread man cookie cutter can be used for so much. Just allow your imagination to go a bit wild and these cut outs can become a variety of Halloween icons. I thought the Vampire Gingerbread Men were adorable, but I now have a new favorite with these Gingerbread Men Skeletons. They take a bit more decorating time and patience, but it is well worth the effort. I’d also invest in some 4-inch gingerbread man cookie cutters to allow space for your creativity to soar.
Image compliments of http://www.bettycrocker.com
Use the recipe for the Vampire Gingerbread Men Cookies. The only difference is that you’ll be using white frosting in a piping bag to do your decorating magic.
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The trick to getting this frosting to flow nicely is by putting it in the microwave on high for 30 seconds.
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Stir until smooth before spooning it into a resealable food-storage plastic bag.
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Seal the bag nicely before cutting off a tiny hole in the corner of the bag. I forgot to mention to get all the air out of the bag before sealing.
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Twist the bag above the frosting, squeeze bag gently to pipe frosting in a skeleton design on cookies.
To be honest with you, if you aren’t a gingerbread cookie fan you can do the same with sugar cookies which I have to admit are my favorite. You decide if it’s the shape of a gingerbread man or the taste of a gingerbread man that is more important to you.
If it’s authentic gingerbread man cookies you’re after, then click here for the recipe. If you want to go with a sugar cookie recipe, keep reading for the recipe.
You can always find a sugar cookie mix, but if you want to go traditional, here’s the recipe:
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup softened butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 egg
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Directions:
1. Get out the mixer and a large mixing bowl. You’re going to beat 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and the butter with electric mixer on medium speed.
2. Mix in vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and the egg.
3. Mix in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar.
4. Cover and put in the refrigerator for about 2 hours or until firm.
5. After the dough mixture has cooled. Heat oven to 375°F.
6. On lightly floured cloth-covered surface, roll half of the dough at a time 1/8 inch thick.
7. Cut into desired shapes.
8. Place your cookie shapes 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheets.
9. Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until light brown.
10. Remove your cookies from the cookie sheet to a cooling rack. All to cool for about 30 minutes.
11. Now you’re ready to decorate.
I know this recipe jumps around a bit, but this was the best way for me to get the most important information to you the quickest.
This is one of those decorating sessions that will be thoroughly rewarding . . . especially when you receive the oooohs and awwwws!
Enjoy!
by Sharon | Jul 20, 2014
Did you ever imagine adorable gingerbread men being turned into vampires? Well it can be done with just a bit of frosting gel to his precious smile. It seems whatever recipe you have, you can turn it into something special for Halloween. I’ve never been a great fan of gingerbread cookies, but I have acquired a taste for them through the years. I guess next will be the quaint gingerbread houses turned into haunted houses. Hummm, decorating these could be quite fun.
This image is compliments of http://www.flickr.com
Can you imagine having a tray of these greeting your guests at the food table? They are frightfully delicious! I think they would be great fun to put in a box and hear the screams of fright when the box is opened.
Well, you’ve seen the image, now to get down to the traditional gingerbread men recipe.
Ingredients:
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup softened butter or margarine
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
frostings of your choice for decorating
You may want to use M & M’s or Skittles for the buttons down the front of the body
You may also like to have a Gingerbread Man cookie cutter.
Now, to get this dough mixed up and popped in the oven:
1. Get out your mixer and large mixing bowl. You’ll need it to beat the brown sugar, butter, molasses and egg on medium speed until well blended.
2. Turn the mixer down to low speed as you beat in the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, salt and cloves.
3. You’re now ready to remove the dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Just make the dough into a ball and press into a flat disk. Wrap it up in plastic wrap and pop it in the refrigerator for an hour or until firm.
4. Back to work on your cooled, firm dough.
5. Heat oven to 350°F.
6. Get out the cookie sheets and give them a light glaze of cooking spray.
7. Lightly flour your working surface. Now, you’re ready to roll out the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. I lightly flour my rolling pin to keep it from sticking and pulling out pieces of the dough.
8. Now for the fun part, cutting out the gingerbread men. Using a gingerbread man cookie cutter which needs to be lightly floured, too. That’s some sticky dough!
9. Place your gingerbread men 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet.
10. Reroll dough scraps together, roll them out to 1/4-inch and cut out additional cookies. Do this step as many times as necessary.
11. Bake 10 to 12 minutes in the oven.
12. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Thorough cooling takes about 30 minutes.
13. Now, you’re ready to decorate!
This is a fun recipe that allows you to get creative.
by Sharon | Jul 19, 2014
In honor of National Root Beer Float Day August 6, I thought I’d search for a suitable recipe. Brownies are always a favorite. Combining chocolate with root beer to give that Black Cow Root Beer Float taste which my family really enjoys. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Black Cow Root Beer Floats it’s chocolate ice cream and root beer. Here’s a great recipe that gives that wonderful rich taste sensation in a brownie.
This delicious images is compliments of http://www.cookiesandcups.com
Recipe: Root Beer Float Brownies
Let’s get started with the Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 6 oz chopped semi sweet chocolate
- 4 Tbsp. butter
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 8 oz. root beer
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 tsp salt
Let’s get these brownies mixed up:
- Preheat your oven to 375°
- Lightly grease a 9×9 baking dish or spray with your favorite cooking spray
- Get out your sifter and a bowl. Set the sifter in the bowl and put in the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside while you move on to the next step.
- You’re going to want to melt the butter and semi-sweet chocolate together. You can use a double boiler or the microwave. Once its melted, let the mixture cool for about 5 minutes.
- Get out your mixer to blend the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla.
- You’re going to add the chocolate and butter you’ve been cooling.
- Next add half the flour and half the root beer (You’ll be using the other half of the root beer, so don’t drink it). Mix on low, scraping the sides to help all the ingredients get mixed together.
- Now, you’re going to add the remaining flour and root beer. Mix it on low speed. Batter will be a bit thin, but that’s all right, you’re doing fine.
- Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes or until the center is done.
- Let cool completely before cutting or frosting.
Recipe: Root Beer Frosting
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup softened butter
- 1/3 cup root beer, let it set awhile so the foam disappears
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp. root beer extract is optional — it depends how much root beer flavor you want.
Instructions
- In your mixer, beat butter on medium speed until smooth.
- Slowly add in your powdered sugar and mix it in.
- Now add your root beer and the extract, if you decided to use it.
- Beat on medium until smooth and thoroughly mixed.
Once the brownies are thoroughly cooled, frost them.
There’s this really cool root beer dessert topping you may find interesting to drizzle over the frosted brownie before serving. You can also add a bit of whipped cream — I spritz it from the can. Some people do it up right by adding a maraschino cherry on top.
This is really a good recipe your family is sure to enjoy.
