Bits and Pieces

                                                                                                                                                                                                                               (cell phone photo)

I don’t have a lot of memories of 2nd grade, but there is one that stands out to me. My teacher made green pancakes for us on St Patrick’s Day, in an electric skillet. So, years ago I thought it would be a fun thing to do for Katie, and then I thought, why not pink pancakes for Valentine’s Day?  We have had some fun with the colored pancake idea through the years. We have also done blue muffins for when her cousin Eli was born   And YES, I know food coloring is bad for us,

Now I have to tell you, as much I loved my second grade teacher, the recipe I am about to share with you is LIGHT YEARS better than a mix from a box. Do you like light fluffy pancakes with a delicate, crispy exterior? Then you are in for a treat.

My friend Darcy introduced me to the wonders of Alton Brown. We watched a couple of episodes of Good Eats online and Shane really liked his geeky science personality, Well, Alton’s pancake recipe is what I am going to share with you here today. The batter is almost a chocolate mousse consistency, and it is really my go to recipe for pancakes. (His waffle recipe is to die for too!)

This recipe makes a triple batch of the dry ingredients, you can save the remainder in a canister for next time. Click on the link below to check it out.

Alton Brown Pancake recipe

I read on a friend’s Facebook status this morning that it is Peanut Butter day, and so it seemed like a good time to try making peanut butter in the Ninja.

I added (2) 6.5 oz cans of peanuts, a few raw almonds,  2 tbs coconut oil, and 4 tbs raw local honey and let the Ninja do its magic.

But, I really should have used the smaller food processor bowl, as the peanuts on the bottom got blended well, but I was having to scrape the sides constantly.

So I transferred the mixture over, added a bit more coconut oil, and processed it some more. And this is the end result:

I am not a true fan of peanut butter, but this is pretty good stuff. I think it may even be worthy of the strawberry jam my cousin sent for Christmas,

Now go enjoy some peanut butter (high fructose corn syrup free of course,

This recipe is a compilation of several ones that I have seen on the internet. The rib recipe began with the Ollie Gates  recipe (of Gates BBQ) that he shared on Martha Stewart years ago. I then added a few ingredients from another rub recipe I found online.

(Side note:  I am pretty sure Mr Gates adds a few more to his recipe too, wink.)

The recipe makes enough  to marinate two slabs of ribs, if you have leftovers (that have not been contaminated from touching the raw meat) you can store them in a jar for later use.

     (click image to view larger)

One of the blogs I LOVE to read is Southern Plate. The author is Christy Jordan and she has a HUGE following now and is even writing a cookbook, yeah!

She is super sweet and her recipes are divine! I just had to share that we tried her 2 minute english muffin sandwich and it really is easy and yummy, perfect for K to make for her breakfast in the AM once in a while.

(click to see photos larger)

Now truthfyullyI am not a huge fan of english muffins, and honestly ours turned out a little bit tough after being microwaved. Or maybe they were just bad muffins. Still, I wonder if I could substitute a biscuit?  Hmmm…. anyway I urge you to head over to Southern Plate and check out the directions, it makes a super fast and yummy breakfast or lunch.

I went to a home sales party at a friend’s house this afternoon and they made a yummy and simple recipe that I fixed for dinner tonight.  It’s not overly nutritious, but it was yummy, It came together quickly and was surprisingly filling. I think it would be great to take to a potluck.
Here is my modified recipe:

1 lb ground beef – browned (seasoned with garlic, onion, S&P)

1 can refried beans

1 can Rotel

2 tbs taco seasoning (or one pkg)

Mix all of the above together to distribute seasonings.

In a 9×13 or similar casserole:

One can of crescent rolls, divided. Place the wider edge on the inside of the casserole, lining the sides, so the excess hangs over the side of the casserole, I used one on each end and two along each side.

Place meat mixture in casserole and evenly distribute. Bring the crescent roll pieces over and fold them on top of the mixture creating a crust. It’s ok if they don’t meet exactly, they will spread out a little bit. Top with 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese.

Bake at 350 for 30 mins. I served it with a dollop of sour cream, it was really tasty on a cool fall night like tonight.

I don’t really use cookbooks anymore truthfully. Most of my recipes come from the good old Internet. But this is one cookbook I have been most eagerly anticipating and I am really hoping that someone I love will buy it for me. Maybe using Swagbucks.

(That was an unveiled hint to the love of my life, who thankfully reads my blog, and an ad to join Swagbucks all rolled into one. I couldn’t resist, on either count, sorry. )

Anyway, the cookbook in question is Pioneer Woman’s new cookbook, out in October ,and available for preorder  at Amazon.
I love PW and all of her recipes, she is an amazing cook and photographer as well. And she homeschools.

So check it out if you are so inclined. At the very least visit her site, I guarantee she will inspire you in some way when you stop by.

my breakfast this morning- blueberry raspberry yogurt

I absolutely LOVE making things from scratch!  And one of the things that I am so excited to make on my own for our family is yogurt. For years I thought you needed a special yogurt maker, or that the process was really difficult. Not so.

Commercial yogurt is overly sweetened and very expensive. I can make a gallon of homemade yogurt for the cost of the milk that I use.  (Currently 2.18 for a regular gallon, or 4 for local raw milk) Consider that a single serving size container of Yoplait costs about 55 cents, that is a pretty significant savings. And that’s not even talking about the health benefits,

There are several excellent ways to make your own yougurt, the process is the same for all of them. I have made it in the crockpot with good success, I actually made some ricotta style cheese that way as well. I think my crockpot was a little too warm and maybe took it to the next level. Well that and I whisked the mixture when it was done which caused the whey to separate    It was AWESOME cheese though.  *wink*

Without a doubt the easiest way time wise, and clean up wise, for me, has been using a small insulated cooler to make the yogurt. Once the yogurt is made, it has to sit in a warm environment to culture. I put my two quart jars of yogurt, along with two quart jars of boiling water in a small cooler (think Playmate size) with a towel folded and layed on top of the jars. It works like a charm.

Here is the rest of the process, it is SUPER easy. You will need:

Milk  (NOT ultra pasturized- Horizon organic is one that is)

small container of plain yogurt with active cultures (you can use your own yogurt for a starter next time)

an instant read thermometer  (totally worth the money)

Heat your milk in a large pot until it reaches at least 185 degrees. Turn off the heat and let the milk cool until it reaches 110 degrees (30-45 mins)

Place a couple of cups of the warm milk in a small bowl and add 2-3 tbs of plain yogurt. Stir until well combined, and then add that mixture back to the pot, stirring well to incorporate.

Pour warm milk/starter mixture  into jars and place in a small cooler with jars of boiling water. Cover with a towel and close cooler. Let sit for 6 hours then refrigerate yogurt.

The result is wonderful creamy yogurt. It is very tart, as there is no sweetner in it (and it makes a great substitute for  sour cream in some dishes).

I store it as is, and then each of us adds our flavoring as we get ready to eat it.  We also add a touch of sweetner, although I would love for us all to be able to break that habit,

If you like thicker greek style yogurt, just strain it in some cheese cloth for a few hours.

If you are a fan of Pioneer Woman (and if you aren’t you should be, *wink*), you will be thrilled to know that she has started yet ANOTHER site.

This one called Tasty Kitchen, and it is strictly a recipe site. The beauty though, is that not only will you get great recipes from PW, but from other foodies, and you can share your own as well.

Be sure to check it out, there are already some impressive recipes posted.

I tried this recipe from Heavenly Homemakers and it tastes just like homemade, from scratch, macaroni and cheese. Sadly, my family seems to enjoy the fluorescent orange stuff from a box. (Hanging my head in shame.) But I plan on making this until I win them over,

Notes from me:

You must follow her directions and stir it almost constantly, but it doesn’t take long. I used more milk than she calls for the first time, as it thickened up quite quickly. The second time I added a little water to the milk, and at the end added a couple of tablespoons of butter as I added the cheese. I think its delicious, I hope you do too!

Here’s the secret:  Cook your pasta in MILK instead of water.  The milk makes it super creamy.  The starch from the pasta thickens the milk into a sauce.  Add your cheese after the pasta is finished cooking.

Creamy Mac and Cheese

2 1/2 cups whole wheat pasta
3 cups whole milk
1/2 t. sea salt
1 cup shredded cheese (I use white cheddar)

Mix pasta, milk and salt in a large sauce pan.  Cook over medium-high heat STIRRING ALMOST CONSTANTLY until the pasta is tender (10-15 minutes).  Remove from heat.  Add cheese and stir until melted.  Serve immediately.