Apples Apples Apples

We've been enjoying lots of apples around here lately.  I buy them by the forty pound case at our local fruit and vegetable market.  Last year we started making our applesauce in the crock pot and then canning it. We still love our applesauce muffins in that post, but now we are making them gluten free.  We've been experimenting with gluten-free baking and as two of the boys are deathly allergic to eggs our baking can be a challenge.

I have also been dehydating apples which I used to make fried apple pies before we went gluten free.  They were absolutely delicious.  We also snip the dried apples up and add them to our homemade granola.

For breakfast and dessert we are enjoying apple crisps.  Sometimes I toss in a cupful of frozen cranberries for a wonderful fruity combination.  For the breakfast version, I decrease the sugar.

I have also been making fruit leather with our applesauce and with pureed strawberries and peach butter.  All natural with no added sugar, Caedmon loves the apple fruit leathers while my grandsons and son-in-law are partial to the strawberry.  It's so rewarding to see them enjoy a good healthy snack that is so good for them!

Here are a few other apple recipes that we have enjoyed through the years.   Do you have a favorite apple recipe you wouldn't mind sharing?  I would love to add some more variation to our apple menu!

*words in bold print are links to recipes

Freezer Cooking with Italian Sausage and Ground Beef

The other day I came across this post with this recipe.  http://lifeasmom.com/2009/05/queso-fundido.html

I thought it sounded pretty good and, as we love Mexican food around here, I thought I would try it out.  And in true ME fashion I changed it up...so much so that it might not be recognized as the original any more!!  I used mild Italian sausage instead of the spicy (I bought 10 pounds at Sam's and divided it up between this recipe and the spaghetti sauce)  And I made it in the crock pot.  I added some Mexican spices, 2 cups of chopped tri-colored peppers and some minced garlic.  I also made this recipe times 5.  And I divided the resulting dish into three quart sized baggies without adding cheese.  So, maybe I didn't really follow this recipe at all!!  Do you do that?  We will try this dish out Thursday evening as a quick meal before heading off to Aaron and Kaelan's piano recital.

I also made up a big batch of spaghetti sauce.  I wound up with 7 bags holding about four cups of sauce each.  I usually triple this batch cooking recipe, but this time I used 5 pounds of sausage.  This recipe is from Once-A-Month Cooking by Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth Lagerborg.

 Spaghetti Sauce

1 pound bulk Italian sausage   
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1 12-can tomato paste
3 28-ounce cans Italian-style or plain crushed tomatoes in puree (I buy the big cans at Sam's)
2 cups water
4 teaspoons minced garlic
4 bay leaves
2 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley ( I use dried)
2 teaspoons salt

In a large pot, cook and stir the bulk Italian sausage with onions until the meat is brown;  drain fat.  Add remaining ingredients.  Bring sauce to a boil;  reduce heat.  Partly cover, and simmer for 2  hours, stirring occasionally.  Makes 12 cups of sauce.  I then freeze 4 cups of sauce in gallon bags and lie flat on a cookie sheet placed in the freezer.  When frozen I can stack them on top of each other and use my cookie sheet for cookies!!

Devin made up three pans of lasagna plus two mini pans for my mom.  Here is our favorite family recipe from our childhood.  We have since made adaptions as we are trying to stay away from canned soups with their added corn syrup.

Lasagna

1 lb. ground chuck 
1 cup chopped onion
2 large gloves garlic, minced 
2 tsp. oregano, crushed
2 cans tomato soup
 ½ cup water
2 tsp vinegar
 ½ lb lasagne noodles (cooked & drained)
1 pint cottage cheese
 ½ lb mozzarella cheese, grated
grated Parmesan cheese

In saucepan, brown meat, cook onion, garlic, oregano. Add soup, water and vinegar. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring frequently. In baking dish, arrange 3 alternate layers of noodles, cottage cheese, meat sauce, mozzarella. Top with Parmesan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes. I usually double or triple as it freezes well.

Mini Meat Loaves

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Little-Cheddar-Meat-Loaves

Years ago, I came across these Little Cheddar Meatloaves.  We loved this recipe...except I put the shredded cheese IN the meatloaf, not on top of it.  And now, when I make this, I totally leave out the eggs and cheese so all of us can eat it.  I top a few of the little loaves with ketchup that is mixed with a little brown sugar and cayenne powder to give it a little sweet and spicy kick.  And of course, you know I make a huge batch of these!  I made one pan with a dozen little loaves and two pans with nine loaves.  I also made up a mini-pan for my mom.

Turkey Tetrazzini

And, because I had a good bit of turkey meat and turkey broth leftover, I mixed up a huge batch of what I call turkey tetrazzini.  I cooked up about a pound and a half of spaghetti and added about 4 cups of chopped turkey, a couple of diced onions, a large package of mushrooms chopped up, some salt, pepper, dried chives and then made a sauce with the broth and flour.  All this was mixed up in a huge bowl and then I added in about 3-4 cups of parmesan cheese.  I'll add in a little cream or sour cream before cooking as I forgot all about it putting the dish together.  I packaged this into 3 gallon sized bags.  The last time I made it, my oldest son commented that it really wasn't all that bad.  Which translates into "It's really good and a very tasty way to use up some leftovers!

Where's the Beef?

My uncle and cousin raise Angus cows.  I have often mentioned to my mom that I would love to buy one from them to have processed.  She mentioned it to them in either December or January and, after many phone calls, we now have a freezer full of wonderful  Angus beef.

It is a huge blessing to have all of that tasty meat just ready for the grill, stovetop, or oven, but at the same time it causes a little bit of a problem.  You see, next week we will pick up 100 chickens to raise for meat.  There is absolutely no room in our largest freezer right now!  The chickens will be ready for slaughter in about 8-10 weeks, so I have to get creative.  We had already been trying to eat up most of the vegetables and fruits from the freezer that have been in there since last summer...and some from the summer before.  I do have a large freezer as part of my refrigerator and a 6 cubic foot freezer that we generally use for our home-prepared freezer meals.  I really don't want to purchase another freezer as we would have to put it in our detached garage.  We've had a couple out there in the past, but I find it easy to forget that they are out there.  And then there is the added expense of running them as well.

So, what's a woman to do?  My plan is to can the meat....as much as I can!  : )  I plan on canning chili, spaghetti sauce, beef stew, beef tips in mushroom gravy, sloppy joes, taco meat, and just plain ground beef.  When we ordered our cuts from the butcher we requested he save and freeze the bones for us as well.  We had a large box with around 40 pounds of bones!!  This past week I roasted half of the bones and made beef broth and canned it!  It only took 5 days for the entire process, but we got 31 pints of beautiful, wonderfully nutritious beef broth!  This week I will work on getting the rest of the bones processed and that should definitely give us enough beef broth for the year.  What a blessing!

We'll also make many freezer meals using the ground beef such as this family favorite:

LASAGNA--this recipe has been in my family for about 38 years...we all love it.  My brother who was single for many years also makes this recipe and adds lots of veggies to it.


1 lb. ground chuck 

1 cup chopped onion
2 large gloves garlic, minced 

2 tsp. oregano, crushed
2 cans tomato soup

 ½ cup water
2 tsp vinegar

 ½ lb lasagne noodles (cooked & drained)
1 pint cottage cheese

 ½ lb mozzarella cheese, grated
grated Parmesan cheese

In saucepan, brown meat, cook onion, garlic, oregano. Add soup, water and vinegar. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring frequently. In baking dish, arrange 3 alternate layers of noodles, cottage cheese, meat sauce, mozzarella. Top with Parmesan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes. I usually double or triple as it freezes well.

Mini-meatloaves, meatballs, beef enchiladas and frozen grilled hamburgers are also some of our favorite beefy freezer meals.  If you have more canning or freezer ideas for the beef, I would love to hear them!!

I'm learning as I go on the canning and have Jackie Clay's canning cookbook to guide me.  Chicken ala  king, plain shredded chicken to use for salads, casseroles and fajitas, chicken stew, chicken soup, and chicken and rice soup.  And, of course, I will be canning all that chicken broth as well.  I'll also be pulling out some of our favorite chicken recipes for the freezer, too.  Creamy green chili chicken enchiladas for some reason the link is not showing up, but click on enchiladas for the recipe....I recently found that someone had pinned it on Pinterest!!)  are always a hit on our dinner table, a variety of seasoned chicken strips, cajun chicken, a variety of grilled chicken....oh, I'm hungry just thinking about it!!

If you have any canning tips for either chicken or beef, I would love for you to share them.  And, if you need me, you know where I'll be....keeping my busy hands and busy minds in the kitchen!!

homesteadrevival.blogspot.com

Pizza, Stuffed Sandwiches and Cinnamon Rolls

This is a repost from a while back, but last week a local friend sent pictures of a pizza and stuffed sandwich her daughter ( I think she is about 12) made for her family using the following recipes.  She was very creative and I am sure her family was very blessed by the good wholesome food.  Thanks for sharing with me, Ainsley!!   Here are the pictures she sent along with the original post.  If you have used one of my recipes I would love to hear from you!

Mr. Pizza

Sandy the Centipede Sandwich

We eat a lot around here!  I've been posting so many recipes lately so I am sure that was no surprise.  The following recipe is one for which I  get lots of requests.  I have shared it with several friends who use it to make their own homemade pizzas.  One friend recently was having a very busy day and was expecting company for dinner after arriving home.  She called and asked if I could whip her up some pizza crusts and sauce so she could quickly throw together some pizzas to share with her guests.  I was very happy to help her out!

This recipe originally came in the cookbook that accompanied my VitaMix 15 years ago.  I have adapted it to use in my Bosch Universal Mixer as I dislike making doughs in my VitaMix.   As is normal for my family, I generally double this recipe.  I use this pizza crust recipe to make pizzas, cinnamon rolls and stuffed sandwiches.  Recipes follow!

Pizza Crust

1 cup lukewarm water

1 T. active dry yeast

2 t. sugar or honey

1 T. olive oil

1/2 t. salt

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour  (I use half all-purpose and half whole wheat)

In a two-cup measuring cup, mix water, yeast and honey.  Let sit to proof.

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  When yeast has proofed add to the bowl.  Add the olive oil.  Mix with a heavy spoon (or with a heavy duty mixer/food processor).  When mixed well, knead by hand or machine.  Hand knead on a flour coated surface for about ten minutes or by machine for 5.  Check for elasticity by poking with your finger.  It shouldn't be too dry nor too sticky.

  Place dough in a greased bowl to rise for about 20 minutes.

Punch down.  Divide in half if using for pizzas.  Shape onto lightly greased pizza pans, pinching up a collar around the edge to hold the filling.  Prick dough in about 6 places.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Let dough rest for about 10 minutes while the oven preheats.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Top with your favorite pizza sauce and add other toppings.  Bake for 15 more minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly browned.  Serve immediately.

Italian Tomato Sauce (Pizza Sauce)  from Once-a-Month Cooking by Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth Lagerborg

3 28-ounce cans of crushed tomatoes in puree

3 tablespoons sugar (I omit)

3 T. Italian seasoning

6 t. chopped, fresh parsley or 3 t. of dried parsley

3 T. dried basil leaves

3 t. garlic salt

1 1/2 t. pepper

Mix all ingredients into a heavy, large pot. Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.    One cup of sauce will cover one medium to large pizza.  I freeze approximately 2 cups in baggies for later use.

Cinnamon Rolls

After you have let the dough rise, roll out the dough on a floured surface.  Make a rectangle that is about 1/4 inch thick.  Melt 1/2 stick of butter.  Spoon butter over the surface of the dough.  Sprinkle liberally with cinnamon.  Cover with brown sugar.  I don't measure!!   Starting away from you, roll the rectangle from the widest point towards you.  I generally slice my rolls about an inch thick with a knife.  Devin likes to use dental floss or thread for this.  She cuts of a piece about a foot long and places it underneath the roll.  She brings each side of the thread up and crosses them over the roll.  This makes a very clean cut.

Place the rolls in a greased baking pan.  Let rise for 30 minutes.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove from oven.  Make an icing with powdered sugar and butter or with powdered sugar and cream cheese.  You may need a little milk if the icing is too thick.  We make several pans at one time.  We under bake the cinnamon rolls and then freeze them in the pans for later use.

Stuffed Sandwiches 

This dish was inspired by the West Ladies on  The Homestead Blessing Baking DVD.  Using this same dough, I can make a fabulous and filling hot sandwich.  One option you can do in making the dough for this sandwich is adding herbs and spices into the flour mixture.

While my dough is rising I prepare the filling.  Add two tablespoons of olive oil to a large, heavy skillet that has been heated over a medium heat.  Add 1 1/2 pounds of ground meat.  (Remember I double the dough recipe and make two LARGE sandwiches.)  Chop the meat and let it brown.  As the meat is browning, add two minced cloves of garlic and 1/2 chopped onion.  Stir well as this continues to brown. Continue cooking as you add shredded vegetables.  We like to add a shredded carrot, a zucchini and a yellow squash.  I have added broccoli chopped up very fine, but the children prefer the squashes.  Add a sprinkling of salt and pepper, Spike seasoning, sage, basil, onion salt or whatever seasonings you prefer. My choices change each time I make this.

After your meat and veggies have cooked through, add one block of cream cheese.  Remove from heat and stir until cheese is completely melted.  On parchment paper, roll out the dough into a rectangle.  Pour mixture into the middle of the rectangle.  If you double this recipe, make two rectangles.  With kitchen shears, cut a strip from the outer edges of the dough to within 1/2 inch of the meat mixture.  Pull the strips up over the meat mixture while giving a little twist.  Do this until you have pulled all the dough over the meat mixture.  Place on a cookie sheet.  Let the sandwich sit for about 10 minutes for the dough to rise again.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes or until sandwich is lightly browned.

The Incredible Edible Egg

We are now getting close to 20 eggs a day from our 26 spring chickens.  That means we have LOTS of eggs....enough for us and enough to share.  That also means that we are pulling out the egg recipes.  Yesterday we made two egg dishes to take to our Sunday church meals.  The first was a new one and the second was a recipe that we have used for about 20 years.

These mini frittatas were easy and delicious.  The original recipe came in the Kroger recipe magazine just this past week, but of course, I made changes to use up meat and herbs that I had on hand.


Mini Frittatas


Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray or some type of grease

8 large eggs--I used 14 small
1/2 cup milk
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped cooked bacon
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 T. of dried chives

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray two mini muffin tins (24 cups size).  I used one tin twice!  Whisk eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Add remaining ingredients stirring thoroughly.  Fill muffin cups almost to the top.  I use a ladle.  Make sure  you keep the egg mixture stirred as the bacon and herbs will sink to the bottom.  Bake about 8 minutes.  Loosen the frittatas from the muffin cups and put on serving platter.  You can serve these fresh from the oven or cold as I did for our church luncheon.  You could also refrigerate and reheat in a 325 degree oven for a quick breakfast on Thanksgiving morning!
Makes around 40 frittatas!

At our house some of us love bread pudding and some of us won't touch it with a 10 foot pole!!  Devin mixed up a panful yesterday afternoon to share with our small group from church.  It was delicious and eaten up!!  One of the men in our group told us that bread pudding was one of his love languages!  My only disappointment about it this morning is that there wasn't any left over for my breakfast!

Simply Bread Pudding


5 large eggs or 10 small eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 t. vanilla
2 cups milk
5-6 slices of bread, hamburger or hot dog buns (leftover bread is great for this)
1/2 cup butter
cinnamon

In a 9 x 12 casserole dish, melt butter.  Soak bread in the milk.  Beat eggs and add in sugar.  Continue beating.  Add vanilla.  Mix all ingredients together and pour into casserole dish.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.  Bake a 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

homesteadrevival.blogspot.com

Busy Times

Yes!!  Those are eggs from our very own chickens.  We are now getting about 8-9 eggs per day from our flock of Americanas, Buff Orpingtons, Cuckoo Marins and a breed we are not sure of....I don't think the cuckoos are actually laying yet, and as there are about 26 hens out there we should be getting lots more, but right now we are thrilled and, if the ladies keep doing their job, we can take eggs off the grocery list!

We've been eating salads from the garden and even had some turnip greens last week.  We've harvested all the sage and thyme and must get our sage made into wreaths and the thyme spread out to dry this week.  I've got several plants of chives that I want to cut and put in the dehydrator.  Jordan dug up two rosemary plants and potted them to keep in the house over the winter.

I still have applesauce to can and my countertops are covered in habenero and jalapeno peppers.  This morning we'll be making up some Cowboy Candy and pineapple habanero jelly.  

And then there's the 16 or so pounds of black seedless grapes to take care of, the baskets of apples, the onions that need to be dehydrated and a box of sweet potatoes that needs something.

Oh, and then we have the school work to do, the laundry, the cleaning and the regular cooking and baking to take care of as well.  Which means I better get up from this chair and get some of the sleepy heads out of the bed!  Hope you all have a great week!

linking up at homesteadrevival.blogspot.com

Preparing for the Holidays

We are crazy busy here the last few days working hard on some decluttering, getting ready for a yard sale in a few weeks, preparing for a visit from my mom and my brother and his wife who have been away from the states for the last 15 months or so, dehydrating, canning, cooking, laundry closet makeover, painting, schooling and well, just life!!  I thought I would repost this from two years ago.  These are some of our favorite all-tiime holiday recipes and will be on the menu again for this season.  

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When we were poor college students and Jeff was minister of music and youth at our first church a dear friend made this pie several times and shared the recipe with me when we left for seminary in Texas.  It has become a favorite and is much requested by my chocolate-loving children.  (Thanks for sharing ALL those many years ago, Debby P.!)  Jeff even won a men's baking contest with this pie at one of our churches.

Chocolate Chess Pie


4 whole eggs
3 cups sugar
one stick melted butter
4 T cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
12 oz can evaporated milk

Mix all in the blender and pour into 2 unbaked pie shells.  Place a cookie sheet on the lower rack of your oven to catch any drips.  Place the pies on the middle rack (or mid-oven) and bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes or until set.  Remove and let cool.  These pies freeze well.



My mother-in-law introduced me to this recipe many years ago and it has become a must for me at all turkey and dressing meals.  I do omit the pecans as we have allergy issues with nuts!  This exact recipe is also from a former church member.  Church folks sure know how to cook!!

Cranberry Casserole

1 c. peeled raw apples, chopped
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 c. uncooked oatmeal
2 c. fresh or thawed from frozen cranberries
1 stick butter, melted
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Butter a loaf-shaped glass dish. Put a layer of apples, half of each sugar, half of oatmeal, and half of nuts.  Repeat layers.  (Oatmeal is next to top layer and nuts the very last top layer.)  Pour melted butter over all and bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.  Serves 8-10 people.
I use a little less sugar and you can par-bake this and freeze so make your Thanksgiving morning a little less stressful!

I cannot remember a time that we have not had this pie at any holiday meal.  My mom made this pie when I was growing up and I gladly carry on the tradition.  It is simple and oh, so delicious.


Blueberry Cream Cheese Pies

2 baked pie shells
2 blocks of softened cream cheese
powdered sugar
1 can blueberry pie filling
chopped pecans
whipped topping

Mix some powdered sugar into the cream cheese until it is sweet enough to your taste.  Yes, you get to taste it!!  When satisfied, spread the cream cheese mixture into both pie shells.  You may then put on a layer of chopped pecans, if desired.  I do not unless my mom is coming!  Pour the blueberry pie filling over the nuts, dividing evenly.  Top all with whipped topping  and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Simple and so yummy!!  It is even great for breakfast the next day if you can eat it without your children seeing you eat pie for breakfast.  I can't wait!!


Sweet and Sour Green Beans


This is another recipe that I grew up with and it is so good!!  This recipe can be multiplied and you probably will need to if you are having a crowd or have a big family like me.

2 14.5 cans of cut green beans
8 bacon strips
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar

Fry the bacon in a skillet (iron works better).  Remove bacon, but leave grease.  Let cool slightly and add sugar and vinegar.  Stir until sugar melts.  Add DRAINED beans.  Cook until the beans are slightly shriveled.  Crumble bacon on top (if there is any left at this point!  My kids always sneak bites off it while my back is turned!!)  This is not a recipe for every day, but it is so good.  Perfect for a holiday meal!

Last night we had a simple turkey casserole that I pulled from the freezer.  Most of the children really liked it and Kaelan insisted that she MUST have the recipe for when she gets married.  I will share it with you now so that you can use it for your turkey leftovers.  As you can tell a lot of my recipes are not exact.  This is one of those.

Jalapeno Turkey Noodle Casserole
You will need 2-4 cups of chopped turkey or chicken.  Prepare 6 or so cups of macaroni.  Drain.  Mix turkey and noodles with 1-2 cans of cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup.  Add some chopped jalapeno peppers, salt and black pepper to taste.  Pour into greased casserole dishes.  Top with grated cheese and a layer of buttered Ritz crackers.  Cover and freeze or bake at 350 until bubbly.  Instead of adding cheese to the top you can mix it in with the noodles and meat mixture.  Simple and easy!!


Now, I am off to get busy with the laundry and then to the kitchen where the girls and I will get some more of our cooking done and in the freezer.  I am so very thankful for my helpers.

Are you hosting a Thanksgiving meal in your home?  Do you go all out with table settings and decorations?  If you are posting about your Thanksgiving traditions leave a comment to let us know what you are doing!

Linking up with Mary Joy at Learning to Live a Surrendered Life.  Check it out for some wonderful Thanksgiving ideas.

Moist Delicious Apple Cake

There is a tinge of fall in the air and having two birthdays to celebrate this past weekend I decided to pull out a recipe that has been sitting unused in my file box for almost 20 years.  It has been sitting there, but not forgotten.  I have been haunted by the memories of this wonderful apple goodness that was shared with us after a dinner with friends in Georgia, but never did anything about it.  This weekend I did something about it.....and I baked this cake....but not just one!  No, I decided to bake two of them and put one in the freezer for another time.  Once I got started I wondered why I hadn't made it before...It was much easier than I thought.  Oh, yum!!  Just looking at the picture makes me want another piece, but alas, there is only the frozen cake remaining.  I will control myself!  

With fall quickly descending upon us and none too soon, in my family's opinion, I thought I would share this lovely recipe with you!  If  you decide to make this wonderfully rich and moist cake, please drop me a comment to let me know how you liked it.

Washington Apple Cake

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup cooking oil (I used olive oil)

2 cups all purpose flour

2 t. cinnamon

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 t. vanilla

1 cup chopped walnuts

4 cups thinly sliced pared tart apples (I used Granny Smith)

Beat eggs with a mixer until thick and light.  (I mixed in my Bosch)  Combine sugar and oil;  pour into eggs with mixer on medium speed.  Stir together flour, cinnamon, soda and salt;  add to egg mixture with vanilla.  Beat to mix.  Stir in walnuts.  Spread apples in a buttered 9 x 13 baking dish.  Pour batter over apples, spreading to cover.  (the batter will be thick)  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour.  (I baked mine for about 45 minutes)  Remove from oven and cool.

Make cream cheese icing.  Soften an 8 ounce brick of cream cheese.  Beat until fluffy.  Beat in 1/4 cup melted butter; then beat in 2 cups powdered sugar and 1 t. lemon juice.  Spread over cake.  Cut into squares and serve.  

If you are interested in more delicious apple recipes check this post.

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.   Proverbs 25:11

raisinghomemakers.com

 

Simple Breakfast Prep

Feeding the family a good hearty breakfast seems to be a dying trend. I refuse to buy most processed foods and especially processed breakfast foods. Opening up a cardboard box of cereal, an instant packet of flavored oatmeal or grits or even whacking a can of biscuits or cinnamon rolls against the cabinet are just not options here.   Not only are they not as good for you due to all the chemicals and preservatives, but they can be quite costly as well.  So how do I get my family fed in the mornings without a lot of hustle and bustle?

*The first step is to have a plan!  I plan out a weekly menu that includes our daily breakfast plan as well.

*The second step is to cook even breakfast foods in bulk.  We make enough biscuits on Saturday mornings for two meals.  Sometimes we even make extra sausage and eggs and stuff those into buttered biscuits, wrap them in plastic wrap and put them all in a gallon sized baggie.  We can then unwrap to heat in the microwave or the oven.  I should probably start wrapping them in freezer paper to eliminate the contact with plastic.  And while I would love to get rid of the microwave, my dear husband would not.  ; )  We also make up two or three gallons of granola every 6 weeks or so.  It is not only used for breakfasts but for a healthy snack as well.  Our Sunday morning tradition of cinnamon rolls is easy to manage as Devin, my 23 year old daughter,  makes up a large batch every other week and freezes them in the pans that they will be baked in.

*The third step is to mix up muffin, pancake batter and baked oatmeal the night before.  The next morning we just turn on the oven and slide the oatmeal in, pour the muffin batter into tins or heat up the pancake skillet.  Not only is the prep time decreased but so is the cleaning time as all the ingredients and utensils were cleaned up the night before!  This step also leads right back to step two.  We make up large batches of muffins and have them for two mornings and as a possible snack.  Extra pancakes can be flash frozen--simply lay them out singly on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer for about an hour then simply put in a gallon sized freezer bag.

*The fourth step is to train your children to do most of the above!  It is very rare to find me in the kitchen in the mornings!  My children are old enough to mix up all the muffins, pancakes, oatmeal, biscuits and cook all the sides such as eggs, grits, bacon, eggs, hash browns, fried apples or whatever.  This frees me up to snuggle with the little guy every morning and to get my blogging done for the day!

A reader recently asked for a couple of our breakfast recipes so I am including them here.  Please don't miss the links above for our simple granola and cinnamon rolls.  I would love it if you were to try the recipes out and leave me a comment letting me know how you liked them!!

Applesauce Muffins

1 cup softened butter 
2 cups sugar (I actually use 1 1/2 cups with no change in taste)
2 eggs, beaten
1 tbsp. vanilla
2 cups of homemade applesauce or natural unsweetened applesauce from the store
2 tsp. soda
2 cups unbleached flour

2 cups fresh ground whole wheat flour
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon


Cream sugar and butter; add eggs and vanilla.  Beat well.  Sift flour and  cinnamon together.  Heat applesauce; remove from heat and add baking soda.  The applesauce with puff up a little!  Add applesauce and flour alternately to butter and sugar, mixing well after each addition.  Place batter in greased muffin pans and bake for 15-20 minutes in 350 degree preheated oven.  When done, roll in powdered sugar.  This batter will keep in the refrigerator several days or you can freeze baked muffins.  Makes 7 dozen miniature muffins.  You can also make larger muffins and even bake it in loaf pans.

You can definitely leave off the powdered sugar, but kids really enjoy them with the extra sweetener and it makes them look extra special!  If you decrease the sugar in the muffins perhaps you won't mind adding a little extra on the outside.  : )   I get rave reviews and recipe requests when I take these anywhere.  Enjoy!!

Baked Oatmeal  from Beverly Lewis' Amish Heritage Cookbook

1/4 cup cooking oil                                                  1 t. cinnamon
1/2 cup white or brown sugar                                1 1/2 c. quick or rolled oats
1 egg                                                                        1 c. milk
1 t. baking powder                                                   1/2 t. salt

Beat together all ingredients with mixing spoon; pour into buttered 9 x 13 pan.  You can sprinkle with frozen or fresh blueberries or sliced apples as well.  We love it with blueberries!

Bake at 275 degrees for 30 minutes or until done. 

Linked to gnowfglins.com

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Fruit Cobbler--adapted from my mamaw's recipe

My mamaw could cook!!  She was a mom of seven children and I am sure as a very young wife and mother that her cooking skills were much improved by the time I, her sixth grandchild, came along.  Mamaw would eventually have 22 grandchildren and even before the last grandchild was born, the great-grands were already coming along.  ( I think the parallels in our lives are interesting....except our first grandson arrived before our last child was born!  My children are almost 25 years apart!  Mamaw's youngest child was four when her first grandchild was born.)

I have so many wonderful food memories associated with my mamaw.   Mamaw gardened each summer and canned or froze much of the food for the year.  I remember putting up peas or butter beans frequently at her house.  My job was closing the bags up with the metal ties.  Plum and pepper jelly and so much more!  Memories of watching her make biscuits on our weekend visits....squishing the dough through her hands and making large cat-head sized biscuits.  Chicken and dumplings, turkey and dressing and the turkey sandwiches were, somehow, always better at mamaw's house!  Cakes, cookies, fudge, and oh, the divinity!!    And even with all those children and grandchildren mamaw remembered each one's favorite foods and their least favorites as well.

Mamaw also loved cookbooks and trying out new recipes.  I am sure she discovered this recipe while pouring through a well-worn cookbook and then made it so many times that the recipe was memorized.  I don't think I have ever seen the recipe, but it is very easy to make and the recipe is quite easy to remember.  In our extended family it is sometimes known as the cuppa cobbler.    Here is the original recipe:

In a medium-sized pot over medium heat, place two cups of fruit of your choice--I generally use some of my frozen blueberries or peaches, but you could use apples or another berry as well.  Add one-half cup of sugar and two cups of water.  Let come to a boil.

In a mixing bowl, mix one cup of self-rising flour, one cup of sugar and one cup of milk.  In a 9 x 13 casserole dish, melt one stick of butter.   Pour the batter into the casserole dish and then pour the fruit and juice over that.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, until lightly browned.


Now, you know I can't make anything EXACTLY as the recipe states, so I make changes in the batter.
I use 1 1/2 cups of plain flour, 1 1/2 cups of sugar, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. baking powder and 1 1/2 cups of milk.  I use a little less than one stick of butter.  The rest of the process is the same.  We just like a little more crust.  This is such an easy recipe that my 14 year old son makes it on his own occasionally.  My family loves it and our dinner guests last night must have enjoyed it as well.   One peach and one blueberry cobbler were quickly devoured!!

homesteadrevival.blogspot.com

 

Beans!

Ever since my canner came in the mail, I have been brainstorming ways to make fast foods with the canner.  One basic that I have done now is turkey broth which will be the basis of a soup and used in casseroles and much more. I hope to can lots of soup, chili, spaghetti sauce and sloppy joe meat soon.

I have also canned pinto beans!  Canned pinto beans have been the basis of a few meals lately and we have really enjoyed them.  One of our favorite ways to enjoy pinto beans is refried beans.  Devin always makes these and they are really tasty.  She takes a quart of beans and puts them in the blender with some salsa (homemade or store bought), some cilantro and cayenne pepper.  She may add salt and garlic if needed.  She pours this into a casserole dish and mixes in some sour cream and tops with cheese.  Into the oven it goes to be heated until the cheese melts.  We've enjoyed these as a side dish with tortilla chips and as a filling for burritos.  Cheap, easy and filling!!

Another recipe using dried beans is a lentil-rice casserole that I adapted from Sue Gregg's Main Dishes Cookbook.  This is a very easy recipe and I can use my home canned chicken or turkey broth.

In a casserole dish combine:

3 cups turkey or chicken broth
3/4 cups uncooked WASHED lentils
1/2 cup uncooked WASHED brown rice
1/4 cup instant minced onion flakes
1/2 t. basil
1/4 t. oregano
1/4 t. thyme
1/4 t. garlic powder


Bake uncovered at 300 degrees for 2 hours until tender.  You may top with 3/4 cup of cheddar cheese if you desire.  I have never done this.  This recipe makes about 3 cups which is 4-6 servings.

This is a great recipe to use your food storage!  Canned broth, lentils, brown rice, minced onion and all the spices are essential to a great food storage plan.  I have been dehydrating onions and will have a great stock of minced onions for my pantry.

Do you have some favorite recipes using dried beans?  Please share a link or a recipe in the comments!

I'm linking up with Kim C over at In a Shoe.  She's not the only one who is trying to cut the grocery bill.  Lots of ladies have linked up some great bean recipes over there, so take a look!

Recipes to Use Up That Buttermilk

     

I mentioned yesterday that we would be cooking a lot for the freezer this week as Lauren lost everything in her refrigerator/freezer during the tornado.    I have about 2 1/2 gallons of buttermilk in the fridge and will be making lots of goodies with it this week.  I also have a new recipe for a buttermilk pound cake that is served with a buttermilk custard that I will be trying out.  I will post it if it works out!  With the exception of the salad dressing, all of these recipes freeze well.  


Buttermilk Cookies from The Beverly Lewis Amish Heritage Cookbook

1 c. margarine or butter, softened (I use butter)
2 c. sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. nutmeg (I was out and used allspice, but just cinnamon would be fine)
4 1/2 cups flour (I used a mix of whole wheat and all-purpose)
1 c. buttermilk

Cream butter and sugar together.  Add beaten eggs to the creamed mixture.  Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl;  add to creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk.  Drop dough onto a well-greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.  (I also make an eggless version for Aaron)

Buttermilk Pound Cake

2 sticks butter
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
3 c. all purpose flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
3/4 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
1 c. buttermilk

Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well.  Mix flour, soda, baking powder and salt.  Add gradually, alternating with buttermilk.  Add vanilla and mix well.  Pour in 2 well greased loaf pans or one Bundt pan.  Bake at 350 for one hour.  About 45 minutes if using loaf pans.  (I always double this recipe and freeze one---It is wonderful spread with cream cheese and  slightly sweetened strawberry puree)


Buttermilk Pie

2 1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 sticks butter
4 eggs
3 T. flour
3/4 c. buttermilk
1 1/2 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 400.  Cream sugar and butter, add flour and eggs alternately.  Add vanilla and buttermilk.  Pour into two unbaked pie shells.  Turn oven down to 350.  Cook for around one hour or until pie is no longer jiggly. ; )  And, as usual, I double this recipe and freeze.


And, just so you don't think that all we eat around here are sweets, here is a delicious buttermilk dressing for your fresh garden salad.  You won't want to go back to the store bought dressings once you start making your own.

Ranch Dressing

In a bowl, whisk together:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 t. dried parsley or 1 T. chopped fresh
1/2 crushed pod of garlic (I never crush 1/2 pod...use the whole thing!!)
1 t. dill weed

I think it tastes better if it sits overnight or several hours in the fridge.  Seems to thicken up as well.


Do you have other recipes that use buttermilk?  I would love to try them out!  Please share in the comments section.  Thanks!!