Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Recipes

So, I got all of my recipes copied over from my old blog.  They are now in reverse order from what they originally were so some of the comments may not make sense but there they are.  Just keep in mind that we are not the healthiest eaters in the world and I am neither professional chef nor photographer.

Honey Mustard Chicken

So, here we go.  This week's recipe is Honey Mustard Chicken.  I'm not sure where it came from- I think I tweaked a recipe I found in a cookbook somewhere.  At any rate, all of the kids love it (although the 11-year-old claimed she didn't really like the sauce and proceeded to ask for seconds), even my 18-month-old.  I served it with wild rice pilaf and brussels sprouts (which I think are disgusting but the kids all love).  Enough chatter- here's the recipe:

Honey Mustard Chicken
8 boned, skinned chicken breast halves                            
¼ c Dijon mustard                                                
¼ c honey
2 Tbsp. olive oil                                                    
¾ c mozzarella, shredded
Flatten chicken by placing between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pounding with a rolling pin or the side of a meat mallet. Salt and pepper chicken and pan-fry in olive oil, turning often, for about 10 minutes, or until cooked through. Mix together mustard and honey in a small bowl.  Spread about one tablespoon sauce on each chicken breast and sprinkle with mozzarella.  Turn off heat and cover until cheese has melted.

By the way, as you can see, this recipe makes quite a bit of chicken.  There are 8 of us so I have to make pretty big meals.  You may need to halve or even quarter it depending on how many are in your household.

(Just keep in mind that I am neither chef nor food photographer. :) I'm just a mom and wife who loves to eat and feed her family good food.)

Enjoy!
Korrina

Chicken Pie

So here goes... Rock absolutely loves my chicken pie.  I started making this not long after we were married (almost 15 years ago!) and it has changed and evolved a bit over the years (hopefully for the better).  I usually make 2 of these for our family- sometimes we only eat one and I just freeze the other unbaked.  Anyway, here it is:

Korrina's Chicken Pie
2 pie crusts                                                 
3 (abt 1 1/2 lbs) chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil                                 
2 pkg chicken gravy mix
1 cup milk                                                   
1 cup water
1 teaspoon curry powder                            
pepper to taste
32 oz mixed veggies (corn, carrots, green beans, peas), thawed
Line a pie plate with 1 of the pie crusts and bake at 375 for 10 minutes or so until golden brown.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.  Cube the chicken breasts and cook in the oil until done. (I sometimes sprinkle a little curry powder on the chicken while it's cooking.)  Whisk together the gravy mix, seasonings and milk.  Add the water and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Pile (that's a culinary term) the chicken and the veggies in the pie crust.  Pour the gravy over the top.  Add the top crust to the pie and bake at 350 for about 40 minutes or so until everything is hot and the top crust is nice and brown.

Like I said, this is Rock's favorite and the kids like it a lot too.  Oddly enough, I'm the one who can't stand it.  I just don't like my veggies all mixed together with all of that other stuff.  But don't let my opinion stop you from trying the recipe.  I'm super picky and I cook stuff I don't like all the time.

Enjoy!
Korrina

P.S.  Oh my gosh!  I didn't realize I posted two chicken recipes in a row.  Honest, we do eat other things besides chicken in our house.  How does beef stew sound for next week?  Hmm, I'm seeing a comfort foods trend here.  Can anyone say "midwinter blues"?

Beef Stew

It's time again for my recipe of the week.  Beef stew has always been a staple in our house.  I started making this not long after Rock and I were married and it has evolved a little (but not much) in the years since.  All of us love it on a cold winter day with some warm rolls and butter.

It's completely different from what my mom always called beef stew.  Her's used ground beef (that's all we could afford), was not thick at all and included corn and green beans (which I can't stand mixed into anything).  I couldn't figure out why mom's beef stew wasn't anything like the canned stuff.

Anyway, if you've never heard of "Kitchen Bouquet,"  you be glad I told you about it.  :)  Not long after my mom and dad were married (and dad complained all the time that mom's cooking was nothing like his mom's), my mom asked her mother-in-law what the secret was to getting here gravy so nice and dark brown.  She thought grandma would come up with some complicated method or something and was very surprised when grandma reached into the cupboard and pulled out a little bottle labeled "Kitchen Bouquet."  That was grandma's secret- a couple of tablespoons from that little bottle in her gravy.  The rest is history.  Mom's been using it ever since and it's now one of my favorite seasonings.  You can usually find it near the bouillon in the grocery store.

So, enough rambling- here's the recipe:

Korrina's Beef Stew
1 pound stew meat, browned                    2 beef bouillon cubes
4 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks      4 carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 onion, chopped                                  1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons worchestershire sauce         2 tablespoons Kitchen Bouquet
1 teaspoon curry powder                         2 packages brown gravy mix
salt and pepper to taste
Brown the stew meat in a little oil in a big saucepan.  Peel your carrots, potatoes and onion.  Slice the carrots and mushrooms, chop the onion, and cut the potatoes into chunks.  Put everything in the saucepan and add enough water to make everything just barely start to lift off the bottom of the pan (you know, when the potatoes just start to float).  The mushrooms will shrink and you will have more gravy in there than it looks right now- you can always add more water later.  Turn the heat on and get it all boiling.  When it starts to boil, turn the heat down to low and cover the pot.  Simmer your stew for about 2 hours.  This will get everything nice and tender and blend all of those flavors together.  When it's done you can thicken it a little more by mixing a couple of tablespoons of cornstarch or flour with a half cup or so of cold water.  Turn the heat up and add the mixture to your stew, stirring constantly.  Keep stirring and cooking until it is the thickness you want.  Serve with hot buttered rolls for dipping.

(Sorry, no photo this week...)

Enjoy,
Korrina

Blueberry Wedding Cake

So, the recipe this week is a dessert that I call Blueberry Wedding Cake.  I didn't make up this recipe- someone told me how to do it years ago and I've just never forgotten (not that it's that difficult).  The reason I call it Blueberry Wedding Cake is because that is what we served the guests at our wedding nearly 15 years ago.  FYI, it looks nothing like a wedding cake.  You can also make Cherry Wedding Cake by substituting a can of cherry pie filling for the blueberry.

I don't have a picture of this because it was gone about 10 minutes after I made it last week.  That's what happens when you have 8 people and one cake.

Anyway, enough rambling- here it is:

Blueberry Wedding Cake

1 white cake mix                             1 8oz pkg cream cheese
1 8oz cont whipped topping             1 cup powdered sugar
1 can blueberry or cherry pie filling
Make cake according to package directions in 13x16 pan.  Bake and cool.  Beat cream cheese, whipped topping, and powdered sugar together until smooth.  Spread over cooled cake.  Top with pie filling.

Yum!

Enjoy,
Korrina

P.S. NOT a good recipe for those on a diet!  Although, substituting fat-free neufchatel cheese and whipped topping will help.

Herbed Cheese Spread

I think my favorite herb is marjoram.  I hadn't ever tried it until I found a recipe I wanted to try that had marjoram in it.  I decided to bite the bullet and get some.  It was love at first taste.  I also love cream cheese spreads so this recipe was perfect for me.  Serve it on crackers or melt 1/2 batch of it into 2-3 cups cooked green beans.  Yummy!

Herbed Cheese Spread

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon each: basil, dill, marjoram, thyme, black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Put all ingredients in a food processor and process till smooth. (I just mash it with a fork until it's mixed thoroughly.)  Serve on crackers or raw veggies.

Enjoy!
Korrina

Easy Chicken Parmesan

This is not a low-fat recipe but it is really good!  Serve it over a bed of angel hair pasta with your favorite sauce.  In the photo I used frozen ravioli and Hunts canned pasta sauce.

Easy Chicken Parmesan
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. pepper
Salt to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup melted butter
Pound chicken flat between layers of plastic wrap. Combine bread crumbs, cheese, oregano, pepper, and salt; set aside. Lightly saute garlic in 2 T. butter then stir in remaining butter. Dip chicken in garlic butter then roll each piece in bread crumb mixture. Place chicken in 9x13 pan and sprinkle with remaining bread crumb mixture. Pour on remaining butter. Bake at 350 for 55 minutes.
(Sorry for the blurry photo.)

Enjoy!
Korrina

Super Easy No-Cook Fudge

You don't want to miss this one!

The holidays are upon us and in our house, holidays mean goodies!  I may be jumping the gun just a tiny bit but I want to make sure I have time to share all of my favorites.

This recipe has been a favorite in my house for many years.  I think my mom originally got it off of a product label, but I'm not sure.  (We memorized it the first year and never looked back!)  The variations, however, are entirely mine.

So, without further ado, here it is!

Super Easy No-Cook Fudge
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Melt chocolate chips in microwave-safe bowl for a couple of minutes- stirring after every 30 seconds just until melted and smooth. Quickly stir in the milk and then the nuts.  Spread the mixture in the bottom of a foil-lined and greased 8x8 inch pan.  Chill for a couple of hours.  Cut it into pieces and leave out for an hour or so. (This step will keep the pieces from sticking together when stored.  Of course, if you live in my house, the fudge won't make it past the first hour after I make it!)

Try other variations-

Mint Fudge:
Replace the milk chocolate with mint chocolate and leave out the nuts.

Coconut Fudge: (this one's Rock's favorite!)
Replace all of the chocolate with white chocolate, replace the nuts with coconut and add 1/2 teaspoon coconut flavoring.

Cherry Fudge:
Replace the nuts with chopped maraschino cherries and add 1 teaspoon cherry flavoring.

Peanut Butter Fudge:
Use all milk chocolate, replace the walnuts with chopped peanuts, and add a 1/4 cup peanut butter with the milk.

Enjoy!
Korrina


Mandarin Spinach Salad

I went to a dinner at the church the other night where they served soup, salad and rolls. Since there are so many people in our family, we are usually asked if we want to take home some of the leftovers and that night was no exception. I went home with a gallon of taco soup, three-fourths of a bag of tortilla chips, a gallon bag half-full of shredded cheese, and another bag full of this salad plus the dressing for it.

I absolutely fell in love with the salad! When I fed the leftovers to my family the next night, they loved it too. So I'm sharing the recipe with you. I'm not sure who's it is but if I figure it out, I will let you know. Since I've never actually made this, I'm not sure of the amounts but I'll do my best to guesstimate and you can adjust according to your needs.

So here goes:

Mandarin Spinach Salad
3 cups romaine lettuce- torn into bite-size pieces
3 cups fresh spinach leaves
1 can mandarin oranges- drained
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 red onion- cut up
1/2 lb mushrooms- sliced
8 oz bacon- cooked, cooled and cut into bite-size pieces
lemon poppyseed dressing
Toss everything together in a bowl and serve.

Notes:  I'm thinking this recipe will make enough salad for about 4 people as a main course.  Of course, I could be way off as I am used to cooking for twice that many.  
When I make this for my family, I plan on just setting out all of the ingredients separately and letting everyone decide what they want in their salad- everyone wins!
I love the lemon poppyseed dressing on it but Rock and Eli prefer a raspberry vinaigrette.


This photo is actually of the day-old leftovers so it doesn't look quite as nice but it was still delicious!  (And it has the raspberry dressing instead of the lemon.)

Enjoy!
Korrina


Fruit Bars

This is a recipe I got from my mom. She used to make these for us all the time when we were kids.  She usually made them with some of her homemade raspberry jam.  I made them today with the store-bought stuff since I'm pretty much out of any homemade jams.  Also, I usually double the recipe but again, there are eight of us.

Fruit Bars
1 1/2 cup flour                       
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt                   
1 1/2 cup quick rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar                 
3/4 cup margarine
1 cup jam or preserves, any flavor
Sift together dry ingredients. Add the oats and the sugar. Cut in the margarine to make a bowlful of crumbs. Press half of the crumbs in the bottom of an 8x8 inch pan. Spread the jam over the top and sprinkle on the rest of the crumbs.  Pat them down a little to make a top crust.  Bake at 375F for 35 minutes.  Cool before cutting.

Enjoy!
Korrina

Slow-Cooked Ham and Bean Soup

This is my mother-in-law's recipe that I tweaked a little and made my own.  My kids complain when I make it and then eat seconds and thirds so I guess it tastes better than it sounds. :)  I usually use the leftovers from a baked ham (including the bone), but sometimes I just buy a small bone-in ham just for the soup.  Try to get the bean mix with a little packet of ham flavoring in it.  If you can't find one, any ham flavoring will work.  It does take most of a day to make, so plan ahead.

Slow-Cooked Ham and Bean Soup

2 lbs bone-in ham                     
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 lb 15 bean mix
1 onion
1 stalk celery
1 carrot
seasoning packet from bean mix
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
salt and pepper to taste

Put the ham in a big pot and add enough water to just cover the ham.  Bring to a boil and then lower heat and simmer for an hour or so.  Let it cool a little and then strain the broth from the solid stuff, saving the broth in a bowl.  Place the broth in the fridge to let the fat raise to the top and congeal (so you can skim it off later).  While that's in the fridge, pick all of the meat out of the fat and bones that you boiled before and put it back in the pot.  Rinse the beans and place them in the pot as well.  Finely chop the celery and onion, grate the carrot, and add them to the pot.  When the fat on the broth has congealed enough to scoop it off, do so and add the broth to the other ingredients.  Add the sugar and seasonings.  Pour enough water over the top to cover everything in the pot by an inch or so.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 3-4 hours or until beans are tender.  Check the soup every so often to see if it needs more water (the beans will soak it up) and to stir everything.  Adjust seasoning to taste and serve.

This is great with hot homemade buttered rolls!

Enjoy!
Korrina

Marshmallow Bird Nests

I know this recipe has been around forever but it's one of my favorites for Easter.  Of course, I love cereal treats any time of year but this is when I get to put jelly beans with them.

Marshmallow Bird Nests
3 tablespoons margarine or butter
40 regular marshmallows or 4 cups mini marshmallows
6 cups chow mein noodles
jelly beans

Melt the butter in a big saucepan over low heat.  Add the marshmallows and stir until melted and smooth.  (I overheated the marshmallow in the batch I photographed and they did not mix up well, but I'm sure you get the idea.)  Add the chow mein noodles and stir well.  Spread some foil out on the counter and spray it with cooking spray.  Butter your hands and grab a small handful of the marshmallow mixture.  Working quickly, form the handful into a nest shape and lay on the foil.  Put a couple of jellybeans on the nest while it is still warm so they will stick.  Repeat for the rest of the mixture.  Wrap the nests in plastic wrap and put them in your kids' Easter baskets so you don't eat them all yourself. :P  (That's the only problem I have with these!)

Enjoy!
Korrina

BBQ Beans


Korrina's BBQ Beans
3 cans pork and beans
1 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup barbeque sauce*
3 Tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon mustard
2 Tablespoons dried minced onion
liquid smoke to taste
Mix everything together and warm over low heat until heated through.

*I usually use my mother-in-laws bbq sauce recipe so here it is as well (you get two recipes in one this week):

Linda's Barbecue Sauce

24 ounces ketchup
3-7 drops liquid smoke
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoon worchestershire sauce
2/3 cup brown sugar
Mix everything together and pour what you don't need back into the ketchup bottle.  Make sure you label it so you don't confuse it with the ketchup.  (They are very similar in color.)

Actually, I remember eating this sauce in high school.  Linda was a school cook at my high school and I'll bet that's where she got this recipe.  Anyway...

Enjoy!
Korrina

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

This recipe is one of my family's favorites.  Although, my oldest daughter complains that she doesn't like it and then proceeds to eat seconds.  I call it a casserole instead of just "enchiladas" because everything is just layered in there like a lasagne-  I don't have time to fill and roll individual enchiladas for eight people.  If you want to put it together in individual enchiladas, go for it.  You'd just roll the beans, chicken, and olives up inside the tortillas and add the sauce and cheese over the top.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

2 lbs chicken breasts
12 corn tortillas
2 10oz cans red enchilada sauce
2 cans black beans, drained
1 can black olives, sliced
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream
Cube chicken and cook in a little oil over medium heat.  Spread 1/2 can sauce in bottom of 9x13 pan.  Arrange 4 tortillas over sauce.  Top with half of the chicken, half of the olives, 1 can of the beans, 1 cup cheese, and a half can of the sauce.  Add 4 more tortillas, remaining chicken and olives, another can of beans, 1 cup cheese and a half can of sauce.  Top with remaining tortillas, sauce and cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through.  Serve with sour cream.

Enjoy!
Korrina

Chicken and Mushrooms

Here's another recipe that I have no idea where it came from.  This was my first time trying it and it turned out really well.  The kids liked it too.

Chicken and Mushrooms
2 tbsp olive oil
4 boneless skinless breast halves 
8 oz mushrooms, quartered 
3 cloves garlic, minced 
1 cup chicken broth 
1/4 cup green onion, chopped 
1 teaspoon dried rosemary 
3 teaspoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons cold water
Place all ingredients except the cornstarch and water in a large heavy skillet with a lid and cover. Heat to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until chicken is done, about 10 - 15 minutes. Mix the cornstarch and water together until smooth.  Push everything over to one side and add cornstarch to liquid on the empty side. Mix well with juices. Return all ingredients to an even place in pan, simmer for 5 minutes. Serve over cooked rice or egg noodles.

Enjoy!
Korrina

10-Grain Pancake Mix

So here's a recipe entirely my own.  I wanted a healthy pancake mix that didn't cost a fortune and that I could use my food storage in.  This recipe fits the bill- almost everything on here can be stored a long time.  Your almonds and brown rice have to be stored carefully as they will go rancid if not treated right and you can substitute egg powder for the egg and water or powdered milk for the cranberry juice (although it tastes better with the juice).  You can leave the commercial pancake mix out of the recipe and just do it with the other ingredients but it will make a heavier, crumblier pancake that the kids won't like as well.  I like it.

Oh, one other thing- you may or may not be able to find the various flours in your local store.  Ours has a huge variety of health/organic foods.  If the local health food store doesn't have them (or you don't want to pay the price- that's me), you can grind them yourself.  If you do food storage, a wheat grinder is something you should have anyway, and it will work for all grains.  Don't grind the flax seed- just put it in a baggie and pound on it with something heavy.  You only want to break down the shell a little so your body can absorb the fiber better.

Okay, so enough with the commentary- on to the recipe...

10-Grain Pancake Mix
3 cups commercial (just add water-type) pancake mix
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/8 cup barley flour
1/8 cup garbanzo bean flour
1/8 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cups white flour
3/4 cup finely ground cornmeal
1/4 cup quick cooking rolled oats
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
2 tablespoons flaxseed, slightly crushed
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
1/4 cup millet
2 tablespoons cup slivered raw almonds
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoons salt

Mix everything together. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 6 cups of mix.

10-Grain Pancakes
(this makes about 4 med-size pancakes- multiply as needed)
1 cup 10-Grain Pancake Mix
1 egg
1/2 cup cranberry juice
2 tablespoons veggie oil
Beat everything together until smooth and cook on medium-hot griddle or skillet.

Don't expect to make as many of these for your family as they normally eat- they are really hearty and very filling.

Enjoy!
Korrina

Macaroni and Cheese

It's that time of the week again!  Recipe day!  This is one of my family's favorite recipes.  My 14-year-old doesn't usually care too much what she puts in her mouth but she had seconds and thirds the last time I made this.  It tastes absolutely nothing like any of the boxed varieties (and that's a good thing).

This recipe is a really basic one for me.  I wanted homemade mac and cheese one day so I just started making it.  I really don't have it written down anywhere (until now).  You can also eliminate the macaroni and use the sauce for fondue- it's wonderful on cubed bread or toast and fresh veggies!

It's not the healthiest recipe but at least when you make something from scratch, you can substitute healthier ingredients- and you know you're not getting all of those chemicals.  Use whole-wheat pasta (I used the rainbow kind here), skim milk, lowfat mozzarella (for the cheddar), and, well, there's not a lot of substituting you can do for the butter but you can use a lower-fat margarine (don't try to brown it like the recipe says-just melt it).  I'm more worried about avoiding chemicals than fat and sugar (for right now, anyway) so I just use the butter.

Macaroni and Cheese
Sorry for the lousy picture- I had to use my cell phone...
12 oz bag macaroni
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
3 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded fresh parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Boil the macaroni in lots of water until it's done, drain it and set aside. Melt the butter over fairly high heat, stirring often, until it starts to brown. Add the flour all at once and whisk until smooth. Lower the heat to medium and slowly add the milk, whisking constantly.  Continue stirring until mixture has started to thicken. When it's about the consistency of a nice, thick cream gravy, take it off the heat and let it sit for 5-10 minutes to cool a little. Put the sauce back on the heat (low this time) and add the cheeses and salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, over low heat until the cheese has melted and the sauce is nice and creamy. Add the sauce mixture to the macaroni and serve.

I usually serve it as a side dish with pork chops or salmon.  It's also great with a baked ham!

Enjoy!
Korrina

P.S.  If you ever try one of my recipes, come back and comment.  I'd love to know what you think!

Broiled Shrimp with Parmesan

We love shrimp in our house... 'nuff said. :)

Broiled Shrimp with Parmesan
1 lb cooked shrimp
1/4 cup melted butter or margarine
1/4 cup shredded fresh parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
I remove the shrimps' tails before cooking to make it easier for my little ones to eat but this step is optional.  Preheat broiler to 450 degrees. Toss everything together in a mixing bowl or large plastic bag.  Spread it all out on a broiler pan tray and put it in the oven.  Broil for 5-10 minutes until everything is hot and cheese starts to melt.

Enjoy!
Korrina

Stuffed Shells

I've only made this a couple of times 'cause stuffing the shells takes a little more work than usual but my kids really prefer it to spaghetti and meatballs.  The ingredients are almost exactly the same as for lasagne.

Stuffed Shells
15-20 meatballs, quartered
1/2 box of jumbo shells or manicotti
1 jar spaghetti sauce
3 c. Ricotta cheese
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
1 egg
2 tbsp Parsley
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
16 oz. Shredded Mozzarella cheese
Cook shells according to package directions. Mix ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, salt, and pepper. Stuff shells or manicotti with cheese mixture and place in a 13" x 9" baking dish coated with non-stick spray. Scatter meatball quarters over shells.  Spoon spaghetti sauce over each shell and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350°F.

Enjoy!
Korrina

Meatballs with Mushroom Gravy

I made up this recipe last night out of stuff I already had in the house.  This is the kind of recipe I used to make a lot when Rock and I were first married- when we were poor and I really had to work hard to provide variety on a budget.  The ingredients are simple as is the food- nothing fancy here but the family really liked it.

You can use purchased meatballs (as I did) or you can make your own.  I don't have a recipe for that but I'm sure a quick Google search will provide you with lots of choices (probably too many).

So, on to the recipe:

Meatballs with Mushroom Gravy
1 1/2 lbs turkey meatballs
1 pkg mushroom gravy mix
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups water
1 can sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon Kitchen Bouquet
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
cooked rice or egg noodles
If the meatballs aren't pre-cooked, fry them in a little hot oil until cooked through.  If they are the frozen kind, just thaw them.  Mix the gravy mix and soup together in a large saucepan until smooth; add the water gradually to keep it from going lumpy.  Stir in the mushrooms and seasonings.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Keep cooking until gravy thickens.  Add the meatballs and heat through.  Serve over cooked rice or egg noodles.

Enjoy!
Korrina

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

My husband spent two years in South Africa before we were married and this was one of his favorite recipes.  I rather suspect the dish is more English than African, but then again, most of the food he ate there was...

Anyway, while he was there, he bought a South African cookbook in the hopes that his mom could replicate some of his new favorite foods.  It never happened and not long after we were married, I discovered the book and found some really great stuff inside.

This is almost straight from that cookbook.  Of course, all of the measurements are metric so I had to do some converting and, over the years, I've tweaked it to fit our family's tastes better.

So, here it is:

Baked Macaroni and Cheese
My 12 year old daughter made this.
1 lb macaroni
6 eggs
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 t mustard
4 c milk
3/4 lbs shredded sharp cheddar
2 T butter
1 tomato cut into wedges
Preheat oven to 325.  Cook the macaroni until done.  Drain.  Beat eggs, add seasonings and milk.  Add the macaroni and the cheese and spoon into a large greased oven dish.  Dot with butter.  Garnish with tomato wedges.  Bake for 60-90 min until middle of casserole is set.

Although I have cut this recipe in half, it still makes quite a lot.  Feel free to halve it again...

Enjoy!
Korrina

Sour Cream Salad

This is a really simple recipe that, once you've made it, you really don't need a recipe for anymore.

I got it from my mother-in-law last summer when we were up at the hunting spot (camping).  If you have a garden, this is especially nice with veggies you have grown yourself.

Sour Cream Salad

2 tomatoes
1 cucumber
2-3 tablespoons lowfat sour cream
Cut the veggies up into bite-size pieces.  Mix all ingredients in a bowl and serve immediately.

Told you it was simple!

Enjoy!
Korrina

Beef Stroganoff

This is my own personal version of beef stroganoff.  It's one of my favorites, but then again, I'm a huge fan of mushrooms.


Beef Stroganoff

1 lb beef stew meat
2 cans mushroom soup
½ can milk
½ onion, sautéed
½ lb sliced fresh mushrooms
2 T flour
2 t salt
2 T beef bouillon granules
dash pepper
1 c sour cream
1 bag egg noodles, cooked
 Brown meat; drain.  Add onion, salt and pepper.  Add soup and milk and sprinkle with flour.  Add mushrooms, bouillon and pepper.  Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer on low 30-60 minutes until meat is tender.  Stir in sour cream and serve over egg noodles.

Enjoy!
Korrina

Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

This is a recipe that is adapted from a recipe I found online.  Another great comfort food!

Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings
(Yes that is a "Hello Kitty" bowl!)
2 chicken breasts, cut up
1 T butter
1 T minced onion
1/2 T curry powder
1 bay leaf
2 cups chicken broth
1 cans cream of chicken
1 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup sour cream
1 can potatoes, diced
1 tubes refrigerated biscuit dough
Put all but last three ingredients in crockpot. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours. Remove bay leaf and add potatoes and sour cream and stir well.  Squash the biscuits a little and cut into quarters. Lay on top of stuff in crockpot. Replace the lid and cook for one more hour. Do not lift the lid until done!

Yummy!

Enjoy!
Korrina

Tater Tot Casserole

Just about everyone has their own version of tater tot casserole.  I started making this back when Rock and I were first married and it has evolved a lot since then.  It's really rich, not very healthy and tastes wonderful!  If you want yours to be less rich, leave out some or all of the sour cream.  I buy the low-fat or no-fat versions and that helps too.

Tater Tot Casserole
about 1 lb frozen Tater Tots 
1/2 lb. browned ground beef
2/3 cup sour cream
2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 - 4 oz. can mushrooms, drained
French fried onions
 Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9x13 casserole pan. Place frozen tater tots in bottom of pan. Sprinkle beef over tater tots. In a bowl, mix sour cream,cheese, soup, and mushrooms. Pour over beef. Top with French fried onions. Bake for 50-60 minutes.

Enjoy,
Korrina

Almond Joys/Mounds Candy

This is one of several recipes that my mom has been making for years and years.  When I was a kid, we used to make probably 20 different kinds of candy (many of them dipped chocolates).  She still makes a lot, but not near as much as back then.  This recipe was one of our favorites.  The best thing about it is being able to tweak the recipe to your own likes.  I love the nuts in Almond Joy and I love the dark chocolate in Mounds.  With this recipe I can make "Almond Mounds!"  So here it is:

Almond Joys/Mounds Clone
1/4 pound butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
14 ounces shredded coconut
1 cup whole toasted almonds
1 bag chocolate chips (milk for Almond Joy, semisweet for Mounds)
Mix together the first 3 ingredients. With your hands, roll the mixture into 1-inch balls. Stick an almond in each one for Almond Joy.  Melt chocolate in microwave-safe dish, stirring after every 30 seconds or so. Dip the balls in melted chocolate and place on foil-covered baking sheet.  Chill until firm.

This is another one of those not-so-healthy recipes that I tend to share but then again, we tend to give away most of the treats we make anyway!

Enjoy!
Korrina

Caramel Corn

Time for another treat!  This week it's my caramel corn recipe.  About 15 years ago, I worked at one of those caramel corn places in a mall down in Phoenix and I adapted the recipe for home use.  This is that recipe!

Korrina's Caramel Corn
3/4 cup unpopped popcorn or 2 bags microwave popcorn
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup corn syrup
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pop the popcorn. Mix sugars, water, and corn syrup in large saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring often to melt sugar.  Add butter and cook to firm ball stage (245-248 degrees). Remove from heat. Stir in baking soda. Pour over popcorn and stir quickly!

Enjoy!
Korrina

Chicken Noodle Soup

This is my mom's noodle recipe and my own soup recipe.  She's been making these for as long as I can remember.  When I was little and there wasn't much money, she used to brag about how she could make a whole chicken last an entire week.  This is one of the recipes she did that with.  I know it doesn't look like much but when my kids saw on the menu that I was making this last week, they all started jumping up and down and cheering.  I think I could safely say that this is the most popular dish in our house.  It's that good.  In fact, I usually triple it so there's enough.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
1 cup flour
1 egg
2 quarts water
1 cup chicken, diced
2 carrots, chopped
2 packages chicken gravy mix
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 tablespoon minced onion
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 chicken boullion cube
1 pinch salt and pepper
2 cups mashed potatoes (optional)
Boil celery, carrots, onion, chicken, and boullion in the water until vegetables are tender. Meanwhile, mix flour, egg, and enough water to make a soft (but not sticky) dough. Roll out thin on a floured surface and cut into noodles. Add noodles and gravy mix to soup and cook 10-15 minutes or till noodles are tender and broth has thickened a little. Serve over mashed potatoes if desired.  (We never ate it with the potatoes in my family but hubby's family did, so we always just make it an option.)

You can substitute turkey for the chicken if you are trying to use up holiday leftovers.

Enjoy!
Korrina

Linguine a la Anne

Linguine a la Anne
1/2 pound linguine
3 cups cooked diced ham (1 lb)
1/4 cup margarine
1 can mushrooms
1/8 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
6 fluid ounces evaporated milk
1 chicken boullion cube
1/4 cup grated romano cheese
1 green pepper, sliced
1 cup croutons
Cook linguine and drain. Melt 2 T. butter in saucepan. Blend in flour and salt, liquid from mushrooms, water, milk and boullion. Bring to boil and stir till it thickens. Toss half of sauce with linguine till mixed. Put in 8x8 casserole, pushing up sides. Toss ham with remaining sauce and spoon into hollow. Sprinkle with cheese and bake 20 min at 400. Saute peppers in butter til soft. (I skipped cooking the peppers 'cause my family likes 'em better raw.) Garnish casserole with peppers and croutons.

Enjoy!
Korrina

Tamale Bake

I love homemade tamales!  So I learned to make them.  Do you know how long it takes to make enough tamales to feed 8 people?  I don't either - after looking at the recipe, I decided I needed to find a shortcut.  This is it.  It's not quite as good as the real thing but it's close enough.  If I had to do it the old-fashioned way, I'd never make them.  Oh, and plan ahead because the filling is done in the crockpot, the cornhusks have to soak and the casserole has to bake for up to two hours.  (You might want to halve this one 'cause it makes enough for my family of 8.  Ooh, or you could make two from this recipe and freeze one without the corn husks and before baking.  Just thaw, add the soaked corn husks and bake.

Korrina's Tamale Bake 
1 2-3 lb pork roast
1 cup salsa
1/4 package (2 oz.) dried corn husks
2/3 cup lard or shortening
4 cups masa harina flour, (mexican corn masa mix)
2 teaspoons salt
3 cups broth from filling, or water
1/3 cup lard or shortening, melted
1 can red enchilada sauce
sour cream
Put the roast in the crockpot with the salsa and cook on high for 3-4 hours.  Soak corn husks in warm water for at least 1 hour or until softened and easy to fold. Beat 2/3 cup lard in large mixer bowl until creamy. Combine masa harina and salt in medium bowl. Alternately add masa harina mixture and broth to lard, mixing well after each addition. Gradually add melted lard, mixing until consistency of thick cake batter (masa).  Scatter filling in bottom of large casserole dish.  Spread masa mix over filling.  Lay corn husks over filling.  Cover pan with foil.  Fill another oven-safe dish with hot water and place in 350 degree oven.  Put casserole in oven and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hrs or until baked through.  Add water to dish as needed.  Serve with enchilada sauce and sour cream.

Enjoy!
Korrina

Meatball Pie

This is a really simple recipe that I just made up on the spur of the moment last week.

Meatball Pie
1 unbaked pie shell
1- 24oz bag Italian meatballs, thawed
1 can spaghetti sauce
1 can black olives, drained and sliced
1 can sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Line the pie shell with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.  Remove from oven and take out the foil.  Dump the meatballs, olives and mushrooms in the pie shell and pour the sauce over the top.  Top with cheese and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until everything is heated through.

Enjoy!
Korrina

Jello Parfait

This recipe is not all that healthy but you can help it along by using low- or no- fat sour cream and whipped topping.

Anyway, here it is:

Jello Parfait
(Hmm, I should have saved a strawberry to put on top...)
1 sm. Jello (any flavor, I used strawberry)
1 c. sour cream
1 (8 oz.) container whipped topping
1 cup fresh, frozen (thawed) or canned (drained) fruit to match Jello flavor (I used frozen mixed berries)
Mix the Jello packet with the sour cream. Fold in Cool Whip. Layer fruit and Jello mixture in parfait glasses (or fold the fruit into the Jello mixture like I did.)  Chill. Serve cold.

 It's also good with orange Jello with mandarin oranges or mixed berry Jello with huckleberries (if you can get them - we go up in the mountains and pick them).  Try other flavors and comment here to let me know what other flavors are good.  Ooh, maybe lemon Jello and raspberries, for a raspberry lemonade-type flavor?

Enjoy!
Korrina

Introduction

Hi and welcome to my crazy life!  This blog is intended to be a sort of "spinoff" of my original blog - KaelMijoy.  I started that one to promote my artwork and it kind of evolved into a blog about everything.  Well, it got a little cluttered and I've decided to split up the contents.  So, KaelMijoy will remain my art blog and this will be for everything else.

From now on, my recipes will be here and I'm planning on copying the ones off my old blog here as well.  You'll also find articles about homeschooling and other personal/family stuff, including tutorials/instructions/patterns for various craft projects.

Essentially, this blog is for anything I want to share with the world that doesn't have anything to do with my art...

Hopefully, you will find something useful - or if not useful - at least a little entertaining. :)

Enjoy!
Korrina