Garden update and a recipe!

Hi! I didn't realize until today that I didn't update or post anything here since June. I'm so sorry! Our garden is in full swing now. I'm gathering more cucumbers that I can pickle, a ton of sweet corn and I will soon be up to my eyeballs in tomatoes! It's all a very good thing! I love watching my pantry and freezer fill up with the fresh fruits and veggies that we preserve for winter use. It's a ton of work, but there's nothing like toast in the middle of winter with jam that tastes like fresh strawberries or having some juicy sweet corn with our dinners!

The recipe I'm going to leave you with today is kind of a cowboy/Texas caviar, but super simple. I made this today using mostly garden produce! (* denotes that it came from my garden)

*3-6 roma tomatoes, depending on size and preference, chopped
*1/2 red onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
*3-6 tbsp cilantro, chopped
*2 ears sweet corn, cut off the cob and blanched
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 lime, juice and zest

Mix together and serve with pita or tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Almost BBQ venison

I'm LOVING having this fresh venison in my freezer! We took the two front quarters and made burger with it. It only made 5 pounds, but since I mix it half and half with ground turkey, it goes a long way. Last night, though, I sliced one of the roasts (while still partially frozen to make that job TONS easier) and did this Venison Hurry deal that I found on allrecipes. It's SUPER easy and ALL of my kids ate it. Out of a 4 pound roast, there was NOTHING left...just the juice it cooked in! I love making suppers like that!! So, here's the recipe. Enjoy!

Venison Hurry

2# venison chops (I have also made this with a whole roast and that's been good, too)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 packet onion soup mix
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water (if I empty out a ketchup bottle to make this, which I usually do, then I put the water in the ketchup bottle and shake it to get all the ketchupy goodness out of the bottle, then pour that over the meat)

Put the venison in the crockpot, put the rest of the ingredients over the top and cook on low for 6-8 hours and your meat will fall apart! YUM!

I served this last night with mashed potatoes, but buttered noodles would be good, too.

Linked up with The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap! Go there for more great recipes!

Tex Mex Lasagna

Good Morning! Last night was a long one for us over here. My in-laws called on their way home from Indiana that they were about 20 miles south of our house and had hit a deer. Thankfully, they were fine and their van was still driveable, but what were they going to do with that meat?! They didn't have time to take care of that and they knew my hubby hadn't gotten a deer in a couple years, so we were running dangerously low on venison. We took it. My dad came over to help cut it up enough to get it in the house where it was warm and we cut up what meat was still good into steaks and roasts. WOOHOO!! They called right after we finished dinner, so the timing was pretty good, too! I made this tex-mex lasagna thing that was pretty good, but a 9x13 pan of it was too much for the 6 of us, especially since 3 of the boys decided they didn't like it before they even tried it! So I sent some home with dad for their lunches today and kept some for my lunch today and still have leftovers. Tim is convinced that since he liked it, I'll never make it again since I have a tendency to make so many new things and rarely get back to making something we liked. Maybe I'll surprise him (it was from the TOH Guilt Free Cookbook my MIL got for me, so it's pretty good for you, too!) with it again sometime soon! Anyway, here it is. Enjoy!

Tex-Mex Lasagna
(As usual, there are a few modifications that I made....you can ignore them if you like.)

1 pound lean ground beef**(See note below)
1 can (16 oz) refried black beans (I skipped this, I can. not. stand. refried beans!)
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup frozen corn (totally not enough! Use 1 full cup or maybe a little more)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (I skipped this since I used homemade salsa and there's enough jalapenos in there to make it have some zip)
1 envelope taco seasoning (I make my own, here's the recipe for that!)
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce (I made the mistake of not writing down what size can I needed when I went to the store, so I bought too small of a can. Oops! I mixed in the 8 oz can that I bought with a 15 oz can of tomato soup and it worked fine. Use the whole can of tomato soup if you do it this way, it won't hurt anything and then what's left isn't going to waste.)
2 1/2 cups salsa (I used homemade and used 2 pints{equivalent of 4 cups}...2 1/2 cups just wasn't saucy enough for me!)
12 no cook lasagna noodles (took me 15, 5 on each layer)
1 1/2 cups reduced fat shredded monterey jack or fiesta blend cheese
1 1/2 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup fat free sour cream (optional)
1 medium avocado, peeled and cubed (optional)
4 green onions, thinly sliced (optional)

In a large skillet, brown the hamburger until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the beans, corn, jalapeno, taco seasoning and 3/4 cup tomato sauce. Set aside.

Combine salsa and remaining tomato sauce. Spread 1/4 cup (I used about 1/2 cup) into a greased 9x13 pan. Lay down one set of lasagna noodles, top with half of the meat, 1 cup salsa mixture, 1/2 cup of each of the cheeses. Repeat. Top that with the remaining noodles, salsa mixture and cheeses.

Cover and bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until edges are golden and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. Serve with sour cream, avocado, and onion, if desired.

**A note about ground beef....I was listening to something on public radio and they said that if you buy the cheaper ground beef (73/27 or whatever) and drain it, then rinse it with hot water, the fat content is similar to if you buy the more expensive lean ground beef. Just a tip for you. Or, you can use half a pound of lean ground beef and half a pound of ground turkey to save more fat.

One serving= 1 piece (12 servings per pan): 381 calories, 13g fat, 5g fiber, 25g protein. You can use no salt added tomato sauce and beans to lower the sodium, too.

Chuck Wagon Wraps

We're turning over new leaves left and right over here! First, I got bitten by the running bug, now I've got Timmy working out with me in the morning....and to go with that, we need to start watching what we eat. Here's the challenge...we have 4 boys that need to eat fat. They have boundless energy and need the fat and calories to keep them from losing weight. And they can be a bit fussy sometimes. Well, I've been struggling to find recipes online. I don't make too much time for that, honestly. But, my FABULOUS MIL, bought me a book that, so far, we are enjoying! It's from Taste of Home and it's called Guilt Free Cooking. When I was looking through the book the first time, I said that one recipe sounded interesting....Timmy wasn't real sure...it was a veggie "burger" that was carrots and onions and zucchini and not a speck of meat. He told me not to bother making them. So, when he saw the book out tonight he was leery about what I was making and he thought I was trying to sneak something past him until I let him read the recipe...it's simple and tastes good and appeals to his "meat and potatoes" side, and it's so fast to make!! 5 of the 6 of us enjoyed this, so I'd say it's a winner! Enjoy!



Chuck Wagon Wraps

1# ground beef (I use the cheapest stuff and make sure that I drain it)
1-28 oz can BBQ baked beans (I used the new Bush's Grillin' ones...Southern Pit BBQ and added some Sweet Baby Rays original since it wasn't a big enough can)
2 cups frozen corn (use the frozen, not canned here, pretty please.)
4 1/2 tsp Worcestershire
1 cup (4 oz) reduced fat shredded Cheddar cheese
12 tortillas, warmed (I use Chi-Chi's whole wheat and no one complains)
3 cups shredded lettuce (please use leaf lettuce or something other than iceberg, though that would work too it just isn't as good)
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
3/4 cup reduced fat sour cream

Brown the hamburger in a large skillet. Drain. Stir in baked beans, corn, and Worcestershire. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Allow to simmer 4-5 minutes, uncovered. Sprinkle with cheese and simmer another 1-2 minutes.

Spoon 1/2 cup meat mixture for each tortilla and top with choice of toppings.

1 wrap = 1 serving. 373 calories, 11 g fat, 4 g fiber, 20 g protien.

Check out other great recipes today at The Grocery Cart Challenge!

New Years

Long time, no see! We have just been UBER busy over the holidays. We had 6 Christmas parties that we attended and lots of visiting here, there and everywhere. You know the drill. :) For New Years this year, we had both of Tim's brothers, one of their girlfriends, and one of Tim's sisters over for dinner. We're the only ones (of those) that have kids, so it was just easier to be here. Anyway, I made a prime rib that I got on sale for $4.75 a pound, Windsor glazed carrots, twice baked potatoes in a casserole dish, and two dips (beer and bagel). Tom's fiance, Dawn, brought stuffed mushrooms, veggie pizza, and turtle cheesecake. It was quite the feast. We had a few unexpected visitors which was interesting and we had all the kids in the car with us as we rang in the New Year...that's a long story I'm not going to be sharing. Sorry. Anyway, it was super nice.

Back to the food, afterall, that's why you're here, right?! The Windsor glazed carrots. My BIL left some Windsor here this summer, so I wanted to use that up. PW posted a recipe for whiskey glazed carrots that fit the bill....plus I got to use my NEW cast iron skillet!! Enjoy!

Copy and pasted from PW's website...

Ingredients

• 2 pounds (to 3 Pounds) Carrots, Peeled And Cut Into Thick Circles
• 1 stick Butter
• ½ cups Jack Daniels Or Other Whiskey (We used Windsor)
  
• ¾ cups (to 1 Cup) Brown Sugar
• ½ teaspoons (to 1 Teaspoon) Salt
• Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste

Preparation Instructions

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add carrots in two batches., cooking for 60-90 seconds each batch. Remove from skillet.

Pour in whiskey and allow to evaporate 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium, and add remaining butter. When butter melts, sprinkle brown sugar over the top. Stir together, then add carrots to skillet. Cover, and continue cooking for 5 minutes.

Remove lid and add salt and pepper. Continue cooking until carrots are done and glaze is thick, about 5 more minutes.

Pour onto a platter and serve immediately. Sprinkle with chopped chives if desired.

Venison Stew

Friday was another cold and rainy day here in Wisconsin. Great weather if you're a duck. I'm not a duck and I'm not enjoying it. Top that off with three coughing kids and you've got a ton of fun, let me tell ya. So, we needed comforting and soothing and relaxing. What better than a vat of stew? Yes, I mean a VAT of stew. I inherited this problem from my mother...I over cook. When it was just Tim and me it was a pretty big problem, but now that I have 4 additional healthy eaters, it's a bit more manageable. We have a freezer full of venison and we've slowly but surely been eating away at it, but it's hunting season again and I still have venison in the freezer, so I guess we'll have to eat even more venison and cut back on my beloved chicken. So, I wanted a recipe for venison stew that didn't include gravy mix because 1) I'm out and 2) we don't need all the extra salt. So, online I go...and I find a recipe that I fully intended to use as written...until I started making it and realize that there is NO seasoning in it whatsoever....unless you count the beef bouillon. So, I tweaked it and added some spice and some of this and that, some more veggies (because what's stew with only 2 potatoes in it??) the results were pretty tasty. Enjoy!

Venison Stew

2-3 pounds venison stew meat
4-6 cloves garlic
4 tbsp butter
1/3 cup flour
5 potatoes, peeled and chopped
5+ carrots, peeled and chopped (adjust the amount to your liking)
1 onion, chopped
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1-2 cups chopped celery
5-6 tsp beef bouillon (1 tsp=1 cube)
1 tsp crushed rosemary
1 tsp marjoram
water (7ish cups?)

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour

Cut meat into bite size pieces. Toss with 1/3 cup flour. Pan fry meat in hot skillet with butter and garlic until browned.

Dissolve bouillon in some hot water. Add browned meat and add enough hot water to cover meat by 1 inch. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 2 hours. Add vegetables and spices and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender. (I added my veggies the first time I brought it to a boil and made sure there was enough water that the veggies were covered.) Before serving, melt butter in a small pan and stir in flour. Stir this mixture in the stew and it will thicken.

**Edit 10/25/09: I made this again today, but used Country Herb Seasoning (found at Aldi's) and it was insanely awesome!!)

LF Chicken and Dumpling Soup

The other day, while we were all sick, my mom brought me Taste of Home's BIG BOOK OF SOUP. There are a TON of recipes in this book that I'd love to make. So, expect to see some soup here soon!

So, last night, it was 4:30 and I hadn't given any thought to dinner. AT ALL. Nothing thawed, no leftovers, nothing I could just throw on the table. I opened this book and this recipe just jumped out at me. I had everything in the house and it was QUICK. Love that! So, here's the recipe...Enjoy!

Low Fat Chicken and Dumplings

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2" cubes (I cut mine smaller because of the babies)
2tbsp butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cans chicken broth
3 cups water (I used 4, just because)
4 medium carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped (I used a bit more since all I had were the inner ribs with the leaves...used the leaves, too!)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
rubbed sage, crushed rosemary, and marjoram...to taste. I think I used about 1/2-1 tsp combined
1/4 tsp black pepper

In a large skillet, pan fry the chicken in the butter and garlic cloves. In your stock pot, bring to a boil the broth, water, vegetables and seasonings. Add chicken to this. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered about 30 minutes.

Dumplings:
3 egg whites
1/2 cup cottage cheese
2 tbsp water
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup ap flour

Beat the egg whites and cottage cheese in a mixing bowl. Add water and salt. Stir in flour, making sure to mix well.

When soup has simmered for 30 minutes, bring the soup back to a boil and drop dumplings into the soup by the tablespoonful. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes longer. DO NOT LIFT THE LID WHILE SIMMERING. Serve immediately.

(Looking for a use for the egg yolks?? How about this recipe? YUM!)

Cashew Chicken

A couple weeks ago, we were in this little tiny diner in Gresham and on the counter they had this 3 ring binder cookbook. It was from a "local author" and I was looking through it and saw SEVERAL recipes that I thought sounded good...but my DH didn't think I needed another cookbook....well, I thought differently and when he went to the bathroom I bought it and stashed it in the diaper bag (I'm gonna be sooooooo sad to stop carrying that big thing!) Rugby and Riley happened to find the book about a week ago and went through it, page by page telling me what they thought sounded good....so I set them up with a notebook and they wrote the recipe name, page and who thought it was gonna be a good one...now, I only have to look at their sheet for TONS of dinner ideas!! And I'll actually be using the cookbook, double bonus! We made chicken quesadillas the other day that were so good, but how do you screw that up? It's pretty simple. Anyway, another one that was marked "Both" (as in they both wanted it) was Cashew Chicken. My kids love chinese food and since most of what they like is simple stir fry stuff, I was happy to make it. This recipe is no exception. VERY SIMPLE and VERY tasty! I think the sauce would be good if I could figure out the breading to make peanut butter chicken. YUM! EnjoY!

Cashew Chicken

Peanut Butter Sauce:
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp honey

Mix together until well blended and set aside.

Stir Fry:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
3 cups broccoli, chopped
2 ribs celery, cut into 1/2" pieces
2 green onions, chopped (I skipped this for the kids)
2 Tbsp vegetable or peanut oil (I used butter)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp grated gingerroot (next time, I might add a bit more, but I LOVE ginger)
2 packages ramen noodles, flavor packages discarded
1/2 cup cashews

In the oil, saute the chicken, garlic and ginger until the chicken is no longer pink. Remove from skillet and set aside. In the skillet, add a little more oil (or like I did: a bit of chicken broth...less than 1/4 cup) and saute (or steam if you added the broth) the celery and broccoli for about 4 minutes. Add the green onion and continue to cook, stirring often until the veggies are tender-crisp. Add the chicken back to the skillet and pour the sauce over. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat. While you are waiting, add the ramen noodles JUST THE NOODLES, NOT THE FLAVOR PACKET to a pot of boiling water and boil for 3 minutes; drain. Add the noodles to the chicken and veggies. Sprinkle with cashews and serve.

Peanut butter flavor is very subtle, not at all over whelming. I hope you like it!

Ginger Soy Chicken

I made this for dinner Tuesday night. It was pretty good. I'd have liked to have more, so I'll probably double it next time. YUM!


Marinade 1 1/2 pounds of chicken in:

1/2 c soy sauce
1/2 c sherry
4 tbsp brown sugar
4-6 large cloves garlic, diced (I use a press)
2-4 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 tbsp EVOO

Grill the chicken. While it's grilling, boil the marinade until reduced by half.

Sesame Vegetables

carrots, chopped into 1 inch chunks
1 onion, chunked (love the technical terminology, right?!!)
(Additional veggies would be good too....whatever your family likes...broccoli, mushrooms, etc)
1/2 stick butter
1 tbsp or more (your choice) sesame seeds

Saute until onions are tender and carrots are slightly crisp and tender.

When the chicken is done, cut up into cubes and stir into the veggies. Pour the reduced marindae over this. Serve over rice noodles (or Tim thought mashed potatoes would have been good also.) Enjoy!!