Beef Stew 2.0

You thought I forgot about this huh!

Well I did!

I tweaked my beef stew recipe and it is so much better. It has a much richer flavor. I always felt stew 1.0 was missing something but couldn't put a finger on it. This recipe doesn't make very much (as its just me, husband, a three year old and a two year old). For the four of us it made enough for three adult servings and two child servings with a wee bit leftover. It doubles nicely, just get a bigger pot.

1 lb stew meat
1/8 c flour
2 Tbsp oil
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 large potato, peeled and cubed (about 1 in cube)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp each minced garlic, oregano, and parsley
1/2 tsp bay leaves dried
1 packet brown gravy mix
Chicken stock
Water

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Roll stew meat in flour and brown in oil with garlic. Add carrots, celery, potatoes and tomatoes (with juice). Cover half with water and half with chicken stock (just until it covers the veggies and meat). Stir in salt, pepper, oregano, parsley, bay leaves and Worcestershire sauce. Increase temp to medium high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add gravy packet and stir to dissolve (you can also dissolve it in water beforehand to make sure it doesn't clump). Simmer another 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened and potatoes are soft.

Hope I still have people that poke around to see this :) ill try not to forget you again little blog.

Thanksgiving Chicken

I want Thanksgiving.  Now.  In May.  But turkey is so expensive outside that magical November-January window!  So I made do with what I had.  Chicken.  It's close right?  White poultry meat...without the coma after! 

My mom has a fantastic recipe for the best turkey ever.  Maybe it's because I grew up on it, but it doesn't feel like Thanksgiving if I'm eating a turkey NOT made with her recipe.  Like it's not really turkey...more like one of those tofu turkeys or something.

Thanksgiving Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (approx. 5 oz each)
1 stick butter
Rosemary (I only have dried on hand)
Sage
Thyme
2 cloves Garlic (powder or fresh minced)
Salt n Peppa

Preheat oven to 375.  In a microwave safe dish place butter on its side and cover the top of it with the spices (I just eyeballed it so I don't have exact measurements sorry!).  Microwave for 1 minute until butter is melted and the spices are smelling divine.  Place your chicken breasts in an ungreased 9x13 dish.  Spoon, brush, or pour butter mixture over chicken and place in the oven for 30-45 minutes depending on thickness of chicken.  Baste with pan juices every 10 minutes or so.  My house smelled like Thanksgiving.  My mouth tasted sorta like Thanksgiving, but without the crispy skin and amazing side dishes only my mom can perfectly recreate (except sweet potatoes).

This Thanksgiving we'll be somewhere and most likely unable to go home for Thanksgiving.  So I'll be calling my mom for all her recipes in an effort to recreate the cherished meal only her hand has truly mastered.  

Sorry, no picture. I ate it too fast.

♥ K8

Aw now that's just cute!

I've seen these around on Pinterest, but I don't like most meatloaf recipes.

Mostly because they call for bread crumbs and I don't like the way they turn out.

When I found my staple meatloaf recipe from Paula Deen on Food Network, I was in love.

So I made these using my meatloaf recipe I posted HERE and they turned out SO cute!

(and SO good)

Meatloaf "Cupcakes"
(made 10 "cupcakes")

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef (or turkey)
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup dry oatmeal
1 egg slightly beaten
Salt and Peppa

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix together until well combined. using a regular size muffin tin, throw a glob of meatloaf mixture into the..."divets"...I guess? I don't know what to call them. Press the mixture into a bowl shape about 1/4 inch thick on the side and bottom. Repeat with remaining mixture in the other "divets". Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.


Whip up a batch of mashed potatoes (I used instant) and spoon into the bowls of the meatloaf cups. Top with gravy (mine came from a packet) and serve!

Peaches loved eating her Hamburger Cake and Husband filled his with ketchup, mustard, easy cheez (barf) and lettuce to make a little cheeseburger. We served them up with the remaining mashed potatoes and gravy and some sauteed spinach (washed baby spinach sauteed in olive oil with a little minced garlic until wilted).

♥K8

Winter Food in July

I love cold weather...around Christmas time.

After Christmas, I'm done. I want summer back.

If we could jump from big, fluffy snow on Christmas to 85 and sunny on December 26th I would be in heaven.

One of my fave winter foods is stew.

Thick, Hearty, Warms your bones.

Well, it's July.

But I wanted stew.
{and I forgot to take pictures}

Beef Stew

Ingredients:

1 1/2- 2 lbs stew meat
5 potatoes {washed and peeled as much or as little as you want, i like a little peel}
1/2 lb baby carrots
5 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf {or a few shakes of dried, crushed bay leaves}
few shakes of dried rosemary
Salt & Peppa
1 package Au Jus gravy mix {or brown gravy mix}
2 Tbsp oil
some flour {maybe 1/2 cup?}
6 cups water

Heat oi in a large pot. Roll individual pieces of meat in flour until coated. Brown meat in oil with garlic, Salt & Peppa, Bay leaf and Rosemary until meat is seared on the outside. Slice potatoes into 1/2 inch thick half circles. Add potatoes, carrots and water. Bring to a boil stirring occasionally. Cover and simmer on low until potatoes and carrots are tender. Add gravy mix and simmer until thickened.
{if you want it thicker, mix 1 Tbsp corn starch with 1 Tbsp cold water until smooth and throw it in the stew}

I served it with Buttermilk biscuits

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp SACO Buttermilk Blend
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp sugar
1/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup water

Sift dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles corn meal. Add water and mix until dough is pliable. Do not overbeat. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead for about 30 seconds. Roll or pat 1/2 inch thick, no less {i did mine about an inch thick}. Cut with floured biscuit cutter {i used a cup}. Place close together on ungreased baking sheet {i greased min with a little Pam}. Bake 10 minutes at 450 degrees.
{Recipe from Saco Buttermilk Blend can}

Big thanks to neighbor Audrey for the buttermilk powder stuff. Those biscuits were DELISH! {and the stew was too of course!}

♥ K8

Macky Cheese

Enlarged to show texture

So my two year old talks fairly well for her age...but she has a hard time saying Mac and Cheese.

Sometimes we can get "maca-oh-ni", but it's usually Macky Cheese.

She loves it.

I felt a little guilty giving her the boxed stuff all the time because, well lets face it, that stuff ain't exactly healthy.

So after several trial and error dinners I made my own Macky Cheese.

You can make as much or as little as you want depending on the amount of noodles you cook, but the sauce recipe is usually good for about 3 or 4 good sized bowls.

Sauce:

2 cups milk
6-8 slices American Cheese
1/2 cup grated Cheddar Cheese

Heat milk in a sauce pan over medium heat, break American cheese slices into quarters and add 2 slices at a time. Make sure you stir REALLY well and all cheese is melted before you add the next slices...keeps the sauce nice and creamy and smoooooooth. Once all the American cheese is added and melted, add the Cheddar cheese and stir until melted and smooth. Turn heat to low. Cook and drain your elbow macaroni and return to pot. Dump the cheese sauce into the noodles and give her a good stir. Yup, just like with the chili. You can add more grated cheddar or even some mozzarella if you want. If you want to fancy it up a little, you can use Gruyere or swiss cheese as well, or in place of, the cheddar.

To make a thicker sauce, either do less milk or more American Cheese. To make a thinner sauce, do the opposite of what I just said.

For some reason kids love this stuff and so does my husband. As was stated in my previous recipe, I am a cheese fiend...so you know I be grubbin' on this bizness.

♥ K8

Comfort Food

Fried chicken, a hot casserole, good ol' mac and cheese.

Comfort food.

Makes a rainy day cheerful and can heal a broken heart. I figured I would start with my favorite comfort food:

Meatloaf

My husband thinks it's a waste of meat. I think it's incredible. This one is a very straight forward recipe with nothing spectacular...except the sauce. The sauce makes this meatloaf extraordinary. I pair it up with some mashed potatoes (instant is A-OK with me) and gravy and green beans.

Makes about 4 servings (2 slices per serving)

2 lbs ground beef (can also use ground turkey)
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 egg slightly beaten
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup oats (can use quick or old fashioned)

Mix it all together and shape into a loaf in loaf pan or baking dish.

Sauce:
1/3 cup ketchup
2 Tbl brown sugar
1 Tbl mustard

Mix together and spread over top of loaf. Bake at 375 degrees for an hour. Let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Another thing I love about this recipe is by using spaghetti sauce, you get some veggies in there. It also makes AMAZING sandwiches the next day!

♥ K8