Perfect Rice...Every Time

Photo courtesy of ScottChan of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 How many times have I made rice and it turned out to be a huge sticky mess? I can't begin to count the times! All I wanted was rice that sat nicely on a plate and I could put stir fry over or I could use it in fried rice, one of my favorite foods!
Well, I've tried and tried and just couldn't get the hang of it. Now, finally after all these years, I've figured out something that works for me! EVERY. TIME! The great thing about this method is that it doesn't much effort and if you do a little planning, you won't be using any extra electric or extra appliances (yes, I almost bought a "rice cooker" before I discovered this method).

So...lets get started.

The amount of rice doesn't matter...whatever you need for your family. For ours we usually make one cup of dry rice so we end up with about two cups of cooked rice.

You'll need a covered baking dish. If you don't have a regular casserole dish you can use whatever you have and cover it with foil but I prefer my Corning Ware dishes. Put one cup of rice in the dish and add two cups of water, add a dash of salt (if desired but it's not necessary) and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place the lid on the dish and bake it at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and let it sit another 15 minutes. Fluff it with a fork and serve.

Now the way I save on energy is I'll bake a dish or two of rice while I'm baking something else. If I'm not serving it with dinner I let it cool off some then I put it in the refrigerator for later use. Most of the time it becomes part of lunch for the next day when I have something that calls for cold rice...like fried rice!

Here's another tip: If you are using it for fried rice, instead of adding two cups of water, replace 1/4 of a cup of water with soy sauce. Then when you make your fried rice the next day you won't need to add the soy sauce so you won't need to wait for it to evaporate when you are frying the rice. It really makes the rice crispy.

Have a great day!
Mavis D.

Homemade Coleslaw Dressing

I've been looking for a recipe for a coleslaw dressing that we liked. My mom just mixes mayonnaise and vinegar but we didn't like that flavor much so I've been experimenting and we've finally decided on a winner.

I just make it up as needed, there no reason to make up too much at a time. I'd say we have coleslaw about once per week and it only takes a few minutes to mix it up so it's fresh!

Using a pint size jar, add three tablespoons of sugar, a teaspoon of salt and three tablespoons of vinegar.
Shake or stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Add 3/4 cup of "salad dressing" (some people call all of the white sandwich spreads mayonnaise but if you look closely, there is actually two different products...we prefer the salad dressing version). After you've added your mayo or "salad dressing" put the lid on tight and shake it up. Right before serving, pour dressing over your shredded cabbage and carrots, then toss to coat.

We used to buy the Kraft Coleslaw dressing but now we use this instead. It works out to be about 35c per mix and the Kraft is about $1.50 per bottle.

Hope you enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday - August 1st

This week is going to be CRAZY! We're having VBS at our church this week so we'll need to be out the door by 5:30pm. We'll eat dinner at home and take dads dinner to him so he can scarf it down before he goes to teach class! We're so looking forward to it...our kids all love to attend VBS. So...even though we'll be away from home each night this week, we'll still be able to have normal meals...except Monday because we are also having a bowling day with our homeschool group. :)

I'm also going to start planning our meals for Saturday and Sunday. In the past, I've kind of flew by the seat of my pants but that's clearly NOT working! Saturdays are usually pretty laid back so I'll plan a big pot of something and they eat on that throughout the day. Sunday afternoon is utter chaos, hungry children and having to stop by the store is NO fun so...we'll probably have a crockpot meal or something that can be popped into the oven. I really don't like stopping by the store on the way home to pick something up...it's simply too expensive.

So...here's what's on our menu:

Monday - meal out (between skating and VBS)
Tuesday - Scalloped potatoes with turkey ham (crockpot meal)
Wednesday - Cheesy Chicken enchiladas with green salad
Thursday - BBQ chicken sandwiches on homemade wheat buns
Friday - Family pizza night
Saturday - Italian Vegetable soup with wheat crackers (recipe to come)
Sunday - Beef stroganoff served over egg noodles

What's on your plate this week?

Easy Chicken Cacciatore

Tonight time sort of got away from me and before I knew it, it was dinner time and there was nothing to eat. The natives were restless and hungry! So I threw together my version of chicken cacciatore. It's super easy because I used pre-cooked, de-boned chicken. This works especially well since I don't really like the skin left on it and a lot of the recipes I've seen call for leaving the skin on. So...here's my version (photo coming soon!)

Easy Chicken Cacciatore

1-2 pounds cooked, skinless, de-boned chicken (any parts you like)
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes with liquid
2 tablespoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

Put your chicken in a large skillet and brown it a little on medium heat. Add the peppers, onions and garlic...toss to mix. Pour diced tomatoes with liquid over the top and mix together. Add seasoning...simmer 10 minutes until heated through and veggies are tender. Serve over prepared pasta or rice.

This is a yummy quick meal and I make it even easier because I use pre-cooked chicken that I have ready in the freezer. I also use peppers and onions that are already diced and in the freezer. When I do that, I can make dinner from start to finish in about 15 minutes!

What meal do you have that can be made in 15 minutes that fills your hungry bunch? Leave us a comment and let us know.

Wow! What a Day!

This has been an interesting day! As I've mentioned, it's HOT here in Arkansas but today I decided to get some baking done. I wanted to do enough to last at least a week so I made 5 loaves of bread, two to keep out and three to freeze. Then I made a triple batch of granola....not the kids favorite "Chocolate Granola" flavor but it might actually last a few days! *grin* Then, I made a double batch of oatmeal and white chocolate chip cookies...Yummy!

Now I am off to fold laundry.

What have you been able to accomplish today? Leave a comment and let me know!

Menu Plan Monday

Since it's gotten so hot here in Arkansas I am trying really hard not to use my oven. Instead, I've been using my crockpot for a lot of things and adapting some "oven" meals to the crockpot....most of the time, they turn out pretty well!

I haven't planned our menu in some time and it's really showed. We've also had pasta a lot lately so this week we're having some potatoes a little more. So here is our menu for this week!

Monday - Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
Tuesday -Taco Salad
Wednesday - Scalloped Potatoes with Turkey Ham
Thursday -  Salisbury steaks, mashed potatoes and corn on the cob
Friday - Family Pizza night

What are you having for dinner?

Salisbury Steak Perfection!

I love Salisbury steaks smothered in brown gravy...oh my but my old recipe had a little to be desired so I've been playing with it. Let me tell you, I think I've found the secret! Melt in your mouth tender with just the right amount of kick! Try it yourself and come back to tell me what you think!

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 packs of crackers, crushed fine (you know, 4 to a box...use two of them)
2 eggs
1 package onion soup mix
1/4 cup steak sauce (like A-1 but use your favorite brand)
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Mix that all together well and make into patties (mine made about 10 patties) and grill them. I use my indoor grill. Now make up your favorite brown gravy recipe....I cheat and use the packages.....you'll need about 3 cups of gravy. Right before serving, pour your gravy over the top of them.

Oh Yummy! My mouth is still watering!

Chocolate Granola

A friend (thanks Vail!) gave us a bunch of rolled oats that she couldn't use fast enough so I thought I'd whip up some chocolate granola. It turned out great so I thought I'd share the recipe.

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped nuts (your favorite)
1 cup chocolate chips
1 can sweeten condensed milk

You can also add some cranberries if you like....I don't like them in my granola so I never add them. :)

Mix all this up and put it into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes to an hour...depending on how dry you like yours. You'll need to stir about half way through which will mix the chocolate in a little more....don't worry, it's supposed to do that.

Let it cool for awhile in your pan. Then you can break it apart. Store in a covered container in the fridge.

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

Tonight I tried a new dish on my family...actually, it was more like an experiment. :) I had read a few different recipes for "Chicken enchiladas" but had never tried any of them. So....with a rough idea I jumped in feet first and it was a HUGE hit. It probably does fit up there with the least expensive meal we've had because of the cheese but it was really good and we'll be adding it to our regular menu. So....here it is:

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

2 pounds of chicken (cooked and deboned and cut into small sized pieces, I shredded mine)
2 cups jack cheese, grated
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 pkg taco season mix
Corn tortilla rounds

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Put your chicken, soup, sour cream and half the taco seasoning into a mixing bowl and mix well. Then add a little over half of each of your cheeses (basically you'll reserve enough to put on top) Mix it well. Using a medium to large sized spoon put the mixture in the middle of a tortilla and roll it up. Place them into a 9x13 inch baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Keep rolling until the mixture is gone or you pan is full....you know, which ever one happens first. Spread the remaining cheese on top and bake for about 30 minutes until everything is hot and bubbly. Serve with refried beans and a salad if you like.

This made a lot of enchiladas for our family so if you have a small family you might want to half the recipe. Another option would be to make two of them and freeze one for later.

They were simply yummy and almost knocked their favorite casserole off it's thrown!

Have a great day!
Mavis D.

Waffle Experiment update and Homemade syrup!

Back in October I posted a great waffle mix recipe and told of our experiment to freeze waffles. I'm sometimes a little skeptical of how some things will work out...especially when I've read them online. You know, you can't always believe what you read.

However, in this case, I'd like to report that it turned out great! My first freezer batch of waffles were fabulous. I made a quaduple batch of mix and spent some time making them. Of course, this would have been much faster had I purchased a larger waffle iron but I wanted to experiment so I bought one of the smaller ones for less than $10 but only makes two at a time. You can see how this was a little time consuming since each batch makes about 16 waffles!

Anyway....they turned out great and I prefer the waffles that are a little crispy so when we take them out to heat, we use a toaster.

Now...on to the syrup recipe.

You'll find that most pancake recipes contain high fructose corn syrup....and ingredient avoided in our house. So, I've made up our own pancake syrup recipe which is really easy.

2 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon maple flavor

Put everything in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Allow it to boil for 5 minutes and then turn it off and let it cool. When cool, pour into syrup bottle or container.

Have a great day and enjoy the waffles!

Mavis D.

Waffle Mix

I recently purchased a new waffle iron as an experiment. I want to make waffles up ahead and put them in the freezer for our little guys. I was skeptical at first. I had read about it being done but still wasn't convinced until I tried it myself. Let me tell you, it's great! Finding just the right recipe....not so easy. Here is the one we've settled on. You can mix all the dry ingredients up before hand and then just add the liquids before mixing and making them or you can make them ahead and freeze them. To warm them, pop them into the toaster. Oh...and this recipe is easy peasy to double, triple or more!

Plain Waffles

2 c. flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs. sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk (you can make this half water and half milk if you'd like)
1/4 c oil (we use olive oil but you can use what you prefer)

Combine all and mix well. Cook/bake on your waffle iron. To freeze for later use, put them on a cookie sheet and freeze individually. When frozen, transfer to a large freezer bag or container.

Flour can be a combination of half whole wheat, all whole wheat or half cornmeal. It's a pretty easy recipe. :)

Make Your Own Ketchup

Make it Yourself Monday

We've had a hard time finding ketchup without HFCS so I've decided to try my hand at making my own. I found a few different recipes and this one seems to be the best fit for us. It may have a little more garlic than you'd like but we like lots of garlic so it's not a problem for us. :)

I do think that once you try homemade ketchup, you'll end up preferring it, I know our family does and the cost savings is great!

Since I was also wanting to address cost, one requirement for the recipe had to be that it used tomato paste or sauce because it's cheap and easily stored. So, with out further delay, here is our favorite ketchup recipe!

2 6oz cans of tomato paste
4 tablespoons white vinegar (I accidentally used white wine vinegar but it still tastes ok)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
4 teaspoons molasses
2 teaspoons garlic powder (you can cut this back to one if your family isn't crazy about garlic)
2 teaspoons onion powder
1/8 teaspoons all spice
1 teaspoon sea salt (we prefer sea salt but regular table salt is fine)
2 1/2 cups of water

Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer on low heat for one hour until it's as thick as you like. Allow it to cool completely before you pour into bottles....especially if you are using plastic bottles!

This recipe yields about 1 quart of Ketchup at a cost of less than $1 and all of the items it calls for are regularly stored in my pantry.

Rolled Sugar Cookies

It happened. Last night everyone had a serious attack! It was the attack of the sweet tooth! Thankfully our 17 year old son who loves to EAT kicked into gear. Although he loves to eat, I'm very thankful that he also loves to COOK! I mean, if you're going to have a habit of eating everything in site, it's nice to have a corresponding habits that work well together...right? That's what I'm thinking!

Here is the recipe he used and let me tell you, it makes a LOT of cookies....which 5 boys can go through a LOT of cookies!

7 cups all purpose flour
1 cup milk
4 eggs (beaten)
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups coconut oil (you can also use butter, softened)
5 teaspoons baking powder

Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together. Cut in the coconut oil (or butter) until it's well mixed. Add the sugar, eggs and milk and mix well. Cover with plastic or a lid and put in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. This will make the dough easier to work.

When the dough is ready, take out a handful at a time and work it. Roll it out on whatever surface your using (we just use the counter).....you'll want the dough thin. Cut with cookie cutters and place on an oiled cookie sheet then sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes until they start to brown around the edges. Allow them to cool a bit before you remove them from the sheet. We also let them cool on a cooling rack for awhile before we put them in the cookie jar.

We made cookies that were about the size of vanilla wafers and we really liked that size because they are just right for little hands. We also think that they can be substituted for vanilla wafers in recipes that call for them.

These are simple cookies that are not too sweet but just sweet enough to satisfy our cravings and since they are homemade, I have no worries about letting our children have a few throughout the day. As always, cooking from scratch is always cheaper, tastier and better for you....even if it's cookies!

Years ago, we were able to get some wonderful wild plums and I made tons of plum jelly. Well, we haven't been as fortunate with those and my boys simply love the stuff.

I tried buying the "plum jelly" from the store but they said it didn't taste the same and of course, all store-bought jelly I can find uses high-fructose corn syrup as it's main sweetener.

The other day I was at our local Walmart and noticed they had red plums on sale for $1.25 per pound. A great buy but our family doesn't eat plums quick enough so I bought some for jelly.

I started with 4 pounds of plums. Cut them up and remove the seed...leave the skins on. You'll need to cut them about the size of potatoes when you are making them for mashed potatoes. When you're all done, put them in a large pan with about 1 1/2 cups of water and bring them to a boil stirring occasionally. Simmer them for a bit and I like to squish the larger pieces up against the sides to make a mushy mixture. After they've cooked a bit, pour them fruit into a jelly bag. This is a straining bag that removes the pulp from the juice. Work it with a spoon to get all that good juice out.

Now, with juice ready, you're ready to make jelly. You'll need to follow the directions for your particular brand of pectin but these instructions are all about the same.

Put 5 1/2 cups of plum juice into a large pot....I like a tall one like a stock pot and if it has pour spouts on the sides it will make your job easier. Measure 6 1/2 cups of sugar into a bowl and have it sitting near by. Stir your pectin into the juice and mix well. Bring the juice to a rolling boil that doesn't stir down. While the juice is boiling, pour in the sugar quickly while stirring the juice. Bring the jelly back to a rolling boil. When it gets to the rolling boil stage, time exactly 1 minute with a kitchen timer.

When the timer runs out, remove from heat and stir it down until little or no foam is left on top. Pour into prepared canning jars, cover with sterilized lids and rings. And process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

When I made this batch the other day, our 17 year old came home from grandma's house and discovered that I had made some. He was really excited and couldn't wait for it to cool before trying some!

Million Dollar Chocolate Cake

This is a "Million Dollar" Chocolate cake because it's incredibly RICH! You'll need a full glass of milk when having a slice! We recently made this cake for my sons birthday and although it has chocolate icing to go with it, we think it would work well with a nice Coconut Pecan frosting as well.

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cups baking cocoa
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup hot water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare one 9x13 baking pan or two 9-inch round pans. A bunt pan can also be used.

Place all ingredients into mixing bowl except the water. Mix well for about 2 minutes, medium speed works great. Mix in hot water....don't worry if it looks thin, it's supposed to be that way. Pour into prepared pans and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove and allow to cool completely.

Million Dollar Chocolate Icing

3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup real butter, melted
2/3 cup baking cocoa
1/3 cup milk
1 t vanilla extract

After melting the butter, stir in the cocoa. Add the powdered sugar and milk by alternating between the two until it's all mixed in well. Stir in vanilla. This makes about 2 cups of icing. If you'd like to make it a little runny to pour over a bunt cake just add a little more milk but not much.

You can make this a mix by putting all the dry ingredients in a jar or bag and having it ready. Then just add the liquids when your ready.

Now, get out a tall glass of ice cold milk and enjoy!

Steak & Veggies

This recipe was adapted from another recipe I have. We added some bell peppers to the mix and the result was great!

2 lbs steak (any cut is fine)
2 large onions, sliced
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 bell peppers, cut in slices
1 can diced tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil or butter

Cut your meat up into serving size pieces. Put oil or butter into a skillet and seer both sides of the meat turning once. Put the onions on top then the salt and pepper. Pour the tomatoes over the top and simmer, covered, on low until the meat is tender. This can take up to an hour depending on the steak.

During the last 15 minutes of cooking, place the bell pepper slices on top. Don't let the peppers cook too much, just until tender.

Remove and serve with Herb Roasted potatoes.

Since the meat is cooked for a longer amount of time you can use cheaper cuts of meat. Try to find it on sale and don't be afraid to purchase meats that are nearing their "sell by" date. If it's close to the date, either cook it in the next few days or freeze it for later use.

This can also be cooked in a crock-pot!

Enchilada Casserole

This recipe has evolved over the last couple of years. It really didn't start out as a recipe. I had some leftover taco meat and re-fried beans after having taco salads and burritos one night.

Our family loves enchiladas but making each individual one and laying them in a pan was time consuming. So....what happens. I decide on trying something new. :) How about a casserole?!

I now make this up, usually several dishes at a time and freeze them. It's a perfect "freezer meal" and I've used them to give to families when we were providing a meal. Most of the time they ask for the recipe! So, here it is!

Enchilada Casserole

Corn tortillas - these are found in the bread isle, not the chip isle
taco meat - leftovers work great
Re-fried beans - canned works great....just water it down a bit to make it spreadable
grated cheddar cheese - or your favorite "Mexican" blend
Picante sauce

Spray your baking dish with cooking spray so nothing sticks. Pour enough Picante sauce in the bottom to cover the bottom of the dish. Place tortillas in one layer to cover the bottom. Spread refried beans on top....then taco meat and finally a layer of cheese. Do this over and over until you have filled your pan or used all your leftovers!

Bake at 350 degrees until everything is hot and bubbly. Serve with spanish rice and/or corn.

Sometimes I'll make up some rice to add to the layers. It really all depends on what you like with your "mexican" foods and how much "leftovers" you had to work with.

I haven't given quanitities with this recipe because I always make it with the leftovers from taco salad and/or burritos. Now, I always make sure I have too much so I can make this because our family likes it so much!

Sweets for the Sweet

My friend, Michelle, requested some recipes for sweets! She’s been waiting a long time for this and I hope you enjoy them as well.

Some of my favorite candy is Reese’s peanut butter cups and Almond Joy candy bars. Here are a couple of recipes that are very similar and best of all, they are easy to make....even our boys can do it!

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Chocolates

½ stick of butter, softened

2 ½ cups of powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup smooth peanut butter (I like Skippy Natural)

½ tsp salt

1 cup milk chocolate or dark chocolate

Mix together butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt in a mixing bowl. Blend on medium speed for about 2 minutes until it’s very smooth.

Use a spoon to dip out some of the mixture and form it into quarter sized balls. You can also choose to press the mixture into candy molds if you are going for a specific shape. When you are finished shaping them, cover them with foil and let them chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

While the “filling” is chilling (funny huh?), melt the chocolate. After the filling part has chilled, dip them, one at a time, in the chocolate. Allow a little of the chocolate to drip from them so the chocolate is a thin layer, then place them on a cookie sheet that’s lined with wax paper or parchment paper.

Chill them again to set the chocolate. When they are firm, serve.

Chocolate Coconut Candies

4 cups powdered sugar

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 tbsp vanilla

1 (12oz) package, flake coconut

1 stick butter, melted

12 oz pkg. chocolate chips (milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate)

½ block of paraffin (optional)

Mix together sugar, milk, vanilla, and coconut. Add butter and mix well. Form into desired shapes or press into candy molds. Chill overnight or for several hours.

Melt chocolate and paraffin in a double boiler. Dip candy and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper.

The paraffin is option, I personally don’t use it but it does leave the chocolate a little softer.

If you want the candy to taste like Almond Joy (without the almond) then use milk chocolate chips. If you want it to taste like Mounds candy, use semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Italian Sprouts

Our family loves Brussell sprouts and here is a simple recipe to serve them. You can use homemade Italian dressing or your favorite brand.

2 (16 oz.) packages of Brussell sprouts
1/2 cup Italian dressing
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Put sprouts in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook 3 minutes then drain. Put cooked sprouts into a serving dish. Pour dressing over the sprouts and mix lightly to coat. Top with grated cheese and serve.

Grandma's Divinity

This is the time of year for candy making, cookie baking and all sorts of things to fix the sweet tooth! I'm not a candy maker...I prefer to eat it. My mom, however, has been making Fudge and Divinity for years and I have fond memories of scraping the last of the fudge out of the pan or stealing pieces of Divinity when she wasn't looking. It's wonderful stuff and we just can't get enough. My son, the candy maker of our family, plans to get hands-on training in the art of making this divinity. Last year he learned fudge making...this year, it's Grandma's Divinity! I can't wait! YUM!

2 2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup light corn syrup
2 egg whites (stiffly beaten)
2/3 cups pecans
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix sugar, syrup and water in a pan, stir over low heat until sugar dissolves; Cook without stirring to 260 degrees. Remove from heat and pour beating constantly in a fine stream into the beaten egg whites. Add vanilla, fold in nuts. Spread into a buttered pan or spoon onto buttered cookie sheet. Top with pecan halves.

Have a great day and don't eat TOO much Divinity!

Mavis D.