Hello out there! Today's weather report - a nice fall day - really cool morning that warmed up to a pleasant 74 degrees and is now headed back down to the 60s. And if the weather ap is correct, tomorrow's report should be about the same!
I love to cook, especially in the fall and winter months! This is going to be a budget saver, quick meals, and yummy for your tummy post! This is NOT diet food! Everything is so expensive right now! But remember, it's a lot cheaper and healthier to eat at home.
Let's get started! Things to keep in the cabinets: Whole kernel corn, canned beans or dry casserole beans you cook yourself, canned tomatoes with green chilies, pasta - cheap and many choices; bow tie, shell, elbow, and rotini! Beef and chicken bouillon cubes, salt, pepper, cumin, and garlic powder(who has time to cut and dice fresh garlic?). Not me! I also try to keep a couple of packages of taco seasoning mix, cornbread mixes, potato flakes, and biscuit mix on hand. You don't have to buy everything at once, just a can or package at a time. Another thing I buy is a jar of diced jalapenos. If you aren't into spicy, don't buy those. If you are, they are with the pickles! I also keep a couple or three cans of evaporated milk on hand. Jim and I don't drink milk, so unless the grandkids are here... canned milk works great. Of course, during this time of year I buy milk because I'm baking! A four pack of tomato soup is a must or a couple of the really big cans!
Now let's stock the fridge and freezer! Cheese! And the price hasn't been as high as other items. I buy the great value brand of Colby Jack shredded cheese. If you have have a big family, buy the larger bag, but if your budget is tight, the smaller bag will work just fine. Sliced cheese: I like pepper jack and Jim likes sharp cheddar. Remember - this is still cheaper than eating out! Buy a couple tubes of pork chorizo! Super economic and so good! I'll share some ideas below. Chicken thighs are easy on the budget and very versatile. Ground meat is high but when you mix it with other things it goes a long way. Grab a bag of potatoes and onions from the produce section. Yellow squash and zucchini are very affordable. If you buy mushrooms, get the whole ones, they last longer and are super easy to cut up. Eggs are expensive, but necessary! Try to keep some in the fridge and maybe a can or two of biscuits.
Meal time recipes: Goulash is one of my favorite meals to make and everyone in my family loves it! Cook a pound or two of ground meat, depending on the size of your family. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add some chopped onions, one is fine, and then add the tomatoes and green chilies. Let it simmer for awhile, 15 minutes or so. Add a can of whole kernel corn and then add a can of water. I learned this trick many years ago - I love one pan or pot cooking! Make sure you have enough broth/liquid in your goulash and turn the heat where it is a slow boil. Add some pasta, about a cup if you used one pound of ground meat, or two cups if you used more. Let the pasta boil with everything for about 15 minutes. Goulash is great with a pan of red (pinto) beans, crackers, tortillas, or cornbread. Cornbread mixes are inexpensive and easy to make! No, I don't make tortillas. I go to a Mexican bakery and buy five or six dozen and keep them in the freezer. The trick is to make sure they are not still warm or stuck together when you put them in the freezer. They freeze great and taste fresh - I just put them on the comal Jim made for me about thirty-five years ago and heat them up!
Okay - I'm taking a break. Jim is through working for the day so I'm going to go and visit with him and I'll finish this post in the morning! But wait! I've attached a picture of my comal that sits on the back burner of my stove at all times! Grilled cheese sandwiches, frozen waffles, pancakes, tortillas, etc. And the best quesadillas! Our grandkids love quesadillas!
Good morning out there! It is 9:06 am and it is chilly outside! A brisk 44 degrees with the high expected to hit 80 degrees! Love this weather!
Back to cooking and meals - Tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches are great for busy evenings and all of our bunch loves this meal! I add milk to the soup instead of water (unless we are out of milk), and then you have creamy tomato soup - some extra calcium is always good! Cut up a couple of apples and you're set! Fritos are a great addition but they are really expensive right now.
Cooking hints: Add 1/2 cup of potato flakes to soup to thicken it up. When Jim cooks chorizo he turns the burner to 4 (low to medium heat) and cooks it for about 8-10 minutes. Add chorizo to refried beans and or scrambled eggs for yummy breakfast burritos. My favorite is chorizo with refried beans and grated cheese! My dad used to grate a large russet potato and mix it in with hamburger meat when he cooked burgers on the grill! Canned biscuits are great for dumplings! Just cut each biscuit into four pieces, unless they are big, then cut into six pieces and drop into simmering/almost boiling chicken broth! Easy peasy and they taste great! Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches tastes great when the bread is toasted!
Potato Soup is so good! I boil my chopped potatoes in a large pot with two or three chicken bouillon cubes and a generous shake, shake, shake of garlic powder. While the potatoes are cooking, I get out my small iron skillet and cook a pound of breakfast sausage. If I'm not in a hurry, I'll chop up an onion or at least half of one, and cook with the sausage. When the potatoes are tender, I add some salt and pepper, stir in the cooked sausage and onions, and add a can of evaporated milk! Yum! I think I might make that tonight! Remember, you can always just add a half pound of sausage, when making soup, use your imagination and the ingredients you have! If you like celery, chop it up and throw it in the pot! Grated cheese, saltine crackers, croutons, biscuits; Pick and choose and you've got a warm and hearty meal! You can also use some ham instead of breakfast sausage. I usually do that after Thanksgiving when I've got leftover ham in the fridge.
Another item I keep on hand is self rising flour - I make my beer bread with that plus 3 more ingredients! Instead of writing out that easy recipe I'm going to copy and paste a post from six years ago that includes it. Great recipe and a great memory! There's also a tip for how to make sour or buttermilk, something I definitely don't keep on hand!
Y'all have a great day!
And as always - Peace and blessings to you and yours, near and far, wherever you are!
Bye for now, Sharla
And here are a couple of pictures of desserts my family loves! Remember, the most important ingredient is a big cup of love! Give thanks to the Lord while you're cooking, sing a song, say a prayer, and have fun!
Look at the date! Time flies by so make the most of it! Take care of your family and God bless you!
Thursday, June 2, 2016
COOKIES, BEER BREAD, AND 33 YEARS OF MARRIAGE - IT'S ALL GOOD!
raining on and off all week. Right now it is overcast and a little cool outside,
70 degrees to be exact. For this time of year, 70 degrees is awesome! The only thing
negative about this kind of weather is it makes me want to bake! I saw some chocolate
chips in the pantry and so I decided to check and see what other ingredients I have on
hand. I have everything I need to make a big batch of chocolate chip oatmeal cookies
with pecans! Doesn't that sound great? I also have the ingredients to make beer bread.
I haven't made beer bread since the Christmas season because I sure don't need
to eat it, but it sounds really good today! AND it is so easy to make! I will share the
recipe will y'all! Easy peasy and only 4 ingredients!
3 1/4 cups self rising flour
1/2 cup sugar
stir together
add 1 can (12 oz.) of room temperature beer (I use Lone Star because that is what Jim
drinks and so I have it on hand).
Stir until well blended, batter will be kind of lumpy.
Spoon into a greased (I use the Crisco spray stuff) loaf / bread pan. My loaf pans
are glass but the aluminum / metal pans work just as well. I've used two loaf pans and you get to keep a loaf and share a loaf! If you use two loaf pans, the baking time is 40 minutes. Check it at 35, if the tops are lightly browned, they're ready.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 50 minutes. This bread smells so good when
it is baking!
Melt 1/2 stick of butter (the recipe calls for 1 stick, but 1/2 is a little less fattening!)
Melt the butter and pour it all over the top of the bread and then put the
bread back into the oven for another 3-4 minutes.
Wait as long as you can and then slice and enjoy! Add more butter if you want, but
it really doesn't need it. This bread is great with soups, stews, a big pot of red beans
and as toast! I haven't tried it as garlic bread but I bet that is would be great that way
too! There is also a really good biscuit recipe on the back of the self-rising flour.
This reminds me of another baking tip to pass along. If you want to make Buttermilk biscuits and don't have or keep buttermilk on hand this tip will work. Use 1 teaspoon of vinegar for each 1/3 cup of milk. If your recipe calls for 1 cup of buttermilk, add (3) teaspoons or (1) tablespoon of vinegar to your milk and let it sit for at least 5 minutes. I usually add the vinegar to the milk first thing and then by the time I get to that step it has already been plenty of time for the milk to sour.
I really had not planned on writing about recipes or cooking tips today but sometimes
that is what happens! I have something serious I want to talk about but I think I will
post it on another page. I want this page to be about happy things! No downers after
this fun yummy recipe swap!
On Saturday, Jim and I will be married for 33 years! I can't believe it! The years have
flown by. I thank God everyday for blessing me with such a wonderful husband. One
of my favorite scriptures from the bible is from Genesis, when Adam sees Eve for the
first time -
Genesis 2:21-24
So the Lord God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was
asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.
The Lord God then built up into a woman the rib that he had taken from the man.
When he brought her to the man, the man said:
"This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh;
This one shall be called 'woman,' for out of 'her man' this one has been taken."
That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and
the two of them become one body.
Another one of my favorite scriptures that I think is so important for a happy
marriage and a loving family is this one -
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient; love is kind. Love is not jealous, it does not put on airs,
it is not snobbish. Love is never rude, it is not self-seeking,
it is not prone to anger; neither does it brood over injuries.
Love does not rejoice in what is wrong but rejoices with the truth.
There is no limit to love's forbearance, to its trust, its hope, its power to endure.
I hope you all have a wonderful day. If you try the beer bread recipe let me know
if you like it. I hope the vinegar substitution helps also! God bless you all!
Bye for now, Sharla
