The Perfect Day for Stew

Oh, little dutch oven, so bright and cherry red...I was thinking about you all day!

It was so cold and drizzly today...I didn't even want to leave the house this morning.

Afternoon inspiration told me just what I wanted to do with you...

Something yummy!

Something perfect for a cold, rainy night!

Stew!

♥ 3 lbs. chuck or rump, cut in 1 1/2 inch cubes

♥ 1 cup of sliced onion

♥ 2 beef bouillon cubes in 4 cups of water

♥1 tbsp. parsley flakes or fresh, cut up

♥1 clove garlic, minced

♥ 1/2 teaspoon salt

♥ 1/2 teaspoon pepper

♥ 1/4 teaspoon thyme

♥ 1 bay leaf

♥1 cup of corn

♥ 6 potatoes (quartered)

♥ 6 carrots, peeled and sliced

♥ 2 tbsp. flour

♥ 2 cups of Bisquick

♥2/3 cup of milk



In a hot dutch oven, brown beef cubes well on all sides. Remove and set aside. Add onion and saute until tender. Return beef to pan. Add parsley, garlic, salt & pepper, bay leaf, thyme, and bouillon cube mixture.  Add a little bit of red wine, if you want to!

Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 1 1/2 hours. Add vegetables and simmer covered for about 1 hour or until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat, skim off fat. Mix flour with about 1/4 cup of the broth from the stew. Stir into beef mixture. Simmer about 10 more minutes until slightly thickened.

To mix the dumplings, pour 2 cups of Bisquick into a small bowl.  Add 2/3 cup of milk, and stir until well mixed. Spoon by the tablespoon all over the top of stew and let cook about 10 more minutes until dumplings are cooked.

The perfect rainy night dinner!

Can't wait for leftovers for lunch tomorrow :-)



Happy Homemaking!

♥ Beth

Jalapeño Jelly

One of the ladies at work today brought in the yummiest treat!  She made jalapeño jelly at home and brought it in with stone ground wheat crackers and cream cheese spread.  It wasn't the healthiest thing in the world, but it tasted just wonderful!

I haven't gotten to try the recipe myself, but I wanted to save it so that I don't forget it (and I figured I'd share it with you!)

♥ 1 large green bell pepper
♥12 jalapeno peppers

♥1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar

♥1 pinch salt

♥4 1/4 cups granulated sugar

♥4 ounces liquid pectin

♥4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
 
1.Combine the green bell pepper and 12 jalapeno peppers in the container of a food processor or blender. Process until finely chopped. This can be done in batches, if the peppers do not fit.


2.Transfer the peppers to a large saucepan, and stir in the cider vinegar. Bring to a boil, and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Strain the mixture through at least 2 layers of cheesecloth, and discard pulp. You should have about 1 cup of liquid.

3.Return the liquid to the saucepan, and stir in the salt and sugar until dissolved. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When the mixture comes to a rolling boil (one that cannot be stirred down), boil for one minute, then stir in the liquid pectin.

4.Stir in the remaining jalapeno peppers, and ladle into sterile jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Seal jars in a hot water bath. Refrigerate jelly after seal is broken.





If you get to try it before I do, make sure you tell me about it!
 
 
 
 
P.S. Along with the jalapeno jelly, she also set out a platter of tomato slices soaked in balsamic vinegar.  Balsamic tomatoes on top of cream cheese crackers?  Who know that would be so tasty?!?
Give that one a try, too!

Happy Homemaking!
♥ Bethany

Dutch Oven Pot Roast

I have a new baby.

She's a gorgeous apple-red dutch oven, and I'm in love.

It was a birthday present from Momma B.  I'm so excited!

I made gumbo a few weeks ago and learned that it's not very easy to make a perfect roux in a thin-bottomed metal pot.  (In fact, it's very easy to make a perfectly scorched roux in a thin-bottomed metal pot.)

My southern Mother-in-law knew that a girl needs a real dutch oven to make a real gumbo, so that was my birthday present from her this year.  I'm going to have many pics to upload from my wonderful 24th birthday!  Check here to find them soon :-)

I was so excited to have a dutch oven that I wanted to find a simple yummy recipe to try it out.
Pot roast was always a special meal during my childhood, so I decided to try my hand at it.  The dutch oven made it so moist and flavorful!  This recipe is the simplest thing in the world.  If you don't have a dutch oven, try doing this in a slow cooker.


♥2.5 pound beef chuck pot roast (about 8 inches long by 2 inches thick)

♥1 packet of Lipton Beef and Onion powdered soup mix (adds such simple,yummy flavor!)

♥4-6 small russet potatoes

♥ two or three hanfuls ofbaby carrots (about 6 ounces)

♥1 cup water

♥pinch of salt

♥pinch of pepper

The most important part to making a pot roast is to sear in all of the juices before you get started.  Turn the stove on to medium-high heat and sear each side for 4-6 minutes.  It should come out a light brown, caramelly color.

Once the roast is nicely browned, remove from heat and season the top and sides with salt and pepper.  Mix the onion soup mix with 1 cup of water, and pour it around (not on top of) the roast.  Put it back on the stove and get it up to a simmer for two hours.  Put your ear next to the pot to listen for a gentle simmering sound.  Make sure it's not too hot--it will dry the poor thing out!

Ten minutes before the two-hour timer goes off, cut up your potatoes.  There shouldn't be any pieces thicker than 1.5 inches.  Add the potatoes and carrots to the pot and leave it alone for another hour.

I told you this was easy, didn't I?  :-)

Dinner is all set and ready once you turn that burner off an hour later.  Serve with some salad, some bread rolls, and a homey dessert, and you've got yourself one of the easiest crowd pleasers you could come up with!

Enjoy :-)

Chicken Fajitas

This is a new favorite in the Brubaker household.   I made it a few weeks ago when I had leftover bell peppers and onions (I was so proud of figuring out how to use them without having to go to the store to buy anything else!!!) and we made it again when Kim was here.  It's such an easy recipe, and as long as you have all of the spices in your cupboard already, this meal is a cinch!

♥ 1 teaspoon pure chile powder

♥ 1 teaspoon kosher salt

♥ 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

♥ 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

♥ 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

♥ 1 tablespoon cornstarch

♥ 1/4 cup water

♥ 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

♥ 1 whole skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 1 pound), cut into 1/2-inch strips

♥ 1 green bell pepper—cored, seeded and cut into thin strips

♥ 1 medium onion, thinly sliced

♥ 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
 
Use a ziplock to combine the chile powder with the salt, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, cornstarch, water and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the chicken, bell pepper and onion, seal and knead gently to coat. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.


Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet until shimmering. Empty the contents of the bag into the skillet and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice.

Serve with tortillas, cheese, salsa, sour cream, and whatever else sounds good, and enjoy!
 
It's so yummy, I'm going to eat the leftovers for lunch!

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Happy Birthday, Handsome Man!

I figured this would be the perfect way to begin your special day.
 I love you!

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

♥  1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

♥ 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

♥ 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

♥ 3/4 teaspoon salt

♥ 1 1/4 cups milk

♥ 1/4 cup vegetable oil

♥ 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

♥ 1 rounded cup semisweet mini chocolate chips

Whisk together all ingredients except chips until just combined.

Heat a griddle over medium heat until hot and lightly brush with additional oil. Working in batches, pour 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto griddle and sprinkle each pancake with about 1 1/2 teaspoons chips. Cook until bubbles appear on surface and undersides are golden-brown, about 1 minute. Flip with a spatula and cook other side, about 1 minute more. (Lightly oil griddle between batches.)

 

(These would be a lot more ideal to make if I owned a griddle, but for now, it's pancakes on the stir-fry pan!)

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Funny side note, at one point, I burned a pancake pretty badly and was mourning over it.  "Why is it that burned chocolate chips smell like burned hot dogs?" I cried.

Jesse's eyes got wide with excitement and he clapped his hands together, "Because they love me!!!"

Cilantro Lime Chicken Breasts

This one had me drooling as soon as I thought about it.  Yum!

Easiest thing in the world...just chop up some cilantro, zest a lime, mince up some garlic, throw it in a zip lock bag with 2 chicken breasts, olive oil, and salt and pepper, let it marinade, and presto!  So easy.

Well, don't forget to cook it, either.

Here are the easy steps for this yummy recipe!

♥  2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, trimmed of any fat


♥  2 tbsp olive oil (divided)

♥  Zest and juice of 1 lime (reserve the juice for the last 15 minutes of marinating)

♥  1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

♥  Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

♥  1 clove of garlic, minced

I poked the chicken breasts with a fork before putting it in the marinade so that it would really soak up the flavor.  It worked really well.  Mix all the ingredients for the marinade together, throw it in the ziplock bag, press all of the air out of the bag so that the juice surrounds the chicken, and let it marinade for 4-6 hours.

Take it out of the fridge, add the lime juice ot the bag, and let it sit on the counter for about 15 minutes.

Heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add chicken breasts and cook for 4 minutes then flip. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until juices run clear. Remove from heat and let sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

I served it with Mexican rice, chips, and salsa.  Jesse said it was a winner, and that's all I need :-)

Blackened Salmon

Just sharing our dinner tonight!  Yum!

We really liked how the blackened chicken turned out, so we were curious to see what something similar would taste like with salmon.  It got two thumbs up!

Serves 4.

♥2 tablespoons ground paprika

♥1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper

♥1 tablespoon onion powder

♥2 teaspoons salt

♥1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

♥1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

♥1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

♥1/4 teaspoon dried basil

♥1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

♥4 salmon fillets, skin and bones removed

♥1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1.In a small bowl, mix paprika, cayenne pepper, onion powder, salt, white pepper, black pepper, thyme, basil and oregano.

2.Brush salmon fillets on both sides with 1/4 cup butter, and sprinkle evenly with the cayenne pepper mixture. Drizzle one side of each fillet with 1/2 remaining butter.

3.In a large, heavy skillet over high heat, cook salmon, butter side down, until blackened, 2 to 5 minutes. Turn fillets, drizzle with remaining butter, and continue cooking until blackened and fish is easily flaked with a fork.
 
We served it with brown rice and corn tonight.  Yumm!

Blackened Grilled Chicken

Our Memorial Day's feast!

We had a great dinner tonight of grilled blackened chicken (compliments of my handsome barbequer), garden-fresh lettuce (from our neighbor) and my homegrown tomatoes, biscuits, and corn on the cob.  So yummy! 

Here's our newest recipe--Jesse says it easily earns an A+

Bring out your good old charcoal grill--this one deserves it!

♥ 4 chicken breasts
♥ 1 tablespoon paprika
♥ 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
♥ 1 tsp ground black pepper
♥ 1 tsp sugar
♥ 1 tsp garlic powder
♥ 1 tsp onion powder
♥ 1 tsp fajita seasoning
♥ olive oil

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Rub olive oil on both sides of chicken breasts, and then rub the spice mixture all over each piece of chicken.  Let chicken sit in the fridge for about 20 minutes to soak in all the spicy yumminess.  It only takes about 6-7 of grilling on each side to get the outside of the chicken nice and black.  Yum Yum!

Cranberry Chicken

I found this simple recipe tonight when I was looking for something quick and easy to make with the chicken I had on hand.  It's always exciting to find a recipe that only calls for ingredients that you already have in your house!  This one is so easy, and barely uses anything.

Jesse kept commenting on how our house smelled like Thanksgiving as it was cooking.  Yum yum!



Ingredients


1 Tablespoon cooking oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets (cut horizontally through the breast to make it thinner/easier to cook)

1 cup sweetened dried cranberries (Craisins are always in our house--they were one of the first reasons we clicked!)

1/2 cup apple juice*

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon coarse-grind black pepper

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

Combine cranberries, apple juice and chicken stock in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a gallon-sized plastic bag with zip top, mix flour, salt and pepper. Toss chicken breasts into bag and shake well until each breast is coated evenly with flour.

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot add chicken and cook for 5 minutes each side. Remove chicken to a plate and keep warm.

Pour soaked cranberries with juice and stock into the hot pan, reduce heat to low and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Stir in mustard and add chicken back into pan.

Cook for another 8-10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and sauce has thickened. Serve chicken with sauce atop.
 
 
*Jesse and I don't have apple juice in the house tonight, so we substituted it for Martinelli's apple cider.  It worked really well!  Now I'm curious what it tastes like with apple juice and if I'd still like it my way better :-)
 
Let me know if you try it!

Chicken Marsala

This is a Jesse and Bethany Brubaker family favorite :)  We had it last night, and I realized the recipe wasn't up here!  Let me know if you try it...it's yummy!

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 stick of butter
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3/4 cup marsala wine
1 cup sliced mushrooms

In a large skillet, melt butter.
while butter is melting, combine flour, salt and pepper in a bowl.  Cut chicken into long strips.
Dip each piece of chicken in milk first, then dredge in flour and add to skillet.
Sauté chicken in butter over medium heat until browned.  Add more butter as needed (no one said this recipe is healthy!)
Remove chicken from skillet and keep warm on a plate..
Add mushrooms to skillet and sauté until cooked.
Add marsala, stirring to get brown bits off sides of pan.
Stir frequently until sauce has thickened.
Return chicken to pan, mix, and serve atop linguine.

Roasted Corn Soup with Avocado Salsa

I made this the other night, and it is definitely a new family favorite! When the hot creamy soup meets the chilled avocado salsa, it's heavenly. Give it a try!

(the recipe serves 8...I cut it in half and it was perfect for dinner for two with left overs for lunch!)

Soup:

2 medium red onions, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 small jalapenos, finely chopped

11 cups of frozen corn

6 cups of chicken or vegetable broth

2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

2 tsp ground coriander

1 cup heavy cream

Salsa: (even if you're cutting the recipe in half, make the same amount of salsa--it's so good)

1/2 cup tomatoes, diced

2 tbsp cilantro, chopped

juice of 1/2 lime

1 avocado, diced

salt and pepper to taste

To make the soup:

Preheat oven to 400*. In a bowl, coat 6 cups of the frozen corn lightly with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the kernels are a deep golden brown. You may need to stir the corn halfway through. When done, reserve 1 cup of the corn for the salsa and set the remaining 5 cups aide.

After chopping the onion, reserve 1/4 cup for the salsa. Saute the remaining onion in a little bit of oil until translucent. After chopping the jalapeno, reserve 1 tbsp for the salsa and add the remainder along with the garlic to the pot. Add the 5 cups of roasted corn and the 5 cups frozen corn along with the spices and broth and cook on high heat for 10-15 minutes. Puree the soup in batches until smooth and return to the pot. Simmer on low heat as long as you wish. Just before serving, stir in the cream.

To make the salsa:

combine the reserved onion, jalapeno, and corn in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and season to taste.

Top off the soup with a spoonful of the salsa (and a dollop of sour cream, if you like) and enjoy!

Happiness is...

Happiness is...
♥ taking a day to recharge
♥ conversations with dear friends I haven't spoken to in a while
♥ cleaning the heck out of the house
♥ unpacking my suitcase (...just in time to pack a bag for tomorrow's trip)
♥ baking my very first chocolate cake from scratch (yummmmm)
♥ knowing that Jesse will also enjoy the country-style chicken strips on the menu tonight
♥ a sit-down dinner with my prince charming that has been weeeeeeks in coming
♥ figuring out how to make an important Christmas present
♥ yummy house smells
♥ dancing with Louis and Ella on pandora
♥ waiting for a hug at the door ♥

Double-Thick Potato Cheese Soup

I have a crockpot recipe for double-thick potato cheese soup that Jesse and I love. It's so easy! Totally one of my favorites.

2 pounds of baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 in. cubes
2 cans of condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups finely chopped green onions
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk
black pepper to taste

All you have to do is combine the potatoes, soup, 1 cup green onions, garlic powder, and red pepper into the slow cooker. Cover, and cook on low for 8 hours (or on high for 4)

Add cheese, sour cream, and milk; stir until cheese has completely melted. Cover, and cook on high for 10 minutes. Season to taste with black pepper. Garnish with remaining green onions. Makes 7 servings.

Jesse and I love putting this in sourdough bread bowls. The bread just makes it even homier. It's such a yummy chilly evening treat!

*yum*yum*yum*