Sloppy Joes

Growing up, I loved Sloppy Joes. My Mother didn't fix them, but my school did, and that was one of the few good things they made that tasted good, or so I thought! When I was older and wanted a Sloppy Joe, I would buy a can of sauce from the grocery store and proceed to make them that way. And I continued doing it this way until a couple of years ago, when my daughter and I got tired of the taste of the can of sauce and wanted something fresher. So I began looking for a recipe. I found one on rachaelray.com that sounded interesting, but I changed it around some, so I guess you could say that it is loosely based on her recipe. I now like Sloppy Joes again!

This a kid friendly recipe, but you can easily spice it up more if your family likes it that way.



Sloppy Joes



1 &1/2 pounds lean ground beef or ground turkey

1/2 onion, diced

1/2 red or green bell pepper, diced

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, or 1 large garlic clove, minced

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 &1/2 T. worcestershire sauce

16 oz. tomato sauce

2 T. ketchup

pinch of cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, brown the meat with the onion and bell pepper until meat is thoroughly cooked. Drain fat if any. Add the rest of the ingredients, along with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 15 min to let sauce cook down and the favors to combine. Taste to see if you need to adjust the seasonings any. Serve on buns and enjoy!

Chili Tortilla Bake

One summer day last year, I was strolling down the aisle at my local grocery store, when I spied a little display rack near the spice section holding recipes. I can't pass up recipes, so without looking too closely at them I put them in my purse and continued my shopping( they were free, by the way). When I arrived home, I looked more closely at these recipes and decided that Chili Tortilla Bake sounded good and also it would be really easy. So when the weather turned cool, I tried this casserole dish. If you like Tex-Mex style food, you'll like this dish as it has the right amount of spiciness and cheese and it is easy to to adapt to your own tastes. I have made many casseroles for my family and this is one of the easiest. You simply brown the ground beef and add the other ingredients and then layer it with cheese and tortillas, sort of like a lasagna. The recipe is put out by McCormick and this is my slightly adapted version.

Chili Tortilla Bake
1 pound ground chuck
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cans(8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup fresh or frozen corn (or canned)
1/4 cup water
1 can (4 1/2 oz.) chopped green chilies, undrained
2 T. chili powder
1 tea. ground cumin
1 large clove garlic, minced (or 1 tea. garlic powder)
1/2 tea. oregano
6 (8 in. flour tortillas)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350. In a large skillet brown beef and onion over medium high heat: drain. Add tomato sauce, beans, corn and green chilies. Stir in water and seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 15 min. In a 9x13 baking dish, coated with cooking spray, place 3 tortillas to cover bottom. Layer with half of chili mixture and half of cheese. Top with remaining tortillas, chili and cheese. Bake 25-30 min. I used more cheese on top than the recipe called for. Also, don't over bake as the cheese gets too rubbery. Garnish with green onions, black olives or cilantro. Do you make casseroles for your family?

Sweet Potato Oven Fries

Since the holidays, I have only wanted to fix quick and simple foods. I don't want heavy sauces or gravies, nor do I want to spend 2 hours cooking and cleaning up my mess! Of course, I feel like this every year after Christmas; kind of stuffed.This is the year for simple foods, back to basics, if you will. Besides, it will help keep my grocery bill down. Now I love Thanksgiving and Christmas as well as anyone and that goes for the food too. But by New Years I'm ready to leave the rich goodies behind. I know I'm not alone. How many of us make resolutions to either lose weight, or at least eat healthier? I do! Every Year! Now back to simple foods. I have always loved, even craved sweet potatoes. But growing up we only had them covered in brown sugar and marshmallows, or once in a great while baked(I still like them that way, too). Then came along "Sweet Potato Oven Fries", and I fell in love again! I've fixed them several ways and all have been good. I've brushed the wedges with melted butter and honey, put them in the oven and they get a little caramelized and oh so yummy. But lately I've like them a little spicy. And sweet potatoes are good for us, that's an added bonus!

Sweet Potato Oven Fries

You'll need to preheat your oven to 400 degrees. You will need 1 sweet potato per person , depending on the size of the potato,of course. Peel the potatoes and cut off the ends as they can be stringy. Cut each sweet potato lengthwise into 8-12 wedges and place on a shallow baking sheet, sprinkle with chili powder and drizzle with olive oil. Then mix it up with your hands to more evenly distribute the oil. If I think it needs more chili powder I add more and then sprinkle the spuds with kosher salt (or whatever salt you want). Pop them in the oven for about 30 minutes until brown. Actually, you need to turn them after about 15 min. so they'll brown evenly. When done they'll be slightly crisp around the edges, naturally sweet , spicy and delicious! I'm addicted! I hope you like them too. What is your favorite sweet potato dish!

Apple Crisp

I love the aroma of apples and cinnamon cooking together; it excites the senses as it permeates my home and brings back memories memories of my Mother, baking "Apple Crisp" when I was young. Apple desserts rate right up there with chocolate as my favorite sweets! I have been trying to come up with a recipe that has a good apple to crust ratio, apples that aren't too sugary, and a crust that is, of course, crisp! So this is the result of trying different recipes through the years and finally coming up with this one on my own. Be sure to use a firm, tart apple. Don't over bake the crisp or it will be dry and maybe burn, especially the nuts. This recipe fills a 9x13 pan when assembled, but will ,of course, cook down during baking. Enjoy my "Apple Crisp"!

Apple Crisp

In a large bowl add;

8-9 cups of sliced apples ( Granny Smiths that have been peeled)

3 teaspoons of lemon juice

1/3 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg(optional)

Mix above ingredients together and place in a greased 9x13 baking dish.

In another bowl place topping ingredients;

3/4 cup of flour

3/4 cup of oats

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

10 Tablespoons cold butter, cut up

With a pastry blender work the topping until it is crumbly. Add 1/2 cup of sliced almonds or chopped pecans to the topping and work the nuts in with your fingers until you have a fine crumb. Sprinkled evenly over the apples. Bake in a preheated 375 degree for 35-40 min. until brown. A toothpick inserted in the apples will tell you how done the apples are. Remove from the oven, let cool if you want . It's best served warm with whipped cream or ice cream, of course!

Honey- Wheat Muffins

Oh,how I love honey! I love it drizzled on biscuits, rolls, used in marinades and sauces, and as an ingredient in these muffins. I made these often when my children were young, as my two boys were very finicky eaters. My daughter wasn't quite as picky. These Honey- Wheat Muffins were always a hit with them, as well as with my husband and I. They are also very easy and quick to make, and go well with almost any meal. They are yummy for breakfast, or with a salad or soup at lunch, or even delicious at dinner! So, I made these this morning, slathered one with butter and honey,poured a cup of coffee, and sat down to contemplate this past year. While there were some hard times, 2008 was still a good year. I expect that 2009 will be the same. I hope to take those lessons I learned last year and apply them to the challenges of this year. And, I hope to be a blessing to others. So I hope you'll try "Honey-Wheat Muffins"soon!

Honey-Wheat Muffins

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup melted butter

In a large bowl mix flours,baking powder and salt. In a small bowl beat the egg with a fork; beat in milk, honey and butter. Add to the flour mixture;stir just untill blended.Fill greased muffin pans 2/3 full. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 15 min. Remove muffins from pan to cool, or slather with butter and devour! Makes 12 muffins. Oh yea, this recipe came from a very old Family Circle magazine, from the 80's, I think! Have a wonderful New Year everyone!

Chicken and Corn Soup with Rivels

Sometimes the most delicious foods are the simple, comforting foods that have been around awhile and stood the test of time. They cannot be replaced; they would be missed too much! I found the recipe for "Chicken and Corn Soup", in a magazine (I don't remember which one),way back in the early 1980's, but it has been around much longer than that. "Chicken and Corn Soup with Rivels" has Pennsylvania Dutch roots. Pennsylvania Dutch cooking originated with German immigrants who settled in parts of Pennsylvania prior to the 1800's. From them also came the Amish and other groups who have greatly influenced American cooking with many of the tasty recipes we have enjoyed for so many years! While reading this information in Wikipedia, I discovered that many of the dishes I grew up eating were listed here!Well duh! my great grandparents came from Germany!

Well, back to the soup. Rivels are tiny dumplings that are dropped into the broth toward the end of cooking. This is a very hearty,tasty, and budget friendly soup that is easy to prepare.

Chicken and Corn Soup with Rivels

1 chicken, about 3 1/2 lb.

8 cups of water

1 med. onion, diced

2 large ribs of celery, diced

about 2 cups of frozen corn (or you can use canned)

2 teaspoons of salt, or more, depending on taste

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 or 3 drops hot pepper sauce ( Tabasco style) optional

2 carrots, peeled and sliced thin (optional)

Rivels

1 cup of flour

1 egg

1 tablespoon of milk

Rinse chicken well with cold water and add to a soup pot with the 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil, add the salt, reduce the heat and cover with a lid. Simmer the chicken for about 1 1/2 hours till tender. Remove the chicken to a platter to cool. To the broth add the onion, celery, corn, pepper and hot sauce if using. Make the Rivels while the veggies simmer about 10 min. Into a small bowl add the flour,a pinch of salt,the egg and the milk. Stir with a fork to make a crumbly dough.

After the veggies have cooked, take some of the dough into your hand and drop the pieces into the soup, breaking up any large clumps. Don't add the rivels all at once, or you may have 1 large clump of dough in the soup! Simmer the soup 5 more min. Debone the chicken and either cut or tear the meat into pieces and add to the pot when when the rivels are done. Adjust the seasonings to taste. I tend to use less salt, so you may need to add more after tasting! Also, this soup really can thicken up, so you may need to add a little water or broth at the finish. Chicken and Corn Soup is great served with cornbread or biscuts, or even a salad. It's great to have a nice pot of soup that will last a couple of meals, so we can finish wrapping those Christmas gifts or baking some more cookies! Have a great day!

And please be patient with my photography; I am practicing, so it's got to get better!

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

I'm a chocoholic, so when I was given this recipe for"Chocolate Crinkle Cookies" a few years ago, I was thrilled. They are perfect to add to your list of sweets to bake for Christmas, or for any other time when you may need a sugar and chocolate fix! When my kids were little, I started the tradition of baking cookies with them and then taking the sweet treasures to friends and family to enjoy. Oh my, did I ever have some mega messes to clean up, but what fun we had! My kids fondly remember rolling dough, making icing, plus of course, eating the sweet treets too. I treasure these memories now.
"Chocolate Crinkle Cookies" need to be chilled for several hours or even overnight for the best success in rolling the dough into balls. Also, the cookies can be chewy like brownies, or more cake like, depending on how long they are in the oven. As the cookies bake they will puff up and settle slightly giving them a mottled look. But they are so good, fulfilling any chocolate lovers craving. So let's start, shall we?
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
1/2 cup butter (real butter)
4 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
powdered sugar
Melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate together. You can do this in the microwave or in a double boiler. Add sugar and eggs to the butter mixture. In another bowl mix the flour, baking powder and salt and add to the butter mixture, along with the vanilla. Mix well, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge at least 2 hours, or overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees; grease the cookie sheet. Roll about a tablespoon of dough into balls and then roll into powdered sugar and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies. Cool on wire racks.
I plan on taking cookies to some of my friends and neighbors and my pastors family this year. What about you? Do you bake cookies for gifts? If so, what kind do you like to bake? Please leave a comment and let me know, OK?