Christmas Breakfast, Or Any Time ;D

Oh my.  It was good.  Something online caught my eye, and I ended up combining a couple of recipes to get this:

1/4 C Butter - melt in 9x13 casserole in 375F oven while you prepare the rest...

2 Cans of Cinnamon Rolls - cut each roll into six or eight pieces.  Save the little cans of frosting for later.

In a bowl, mix
6-8 eggs             with three teenage boys, I put in more
1/2 C eggnog    or milk, or heavy cream
1 t vanilla
1/4 t nutmeg
1-2 t cinnamon
You could add in a half cup or so of maple syrup, but I'm not overly fond of it so I didn't.

When the butter is melted and starting to brown, take the casserole out of the oven and pour in the pieces of cinnamon rolls.  I stirred them gently to spread the butter all over them.

Pour the egg mixture over the top.  I added

1 C chopped pecans   but nuts are optional.  The boys aren't crazy about them, so I clustered them at one end - more for me!

Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Warm the frosting cup for a few seconds in the microwave, and drizzle it over the top.  I only used one of the two cups because I didn't want it too sweet.

Serve with syrup.  And we like the sausage links on the side - love that mix of sweet and savory :D

This was SO EASY.  If I was ambitious, I could have made my own cinnamon roll dough the night before, and I may try that sometime.  But for a Christmas morning breakfast?  Easy prep, not much clean-up, and quick!  Win-win!

A New Light, and Tate Bakes

So, for you thorough readers, I mentioned in my last post that I was replacing something.

Not the boy (though we have our moments), the light fixture.

Because I'm a cheapskate frugal, and can't bear to buy any more ten dollar light bulbs.

So thankful my dad is such a helpful guy, AND an electrician!

I owe him a batch of oatmeal cookies ;D

Yes, you may have noticed it's missing something.  

One of the globes was already broken on arrival,

and Amazon is 'on it', so yay for them.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE all the nice, warm light :D

However, I realized I'd neglected to consider one thing...

This fixture is wider than our old fixture, and if we don't watch out...

I think Kerry is going to put some kind of stopper on the cabinet door, or I foresee replacing a great many more globes in the future.  Oops.

No, really, it came with a broken globe!  We didn't do it!

Also, the astute reader may remember Tate's charming plea for a friend's dessert recipe.

Well, we just made it and the kitchen smells so good I think I'm gaining weight just by the aroma.

Here he is melting the butter and giving me the side-eye...

Meanwhile, the dish is greased and floured.

Cracking eggs...

Measuring the almond extract - lots of almond extract!

Yes, he knows how to dip-level-pour the flour.

And mixing it all up.  Yes, we each licked a beater - yum!

And then sprinkling sliced almonds and sugar on top.

He may have gone a little heavy on the sugar, but with a whole cup of butter in the batter,

well... this isn't exactly health food ;D

And after about 30 minutes...

WA-WAH!

A tasty treat to bring to Easter tomorrow :D

And in case you're wondering about the device around his neck... that's his compilot.  It's a blue-tooth device that works with his CI's.  He was streaming music while he waited for the almond bars to finish baking.  Love technology!

Yah, Sure, It's Your Lefse Recipe

Did I mention how yummy Bea's lefse is?  And how tender?

I could start this recipe like most,

by telling you to boil ten pounds of potatoes

and run them through a potato ricer

while they're hot.

Fun times, that.

But at the risk of thousands of traditional Norwegians' heads exploding,

I'll let you in on a little secret.

Instant potatoes.

Yes.  Embrace the modern world.

Here ya go.

Lefse

Bring to a boil:

2 2/3 C milk

1/2 C butter

Add:

2 C Hungry Jack potato flakes

1 t salt

1 t sugar

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Add:

2 - 3 cups flour and mix.

Flour your board and roll thin,

like a tortilla.

Fry on a griddle at about 370F.

When it looks bubbly, it's time to flip.

Eat warm with butter and sugar-cinnamon.

Your welcome ;D

Summertime, And The Livin' Is Easy...

I've said it before, but some of the best days really aren't very blog-worthy ;D

In between chores and mowing jobs, the boys roam the neighborhood in a pack with their friends.

I putter around the house and yard.  (Sadly, no motivation to quilt when it's hot, though.)

Kerry works when he has work and does projects when he doesn't... a mixed blessing, for sure.

And, of course, we go to the lake.

I'm still amazed with Tate's technology - that he can swim AND hear.  An unmixed blessing :D

The awesome headband is because sometimes when he jumps in, the force of the water overcomes the strength of the magnet and sweeps the transmitter right off his head.

So thankful the boys have good friends to hang around with.

Wyatt would love to have a paddle-board, but this old wind-surfer will do.

Goof balls :D  By late afternoon, clouds were forming with a forecast of thunderstorms, but we'd had our fill by then.

And today?

Wyatt and Tate are volunteering at the Heritage Flight Museum (and possibly getting to fly, not sure, but a plane has been flying right over the house repeatedly).  Gunnar is at one (slip-n-slide) or the other (pool) of the neighbors' houses, and I'm on my third load of laundry.  Because I love laundry that's dried on the line.  *happy sigh*

And tomorrow we celebrate Wyatt's birthday - 17!!!  I asked him what he wanted for his birthday dinner, and he said as long as I was making raspberry pie, nothing else mattered.  But then he reconsidered.  His gourmet request was... chili dogs.  Alrighty, then :D

But it reminded me that long ago I'd meant to post the recipe.  So let me whet your appetite...

We think it's just about the best raspberry pie in the entire world.  And for the best pie you need the best berries... PNW berries.  Oh yes, this is berry heaven.  (That's our county - berries and dairies - but I digress.)  Oh sure, you can buy your California berries all year long.  But they're imposters, weakly flavored copies of the real thing.  Our berries take no prisoners.  They'll make your taste buds jump up and dance.  Of course, there is a downside.  They've got a shelf-life of about ten minutes before they'd better be eaten, frozen, cooked into jam, or made into something.  (And I've discovered something new!  I'm making shrub, but I'll tell you about that another day.)  Anyway...


Julie's Raspberry Pie

(This recipe makes two.  You'll thank me later.)

* Two pie crusts, we like graham cracker best.  Chocolate works just fine :D
* Fresh raspberries - two to three little boxes for each pie (depends on your crust).
Rinse and drain the berries and put them gently in the pie crusts.  Don't fill the crusts, but be generous.

*  4 Tb corn starch
*  2 C sugar (or a bit less, depends on your berries)
Mix in a sauce pan so it doesn't clump, then add,
*  3 C water
Cook until almost boiling, then add
*  1 lg pack of raspberry jello (works fine with sugar-free)
Pour over your berries and refrigerate until firm - about three hours.  You'll want
*  Cool whip or whipping cream to go on top.

I make ours a day ahead, but it doesn't keep long.  Enjoy!

Turkey Pot Pie

All righty, pie lovers.  I'm no great chef in the kitchen, but I think I do pretty well with pot pie.  Or maybe I just love it so much that it seems better than it is ;D  In any case, goodness like this shouldn't be kept to ourselves, so I'll share my pot pie recipe.  But not my blue pyrex dish.  That baby is mine.

I have been known to use store-bought crust, but when I have time I make my

Nana's vinegar pie crust.

Mix together with a pastry blender (or a fork):
3 C         flour
1 1/4 C  shortening
1 t          salt (or less, especially if you're making fruit pies)

Add
1           egg
1 T       vinegar (I use cider vinegar)
3-4 T    ice water, until the dough holds together

Adding a lot of flour when you roll it out will make the crust tougher, (and it's messy), so I learned a little trick.  Sprinkle a few drops of water on your counter and smear them around a bit.  Spread a sheet of wax paper on it.  The water will sort of anchor your wax paper down.  Plop a ball of pie dough on the wax paper, smoosh it down, and then cover it with another piece of wax paper.

I didn't take pictures of this.  I think you can manage :D

Roll the dough out between the pieces of wax paper.  Peel off the top piece of wax paper and use the other paper to lift it and lay it in your pie dish, and then peel the other piece off.  Easy squeezy.

My Nana could roll her dough thin enough to make two pies (top and bottom crust) from that recipe, but I usually only get 1 1/2.  Your mileage may vary.  You'll need enough dough for two bottom and two top crusts.

You can prep your crusts ahead, putting the bottom crusts in the pie dishes and rolling out the top crusts in the wax paper.  Or you might want to wait and make the pie crusts while your pie filling is cooling a little.

Now, for the Pot Pie...  I usually make at least two, or even four at a time after I cook a turkey, so I'm writing this for two pies.  In general, you'll want about 2 cups of meat and 2-3 cups of veggies per pie.  (More is always good if you have deep pie dishes.)  This is perfect for leftovers!  A little of this and a little of that.  Or use canned or frozen veggies.  I often use the frozen carrot/corn/green-bean combo (no lima beans, thank you very much).  I've included leftover potatoes, peas, and even a little bit of leftover stuffing, once.  Sweet potatoes are somewhat controversial.  I love them, but the family doesn't.  I'll tuck them all into one corner of the pie and mark the crust so I can get that piece myself :D

So here we go.

Pot Pie

Saute
1 small mild chopped onion, in
1 C butter  (or less!  I use less!  But this is how the recipe came to me...)

Add
1 C       flour  (if you use less butter, you'll have to add the flour carefully so it doesn't thicken too fast)
1+ t      salt, (think about if your veggies are already salty or not)
1 t         thyme
1/2 t      pepper

Gradually add
2 C        broth (chicken or turkey, whatever you have)
1 1/2 C  milk
Stir carefully as it thickens, about two minutes.
How thick?  Trial and error.  Sometimes mine have been too runny, but that's better than dry.  Err on the side of moist :D

Add
4-6 C      veggies, your choice  (if frozen, simmer until all nice and blended)
Remove from heat.

Cube
4 C         cooked turkey or chicken
Add to the veggie mixture.

(If you haven't made your crusts yet, now is the time...)

Line your two pie dishes with the bottom crust, divide the filling between them, and cover with the top crust.  Be sure to cut holes or slits in the top.  Seal the edges together and get as fancy as you like.  Mine are pretty plain-jane.

Now you have a choice!

You can bake your pie(s) at 425F for 30-40 minutes, right away.  (Everything inside is cooked, and it's already hot so just keep an eye on the crust - that's what you're cooking.)  Or...

Wrap them tightly in foil and freeze them for later.  I write the cooking instructions right on the foil, so I don't forget what to do when I take them out.  When you do, don't thaw them!  Cook them right from frozen.  It takes longer to cook, but comes out much better.  Trust me.

Bake your frozen pie:
425F for 30 minutes, then
350F for 70-80 minutes...

...which is a long, long time to smell such wonderful goodness wafting through the house.

Fancy people make a little foil ring to shield the edges of the crust so they don't burn.  I've never bothered and we've never been troubled.

I do, however, put a baking sheet under the pie, in the oven.  Mine always bubble over.

In fact, true confession:  I set off the smoke alarm nearly every time I bake a pie.  *sigh*

But, oh, it's worth it.  Especially with some cranberry sauce :D

The Crock-Pot, It Torments Me...

... with the delicious smells bubbling out all day long.

Oh yes, it's an exercise in patience, which is not high on my list of qualities.

On our Big Vacation in 2011, the boys discovered a love for French Dip sandwiches.  I think I've always loved them, but there's a problem.  The roast beef at our local grocery store (deli) is heavily seasoned.  Add in the au jus and it's just too salty.  *sigh*

Well, I could make it myself, I mean, how hard can this be?  (Famous last words, right? And I'm using venison, not beef...)

Judging by smell alone, so far so good, but I'll have to tell you later how it really comes out.  I thawed about five pounds of unground venison.  I don't even remember what cut it was labeled, because to be honest it's all pretty much the same... tough.  But the crock-pot is a good friend to tough meat, right?

So this is French Dip, Take #1.

I trimmed the fat from about 4-5# of meat, and put that in my crock-pot.

I mixed
2T dried garlic, and
2t   dried rosemary, and crushed them together, with
a few shakes of black pepper, and
2 bay leaves, and
sprinkled that over the meat.

I poured in about
1/3 C of soy sauce and
32 ox box of beef broth.
(A couple of cans would've been plenty, but 10 oz of beef broth in the back of my fridge would've turned into a science experiment I don't need.)

The provolone cheese and hoagies are waiting to be toasted.

Wish me luck ;D

** Smiles and seconds, all around :D **

Grasshopper Days

Grasshopper Days

For today, January 14, 2013.

Outside my window...  7:30 AM and just beginning to get light, but the sun won't be up until well after 8.  I love clear, cold, frosty days.

Hearing...  Tate brushing his teeth, the furnace blowing (hallelujah), and ice cracking in my glass of water.

Pondering...  how to lay out a quilt I want to make (I can see it in my mind), why quilting has to have so much math (grrrr!), and why can't I just use a pattern like a normal person would do?!

Praying...  Gunnar said he didn't feel well this morning but seems to be perking up - praying for him, for the rest of us to ALL avoid the flu bug, for Wyatt (nearly done with his first semester), and for all of us to be kind and gracious.

Thankful...  for how well Tate copes with the challenges related to his hearing, for the technology he has, and for all of our health :D

Wearing...  blue jeans, white T, blue sweater, wool socks, blue slippers... creature of habit comfort!

Creating...  oooo, I have projects I can't show yet!  Just finished one baby quilt, and have two to go ;D

Going...  to keep the boys moving forward on their schoolwork, to think ahead about this week's schedule, and to keep sewing.

Reading...  just finished Murder Down Under and am halfway through The Bachelors of Broken Hill, which are both old-ish mysteries set in Australia, featuring a half-aboriginal detective named Napoleon Bonaparte, aka "Bony".  Definitely not my usual genre, but well-written and interesting to me, having lived there.

Looking forward to...  (with mixed feelings) choir rehearsals starting up again next Monday - seems so soon!

In the kitchen...  venison in the crockpot, probably will be stew.

A couple of you have asked about cooking venison and about the taste.  Yes, there is a bit of a gamey taste, but the strength of that seems to vary from deer to deer and probably relates to what the deer have been feeding on.  If I have ground beef I'll sometimes use half and half (beef/deer) to mitigate that, but our freezer is so full right now that I'm not bothering with buying any meat!  When Tate and Grandpa went to pick up his deer, the butcher generously offered them a bunch of extra ground venison that another hunter had left behind.  (It's illegal to sell game meat, but perfectly okay to give it away!)  Anyway, we're using it "straight" and like it just fine in seasoned things like tacos, spaghetti sauce, meatballs, etc.

I prefer to get most game meat ground (elk roasts excepted!) as the other cuts are generally a fair bit tougher than the beef you buy at the store.  I mean, think about it.  Deer don't survive by being slow or stupid - they're much more muscular than your average cow.  Hence, the meat is tougher and much, much leaner.  (Butchers will sometimes offer to add fat to the ground meat to aid in cooking it, so it holds together better.)  I find that a full day in the crockpot will tenderize just about anything, so we have a lot of stew :D

In the learning rooms...  Wyatt - evolution (yes, we learn about the theory of evolution, we're not afraid to teach our kids what other people believe), the age of exploration, and part-to-whole fallacy.  Tate - standard/metric measurement conversions, the fossil record, and more paragraph writing (characterization and description).  Gunnar - launching into sixth grade math, more about nouns (common and proper, concrete and abstract), and another week of ungulates.  Tate and Gunnar - China, Hudson Taylor, Eric Liddel, and Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze.

Around the house...  trying to keep the chaos confined to my office and the family room ;D

The Mother Load...  oh boy, trying to keep up on the normal things (laundry, meals, etc) and get some sewing projects done.  In shocking news, piecing a quilt is much more fun than sweeping, vacuuming, and mopping ;D

Noticing that...  i've only got about a half inch on Tate and he's gaining fast!

Something to remember for later...  Gunnar just read Harriet the Spy, and then asked me for a notebook.  Must keep an eye on this ;D

A favorite quote for today...  the boys like to joke, To err is human; to blame the next guy, even more so.  But I kind of like, To err is human; to blame someone else shows management potential.

(Kidding!  Sheesh.)

One of my favorite things...  pulling a finished quilt out of the dryer with that all that wrinkly-crinkly-quilty-goodness.

A Bible verse...  Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life...

A few plans for the rest of the week...  schooling, CAP on Tuesday, Wyatt has a movie-night (at school!) on Thursday, and Kerry has a colonoscopy on Wednesday.  Fun times ;D

A peek into my world...  not exactly.

I didn't take the picture and cardinals don't live here.  But I like his cheeky look ;D

Happy Mothers Day :D

Ahhhh, home again, and it feels good :D

After church we headed down to the Seattle area to my brother's house.  And I forgot my camera.  You'll just have to believe me that it was a gloriously beautiful day.  In fact, the temperature got all the way up into the 70's and we had to use the air-conditioner.  (I'll wait until some of you at the lower latitudes stop laughing.)   We ate out on the deck and the kids brought scooters and skateboards and played in the street.  (It's a cul-de-sac, don't worry.)

All the moms were suitably honored.

And just in case you wondered?  I won the Mommy-Lottery, because I have the best mom of all.  Kind of funny how the longer I'm a mom, the more I appreciate her and hope to live up to her example.  :D

According to my boys I apparently secured a nearly unanimous vote for Mother-of-the-Year and would have swept the field, but Podger (the male rabbit) voted for Polly (the female rabbit) - the lone dissenting vote.  (The details on the polling process remain unclear.)  Therefore I have been bestowed with the title of Queen Dictator for the Day and they will cheerfully do my bidding.  Unless that includes wiping the crumbs off the kitchen counter.  *sigh*

By the time we headed home my ears were ringing (my family does talk a lot) and a nap sounded good.  Do you sleep in the car?  (Well I wasn't driving.  Good grief.)  We've burned up and down this stretch of highway so many times that a little snooze just makes the time go faster ;D

Then when we got home, to top off a lovely day, Gunnar looked me in the eye and asked, "Are you thirsty, Mom?"  Well, sure, I guess I am.  I was thinking of a tall ice water, but that sweet boy went downstairs and made me... a mug of scalding hot cocoa.  Child, I am in a tank top for the first time this year.  I've been sitting in the sun and actually sweating.  But you are bringing me a cup of love and I will drink it.

And that was Mother's Day with my family.

And in case you wondered, yes, I remembered the cookies this morning (three cheers for my short-term memory).  And since my friend Q asked,  here's the recipe:


Lemon Meringues

Turn your oven on to 350F, to heat while you mix the cookies.  (That's about 176, for you Celsius folks.)  You'll need:

2 egg whites - whipped until frothy
1/4 teaspoon Cream of Tartar - beat until stiff peaks form
3/4 Cup of sugar* - beat until glossy
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel OR 1 tablespoon lemon juice - fold in

Hint:  you'll definitely want an electric mixer.  It's a LOT of beating.

Covering your baking trays with foil makes it a lot easier to peel the finished cookies off, since you DON'T grease the pans.  These cookies have next-to-no fat (I guess there's a tiny bit in the egg whites).

You'll want to make these cookies SMALL for a couple of reasons.  Of course, you want them to cook all the way through, but also they are really (really!) crumbly and it's much nicer to just pop a little one into your mouth whole rather than trying to bite them.  They have an unusual texture.  (My kids call them styrofoam cookies, but that's not quite right!)  They're very light and have lots of air bubbles baked into them.

If you're fancy, feel free to pipe the mixture into pretty little shapes.  Or you can do what I do - spoon little piles onto your cookie sheet.  They won't spread very much when they're baking. 

I can fit this recipe onto one cookie tray, but we often double it.  Especially at Christmas, when we substitute mint extract for the lemon, and add chocolate chips... not so fat-free, but oh-so-yummy :D

To bake:  Slide the tray into a 350F oven and shut the door.  Wait until the oven gets back up to temp, and then turn it off and leave the cookies all night.  I suppose you could make them during the day and just figure that by the time the oven got completely cool (how long?) the cookies are done baking, but I find it easier just to make them in the evening.  They only take a few minutes to whip together.

My non-fancy version looks like this:

     *Some people use super-fine sugar (not powdered sugar).  The last time I made these I used a Cuisinart to grind my regular sugar into super-fine.  Well.  That was a fun little adventure, but I couldn't really tell any difference in the finished product.


So Happy Mothers Day to all my mom-friends.  May your children rise up and call you blessed.

It's Hunting Season

Oh, you thought hunting season was over?  

Well....  it's turkey season, now.

No, I don't go out hunting these.

This is more my speed :D

Of course, it's not without its risks...

But we've avoided disaster so far :D

The biggest trick is fitting them into the freezer.  "Them" you may be asking?  Yes, THEM.  I get four or five (or six) each year.  Why not?  They're easy to cook, delicious, and who says they're just for Thanksgiving?  I'll bake a turkey, serve it for dinner, and freeze the left-overs to use in recipes that call for chicken.

And they're on sale!

I don't know about where you are, but here?  If you're local, run right down to Cost Cutter or Food Pavilion.  If you don't have a coupon, ask at customer service and they'll give you one :D  Spend twenty-five dollars on other groceries (in the blink of an eye, in this house) and you'll get:

A box of stuffing mix

A can of chicken broth

A can of green beans

A can of cream of mushroom soup

A can of cranberry sauce

A packet of turkey gravy mix

A dozen fresh rolls

A five-pound bag of potatoes

and

A turkey, up to twenty pounds

for twenty bucks.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas Baked Turkey Taquitos, turkey pot pie, turkey-salad sandwiches, turkey enchiladas...

What do you do with your leftovers?

Baked Turkey Taquitos

I have a thing for turkey.  I love it.  I have turkeys in my freezer all year round.

Any given month I'll cook a turkey, have it for dinner, and freeze the leftover meat in 2C bags.

Works great in recipes that call for chicken, and way cheaper.

Like Turkey Pot Pie, which is so good it's practically food porn.

But I realize that not everyone shares my affection for the big bird, and I want to help you.

So you've had your big Thanksgiving dinner, and you have leftover turkey.

What to do?  Try these...

Baked Turkey Taquitos

 Warm your oven to 425F while you gather your ingredients.

For you metric folks, 220C ought to work.

I like to line a large baking sheet with foil to make clean-up easier,

and spray it with Pam. Or mist it, if you're a mister.  Ha ha.

You will need:

1/3 - 1/2 C cream cheese

1/4 C + salsa

Soften your cream cheese, blend in the salsa,

and then add the following:

1 T lime juice

1/2 t cumin

1 t chili powder

1/2 t onion powder - optional, since you'll be adding green onions

1/4 t garlic powder

Mix well, then add:

2 T sliced green onions

2 C shredded cooked turkey

1 C grated cheese - your choice (jack, cheddar, mozza, mix...)

You'll need to soften your tortillas to make them easier to roll without cracking.

I put mine in the microwave with a damp paper towel for about 30 seconds.

The original recipe, which I think I got from Cutzi, called for corn tortillas,

but we usually use flour.  you will need:

about 16 small or 10 large tortillas

Spread a few tablespoons of the mixture in the middle of each tortilla,

leaving a good half inch at each end.

This one is a bit over-full, maybe.

 

Roll them tightly and put them, seam side down, on your baking sheet,

not touching.

They need personal space to get that yummy, crunchiness we want.

Spray, or mist them lightly, and sprinkle them with

kosher salt.

.

 They need about 15 - 20 minutes to bake.

The ends should start to brown up,

and the tortillas get nice and crispy.

 

You could sprinkle more cheese on top while they're baking,

but they don't need it.

Dip them in salsa, guacamole, or sour cream...

or just eat them plain.

Serve them with rice and beans, and some salad or fruit, 

and you've got a full meal that doesn't taste like leftovers.

You're welcome.

American Sushi

What's for lunch?

Because we're all about gourmet.

Summer Chili

I'm not on a mission to use my crock-pot everyday, (like Crockpot 365), but it does seem to be getting a work-out at my house lately.

I think soccer madness has a lot to do with it. Take Thursday... Gunnar had practice at 4:30, Wyatt at 5:00, and Tate at 5:30. By the time we got them all back home it was going on 7! And it's not like I have a lot of time to make dinner in the evening, with three drop-offs and three pick-ups.

So... I made Summer Chili. Here's what you do:

1 small-to-average onion - chop
1 or 2 cloves garlic - mince
1 to 2 t olive oil

Cook the onion and garlic in the oil on the stove-top until it's all tender. I like the onion just starting to brown. Add

1 - 2 cups chicken broth

Except, I cooked a turkey last week, so I used turkey broth. Whatever.
It will probably look kind of like this.



Season with

2 t chili powder
1 t cumin
pinch black pepper
pinch cayenne pepper
1 T honey

Okay, for my ultra-non-spicy family we adjust this. Do what you like.
While that simmers, prepare...

1 to 2 C dark red kidney beans - I used canned; drain and rinse.
2 - 3 stalks celery - chop
2 -3 carrots - chop
2 -3 C summer squash and zucchini - chop
1 red or green pepper (or both) - chop
2 C mushrooms - slice
1/2 - 1 C tomato - chop or crushed
1 can tomato sauce - small can for thicker chili, large can for more "soupy" chili

Put it all in the crock-pot. It will look something like this. (The beans are underneath.)



Pour in (carefully!) the onion/garlic/broth/seasoning mixture and stir it all up.



Turn on the crock-pot and forget about it until dinner.


* I put mine together in the morning and left it on low for about 8 hours. You could probably half that and cook it on high. Or cook it on the stove-top (higher heat) for a couple hours.

* I used lots of broth and a large can of tomato sauce to make mine more soupy, and served it with cornbread. We love to throw the cornbread right into the bowl of soup. Because we're classy, like that.

* Now that I look at the pictures, I think I added corn, too.

* I used a large (5Qt) crock-pot. If you have a smaller one, adjust the amounts of veggies.

Yes, the recipe is rather vague. I've used winter squash in the winter and varied the amounts of just about everything. Sometimes I add meat (cook it with the onion and garlic). You can't go far wrong. :0)

Stroganoff

I'm pretty sure there's a Calvin and Hobbes books called "The Days are Just Packed". Well, that's how I feel lately. I know that soccer has a lot to do with it, and there are three more weeks. Hallelujah. I love it for the boys' sake, but I love when it ends :0) What makes me really nuts is that, since the (wonderful, generous, talented) coaches are all volunteers, most of the practices are in the early evening, when they get off work. In other words, right at dinner time.

The combination of all our comings and goings and the fall weather sends me running for my crock pot, so I'm stepping into new territory here and posting a recipe. (Don't faint. This one doesn't have hot dogs in it.)

You know how when you have a new baby your friends, your really good friends, will bring you dinner? Well, my friend Dee Dee brought this to me. Oh. My. So good and so easy.


So dig out your crock pot, and get ready. Here's what you do:

Beef Stroganoff

* 2 1/2 # Boneless Beef Top Round, trim fat, cut into 2" pieces

But here's the great thing about a crock pot: you can use just about any cut of meat and it will come out tender and delicious. Grampa Grasshopper hunts and we often use venison or elk instead of beef.

* 3 little cans mushrooms

Seriously? Canned mushrooms? Do people use those? I use fresh.

* 1 medium onion, halved and sliced or chopped
* 1 T beef boullion
* 3/4 t pepper
* 1/8 t nutmeg

Yes, nutmeg. With meat. Do it.

Combine, mix well, cover, cook in crock pot on low, 7-9 hours.

15 minutes before serving, mix:
* 1/2 C sour cream
*1/4 C flour
Blend well, then add:
* 1/3 C hot liquid from slow cooker
Mix well, add to beef mixture in slow cooker.

Cover and cook 10 more minutes (or so) to thicken.

Serve over noodles, or rice, or in pita bread.

Seriously, your mouth will thank you. Go, make this. It's what's for dinner.