Cream of Mushroom Soup

I made this spur of the moment, so I just kinda improvised as I went along, and didn't write anything down at the time. This is the best of my recollection as to how I made it! LOL!

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Saute 1lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced & chopped. (I used both cuts to provide some variety.) Remove them from the pan and set aside in a bowl.

Then put about 2 or 3 tablespoons of butter in the pan, allow to melt.

Stir in 3 tablespoons of flour; cook a minute or two, stirring constantly.

Things moved fast from here, and I'm sorry I didn't get to the camera for the next steps, but you slowly pour in 3 cups of milk. Allow it to thicken before you continue adding more milk, or else it'll just be watery. Whisk it, if you start seeing clumps. Add the mushrooms back in. Season with salt, onion powder, and a dash of red wine if you have some handy (I didn't have any).

Let this simmer for about 15 minutes on VERY LOW heat; give it a stir once in a while to make sure it's not getting gooey on the bottom or burning. I said "very low heat" didn't I? Yeah, keep an eye on it, and taste it to see how the flavor is coming along.

The longer you allow it to blend with the milk, the richer your soup will be, but don't burn it! Oh, you can also add half & half for a portion of the milk, but not too much or else it will turn into gravy.

This was a fantastic soup that we had for lunch one day last week. Sorry I'm late in posting it, but we've been busy.

Enjoy!

Burnt Cheese Puddle

This is a favorite snack of ours. It's very simple. Maybe "burnt cheese puddle" does not sound appetizing to you, but that's basically what it is. :)

Burnt Cheese Puddle

Take a string cheese stick out of its package and tear it in half. (You can cut it, if you're that picky, but I don't care, so I just tear it.)

Put the pieces side-by-side in a small fry pan, and turn up the heat to medium or medium-high. Let the cheese brown on the bottom, then flip it over and brown the other side.

It's wonderful. It tastes like the crispy-gooey cheese edge of a pizza. Makes a perfect low-carb snack, too!

Tomato Herb Bread

Wow....you guys, I really hit it out of the park with this one. Amazing bread, I'm telling you. If you ever wanted to make a bread recipe, this would be the one to try. Hands down the best loaf of bread I have ever made!

Tomato Herb Bread

1 c. water (warm)
1 T. olive oil
2 T. tomato paste
1 T. brown sugar
2 t. minced dried onion
1/2 t. Greek oregano, crushed
3 c. flour
1 t. salt
1 pkt. bread machine yeast (or quick dry active)
Optional: 1/2 c. chopped Greek olives

Put all ingredients into bread maker, in order listed above, and set to "dough only". Let your bread machine do all the work to mix and knead the dough! If you'd like, you can also add 1/2 a cup of chopped Greek olives to the dough as it is mixing—let the main dough form before you add them in.

After dough has risen in machine, dump it out onto a well-floured surface, and knead it around for 5-10 minutes. Shape into a loaf, place in buttered baking pan, slather top of loaf with butter, cover with waxed paper and a towel; allow to sit in a warm place for about 30 minutes to rise a second time.

Heat oven to 350˚. Bake bread for 27-32 minutes, until top is browned lightly, and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped with a knife.



MY NOTES:
This bread was an improvisation based upon a recipe called "Greek Olive Bread" which is in the Betty Crocker's Best Bread Machine Cookbook. I wanted to make olive bread for my friends, and I was considering what else I could add to enhance the flavor.

As usual, a peek into the pantry turned up some brilliant inspiration in the form of a little can of tomato paste. Unsure how much to add to the recipe…..I guessed! Two tablespoons gives the bread a nice tangy tomato flavor without being overwhelming.

Casey and I were standing over the loaf, nomming on warm buttered slices of it, proposing other uses of the dough, such as: pizza crust, bread sticks, dinner rolls, etc.

I also am now noticing that a couple of pages further in the book, there is a baguette recipe which calls for pesto and sun-dried tomatoes…but I like my bread concept better!





p.s. Amy, you have to try this recipe!

random amusements

This struck me as being mostly true and extremely hilarious...
Advice from an Old Farmer:

* Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.
* Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
* Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.
* Don't interfere with somethin' that ain't bothering you none.
* Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time.
* Don't judge folks by their relatives.
* It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.


* You cannot unsay a cruel word.
* Meanness don't jes' happen overnight. 


* Forgive your enemies. It messes up their heads.
* Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.


* Keep skunks and bankers at a distance. 


* Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.


* A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.


* Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled.
* The best sermons are lived, not preached.


* Every path has a few puddles. 


* When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.


* Most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway. 


* Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a Rain Dance. 


* If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'. 


* Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got. 


* The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin'. 


* Always drink upstream from the herd. 


* Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in. 


* If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around.


* Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.
* Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.


~author unknown; infinitely forwarded email message

Portobello Pizzas

Portobello Pizzas

4 large Portobello mushroom caps
1 jar/can pizza sauce
2 c. mozzarella cheese
garlic powder
salt

1. Heat oven to 375˚.
   
2. Rinse mushroom caps, and remove dark gills from underside. I scrape them out with a spoon—if left in, these can make the mushrooms taste bitter.
3. Salt mushroom caps lightly and bake at 375˚ for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. You may need to dab some of the juice out of the cap after baking.
4. Add sauce....
5. Add toppings and cheese...
6. Bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until cheese browns to your liking. Serve immediately.

NOTE: These make a nice appetizer if you use smaller mushroom caps, but I served them on this night at a main course. They were amazingly tasty! In varying combinations, I used some deli ham, chopped breakfast sausages, mozzarella, Swiss, and a dash of Parmesan.
When I asked Casey what toppings he wanted on his, he asked me, "can I have mushrooms on my portobello pizza...?" LOL!

Apple Crisp

I've made some edits to this recipe, and tried two different crispy toppings. I think they were still lacking in moisture—I should have added more butter—and then it would have crisped up more. Don't get me wrong; it was still darn good. Still room for improvement, though. Below is the edited recipe, which should be fine.

Apple Crisp

6 to 8 apples (depends on size)
1 T. lemon juice
1/3 c. sugar
1 t. cinnamon

topping:
1 stick butter
2/3 c. flour
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. oats
1 t. apple pie spice

Butter a 9x13 baking pan. Heat oven to 400˚.
Peel, core and slice apples. Toss in large bowl with lemon juice to prevent apples from browning.

Add sugar and cinnamon. Add to baking dish to form an even layer.
In another mixing bowl, cut butter into dry ingredients until it looks like crumbs.

Sprinkle crumb mixture over top of apples, starting at edges and working your way inward, to cover apples completely.

Bake at 400˚ for 30-40 minutes until it gets bubbly along the edges and you can't stand to smell the aroma anymore without diving in with a spoon.

Try to allow it to cool a little in order to avoid 3rd degree burns in your mouth.
Serve with vanilla ice cream. (which will help with your burned mouth. I told you to wait, didn't I?!)



NOTES:
I made two dishes of apple crisp. One for us, and one to take next door. I added the oats and more butter because as you can see in the smaller, blue dish, the topping just looks sugary and not really crumby at all. The oats stretched the topping further, and added more texture; it came out crispier, too. The recipe above reflects my changes to the original recipe.

random amusements

Thumper took my spot!

I got up to get another cup of coffee and Thumper decided he wanted to sit on the couch where I was...he kept my remote and, apparently, was going to continue writing down Rachel Ray recipes, too...

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Okay, so maybe this was cheating, but I used a box mix to make the cupcakes. Yeah, I know, I suck. I am, however, including Aunt Martha's pumpkin cake recipe, which she makes from scratch, and, wow, is it ever good.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

1 pkg. spice cake mix (I used Betty Crocker brand)
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin (not pie filling)
3 eggs
1/3 c. water
1/3 c. oil

Mix all ingredients with electric mixer until well blended.
Spoon into lined cupcake pan, and bake according to package directions for cupcake portions.
Allow to cool and frost with cream cheese frosting.


Aunt Martha's Pumpkin Cake

2 c. sugar
1 c. oil
1 1/2 c. pumpkin (15 oz. can)
4 eggs

Beat these ingredients together. Then add:
2 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. ground nutmeg

Mix well and pour into prepared Bundt pan. Bake at 350˚ for 45 minutes; test with sharp knife for doneness.

Options: For pumpkin cake squares, pour batter into a 9x13 cake pan, and bake for 35-40 minutes. Top with Butter-rum glaze:

1/4 lb. butter (1 stick)
1/4 c. water
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. Bacardi dark rum

Melting butter in a sauce pan; stir in water and sugar. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in rum. Spoon over cake, slowly.


These went with us to the Halloween party....mmmmmm.....

Pumpkin Soup

This recipe is a modified version of something I saw on FoodNetwork. Credit to Robin Miller's "Quick Fix Meals".

Pumpkin Soup



1 (15 oz.) can pure pumpkin (not pie filling) 

1 1/2 c. chicken broth

1 c. heavy cream 

1 t. ground cumin

2 bay leaves
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. butter 
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
tiny pinch of cardamom 



1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together pumpkin, broth, milk, and cumin.
2. Add bay leaves and set pan over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper; stir in brown sugar and butter.
3. Bring to a simmer. Simmer 10 minutes. Add a tiny pinch of cardamom; stir.
4. Remove from heat, remove bay leaves and season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.
5. Garnish with chopped pecans or walnuts.

LINKY:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/quick-fix-meals-with-robin-miller/index.html

Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Yes, the photo is obscured by steam actually coming off of the food! LOL! These turned out very good, and I shared them with friends.

Ricotta Stuffed Shells

36 (12 oz. package) jumbo pasta shells
4 c. (2 lbs.) ricotta cheese
2 c. (8 oz.) mozzarella, shredded; 1/2 c. set aside
3/4 c. Parmesan
3 eggs
1 T. parsley flakes
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. oregano
1/2 t. salt
32 oz. jar marinara (or your favorite pasta sauce)

1. Cook shells according to package instructions, drain, rinse with cold water, and then leave shells floating in 2 inches of cold water. (this will prevent them from sticking together and/or drying out.)
2. Heat oven to 350˚.
3. In a 9x13 baking pan, pour a layer of your sauce to make a base for the shells.
4. In large mixing bowl, combine: cheeses, eggs, and seasonings.
5. Place a kitchen towel on the surface where you are working, to catch the extra water which may drip off the shells.
6. Pick up one shell and drain over pot; move over to workspace and fill shell with about 2 tablespoons of cheese mixture. Place in baking pan.
7. Continue filling shells and line them up in the prepared pan.
8. Pour remaining sauce over the stuffed shells; sprinkle with that 1/2 cup of mozzarella you had set aside.
9. Cover with foil and bake at 350˚ for 30-40 minutes, until you see the sauce bubbling at the sides of the pan when you lift the foil.
10. Serve with garlic bread and a nice side salad.

Broiled Salmon

This is some salmon that I decided to broil in the oven because it was rainy and icky outside and Casey didn't want to get the grill out. I think I just seasoned it with marjoram, garlic salt and a little pepper. Then I put it under the broiler for about 3 or 4 minutes per side. Not really a recipe, but the photo looked appetizing, so I thought I'd share.

Soon to come: my pan-seared salmon that Casey said was the best salmon he ever had.

Squaw Bread

I made this a week ago, and I can't recall where I had found the recipe, but it has been sitting around for a while. It turned out good; very dense and wheaty tasting.

Squaw Bread

1/2 c. yellow corn meal
1/2 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. cream of wheat cereal
1/4 c. wheat germ
2 c. boiling water
2 pkgs. active dry yeast
1/2 c. warm water (115-120°F)
1/3 c. honey
2 T. butter or margarine, melted
2 eggs
1 t. salt
2 c. whole wheat flour
3 c. white flour, divided

1. In a 1-quart glass measuring cup or bowl, combine cornmeal, oats, cream of wheat, and wheat germ.
2. Pour in 2 cups boiling water. Stir thoroughly. Set aside to cool.
3. Place yeast in large mixing bowl. Add 1/2 cup warm water. Stir to dissolve yeast. Add honey and butter; mix thoroughly.
4. Add 1 cup of flour. Mix well and allow to stand, covered, for 30 minutes, while cornmeal mixture cools.
5. Add cooled cornmeal mixture and eggs; mix until smooth.
6. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining 2 cups of flour with the wheat flour and the salt. Stir into wet ingredients, then knead together in bowl to form dough.
7. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead dough for 10 to 12 minutes until smooth. Add additional flour as necessary.
8. Shape dough into ball. Lightly grease clean mixing bowl and add dough, turn to coat. Allow to stand, covered, in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size—about 60 to 90 minutes.
9. Punch down dough to remove air bubbles. Turn out onto lightly floured board. Divide dough in half.
10. Shape each half into a round loaf. Place loaves on lightly greased pie plates. Cover. Place in warm, draft-free place until double in size—about 60 minutes.
11. Bake at 350° 30 to 40 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped. Remove loaves from cookie sheet. Cool on wire racks.

random amusements

Happy Halloween!!!



icanhascheezburger.com

Dry Rub Seasoning for Pork

Thanks to Uncle Kevin for spending the time on the phone with me and relaying the idea for this dry rub. I sorta made up the proportions as I went along, and it turned out spectacular!

Dry Rub for Pork

1 1/4 c. brown sugar
1 T. salt
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. onion powder
1 t. paprika
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. rubbed sage
1/2 t. black pepper
1/2 t. chili powder

Mix all ingredients well in a large mixing bowl. Use immediately. Not sure how well this would keep in a jar—the brown sugar could get damp and clump up pretty bad. I don't know because I didn't try it.

I used this on 6 pounds of "pork shoulder western style ribs". Rubbed in seasonings, stuffed in a plastic bag overnight:


Put foil in pan, add rack, place meat in pan:



Slow roast at 300˚ for 4-5 hours...

When you see the fat browned and sizzling, you can pretty much be sure they are done.

Poke with a fork and see if the meat tears easily. If not, put back for 30 minute increments until meat is tender and done.

random amusements

Crate & Barrel.....I love you.....

Remember when my beloved cheese knife broke? Do you recall the devastation?!

Well....I have a replacement now.

Went to the Crate & Barrel website, and, lo and behold, they had the type of cheese knife I wanted.

*sigh*

And since I had a coooopon code, I bought the other matching cheese knife, and two cutting boards to replace the ones I've been intending on disposing of for a while now.



LINKY:
Crate & Barrel cheese knives

Whole Wheat Bread

BRM 100% Whole Wheat Bread

1 pkg. Bob's Red Mill 100% Whole Wheat Bread Mix
1 egg
1 1/3 c. warm water
2 T. butter, room temperature
2 T. sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon

I made this in my bread machine, but it turned out so good that I wanted to post the photos/recipe, and give props to Bob's Red Mill brand once again. I love their stuff.

And, no, they are not paying me to say that, and no, I don't have any friends or family who work for the company. They just have awesome products, that's all.

You could just as well follow the instructions on the package and have just as pleasant results. With tired arms, maybe. (from kneading—humor!)


Here's the French toast I made for my husband, using this bread:

He loved it!

Acorn Squash Tart

This turned out fantastic. I think it is one of the best things I have ever made!

Acorn Squash Tart

crust:
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. ground black pepper
tiny dash of cardamom
3 or 4 T. cold water

filling:
3 eggs, slightly beaten
2 c. mashed, cooked acorn squash (about two medium squashes)
1/3 c. milk
2 T. butter, melted
3 T. honey
1/8 t. salt

Preheat oven to 425˚.

To make the crust: in a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, and pepper. Using a pastry blender, cut in cold butter until it looks like crumbs. Add dribbles of cold water, just 1 tablespoon water at a time, until dough is just moistened enough to form dough into a ball.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a 15-inch circle.


Carefully place dough in an ungreased 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.


Press gently into fluted sides of pan; trim edges.

Generously prick the bottom with a fork (so it won't bubble up while baking). Line with a double thickness of foil (to help keep it down and keep it from over-browning). Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove foil and bake another 8-10 minutes until golden. Set aside on a wire rack. Decrease oven temperature to 350˚.


To make squash:
Rinse outside of 2 medium- sized squash; cut in half and remove seeds. Place squash halves, cut sides down, in a large roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, at 375˚ for 45 to 60 minutes. Poke with a fork to make sure it is tender and done. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Scoop pulp out of shells and mash; cover and chill (I cooked the squash one day and left it in the fridge overnight to make the tart the next day).


For filling: in a large bowl, combine eggs, squash, milk, melted butter, honey, sage, and salt.


Place crust-lined pan on a pizza pan. Spoon squash mixture into crust, smoothing top.


Bake at 350˚ about 40 minutes or until set and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove and cool slightly on a wire rack (about 20 minutes).

Remove sides of tart pan; carefully place tart on a serving platter.

Chop Suey in the Pressure Cooker

This was one of my favorite meals that my mom used to make semi-regularly. I still love it for its taste and simplicity.

Chop Suey in the Pressure Cooker

1 round steak (about 1.5 to 2 pounds)
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, minced
1 T. oil
2 to 3 T. soy sauce
2 c. (approximately) water
2 T. cornstarch + 1/4 c. water (for thickening it later)

1. Cut steak into small cubes—it will break up after cooking, but being in smaller pieces will help when browning the meat.
2. Put oil, onions and celery in pressure cooker pot and brown over medium-high heat. Add meat to brown as well.
3. Add soy sauce and enough water to just barely cover the meat. DO NOT fill pressure cooker more than 2/3 full. DO NOT put cornstarch in your pressure cooker, either. That's for later.
4. Bring to a boil and put lid on pressure cooker, sealing it.
5. Heat to full pressure and cook at least 30 minutes.
6. Carefully remove pot from heat, and cool in sink with cold water until pressure seal releases. Remove lid and set it aside.
7. Place pot, without the lid, back on stove over medium heat to bring to a boil again.
8. In measuring cup mix together 2 T. cornstarch + 1/4 c. water, and keep stirring it until you are ready to add it. Once you see some bubbles in the liquid in the pot, add the cornstarch mixture all at once, and stir the pot quickly.
   
9. Allow to thicken over heat, then serve the chop suey over rice.

Egg Drop Soup

I put some chopped baby spinach leaves in my soup, and then I made the mistake of using canned mushrooms, which I wasn't happy with. You have to use fresh mushrooms for this recipe. I mean, I still ate it, but I really wanted fresh mushrooms.

Egg Drop Soup

4 c. canned chicken broth (or your own chicken stock)
1 T. butter
5 or 6 mushrooms, sliced
1 green onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced/pressed
1 egg, well-beaten
dash of: soy sauce, black pepper, salt

1. Sauté mushrooms in butter until browned; then add garlic and green onion and cook for only 1 minute more. (you don't want the onion to get too done)
2. In a medium saucepan, bring chicken stock to a good boil.
3. Meanwhile, in a measuring cup, or something with a pouring spout, mix egg, salt, pepper and soy sauce.
4. Timing is everything at this point. You need to stir the broth in the pan and get it moving in a swirling motion—like a whirlpool—and it needs to be hot enough to cook the egg as soon as it hits the broth. Spoon in one hand, cup of egg in the other.
5. Quickly remove your spoon from the broth you were stirring, and immediately pour the egg from up high to make a thin stream going into the pot of swirling liquid.
6. It will take a few times of making this to really get the hang of it, but once you see the results, you will understand the process much better.
7. When the stream of egg hits the broth, it will cook the egg and create these long streamer-looking blobs. Some of it will look sorta like noodles and some will look kinda like sheets of tissue paper. Or something. Hey, YOU try to describe it better.
8. If you pour too fast, it will end up looking like scrambled egg soup. Which will taste fine, but not really be what you were after.
9. If you pour too slow, the broth will slow down its swirl and the egg will clump up when it hits the broth. Again, scrambled egg soup.
10. But what you DON'T want to do is stir the broth a lot once you've poured the egg in.
11. So now you very gently drop your cooked mushrooms and onions into the soup. Don't mix them in; just let them combine with the soup and dish them out evenly when you serve the soup.

Really, it is a simple enough recipe, and after a couple of tries, you'll get the hang of it.