Recipe of the Week: Italian Beef Stir Fry (or a great recipe for all that squash you have in your garden)

Every summer we have a bounty of squash (both yellow and zucchini). I don't recall where I found this recipe, but it is EASY and very good. I made it this week, but forgot to take a picture (sorry), but if you could have seen it, it was very colorful and eye-appealing.

Italian Beef Stir Fry
1 pound beef round tip steak (I buy whatever thin cut beef is on sale)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 small zucchini, thinly sliced
1 cup cherry tomato halves
1/4 cup Italian dressing
2 cups cooked spaghetti
1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cut steak into 1-inch wide strips.
2. Cook and stir garlic in oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 1 minute.
3. Add beef strips, stir fry 1-1 1/2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Remove with slotted spoon; keep warm.
5. Add zucchini to same skillet; stir fry 2-3 minuets or until crisp-tender.
6. Return beef to skillet; add tomatoes and dressing.
7. Heat through; serve over hot pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Cook's Notes:

• I add some yellow squash in if we have it.
• I use whatever tomatoes I have on hand
• I usually use a little more dressing--use whatever your favorite Italian one is.

Recipe of the Week: Doughnuts

I decided to treat the kids to homemade doughnuts today. They loved them! I'm thinking it elevated my standing for the coveted Mother of the Year Award. I even got two thumbs up.

I know, I can read your mind. You're thinking, "Doughnuts? Who has time for that?"

You do, if you take a little help from me.

Doughnuts

1 can refrigerated biscuits

shortening or oil

powdered sugar

1. Cut biscuits in half (Sadie did this for me with our kitchen scissors--pretend I took a picture.)

2. Heat oil or shortening. Fry biscuits until golden; drain on paper towel

3. Sprinkle with powdered sugar

Cook's Notes:

• We used to have a doughnut hole cutter, but it disappeared, so we just cut them in half.
• I find that the mid-priced biscuits (I buy in packs of four) are the best.
• Make sure the oil is hot enough when you start or they'll absorb it. Also, don't let the oil get too hot or they will brown too quickly and not get done in the middle.
• Cheating? Maybe, but they sure were fast and easy this afternoon after school. (And, very tasty if I do say so myself.)

Recipe of the Week: Goo

It is windy again today. I decided to make goo for Sadie's class Easter party. I'm going to put it in individual bags and into plastic Easter eggs to use as BINGO prizes. I got this recipe out of a book called "Family Fun's Crafts." This recipe is easy and it entertains the kids for quite a while. I generally have all of the ingredients handy.

Goo
8 ounces white glue
food coloring (optional)
1 cup water
20 Mule Team Borax

Combine glue, food coloring and 3/4 cup water in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine remaining water and 1 Tbsp. borax. Add the borax mixture to the glue and stir. It will immediately make a blob.

At this point I add a small amount of water to the container I mixed the borax in (because there will be a little bit of borax still in the cup) and then add that to the goo. You'll want to continue working the "blob" until it is no longer soupy--the best way to do this is with both hands.

When it is all together, you're done. I divided it among the kids and let them get busy.

Notes:

• I dump the bottle of glue (I use Elmer's--it isn't quite an 8 oz. bottle anymore) into the bowl, then pour the 3/4 cup water into the bottle and shake it up to get all of the glue out.
• The recipe says that food coloring is optional--but what's the fun in plain goo?
• This recipe is really fool-proof as near as I can tell.
• This keeps quite a while in a sealed container.
• It will take the shape of whatever container you put it in. If you make it into a ball, it will eventually flatten back out.
• The more gentle you are, the more things you can get it to do.
  

I can nearly guarantee hours (at least large blocks of minutes) of fun with this stuff. Adults are even taken with it. Try it and let me know how much fun you had! Go here to see more pictures of the boys playing with it.

Recipe of the Week: Beef Stir Fry

I've had this recipe for quite a while. I believe it came out of Quick Cooking magazine. This is a simple, quick supper. T.S. even likes this.

Flavorful Beef Stir-Fry

2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. sugar
6 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 c. white wine, apple juice or water
1 lb. boneless beef round steak, cut into thin strips
3 c. broccoli florets
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1 pkg (6 oz) frozen pea pods, thawed
2 Tbsp. chopped onion
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided.
1 can (8 oz) sliced water shestnuts, undrained

Hot cooked rice

1. Combine cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce and wine, apple juice or water until smooth.
2. Add beef, toss to coat; set aside.
3. In a large skillet, stir fry broccoli, carrots, pea pods and onion in 1 Tbsp. oil for one minute.
4. Stir in water chestnuts; cover and simmer for 4 minutes. Remove and keep warm.
5. In the same skillet, stir-fry beef in remaining oil until meat reaches desired doneness.
6. Return vegetables to pan; toss.
7. Serve over rice.

Cook's Notes:

• I use apple juice (we always have it on hand); sometimes I add a little more juice to the meat if I think the sauce is too thick.
• I also add minced garlic and onion to the sauce when the beef is "marinating."
• I use whatever thin steak or cut of beef is on sale.
• I generally cook the vegetables a little longer, because that's how our family likes it--this recipe is all about personal preference--I add more carrots, because T.S. likes them.
• I use fresh snow peas or sugar snap peas--I generally find them in a package in the bagged salads area.

Recipe of the Week: Potato Soup

This recipe is EASY. We love it on chilly nights. I'm not sure where I got this one from.

Potato Soup

3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 stick margarine
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 tsp. grated onion
2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste

1. Melt butter and drop in potatoes and onion. Let that cook for a few minutes.
2. Add rest of ingredients.
3. Simmer 30 minutes or until potatoes are the texture and consistency you like. Stir often while cooking. This tends to stick, so don't just walk off once you get it started.

Cook's Notes:

• I add several cloves of minced garlic.
• I generally use 4 potatoes, I like the soup thicker.
• At the end, you can add your favorite cheese and melt in.
• Crumbled bacon or pieces of ham (sometimes I use leftover deli-slices) are good toppings.
• I like to put corn in mine (Robby doesn't really, so I heat up some corn and put in my bowl.)
• This is just a basic recipe, you can jazz it up to suit your taste.

Recipe of the Week: 30 Minute Chili

I got this recipe from my aunt. It is very quick and easy. We like it for Frito pie or on hot dogs.

30 Minute Chili
1 lb. hamburger
3/4 c. chopped onion
1 minced garlic clove
2 tsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cumin powder
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 cup water

1. Brown meat, onion and garlic; drain well
2. Stir in remaining ingredients and mix well.
3. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.

Cook's notes:

• I use closer to 3/4 tsp. salt--the tomato sauce has it in it and chili powder sometimes does.
• I measure the water in the 8 oz. tomato sauce can--I like my consistency a little thicker, so I generally don't use the full cup.
• I love to make my Frito pie into a wrap--flour tortilla with the chili, Fritos and cheese inside.

Recipe of the Week: Strawberry Cake

Today is Robby's birthday. His favorite cake is strawberry cake so the boys and I made it this afternoon. It is not a pretty cake, it never is. (No I wasn't holding the camera crooked--I was serious, this is not a pretty cake.) What it lacks in beauty, it makes up for in taste. Today is the first time that I made it and it didn't fall. The icing is not a thick icing, so it won't "hide" flaws. The neat thing about this recipe is that Robby's mom uses this exact same one that my great-grandmother used.

Strawberry Cake

1 pkg. white cake mix

1 c. Wesson oil

1/2 c. water (or milk)

3 Tbsp. flour

4 eggs

1 pkg. strawberry Jell-o

1/2 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen strawberries, thawed

Mix ingredients well. Makes 3 small layers or 2 large layers. Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Topping:

1 box powdered sugar

1/2 stick oleo

1/2 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen strawberries

Mix topping ingredients and spread between layers and on top.

Cook's notes:

• Wesson oil is a brand of vegetable oil (I don't know if they even make it any more.)
• Frozen strawberries used to come in a nice little 10 oz. box. I only had a 24 oz. container, so I drained what was left and put the sliced strawberries in the middle of the 2 layers.
• Notice my great-grandmother called it a topping instead of an icing. It will just spill over the sides of the cake and puddle on the platter.
• I suggest using the water rather than the milk. The milk and the 4 eggs make it so rich that I can almost guarantee it will fall. (Unless you know some trick I don't.)

Recipe of the Week: Nonnie's Caramel Brownies

My blog-friend Granny Sue is searching for a brownie recipe. Which made me think of Nonnie's Caramel Brownies. She sent them to us at college. All of my friends thought they were fantastic. One of my college roommates still makes them. She told me that people at her husband's workplace requested them. My cousin Jay goes crazy for them. I made them this summer. They were good, but not as good as Nonnie's. I don't know what she does differently. These are a must-try, a staple in your dessert arsenal. The only thing better is if Nonnie makes them for you.

Nonnie's Caramel Brownies
1 (14oz) pkg. Kraft caramels
1/3 c. evaporated milk
1 German chocolate cake mix
1/3 c. evaporated milk
1 1/2 sticks melted oleo (that would be margarine or butter for you young ones)
2 c. chocolate chips
1 c. pecans, chopped

1. Melt together the caramels and evaporated milk (just 1/3 c.) over low heat.
2. In another bowl, stir together the cake mix, evaporated milk and oleo. Press half of mixture into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 6-7 minutes.
3. Sprinkle chocolate chips and pecans over the crust. Pour the caramel mixture over the chocolate chips and pecans.
4. Crumble the remaining dough over the caramel mixture. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Do not overcook.
5. Cool and cut into bars.

Cook's Notes:

• This can also be found in the Rainbow cookbook--if you grew up with me you know what that is.
• Nonnie always stored these between layers of waxed paper in Christmas tins (regardless of the season).
• By the time one of my cousins was in school, she individually wrapped his so they'd keep longer--he'd lock them in his filing cabinet so his roommate wouldn't eat them.
• She mailed mine to me in shoeboxes. The postage today would be outrageous because they are heavy.
• My job as a kid was to unwrap all of the caramels.

Recipe of the Week: Baked Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas

This recipe is easy and yummy. I made it yesterday for mom's bunco group. I think they put "baked" in the title to make you feel better about the cheese, cream cheese and whipping cream.
I found this recipe in a magazine, I'm not sure which one. You can rest assured that I don't come up with any of my own recipes. Sorry for no pictures, I haven't yet mastered cooking and taking photos at the same time.

Baked Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cups (12 oz) Monterey Jack cheese
10 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup whipping cream

1. Stir together first 6 ingredients and 1 cup cheese in a large bowl until well blended.
2. Wrap tortillas in heavy-duty plastic wrap; heat in microwave according to package directions.
3. Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture down center of each warm tortilla; roll up. Place in a lightly greased 13x9 inch baking dish.
4. Cook diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and cream in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring often, 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Pour tomato mixture evenly over tortilla; sprinkle with remaining 2 cups cheese.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until cheese melts and tomato mixture is bubbly. Serve with desired toppings. (They suggest sour cream and shredded lettuce.)

Cook's notes:

• I like to cook the chicken and mix up the chicken mixture and refrigerate it the night before. If you do this it may take a little longer than 20 minutes to heat up.
• The diced tomatoes with green chilies is NOT Rotel.
• When I heat the tortillas, I wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave for about 45 seconds.
• We generally serve this with guacomole and chips.
• These heat up well the next day.

Mom served it with a good salad last night. I'll try to post that recipe next week.
Enjoy!!

Recipe of the Week: Beef Noodle Casserole

This is my "go to" recipe. It is easy, I usually have the ingredients on hand and the boys love it!

Beef Noodle Casserole
1 lb. hamburger
1/4 c. minced onion
1 clove garlic
2 (8oz.) cans tomato sauce
1 tsp. salt
1 c. sour cream
1 c. cottage cheese
8 oz. medium egg noodles
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1. Brown hamburger, onion and garlic.
2. Stir in tomato sauce, salt and pepper to taste.
3. Simmer 5 minutes.
4. Cook egg noodles and drain. Combine the noodles, sour cream and cottage cheese.
5. Grease a casserole dish. Put down half of noodles. Top with meat; add remaining noodles. Top with cheese.
6. Bake in a 350 degree oven until bubbly.

Cook's notes: I think it is really tasty to cook the noodles first and let them kind of marinate in the cottage cheese and sour cream mixture. If you put the warm noodles in with the sour cream and cottage cheese, the noodles seem to absorb more flavor. Also, it finally dawned on me the other day to then cook my meat in the pan I cooked the noodles in and I only got a bowl and the pan dirty while cooking. Sometimes I amaze myself.

Recipe of the Week: Apple-Pear Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

I found this recipe in Southern Living Magazine. It has been a huge hit at our family gatherings. I like the dressing and the flavors from combining ingredients you might not normally pair together.
Apple-Pear Salad
1 (16oz.) pkg. romaine lettuce, washed
1 (6 oz.) block Swiss cheese, shaved
1 c. roasted, salted cashews
1/2 c. sweetened dried cranberries
1 large apple, thinly sliced
1 large pear, thinly sliced

Toss ingredients together and serve with lemon-poppy seed dressing,

Lemon-Poppy Seed Dressing
2/3 c. light olive oil
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
2 tsp. finely chopped onions
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
Process ingredients in blender until smooth. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to one week; serve at room temperature.

Notes:
I toss the apple and pear slices in lemon juice to keep them from turning.
I don't use the bagged lettuce--I'm never pleased with the quality of it at our store. So, I do quite a bit of guessing with the lettuce and the cheese amounts.

Recipe of the Week--Buttermilk Cake

I'm going to attempt to post a new recipe each week. Yesterday, T.S. and I made a buttermilk cake. You can see pictures of the process here. This recipe is in my Rainbow Cookbook and is my great-grandmother's. It is very simple and appears in the cookbook just like this:

1 c. shortening
2 c. sugar
3 c. flour
4 eggs
1 c. buttermilk with 1/4 tsp. baking soda added

Flavor to taste. Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.

I add about 1/2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. vanilla.
For you novice cake bakers, don't just dump everything in, cream the shortening and sugar then add the eggs and vanilla. Finally alternate the flour and buttermilk. I bake this in a bundt pan (it belonged to my other great-grandmother).


Enjoy!