Halloween... Oh My!

October arrives tomorrow,

that time of year when things go bump in the night...

Oh My!!

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Jose's Margarita Biscuits

It's Friday and well, it's five o'clock somewhere...

You all know the recipes hitting the internet lately

using 7 Up or Sprite and Bisquick

to make delicious biscuits?

I WAS going to throw them together

to go with a comfort food

meatloaf, mashed potatoes dinner request. 

Except I didn't have enough Bisquick mix in the pantry,

did not have any soda and so it goes this Friday. 

So I had to do some math

and adjust ingredient measurements

and change lemon lime soda to what I have on hand...

Jose Cuervo Margarita mix.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups Bisquick

1/3 cup sour cream

1/3 cup Margarita Mix (lime)

2 teaspoons melted butter (melt butter in glass dish to coat)

Directions: 

Stir Bisquick, sour cream and Margarita mix together

with 1 teaspoon of the melted butter from coating pie dish when melting butter.

This makes a very soft dough.

Turn out on to lightly floured surface. 

Use your fingers to pat into flat rectangle.

Cut out biscuits using floured glass.    

Put in greased dish

to bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Take out of oven and allow to cool slightly.

Serve warm or cold.

Split Pea Soup

Rain, cold and did I just hear that weatherman say

"chance of snow?"

Time to stir a pot of Split Pea Soup,

make a loaf of crusty bread

and call it dinner tonight. 

I start with a 16 ounce package of dried peas that have been washed and "old maids" removed.  Add 6 - 7 cups of chicken bouillon.  Then I add 1 cup ham leftovers chopped, 1/4 cup diced onions and finely 1/2 cup chopped carrots.  Simmer on low, stirring and use a whisk to start breaking down peas as they cook and soften.  Continue to whisk until smooth and carrots are cooked.  Salt and Pepper to taste.  Serve hot.

Mmmm...

'Tis Near Halloween Printable

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Brrrr... and fall drops in on the northeast for a visit this weekend.  Rain and chilly, typical October Halloween Eve weather, except when it snows for the trick or treaters, the weather has reminded me to finish this printable.  Logs in fireplace, cozy and comfy for this prediction of frost, working on my PHD.  PHD=Projects Half Done!

Potato Rolls

Ingredients:

2 packages Rapid Rise dry yeast

1-1/3 cups warm water (110° to 115°)

2/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup shortening

2 eggs

1 cup cooked potatoes, mashed 

2-1/2 teaspoons salt

6 to 6-1/2 cups flour 

Directions: 

In a bowl, dissolve yeast in 1 1/3 cup warm water. In a large bowl, cream sugar and shortening until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, potatoes, salt, yeast mixture and 2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Shape into a ball; do not knead.

Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down, shape into 3 dozen balls and arrange in baking pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Makes approximately 3 dozen rolls.

All Wrapped Up

What will glue, twine and an old dead light bulb make?

 A twine pear to go with my upcoming fall decor project...

 

To make the pear I spread glue around light bulb and then wrapped the twine around the light bulb until I reached the top.  I glued a small piece of a branch at the top and completed the wrapping of the twine around the branch, spacing the twine on the branch to look more like a spiral.

Beef Enchilada

This old reliable easy, peasy Friday night dinner comes together in minutes.

Ingredients:

10-6 inch flour tortillas

2-cans mild enchilada sauce

1 pound ground beef

3-4 cups shredded cheddar

sour cream, green onions to top  off your enchilada

 Directions:

Brown ground beef and drain grease.  Add 1 can Enchilada sauce and 1 1/2 to 2 cups shredded cheddar to beef mix until cheese melted.  Take a couple of spoons of meat mixture on tortilla and roll up.  Place in lightly oiled casserole dish.  Cover with 1 can Enchilada sauce and remaining cheese. 
Bake @ 350 degrees 20-25 minutes until cheese is golden and melted. 

 

Serve with sour cream and chopped onions if desired.
I used half the recipe ingredients,
as it was dinner for two here tonight.

Philly Cheese Steak Stuffed Peppers

After requests from my Frozen Asset post about freezing green peppers and my "go to" quick, easy meals from the peppers, specifically, Philly Cheese Steak Stuffed Peppers I created a  a quick photo tutorial recipe how-to for you. 

Wash and clean seeds from green pepper halves.

Layer bottom of peppers with shredded provolone cheese.

Next layer, lightly sauteed onions.

Next, sliced Bella mushrooms.

Add sauteed sliced thin beef steaks.

More shredded cheese.

Cover and bake until peppers are tender in 350 degree oven, approximately 45 minutes.
Uncover and bake until cheese is melted and golden if desired.

Summer Sunshine in a Jar

Tonight's adventure will bring a bit of summer sunshine in a jar on frigid winter nights. In the months to come, those yummy filled jars waiting in the pantry will make simmering pots of chili and spaghetti sauce to warm us to the toes.

At least that's the plan...with the help of the good people at Ball and their Home Canning Discovery Kit, some canning jars and a trip to the Farmer's Market, as well as,

a bushel or two from our own garden for tomatoes.

Most of us have our favorite method of preserving tomatoes.  I use the hot process canning method the same as my Mother and Grandmother.  If you haven't canned or need a great site, try this
 Ball Canning for Crushed Tomatoes link for directions.

My tip:  I slice the bottoms of the tomatoes
 prior to putting in hot water bath,
it helps make the skins slide off easily when you peel them.



*Shout out to Mom up in heaven now...I thought of you today and all the generations of family that filled their kitchens with the aroma of tomatoes. We are never truly alone in the kitchen when we cook or prepare food for our family. Each generation is with us as we embark on the time honored fall harvest canning.

Warning: Memories may flood your thoughts of family working side by side in the family kitchen, laughing as they can Summer Sunshine in a Jar.

Frozen Assets

Freezing Green Peppers

The harvest season begins with stocking the freezer today. Green Peppers are a freezer staple in our house. The green peppers add a touch of summertime to soups, sauces and stews in the chilly winter months.  The green peppers are my "go to" for a quick meal of

Stuffed Peppers or Philly Cheese Steak Stuffed Peppers. Yum!

Wash the green peppers under running water. Cut the peppers in half, remove the stem, clean out the inside seeds. Put pepper halves in a pan of boiling water to blanch for 3 minutes.

Remove peppers after 3 minutes and immediately cool them in cold water 3 more minutes to stop the cooking.

 

Remove the peppers from the ice water and dry the pieces with a towel. I place the peppers flat on a baking sheet and freeze prior to putting the portions I want into freezer bags and storing them in my freezer.

*Kansas State Research and Extention info sweet or bell peppers can be frozen without blanching. I make the choice to blanch my peppers.