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.

 

 

 

Macaroni and Cheese Bake

Mac and Cheese.  Comfort food for heart and soul.  Mac and Cheese with me is simple and starts with a roux.  A roux is equal parts butter and flour whisked together over heat.

I start with a quarter cup butter, melted.

Whisk in 1/4 cup flour. 

My roux is ready for milk.

Whisk 3 cups milk into roux over heat until it thickens and is smooth.

Add cheese to milk mixture,
I used 4 cups sharp shredded cheddar cheese
4 ounces of cream cheese and
1 cup pepper jack cheese into blocks.
Whisk over heat until melted and smooth, add cooked pasta.

My pantry did not have elbow pasta, so I went with the penne pasta.

Place in a lightly greased casserole dish. Top with seasoned bread crumbs.

Bake 350 degrees until golden and bubbly,
approximately 30-45 minutes.

comfort food for fall...yum!



Blueberry Muffins

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line cupcake pan with 8-10 muffin liners.  

This recipe makes approx. 9 muffins.  

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 large egg

*1/3 cup milk

1 cup fresh, clean blueberries

Directions:

Combine in mixing bowl flour, sugar,salt,baking powder.  in one cup measuring cup, measure oil and add egg.  *Add milk to this until 1 cup, then top with vanilla.  Add this to dry mixture in bowl and mix until smooth,  Fold in blueberries.        

  Fill muffin cups until almost full.   

 Sprinkle crumb topping on tops of muffins prior to baking.

To make crumb topping mix together with a fork

1/3 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and 2 teaspoons butter.

 Bake 18-22 minutes until done.