Last week when my daughter and I went shopping, they had pot roast on a good sale, so I got a package. I was thinking that it had one good size roast and one small size roast, but it ended up having two good size ones. As I stated in my last post, I've been looking on Pinterest for recipes and cooking tips. There were quite a few links to blogs about cooking one day and puting together multiple meals for the coming month. So when I was browning my pot roast before puting it in the slow cooker, I decided to follow some instructions and make up a second one to freeze. We had a great dinner last night (with leftovers for my lunch and some to give to my father too) and now I have one in the freezer just waiting for me when I'm low on ideas for meals, or we are going to be gone much of the day.
Here's my simple pot roast recipe:
5-6 medium red potatoes, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
two handfuls of baby carrots, cut in half
three stalks celery, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
salt and pepper to taste
onion powder (my husband can't eat onions, but you can use fresh instead of powder if you like)
1 can beef consumme
your choice of pot roast
I spray the slow cooker, then place the vegetables in the bottom. I then add the seasonings. I brown the roast on each side for about 2-3 minutes, then add it to the slow cooker. Add the can of beef consumme and cook on low for 7-9 hours or high 4-5 hours.
When the meat and vegetables are done, I take them out and put them in a serving bowl and cover to keep warm. Then I transfer the liquid to a saucepan and make a gravy. I won't give you directions for thickening because I haven't perfected that part yet. When I use cornstarch, my gravy is wonderful the first day, but its more like jelly after being refrigerated. When I use flour, it tends to get a bit lumpy, but the flavor is wonderful. I wish I had paid more attention when my grandma was teaching me how to make gravy!! If anyone has any great tips for gravy, post them in the comments.
For freezing: I used a gallon freezer storage bag. I put the vegetables and the browned roast in the bag. I didn't add a can of the beef consumme because I didn't have a second one. From what I have read on other food blog sites, if you add the marinade/liquid to the bag and then freeze it, when the food is thawing the meat gets a little extra flavor. So my bag has the vegetables and meat ready to be taken out of the freezer and put in the slow cooker. Some people suggest that when you take it out of the freezer, let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes before adding it to the slow cooker. Your cooking times will have to be adjusted.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
In the last month I've been introduced to a new (well, new to me) website called "Pinterest". I have to admit that I'm addicted to it. People "pin" pictures that they find online of different things that they are interested in, which then lead you to the website they got them from. I've found quite a few recipe ideas that I would love to try.
I have tried out a couple recipes from the site. A few for the girls have been fun and good (ideas for rolled up tortillas instead of sandwiches). I tried a baked chicken parmesean (not that great) and a Chicken Marsala (mix of two recipes) that was AMAZING.
So if you are looking for a neat new website that has ideas for recipes, decorating, organization, crafts, repurposing, do-it-yourself tips, books, clothes, travel, and, well, just about anything....you should check it out. You need to be invited by someone that already uses it, so ask me or a friend to send you an invite.
I have tried out a couple recipes from the site. A few for the girls have been fun and good (ideas for rolled up tortillas instead of sandwiches). I tried a baked chicken parmesean (not that great) and a Chicken Marsala (mix of two recipes) that was AMAZING.
So if you are looking for a neat new website that has ideas for recipes, decorating, organization, crafts, repurposing, do-it-yourself tips, books, clothes, travel, and, well, just about anything....you should check it out. You need to be invited by someone that already uses it, so ask me or a friend to send you an invite.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Yoplait vs Jamba Juice frozen smoothies
I love to make smoothies, but don't always have the mixture of fruit to make them. In the past year, different companies have started to put out frozen smoothie mixes you can find with the frozen fruit at your local grocery store. These mixes include frozen fruit and frozen yogurt in small easily blendable sizes. All you have to do is add liquid (juice or milk depending on the product).
The first product we tried was Yoplait strawberry-banana. We did not like it very much. There was a distinctly unappetizing taste to the yogurt. We decided to to try Yoplait again with the strawberry-mango-pineapple flavor. It still had an odd flavor.
Then we tried the Jamba Juice frozen smoothie mix. We bought the Carribean Passion (which I actually didn't like at the local store). It was a great product. There was a good mixture of the fruit (strawberry, peach, and mango) and the yogurt didn't have a strange taste to it.
So here's the comparison (out of 5 stars):
Taste: Yoplait 2 1/2 stars Jamba Juice 4 1/2 stars
Consistency: Yoplait 4 stars Jamba Juice 5 stars
Overall: Yoplait 3 1/2 stars Jamba Juice 4 1/2 stars
The first product we tried was Yoplait strawberry-banana. We did not like it very much. There was a distinctly unappetizing taste to the yogurt. We decided to to try Yoplait again with the strawberry-mango-pineapple flavor. It still had an odd flavor.
Then we tried the Jamba Juice frozen smoothie mix. We bought the Carribean Passion (which I actually didn't like at the local store). It was a great product. There was a good mixture of the fruit (strawberry, peach, and mango) and the yogurt didn't have a strange taste to it.
So here's the comparison (out of 5 stars):
Taste: Yoplait 2 1/2 stars Jamba Juice 4 1/2 stars
Consistency: Yoplait 4 stars Jamba Juice 5 stars
Overall: Yoplait 3 1/2 stars Jamba Juice 4 1/2 stars
Friday, April 15, 2011
Mama Express
My 6 year old daughter has a new favorite restaurant, "Panda Express". I'm not sure why she loves it so much. When we went to Costco a few weeks ago they had a frozen meal of Orange Chicken. We got some and tonight I made that along with white rice (I was too tired to attempt a fried rice) and potstickers. When I told her what I was making, she said "Oh, like Panda Express". I said yes, but called Mama Express. So all throught dinner she kept saying how much she liked Mama Express. It made me smile.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Favorite kitchen tools
I unpacked two of my favorite kitchen tools tonight. They have been sitting in their boxes in my pantry since we moved in November. One is my Kitchen Aid stand mixer, the other is my Pampered Chef loaf pan. I'm baking some "Best Banana Bread" right now and the apartment smells so good.
While I was unpacking I was thinking about some kitchen related things and since it's been a month since my last post, I thought I would share my random thoughts with you.
The Kitchen Aid mixer is so wonderful. I generally use it a few times a year (I need to make this bread more often!) for birthday cakes and chocolate chip cookies. But it has some great uses. When I was living at home with my parents, my step-mom would make the most wonderful meatloaf. She would put the meat grinder attachment onto the Kitchen Aid and we would have a mixture of fresh ground chicken, steak, and pork. The flavors were so good....now I'm thinking that I want to save up for one of those. The other neat thing you can make is perfectly smooth mashed potatoes (I haven't done this in about 8 1/2 years though). They are so creamy and fluffy. It takes a few more minutes, but then again your arm doesn't get tired from all that mashing.
Another thing I was thinking about was how much I love Pampered Chef stoneware. We use the round pizza stone all the time. It just stays in the oven, partly because we don't have any storage space for it and partly because we use it so much. If I had unlimited money and storage space, I would buy all the Pampered Chef stoneware. I have the pizza stone, the loaf pan, and a small baking dish. It cooks so evenly and I've never burned anything.
Which led me to think of my ideal kitchen. It doesn't have to be huge, but it has to have lots of storage. The only other specific thing I would like would be a sink that you didn't have to use your hands to turn on. I hate having high bacteria food on my hand and then having to touch the faucet to turn on the water. I saw an episode of a kitchen planning show on one of those decorating channels one time that had two surgeons who installed the same type of system in their house that they use at the hospital. I would love that. No more raw meat or egg germs having a party on my faucet handle.
So those are my kitchen thoughts for the night. As an added note, I was not paid any endorsements from Kitchen Aid or Pampered Chef for my post tonight. =)
While I was unpacking I was thinking about some kitchen related things and since it's been a month since my last post, I thought I would share my random thoughts with you.
The Kitchen Aid mixer is so wonderful. I generally use it a few times a year (I need to make this bread more often!) for birthday cakes and chocolate chip cookies. But it has some great uses. When I was living at home with my parents, my step-mom would make the most wonderful meatloaf. She would put the meat grinder attachment onto the Kitchen Aid and we would have a mixture of fresh ground chicken, steak, and pork. The flavors were so good....now I'm thinking that I want to save up for one of those. The other neat thing you can make is perfectly smooth mashed potatoes (I haven't done this in about 8 1/2 years though). They are so creamy and fluffy. It takes a few more minutes, but then again your arm doesn't get tired from all that mashing.
Another thing I was thinking about was how much I love Pampered Chef stoneware. We use the round pizza stone all the time. It just stays in the oven, partly because we don't have any storage space for it and partly because we use it so much. If I had unlimited money and storage space, I would buy all the Pampered Chef stoneware. I have the pizza stone, the loaf pan, and a small baking dish. It cooks so evenly and I've never burned anything.
Which led me to think of my ideal kitchen. It doesn't have to be huge, but it has to have lots of storage. The only other specific thing I would like would be a sink that you didn't have to use your hands to turn on. I hate having high bacteria food on my hand and then having to touch the faucet to turn on the water. I saw an episode of a kitchen planning show on one of those decorating channels one time that had two surgeons who installed the same type of system in their house that they use at the hospital. I would love that. No more raw meat or egg germs having a party on my faucet handle.
So those are my kitchen thoughts for the night. As an added note, I was not paid any endorsements from Kitchen Aid or Pampered Chef for my post tonight. =)
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Delicious homemade pizza
Yet again, no picture to go with my post. But I had to share this wonderful culinary experience.
A few weeks ago we went to visit some friends up in Salt Lake City. The husband is a friend of Shane's from South Carolina. In his spare time (when he's not being a physics professor and working on mixing techno music) he is a wonderful chef. If you've tried the Tomato Pie recipe from this site, it is based on a recipe I first got from him. Where I buy my pie crust and mayonaise at the store, he makes his from scratch. When he offered to make us homemade pizza, I knew that it would be a great experience.
He started by making the pizza crust with a mixture of whole wheat and regular flour. He showed me how to make it with the Kitchen Aid. I've never had good luck with making homemade bread or rolls, so he showed me what the consistency should be and the key to kneeding the dough. He even made sauce for two of the pizzas from scratch too. One cheese and pepperoni with mushroom for the kids, one veggie pizza for his wife and brother in law (peppers, olives, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, mushrooms). Then he made a chicken ranch pizza for us.
The pizza was wonderful. The nice part about making your own pizza at home is that you can add whatever ingredients you want and what amount you want. You can be creative and it tastes so much better than ordering it from somewhere and it is more healthy (well, as healthy as pizza can be).
A few weeks ago we went to visit some friends up in Salt Lake City. The husband is a friend of Shane's from South Carolina. In his spare time (when he's not being a physics professor and working on mixing techno music) he is a wonderful chef. If you've tried the Tomato Pie recipe from this site, it is based on a recipe I first got from him. Where I buy my pie crust and mayonaise at the store, he makes his from scratch. When he offered to make us homemade pizza, I knew that it would be a great experience.
He started by making the pizza crust with a mixture of whole wheat and regular flour. He showed me how to make it with the Kitchen Aid. I've never had good luck with making homemade bread or rolls, so he showed me what the consistency should be and the key to kneeding the dough. He even made sauce for two of the pizzas from scratch too. One cheese and pepperoni with mushroom for the kids, one veggie pizza for his wife and brother in law (peppers, olives, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, mushrooms). Then he made a chicken ranch pizza for us.
The pizza was wonderful. The nice part about making your own pizza at home is that you can add whatever ingredients you want and what amount you want. You can be creative and it tastes so much better than ordering it from somewhere and it is more healthy (well, as healthy as pizza can be).
Monday, February 14, 2011
Stroganoff
Delightfully creamy! Very easy!
4 T butter
1/2 lb beef, cubed (1 X 6)
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 T flour
1 1/2 c. Chicken or beef broth
1/2 c. sour cream
2 T. Italian flat-leaf parsley, minced
S & P
Noodles (wide egg or fettuccine), cook as directed.
Boil water for the noodles. In a skillet, saute the meat. When med done, remove meat, but leave the drippings. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until most of the moisture has been released (about 5 mintes). Add the butter, stir until melted. Add the flour and stir to incorporate. Stir in the broth and cook for a minute or two, until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat, add sour cream and parsley. Season with s&p. When noodles are done, strain. Mix into sauce and enjoy!
4 T butter
1/2 lb beef, cubed (1 X 6)
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 T flour
1 1/2 c. Chicken or beef broth
1/2 c. sour cream
2 T. Italian flat-leaf parsley, minced
S & P
Noodles (wide egg or fettuccine), cook as directed.
Boil water for the noodles. In a skillet, saute the meat. When med done, remove meat, but leave the drippings. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until most of the moisture has been released (about 5 mintes). Add the butter, stir until melted. Add the flour and stir to incorporate. Stir in the broth and cook for a minute or two, until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat, add sour cream and parsley. Season with s&p. When noodles are done, strain. Mix into sauce and enjoy!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Roasted Sweet Potato Fries w/Rosemary
I have to admit, I'm not fond of sweet potatoes or yams, but I love these!
3-4 Yams, washed, peeled and cut into chunks
Olive oil
A couple pinches of rosemary
Sea Salt
Toss all ingredients. Bake at 375 for 30-60 minutes depending on the size of your chunks. We broil them for a minute or two at the end to add a bit of crispness!
3-4 Yams, washed, peeled and cut into chunks
Olive oil
A couple pinches of rosemary
Sea Salt
Toss all ingredients. Bake at 375 for 30-60 minutes depending on the size of your chunks. We broil them for a minute or two at the end to add a bit of crispness!
Friday, January 21, 2011
Inside out Sundae
Just a fun little trick!!
Make cake batter, fill cupcake tray with liners, fill the liner. Add a maraschino cherry to the center. Bake as directed (may need an extra minute or two). When cool, Pipe whipped cream into the center of the cupcake. Frost & decorate as you'd like!
This makes for a great surprise--biting into a cupcake filled with whipped cream and a cherry! So fun!
Photo: My whipped cream had lost its volume by the time I piped it into these cupcakes, which is why they looked filled with milk. But... if you use stiffer whipped cream you'll end up with great results! It worked well for me last time!!
Make cake batter, fill cupcake tray with liners, fill the liner. Add a maraschino cherry to the center. Bake as directed (may need an extra minute or two). When cool, Pipe whipped cream into the center of the cupcake. Frost & decorate as you'd like!
This makes for a great surprise--biting into a cupcake filled with whipped cream and a cherry! So fun!
Photo: My whipped cream had lost its volume by the time I piped it into these cupcakes, which is why they looked filled with milk. But... if you use stiffer whipped cream you'll end up with great results! It worked well for me last time!!
Salmon-- how do you love it?
What is your favorite way to prepare salmon?
A couple of days ago I tried a new recipe. I mixed some chipotle powder into honey. I added a few drops of sesame oil and spread onto the raw fish. After covering the baking dish with foil, I baked at 300 for 30 minutes. It was really tasty. I especially enjoyed the sweet sesame flavor, but I felt that the honey didn't penetrate the fish, so only the outer layer was seasoned.
I usually make salmon with lemon juice and a sprinkling of salt and pepper and cook them in little wrapped foil packets. Sometimes, I add a coating of mayonaisse or a few capers. I love how this flavors all of the fish and is delicious and simple!
What do you love?
A couple of days ago I tried a new recipe. I mixed some chipotle powder into honey. I added a few drops of sesame oil and spread onto the raw fish. After covering the baking dish with foil, I baked at 300 for 30 minutes. It was really tasty. I especially enjoyed the sweet sesame flavor, but I felt that the honey didn't penetrate the fish, so only the outer layer was seasoned.
I usually make salmon with lemon juice and a sprinkling of salt and pepper and cook them in little wrapped foil packets. Sometimes, I add a coating of mayonaisse or a few capers. I love how this flavors all of the fish and is delicious and simple!
What do you love?
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Very Delicious Ham and Potato Soup
For Christmas we had a spiral cut ham and there was plenty of leftovers. I searched for a recipe where I could use some of the leftovers. This recipe was SO good! I would have posted a picture, but we ate it too fast. I think that next time I will double it so I can have some leftovers. The good part about using the food processor was the veggies were so small that you could add other vegetables without anyone noticing.
Ingredients
2-3 stalks celery, diced or chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 T oil of your choice
3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1 cup diced cooked ham
3 3/4 cups water
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground pepper, or to taste
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
Directions
1.I used my small food processor to chop the celery and onion. I sauted them in canola oil in my stockpot. Add the potatoes, ham and water. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Keep an eye on the water level, you may have to add more during cooking. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
2.In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thickened, 4 to 5 minutes.
3.Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately. Garnish with shredded cheese or green onions.
Ingredients
2-3 stalks celery, diced or chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 T oil of your choice
3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1 cup diced cooked ham
3 3/4 cups water
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground pepper, or to taste
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
Directions
1.I used my small food processor to chop the celery and onion. I sauted them in canola oil in my stockpot. Add the potatoes, ham and water. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Keep an eye on the water level, you may have to add more during cooking. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
2.In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thickened, 4 to 5 minutes.
3.Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately. Garnish with shredded cheese or green onions.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Soup in a Pumpkin
I've been waiting to make pumpkin soup in a pumpkin since I read Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle book a couple of years ago. Since we grow pumpkins in our garden, I was set to do it last year, but didn't get around to it before the mold did.
This year, I set aside the pumpkins to try again and decided I better hurry up. So, tonight was the night!! I have been eating very limited gluten, dairy and sugar the past couple of months, and so I didn't follow the recipe to a tee. Which, I'm sure is why I have only rated this three stars. I'm sure that this soup is great!! But... alas, mine was very fun to make but didn't quite make the cut for me. I do have to say that it tastes a bit better to me now (10 minutes after making it) than it did right after it came out of the oven, so perhaps, I'll try again in the morning and it will be fabulous! And, my pumpkin shell got too soft and the bottom burst out when I tried to remove the soup to puree it. Maybe I cooked it a bit too long.
Since it isn't fabulous, try Barbara's recipe if you decide to brave it. I omitted the sage (I have some but couldn't find it) and the milk and added parsley and thyme. I like the consistency and the flavors of the garlic and spices. Maybe its the pumpkin flavor that I'm not so fond of, but it is ultra healthy so I gave it an extra star! (In the picture, I've added a dollop of yogurt after the pureeing.)
But... its got me to thinking that I might be able to figure out a way to make pumpkin pie soup in a pumpkin as a dessert. Hmm.. Sounds yummier to me, but it might not be gluten, dairy and sugar free. Oh, well.
This year, I set aside the pumpkins to try again and decided I better hurry up. So, tonight was the night!! I have been eating very limited gluten, dairy and sugar the past couple of months, and so I didn't follow the recipe to a tee. Which, I'm sure is why I have only rated this three stars. I'm sure that this soup is great!! But... alas, mine was very fun to make but didn't quite make the cut for me. I do have to say that it tastes a bit better to me now (10 minutes after making it) than it did right after it came out of the oven, so perhaps, I'll try again in the morning and it will be fabulous! And, my pumpkin shell got too soft and the bottom burst out when I tried to remove the soup to puree it. Maybe I cooked it a bit too long.
Since it isn't fabulous, try Barbara's recipe if you decide to brave it. I omitted the sage (I have some but couldn't find it) and the milk and added parsley and thyme. I like the consistency and the flavors of the garlic and spices. Maybe its the pumpkin flavor that I'm not so fond of, but it is ultra healthy so I gave it an extra star! (In the picture, I've added a dollop of yogurt after the pureeing.)
But... its got me to thinking that I might be able to figure out a way to make pumpkin pie soup in a pumpkin as a dessert. Hmm.. Sounds yummier to me, but it might not be gluten, dairy and sugar free. Oh, well.
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