Favourite Fall Recipe - Cabbage Casserole

Cold dreary days always call for something warm and comforting.  This is one of my all time favourite dishes and was always what I asked for when my Mom asked me "what do you want for supper?" as a kid (and even now).  I just wish my kids liked it.  I still make it and they end up eating the meat mixture but they don't seem to have acquired a taste for cabbage.  Which just means there is more for me.

Cabbage Casserole

1 pound ground beef (I've used ground moose, turkey, chicken and they have all turned out good)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 can tomato soup (I use my own tomato sauce, 1 cup sauce plus 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp corn starch - whisk until thickened)
1 cup water
1/2 cup minute rice (or 3/4 cup cold cooked, or Minute brown rice works as well)
3 cups chopped cabbage

Brown ground meat and onion.  Drain off fat.  Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, soup (or sauce) and water.  Mix well.  Stir in rice and simmer 5 minutes.  Place chopped cabbage in bottom of a greased casserole dish and add meat mixture to top. Cover and bake for approximately 90 minutes at 325 degrees.

I stole the photo (well, it isn't really stealing if I tag it is it?) from Sheena at Hot Eats and Cool Reads.  Her recipe is here: Cabbage Roll Casserole which is slightly different but look really good!

"The Best Ever Blueberry Muffins" as long as you like doing dishes!

I need to get back to my blog, little snippets of life for everyone to see.  

It has been a very hard year so far...my kids have been sick with a variety of things but the hardest part was losing my beloved Grandma at the end of January.  She is the one who took the time to teach me how to sew, knit, cross stitch and bake.  I can remember going to her house after school and helping mix up batch after batch of cookie dough - and getting to sample both the dough and the final product.

On weekends I have been attempting to bake more.  I'm sure my waistline won't be impressed but it makes me feel closer to Grandma for even an hour while I'm stirring and baking.  Here is the one I tackled this weekend.  I have cut and pasted it below, but here is the direct link to the post I pulled it from:  A Cook's Quest

Best Ever Blueberry Muffins

 

Blueberry Muffins

Recipe Source: Modified slightly from my friend Anisha who got it originally from Cook's Illustrated

**Cook's note-These muffins can be flavored with any variety of fruits and toppings.  Using the muffin recipe as a base for any flavor you like!**

Edited 12/24/11--Add your butter gradually if you decide to do the streusel topping.  More or less may be needed depending on the humidity in your area to create a nice crumbly topping.  If you find it is too soft add more flour to achieve the consistency you need.

Sugar Topping

1/3 cup (21/3 ounces) sugar 
1½ teaspoons finely grated zest from 1 lemon

Streusel Topping
3 T white sugar
3 T brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
5 T melted butter

Muffins
2 cups (or less if you are me!) fresh blueberries, picked over
1 1/8 cups  plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon water
2 1/2 cups  unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly 
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk 
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

If topping with lemon sugar, stir together sugar and lemon zest in small bowl until combined; set aside.


  If topping the muffins with streusel, combine ingredients until it is the size of peas and set aside.


Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. If your oven cooks on the hot side normally, reduce the heat.  Some people have commented that 425 was too hot.  I would recommend getting a thermometer for your oven if you aren't sure.  

Prepare standard muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray or liners. Bring 1 cup blueberries, water,  and 1 teaspoon sugar to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, mashing the berries with your potato masher or fork several times and stirring frequently, until berries have broken down and mixture is thickened and reduced by about half.  This will take about 6 minutes. Transfer to small bowl and cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in large bowl. Whisk remaining sugar and eggs together in medium bowl until thick and well combined. Slowly mix in butter and oil until combined. Whisk in buttermilk and vanilla. Using rubber spatula, fold egg mixture and remaining cup blueberries into flour mixture until just moistened. (Batter will be very lumpy with few spots of dry flour; do not over mix.)

Using a cookie scoop or large spoon, divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups (batter should completely fill cups and mound slightly). Spoon teaspoon of cooked berry mixture into center of each mound of batter. Using chopstick or skewer, gently swirl berry filling into batter using figure-eight motion. Sprinkle lemon sugar or streusel evenly over muffins.

Bake until muffin tops are golden and just firm, 17 to 19 minutes. Cool muffins in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool 5 minutes before serving.

All I have to say is they were amazing, but I'm not sure the number of dishes I needed to wash after the final product was done was worth it...glad I have a dishwasher for the majority of them! 

NaBloPoMo 2012...fail.

I made it to half a month and then everything fell apart.  But, it did make me realise that I do love to blog and I should make it a priority to blog more. 

And, I've also been working on my Pinterest boards, and by that I mean actually doing, making and tasting pins I've created.  Yesterday was The Dishy Decorator: Cinnamon Roll Casserole - http://pinterest.com/pin/260716265899918614  which was awesome, and even better today warmed up with a drizzle of maple syrup. 

So, I know most of my followers are fellow cross stitch friends, but you may see more variety thrown in as I work/strive to focus on new things and my family.  I promise to still share my stitching, but it is only a part of my life, not the whole thing.  And to any new followers...WELCOME!

Food?

I used to post recipes all the time when I was home with the boys. I love to cook but find that time is not always on my side. But, today I had time. I made the following quiche (thanks for the idea Beth) for lunch today...

Impossibly Easy Chicken 'n Broccoli Pie (from the Bisquick Box)

1 1/2 cups frozen broccoli (I pre-cooked fresh)

1 1/3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups diced cooked chicken

2/3 cup chopped onion

1 1/3 cups milk

3 eggs

3/4 cup Bisquick mix

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch pie plate or square pan. Rinse broccoli in cold water to thaw; drain thoroughly. Mix broccoli, cheese, chicken and onion in plate/pan. Beat milk, eggs, Bisquick mix, salt and pepper until smooth. Pour on top of chicken mixture. (I doubled the recipe and made a 9 X 13 so we would have lots of leftovers).

Bake 30-35 minutes or until knife inserted in centre comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

ENJOY!

Photos from the weekend - AND A RECIPE!!!

First I will show you what I have been up to stitching...the wolves have seen the light of day mostly so I will only bore you with pictures of them...the first one is from May 12th - taken before I headed to Dani's for the weekend. The second one was taken last night, June 15th.

And here are a couple of photos from Cameron receiving he yellow belt on Sunday (YEA CAMERON! MOMMY AND DADDY ARE VERY PROUD OF YOU!)

Here is a little stash that my Mom found for me...

And last but not least I made a homemade flatbread on Sunday and I promised everyone I would email the recipe. But I figured this was easier (and I will admit I'm lazy). And for anyone that was there, I doubled this recipe to fill my jelly roll pan.

Multi-purpose flatbread...found basic recipe online somewhere and then tweeked it to our tastes.

INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt (I omitted this) 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or other spices as you see fit...rosemary/basil/garlic etc.) 1/8 teaspoon black pepper 1 egg, lightly beaten 2/3 cup milk 1/2 tbsp olive oil 1 1/2 tbsp baking powder cold water DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a rimmed pizza pan or baking sheet. I just spray mine with PAM. In a large bowl, stir together flour, salt, oregano, black pepper and baking powder. Mix in eggs, milk and oil; stir well. Add enough water to make it a "batter" instead of a "dough".

Pour/spread batter into prepared pan until evenly coated. I wet my hands at this point and "pat" it into place. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until crust is lightly brown. Remove crust from oven.

Now have fun!

I use this to make pizza for my kids, I've been know to use it for sandwich bread or create something of your own. On Sunday I made a cheese spread with equal parts of cream cheese and Miracle Whip with garlic and pepper mixed in. I topped it with finely chopped - onion, red pepper, broccoli and cauliflower and then topped the whole thing with shredded cheddar with herbs and garlic. I popped it in the oven under the broiler long enough to melt the cheese and then served it at room temperature.

It is Thurdsay....

did it really take me until Thursday to write about the weekend - SCARY!

We had a wonderful time. My friend Beth from Kingston had her DH drop her off in the late morning. We chatted and setup for some stitching. Lunch time arrived, and I served -

Ricotta Spinach Quiche

1 container light ricotta cheese (454g)

2 large eggs

1/4 cup light parmesan cheese

1/4 cup minced onion

1 clove crushed garlic

1 pkg frozen spinach cooked according to directions (I used 4 cups fresh, lightly steamed)

salt and pepper

1 pre-made pie shell (not baked) - I use tenderflake from the grocery store

Pre-heat oven and pie shell to 400 degree. Mix everything else together and pour into pre-heated pie shell. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes and then turn down to 325 degrees for 45 - 60 minutes until a knife insert in the the center comes out clean.

I served this with a fresh tomato, onion (vidalia) and mini cucumber salad.

Dessert was fresh raspberries and blackberries on pound cake with fat free cool whip.

Marg from TO arrived around 2pm, so we chatted while she munched on lunch. Then into the livingroom for some WIP viewing and finish sharing...and stitching. I unfortunately did not get a photo of Beth, or her stitching! I did get one of the lady herself and a couple of Marg's beautiful Austrialian alphabet and hopefully she won't mind me posting them here...

They are stunning in person!

My DH arrived home early on Saturday, unfortunately Beth wasn't able to stay but DH made us a beautiful beer can chicken, grilled vegetables and broccoli salad. Again, fresh fruit, cake and cool whip for dessert.

We stitched until about 11pm, while watching The Bee Movie and chatting away. We slept late on Sunday, did some more stitching and enjoyed a quick breakfast to get back to more stitching! I dragged my stash out...we had a peek and then back to stitching. Lunch was leftover everything from the day before.

Marg packed up and headed back to TO around 2:30-3pm and I ventured off to collect my children.

Here is my before shot of my stitching ...

And my after shot...

I had a wonderful time and hopefully the next one will draw some more bodies. I'll let you know when the next one is booked!

A wonderful weekend!

Lynn J and I had a wonderful weekend. We ate, we stitched and we ate some more. A few cocktails were involved and we accomplished a lot of stitching as well. Lynn even snapped a picture of Caleb trying to get in on the stitching action! It was very cute, if not hard on my pattern. And just before leaving Lynn took a great shot of Caleb and I so I thought I would share.

I promised Lynn I would post the recipes I used so here goes, unfortunately I didn't take any pictures so you will have to take our word that all of it was good. Hamburger Soup From: Taste of Home's, 2003 Quick Cooking Annual Recipes

1-1/2 pounds ground beef 2 cups diced onion 1 cup diced carrots 1 cup diced celery 3 garlic cloves, minced 3 can (14-1/2 ounces each) chicken broth 1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce 1/4 cup margarine 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

In a large saucepan or soup kettle, cook the beef, onions, carrots, celery and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain. Stir in broth, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

In another saucepan, melt margarine over medium-low heat. Stir in flour until smooth. Cook and stir for 6-8 minutes or until mixture turns golden brown. Carefully stir into soup. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

I took a few detours from this but it turned out well. I didn't have crushed tomato so I used diced and in the end added a can of tomato paste to get that tomato flavour. It also turned out a lot thicker than a soup, closer to a chili which was really good with the fresh buns I had purchased. Caleb LOVED it and is still helping me eat up the leftovers.

*****

I made a throw together version of these, I don't measure anymore and just throw it together but here is the recipe I found!

Land of Nod Cinnamon Buns From: All Recipes SUBMITTED BY: Shannon "Easy over night cinnamon buns that are gooey and rich." Original recipe yield: 20 servings PREP TIME: 10 Min COOK TIME: 25 Min READY IN: 15 Hrs

INGREDIENTS 20 unbaked frozen dinner rolls 1 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup instant vanilla pudding mix 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 3/4 cup raisins 1/3 cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS Lightly grease a 10 inch Bundt cake pan. Place frozen rolls into pan and sprinkle with brown sugar, pudding mix, ground cinnamon and raisins. Pour melted butter over rolls. Cover with a clean, damp cloth and leave overnight at room temperature. In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake rolls for 25 minutes, until golden brown. Turn rolls out onto a serving plate and serve warm.

*****

And last but not least was the cake I served with a slowcooker roast for supper. I put a piece in the bottom of a bowl, added a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of butterscotch sauce!

Apple Spice Snack Cake From: Taste of Home's, 2003 Quick Cooking Annual Recipes 1 package (18-1/4 ounces) spice cake mix 1 can (21 ounces) apple pie filling 2 eggs 2 tablespoons vegetable oil In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

*****

And now for the stitching news! Here is a picture of what I accomplished during the weekend. It is a pattern by Sisters & Best Friends called Happily Ever After and it is being stitched on Silkweaver's Spring Garden, 28ct Cashel Linen with Crescent Colours and Sampler Threads for my brother and his wife-2-be. No before shot, it was a brand new start.

My 100th post!

Hard to believe that in 9 months I’ve created 100 entries here. Thank you to everyone the reads and enjoys the entries even if you don’t post comments (*wink to Anna). I was debating all day as to what I was going to post about for this special entry and decided to post about what I always post about, my boys, stitching and cooking/baking. Oh if you were interested, here is "The First Post" I did.

Cameron is off for his spring break and already; three days in I’m ready to ship him off…to anywhere. Actually, I got smart and stock piled some cheap toys from the dollar store to keep him happy and at the moment he is playing with his Play-Doh for the first time in about 6 months. I took it away from him because he refused to pick it up when he was done, so this time he has promised me he will at least help clean up or it will disappear again.

Caleb is the ever-happy boy (or cheeky monkey as we call him). Growing by leaps and bounds each and every day. Currently he is trying to master how to drink from a bottle as well as how to stand holding anything so he will soon be walking/running and wrecking havoc on our lives…look out big brother, your toys are no longer safe!

Stitching, I have been doing some of that! I finished the three Lizzie Kate freebies and created a border around them as suggested by Kali, got them done and given to my MIL…without a picture taken! Oh well, my FIL has agreed to create a frame for the piece so I will be sure to take a picture once it is hanging on the wall of their home. And as of 3pm Saturday, March 10th I have completed ALL OF THE BACKSTITCH on the Apache Wedding Blessing!

HAPPY DANCE! Now I have to add the verse, wash and press it and then figure out how to ship it out to my friends in British Columbia. I’m also sending along the $$$ for them to have it framed out there to match the décor of their new home. Then it is on to the Happily Ever After piece for my brother and his wife-to-be who are tying the knot in less than 4 months! I received the fabric (Spring Garden, Silkweaver) and the threads are on order from Stitching Bits and Bobs. I’m still working on my Housework Whenever project and I think I have to get the wolves some light of day as well before my DH asks me again when that (not so) little project should be done. And of course there are countless others that I would like to sink my needle into. Cooking/baking…well we have been eating but I have been freelancing our meals without using a recipe. This has been a staple for the last few nights as I got broccoli for the basement bargain price of $0.66 a bunch! Broccoli Cauliflower Salad 1 head broccoli, cup up in bite sized pieces ½ head of cauliflower, cup up in bite sized pieces ½ red onion, diced ½ cup grated sharp cheddar ½ cup crumbled cooked bacon (I cheat and use the pre-cooked from the supermarket) Mix together in a large bowl. Then mix together well or shake in shaker the following: ¾ cup salad dressing (ie Miracle Whip) ¼ cup cream 3 tablespoons sugar salt & pepper to taste Mix everything together and serve immediately…the leftovers go mushy.

Anyway, hope everyone is well at your home and I look forward to the next 100 posts!

Muffins A La Canada

This morning I turned my oven on, mixed up a batch of Morning Glory Muffins and when I went to put them in to bake, I realised I have either blown an oven fuse (and have no replacements currently at the house) or my element has gone kabluey. Either way, the oven was not willing to heat up and I was faced with a situation. A batch of muffins ready to bake with no oven. Normally I would just load the muffins and kids in the car and head next door but the temperature today is nothing other than just plain cold....

that is about -18 degrees C or -3 degrees F! Not including the windchill which is high today as well. Too cold to take the baby out for a batch of muffins. So I did the only other thing I could think of...I warmed up the barbeque!

And the muffins didn't turn out half bad! They took a little longer than they would have in the oven but edible all the same!

Comfort Zone

Country Salisbury Steak From: Kraft – what’s cooking magazine Fall 2006 Prep time: 10 min. Total time: 35 min. 1 ½ lb. (750 g) extra lean ground beef 1 pkg. (120 g) Stove Top stuffing mix for chicken 1 ¼ cups water, divided ¾ cup chopped onion 2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced ½ cup Kraft BBQ sauce Preheat over to 375 degrees F. Mix meat, stuffing mix, 1 cup of water and the onions until well blended. Shape into six 1/2-inch-thick oval patties. Place on 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake for 25 min or until cooked through (160 degrees F). Meanwhile, spray a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Add mushrooms; cook on medium-high heat 5 min. or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add barbecue sauce and remaining ¼ cup water. Reduce heat to low. Cook 1 to 2 min. or until sauce is heated through. Serve over patties.

*****

Cheesy Smashed Potatoes From: Kraft – what’s cooking magazine Fall 2006 Prep time: 15 min. Total time: 35 min. 1 lb. red potatoes (about 3 small potatoes), cut into chunks 1 cup bite-sized cauliflower florets ¼ cup light sour cream 1 cup Kraft Double Cheddar Shreds Light Place potatoes and cauliflower in large saucepan. Add enough water to cover. Bring to boil on high heat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 20 min. or until vegetables are tender. Drain; return to pan. Add sour cream; mash until vegetable mixture is light and fluffy. Stir in cheese.

*****

The steaks were a hit all-round my house. Cameron loves mushrooms and even though he commented on not liking the sauce on them, he ate them. DH and I both thought the potatoes were very good with the cauliflower. DH even commented that I could make them again. Cameron would not eat them, said they tasted strange, go figure. And Caleb even enjoyed this meal, minus the mushrooms and sauce. I blended up some of the steak with the potato/cauliflower mixture and he woofed it down.

I baked...and I cooked!

WOW! I spent the better portion of today in the kitchen, without even realising it! It all started this morning when Cameron asked for a banana and when he went to get one out of the basket his "EEWWW" told me it was about time to make some muffins! And I was right, five mushy bananas were just right to make a double batch of Best Ever Banana Muffins which I have made in the past. They looked good, and smelled good but they weren't what I was thinking "I" wanted for breakfast so while the oven was hot I got busy and also whipped up a batch of Morning Glory Muffins! I have been wanting chinese food for the longest time but we just haven't been able to get out and go for some, so I decided to make the next best thing! I made Broccoli Beef and a shrimp fried rice for supper. The recipe for Broccoli Beef follows but the shrimp fried rice I just winged... Broccoli Beef I From: allrecipes.com Submitted by: Sara "Round steak and broccoli are quickly cooked in a soy ginger sauce. Serve over hot rice or noodles." Original recipe yield: 4 Servings Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 15 min Ready in: 30 min INGREDIENTS 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth 2 tablespoons white sugar 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 pound boneless round steak, cut into bite size pieces 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger root 1 clove garlic, minced 4 cups chopped fresh broccoli DIRECTIONS In a small bowl, combine flour, broth, sugar, and soy sauce. Stir until sugar and flour are dissolved. In a large skillet or wok over high heat, cook and stir beef 2 to 4 minutes, or until browned. Stir in broth mixture, ginger, garlic, and broccoli. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes, or until sauce thickens.

*****

*****

This was REALLY good, all of us enjoyed it and I only took a couple of small liberties … for some reason I’m unable to follow a recipe right down to the letter unless I’m baking. First I used a sirloin steak because it was the first one that I pulled out of the freezer, slightly thawed it and then cut it in strips while it was still partially frozen. Then I used low sodium soy sauce ...DH always drowns his rice/chinese dishes with soy sauce anyways and I’m watching for ways to cut his (and my) salt intake. I didn’t have any fresh ginger root so I used fresh "straight out of the jar" ginger and a liberty I took and I’m sure it didn’t change it a whole lot was to add in about a cup of fresh slice mushrooms. I knew that Cameron would probably not eat a lot of the meat (he isn’t fussy on any meat unless it is processed ham in a sandwich) and he loves mushrooms so at least he got two vegetables into his little body. I’m looking forward to seeing what the leftovers taste like warmed up tomorrow.

A stolen recipe...

Again, I stole another one! Well, I didn't steal it actually, just used it to make supper last night! I read this on The Cookbook Junkie awhile back and thought of it yesterday when I had gotten ground beef out for supper. VERY tasty and I would make it again. Now, I freelanced alot as I only had one pound of beef so I just played until I had enough sauce to cover the burgers I had made.

Hamburger Special
Home For The Holidays Volume 7
Holiday Recipes Copyright 2002
1 (14-ounce) bottle ketchup
1 ½ cups water
½ cup sweet pickle juice or ¼ cup cider vinegar
1 ½ cups finely chopped onions
¼ cup prepared mustard
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
3 pounds ground beef
2 tablespoons salt (which I omitted)
1 teaspoon pepper

Combine ketchup, water, pickle juice or vinegar, onions, mustard and Worcestershire sauce in large saucepan. Place over low heat and cook slowly while preparing hamburgers. Mix ground beef, salt, and pepper and shape into 12 hamburgers. Place hamburgers in hot sauce and cook gently for 2 hours or more. Serve with buns, coleslaw or salad, potato chips and pickles.

*****

These were really good, Cameron wasn't overly impressed but he did eat one. Curt took the leftovers for lunch today so we will get his opinion later.

A recipe - A multipurpose shake/rub

Bone Dust BBQ Spice
1/2 cup paprika
1/4 cup chili powder
3 tablespoons salt (which I usually leave out)
2 tablespoons ground coriander
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons hot mustard powder
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

Mix together ingredients. Store in airtight container in a cool, dry place away from heat and light. Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

*****

So, this is a mix I found in a newpaper, ages ago. I'm talking probably while I was in my teens! I use it for everything. We put it on meat that we grill, I add it to rice and we pretty much use it as most households would use a seasoning salt. My MIL now uses it all the time and we seem to make a batch and share it so I only make it half as often as I used to. This lasts us about three months and then we are looking to mix up more. I buy the ingredients at the bulk food place, mix it in a large plastic jar and then transfer it to a large shaker top jar that sits on the first shelf, right out front in my spice cupboard.

Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!