for the love of scrapbooks!

I have enjoyed scrapbooking for about 20 years (which makes me sound WAY too old!). It's interesting to see how techniques and materials have evolved. Some day I'll do a post about that, perhaps.

I love it when the kids get there scrapbooks out and look through them. This is MY PAYDAY. I LOVE THIS! This is why I do it. They look through and remember this or that and talk about those memories. That's what it's all about. I hope they'll cherish them forever. I know I will.

Levi and one of his scrapbooks...                                                                                             

Alivia and one of her scrapbooks...

Jackson and one of his scrapbooks...

Thanks kids. I'll keep it up as long as you keep loving it! ;)

Graham Cracker Houses

{12.12.15} It's our 3rd annual Graham Cracker Houses with the cousins event!

We have quite the crew. Notice all the bunny ears around the table. Even Hannah is giving herself bunny ears. :P Alivia is pointing out her brand new pierced ears (from earlier that day).

Alivia & Elisabeth working away.

Goofy Jackson. He was very particular about only using candies he wants to eat. No use decorating with just anything if you're not going to want to eat it later. :P Smart boy.

Isaac built a couple different structures this year, a shed and a giant garbage bin. Clever!

Sweet little Hannah had a fun time. She saw Jackson doing Moose ears (see picture above) and wanted to go them too, so there you go. :)

Levi and his house are coming along nicely!

Levi and Hannah photo-bombed the picture I was taking of Andrew & Sara. Oh well. All cute faces.

And here's Jackson's final project. His favorite candies are little crunchy green christmas trees. 

Levi's final project. His favorite candies are the chocolate snowmen, the crunchy trees (on top) and the gummy fruits, but NOT the watermelons. "They are gross!"

And Alivia's final project. Her favorite candies are the chocolate snowman, the gummy bears and the green gummy wreaths.

Sautéed sugar snap peas

I had sauteed sugar snap peas for the first time of my life this past summer for my birthday dinner. They were delicious! I'd never even considered them before! I found some at the grocery store and found this recipe from the Barefood Contessa. They're delicious! They're super fast and we like them a lot! 

Sauteed Sugar Snap Peas

Recipe & picture by Ina Garten/Food Network

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs fresh sugar snap peas

1 T good olive oil

1 1/2 t. kosher salt

3/4 t freshly ground black pepper

Sea salt, or fleur de sal, for serving

Directions:

1. Remove and discard the stem end and string from each pea pod.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the sugar snap peas, salt and pepper, and saute, tossing occasionally for 3-5 minutes, until crisp.

3. Place the snap peas in a serving bowl and sprinkle with sea salt. 

{primal} italian sausage & mushroom bake

{Recipe updated 12.7.15}
I'm always on the lookout for a good low-carb recipe, and this one uses Italian sausage! I have a couple recipes I use this for, then I'm left with the rest of it. Now I can add this one to the rotation. Hubby REALLY liked this on!

Photo & Recipe from Fast Paleo

ITALIAN SAUSAGE & MUSHROOM BAKE

Ingredients:

• 1.5 pounds of white mushrooms, stems removed & quartered
• 1 pound ground Italian {sweet} sausage
• 14oz can organic diced tomatoes
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
• pinch of red chili flakes
• pinch of kosher salt
• optional items: a couple tablespoons of fresh pesto, crumbles of goat cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and heat up a large skillet to medium-high.
2. Place your cleaned mushrooms in a casserole dish. Greasing is not necessary.
3. Add the sausage, onions, garlic and seasonings to the pan and brown.
4. Add the tomatoes.
5. Before placing in the preheated oven, add dollops of pesto and crumble on the goat cheese. If you are transitioning and still eating cheese, this is phenomenal with a layer of mozzarella, however, non-dairy goat cheese is equally as delicious and keeps you on the Paleo track.
6. Cover and bake for 20 minutes or until the juices are bubbling and the mushrooms have softened. Let sit for 5 minutes or so once removed from the oven.

{our best bites} baked fish sticks

I found this recipe is one of my Our Best Bites cookbooks. It's also available here online. Its a very delicious recipe, although it's very time-consuming. It felt great to make something that was so yummy that we all loved!

Baked Fish Sticks with Tartar Sauce
Picture and Recipe by Our Best Bites

1 lb white fish such as cod, halibut, or tilapia
1 Tbs canola oil
1-2 eggs
6 Tbs flour
1 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 C panko bread crumbs
1/2 C unseasoned breadcrumbs

Tartar Sauce
1/2 C mayonnaise
2 Tbs sour cream
1/4 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 Tbs finely minced onion
1 T minced dill pickle
1 pinch seasoned salt
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

 Tartar Sauce: Mix all tartar sauce ingredients and stir well to combine. Chill for at least one hour before serving. (The longer the better, make ahead if you can!)

Fish Sticks: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Brush canola oil on a rimmed baking sheet and set aside.

Crack egg(s) into a shallow dish and beat lightly (start with one egg and crack another if you run out). In a separate shallow dish combine flour, seasoned salt, pepper, and paprika. In one more shallow dish combine panko and bread crumbs.

Cut fish into sticks about 3-4 inches long and 1/2-1 inch tall.

Working with a few pieces of fish at at time, dredge first in flour and then shake off excess. Then dip each piece in the beaten egg, and finally the bread crumb mixture. Make sure all sides are well coated with bread crumbs and then place fish on the baking sheet.

When all pieces are on baking sheet, place in oven and cook for about 10 minutes. Cool for a few minutes and then serve with tartar sauce for dipping.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I was flabbergasted when I looked through my recipes to find I didn't have one for pumpkin chocolate chip MUFFINS. I have one for cookies and bread, but now I have one for muffins. (I realize I could've used the bread recipe but I wanted to try something new.) I found this recipe (it's a keeper!) from allrecipes.com

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins 

12 servings, 197 calories each

Ingredients:

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/4 cup water

11/2 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2-1 cu semisweet chocolate chips 

Directions: 
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper liners.

2. Mix sugar, oil, eggs. Add pumpkin and water. In separate bowl mix together the baking flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt. Add wet mixture and stir in chocolate chips.

3. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

peanut butter snack bites

I was given this recipe from a close family member. She suggested them as a quick, healthy after-school snack. I whipped them up and they are DELICIOUS!

Peanut Butter Snack Bites

Yield 15-16 goodies

88 calories each (!)

1 cup oats (I used quick oats)

1/3 c honey

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/8 c (or 2 T) ground flax meal, optional

1/3 cup chocolate chips

Mix oats, honey, peanut butter and flax meal, then stir in chocolate chips. Use a small cookie scoop to scoop and place on a cookie sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.  Refrigerate until ready to eat.

favorite meals for the WHOLE family

Sometimes I wish I had a list of the recipes our WHOLE family likes. Now I do. :) I hope this list will continue to grow.

Alice Springs Chicken
Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos
Baked Ravioli
Beef Stroganoff
Braided Pizza Loaf
Cafe Rio Chicken or Pork
Chicken Milan
Creamy Chicken Casserole
Crockpot Chicken Teriyaki
Crockpot Mac & cheese

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu

French toast, scrambled eggs and bacon
Grilled hot dogs & tangy hamburgers
Guiltless fettuccine Alfredo with chicken
Hard boiled eggs
Honey Mustard & Bacon Smothered Chicken
Lasagne Soup

Lemon Rosemary chicken with sweet potatoes
Mozzarella Ham Stromboli
Paleo chicken tenders

Pap's Baked Chicken Legs
(our best bites) Pizza dough -> Homemade pizza
Pizza Hut pan pizza
Priest Lake Lasagne
Roast Beef, mashed potatoes and gravy
Roasted red potatoes & pearl onions

Skillet Mac & Cheese

Three-cheese Chicken & Penne
Ultimate Spaghetti & Meatballs

This list does NOT include almost all of the cookies, bars and brownies we ALL love, but those aren't MEALS so they're not on this list. ;) 

Low- carb (Paleo/primal) meals

As I "try" and meal plan each month I'm always wishing I had a master list of all of our low-carb meals. I always come us short when I think about which ones we like. So, I sat down and went through all my recipes and made up this list. This is REALLY going to come in handy. Maybe you'll glean some gems from this too.

Most of these recipes can be found on my Recipes page, or they'll be posted there soon.

Snacks-

*Roasted garlic chickpeas

Breakfast-

Baked Ham and egg cups 

Spinach bacon and mushroom crust less quiche 

Ham and cheese quiche 

Boiled or fried eggs 

Lunch-

Broiled chicken with green salad

- pear pomegranate salad

- winter green salad

Berry kiwi salad with mint lime dressing 

Dinner-

Chicken and bacon crockpot chowder

Italian sausage and mushroom bake 

Paleo Maryland crab cakes 

Paleo chicken tenders 

Herb roasted crockpot chicken 

Slow cooker 20 garlic chicken 

Slow cooker roast beef or pot roast

Steak

Roasted Salmon, red onion and fennel

Crockpot chicken teriyaki

Cilantro lime chicken tacos 

Cafe rio chicken 

Cafe rio pork 

Alice springs chicken 

Roasted red potatoes and pearl onions 

Baked sweet potatoes

Roasted asparagus 

Sautéed chicken and mushrooms 

Chicken DaVinci (sans noodles)

Pork & sauerkraut

Stir-fry sesame chicken and asparagus

Chicken tortillas soup

Taco soup

Lemon Rosemary chicken with sweet potatoes

Pioneer woman's beef stew 

Cauli pizza

Grilled taco chicken 

Paps baked chicken legs 

White bean chicken chili 

Italian style shrimp

Sweet potato fries 

Cauli rice

Some carbs-

Easy chicken cordon bleu 

Lighter sesame chicken 

Fiesta fajitas

Peanut Butter Snack Bites

{pioneer woman} beef stew

I was craving a nice Beef Stew. I haven't really ventured out for this much before. I found this recipe in one of my newer cookbooks. The Pioneer Woman always has wonderful recipes. The one is a keeper! Beef Stew recipe? Check!

THE PIONEER WOMAN'S BEEF STEW

Average beef stew is, well, average. But good beef stew is out of this world, as evidenced by the joy you'll experience while chowing down on this dang delicious version.

Ingredients:
3 T olive oil
1 T butter
2 pounds beef stew meat
1 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can or bottle of beer 14 oz beef broth
4 cups beef broth
1 T Worcestershire sauce
2 T tomato paste
1/2 t paprika
1 1/2 t. sugar
1/2 t. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 new potatoes, quartered
4 carrots, unpeeled, roughly sliced
2 T all-purpose flour
minced parsley, for garnish (optional)
crusty bread, for serving

Directions:

1. Start by heating the olive oil and butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Throw in the stew meat and quickly brown it on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove the meat to a clean plate and set aside.
2. Throw the onion into the pot, then reduce the heat to low. Stir the onion around to cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Then throw in the garlic and stir it around to cook for a minute. Pour in all the beef broth, add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, paprika, sugar, salt and pepper.
3. Finally, return the meat to the pot, cover it, and simmer the stew over very low heat for 1.5 - 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender. If the liquid level gets too low, add 1-2 cups hot water as needed. 
4. Add the potatoes and carrots to the pot. Stir them in and continue simmering for 30 minutes more or until the vegetables are tender.
5. To thicken the stew, remove 1 cup of the cooking liquid and whisk in the flour. Pour the flour mixture into the pot and simmer for an additional 1- minutes, or until the stew is very thick. Add parsley at the end if desired.
6. Dish it up and serve it with crusty bread and a very, very hearty appetite.

Slight short-cut: This was my FIRST time making this stew (and it's a keeper!). I didn't read through the recipe closely enough. I didn't realize the meat had to simmer for 1.5+ hours, BEFORE I add the potatoes. Once I figured that out I finished dicing my potatoes, then put them in a bowl, covered them in cold water and put them in the fridge. I added then in @ Step 4. Magically, they only took about 20 minutes to cook and I didn't have to thicken the stew at all; adding the potatoes took care of it. Pretty nice! I think I'll do that same thing next time too. :) Beef stew may not LOOK very pretty, but MAN is it delicious!

Note: Stew freezes beautifully.

Moose Track Cookies

We were preparing for our summer vacation trip and I was looking for some "countdown to vacation" ideas. I found these Moose Track Cookies and thought they were pretty cute. I gave them a try, but I made my own variation. I combined this recipe and this recipe. Here's what I came up with.

MOOSE TRACK COOKIES
2 recipes combined by Me

TIP: When baking, it's important to lightly spoon the flour into the measuring cups and then level with a knife. It's particularly important in this recipe, directly scooping out the flour with a measuring cup will result in dry, crumbly dough.

Ingredients:
 1 c. real butter, no substitutes!
1 c. sugar
1 egg, extra large
1 1/2 t. almond extract (you could use vanilla instead- which I always use)
3 c. flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 T. cocoa powder
1 t. butter, melted
Caramels, cut into small pieces (I used the Kraft caramel bites, like chocolate chip-sized)

Directions:

1. Cream butter and sugar until light & fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in egg and the extract and mix to incorporate.
2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk to combine. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until completely combined.
3. Divide the cookie dough into 2 parts. Mix the cocoa powder and butter. Add cocoa butter mixture for ONE of the cookie dough parts and mix in. Now chill your dough.
4. To make the chilling and cutting process easier, roll the dough 1/4" thick between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Lay the sheet of dough flat on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes or place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
5. Cut cookies in circles (I use one of my glass cups) and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. The cocoa sugar cookie dough should be cut with a smaller circle than the sugar cookie dough (I use a smaller glass cup). (The cocoa dough will be the hoof mark of the moose track cookie.) Cut the cocoa dough circles in half. Place about 4-5 caramel bits on top of the sugar cookie and press down slightly. Then, place the cocoa halves on top of the caramel bits.
6.  Bake in preheated 350* oven for 8-12 minutes on ungreased or parchment-lined baking sheet. For soft cookies, bake 8-10 minutes or until just set. For lightly crisp cookies, bake 10-13 minutes, or unti the edges are golden brown. If you're making large cookies, or ones with small parts or heavy frosting, you wil want to be careful because they might break when they're super soft,
7. When the desired doneness is reached, allow to cool on the pans for about 5 minutes and then transfer to the cooling racks and let the cookies cool completely. 

Yield: 3 dozen 2-3" cookies

{menu plan} September 2015

School is in session and we're getting back in the groove of things. I've been cooking up a storm! Find these yummy recipes here, or coming soon to this blog!

Cafe Rio chicken atop salad

Alice springs chicken

Zesty green beans

{our best bites} baked fish sticks *

Crockpot Mac and cheese

Paps baked chicken legs

Congo Bars

{our best bites} chicken Caesar salad *

Baked sweet potatoes *

Crockpot chicken teriyaki

Cauli Pizza

Herb roasted chicken

{our best bites} roasted red potatoes and Pearl onions

{our best bites} weeknight chili (found in their Savoring the Seasons cookbook)

{our best bites} pear pomegranate salad

Tangy hamburgers

Grilled chicken

Three cheese chicken and penne

Alice springs chicken

Wet enchiladas

{our best bites} streusel-topped pumpkin chocolate chip muffins (found in their Savoring the Seasons cookbook)

Crockpot chicken teriyaki

Priest Lake Lasagne

Apple Crisp

{our best bites} baked creamy chicken taquitos

Ham & cheese quiche

* new recipe coming soon

baked sweet potatoes

This recipe is hardly a recipe. It makes a easy, low-carb side for dinner, or a warm snack with a little sweetness.

BAKED SWEET POTATOES

Ingredients:
Sweet potatoes
cooking spray

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350*.
2. Wash your sweet potatoes. Poke them a few times with a fork. Place them in a baking dish that's been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Bake for 1.5 hours or until tender.
4. Cut in half to serve. Top with a little butter and/or brown sugar and cinnamon.

black raspberry jelly

Pap picked us a BUNCH of black raspberries from the back fencerow. Woohoo! We were OUT of our Black Raspberry Jelly. Look at my 2 cute helpers. :)

Levi washing the berries and putting them up to be mashed.

And here's one of my mashers. 

BLACK RASPBERRY JELLY
Recipe from Sandy Holmes

To make the *juice:
5 c. crushed black raspberries
2 c. water
2 T. lemon juice

To make the jelly:
3 1/2 c. *juice
2 T. lemon juice
1 box pectin
5 c. sugar
1/2 t. butter

Directions:

1. Fill water-bath canner half-full with water. Bring to a simmer.
2. Wash lids, screw bands and jars in hot soapy water. 
1. *I usually run my jars through the dishwasher. When they're finished in there, I put them on a cookie sheet and put them in my oven on WARM. This helps keep them warm until I'm ready to use them.
3. Wash berries and crush to get 5 cups crushed black raspberries.
4. Place crushed berries, water and lemon juice in a 5-8 quart sauce pot. Bring to a boil. 
5. Place 2-3 layers of damp cheesecloth of jelly bag in large bowl. Pour prepared fruit (from #4) into cheesecloth. Tie cheesecloth closed; hang and let drop into bowl until dripping stops (about 20+ minutes). Press gently.
6. Measure exactly 5 cups of sugar into a bowl. Set aside.
7. Measure 3 1/2 cups of your juice and place back in your big saucepot, along with the lemon juice, pectin, and butter. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly.
8. Stir in sugar quickly. Return to a full rolling boil and boil EXACTLY 1 MINUTE, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam.
9. Remove jars from the oven. Ladle your jelly mixture quickly into your jars, filling to within 1/8" of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. Water must cover jars by 1-2"; add boiling water if necessary. Cover. Bring water to a gentle boil.
10. Process jars 10 minutes. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger. (If lid springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration in necessary.) Let stand @ room temp for 24 hours. Store unopened jellies in cool, dry, dark place for up to 1 year. Refrigerated jellies should be used within 3 weeks.

{menu plan} August 2015

We're having a great summer. Trying to squeeze in a lot of fun with some yummy food. Here's what's been cookin' around here. Find these recipes on my Recipe Page.

Cafe rio pork atop salad

Priest Lake Lasagne

Crockpot French dip sandwiches 

Paps baked chicken legs

Roasted sweet potatoes

Taco soup

Crockpot chicken teriyaki

Slow-cooker Roast beef and mashed potatoes

Paleo Pork and sauerkraut

Crockpot Mac and cheese

All 30 parks! And prize day!

WE DID IT! WE DID ALL 30 PARKS THIS SUMMER! WOOHOO! What an accomplishment! Way to go US! (The drawing for the Grand Prize for completing all 30 parks isn't until October. If that should prove fruitful, I'll post something then.)

I had told the kids there would be a special prize if we could do all 30 parks this summer. The prize was...a trip to BUILD A BEAR WORKSHOP! "YES! Best Mom ever!" they chanted.

They picked out their new friends (complete with bubble gum smells for their bellies and sounds for their paws), helped fill them with fluff, and now they're giving them their first bath (which is actually a blow dry to fluff them up). They're pretty stoked!

All loaded up and on our way home with our new friends!

Alivia brought home Star. Isn't she perfectly Alivia? :)

Jackson brought home Spotty, this cute snow leopard, complete with Karate gear. Sweet!

And Levi brought home Toothless, complete with wings, and a saddle.

It was a great day! I was so happy to give them this reward after all their hard work at the parks this summer! Maybe we'll do it again next year too!

{craft} bird feeder ornaments

For Jackson's birthday party back in March (!) we made a couple different bird feeders.

BIRDSEED FAVORS: I made a bunch of these first ones ahead of time (3-5 days before the party). I wasn't sure how long they'd take to dry. I put 1 in each of the kids goodie bags. They turned out really cute and I loved seeing them hang in the trees.

 Image & recipe from IntimateWeddings.com

Birdseed Favor

If you don’t like the idea of spending a bundle on favors, or if you are opting for favor donations instead, birdseed wedding favor hearts are a sweet, simple, eco-friendly way to thank your guests – and the birds:)

Birdseed wedding favor hearts are so easy to DIY, my second grader can make them. And they’re incredibly inexpensive.

Here’s the DIY:

Birdseed Wedding Favor Hearts

(Makes approximately 21 two-inch hearts)

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin (2.5 teaspoons)
• 3 tbsp corn syrup
• 4 cups birdseed

You will also need:

• large mixing bowl
• heart shaped cookie cutter (I used a Christmas tree mold for our nature theme)
• nonstick spray
• chopstick or bamboo skewer for making a hole in the ornament
• parchment paper
• cookie sheet
• jute or raffia (These italicized items are to make the tag)
• card stock
• rubber stamp
• ink
• rounded corner punch
• hole punch

Directions:

1. Mix flour, water, gelatin and corn syrup. Add birdseed and stir well.

2. Spray the inside of a heart cookie cutter with vegetable cooking spray. (You could also wipe it down with veg. oil.)

3. Place cookie cutter on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Spoon mixture inside of cookie cutter, pressing mixture firmly with greased fingers. (The more you press it down, the less shedding of seeds you will have.)

4. Using a chopstick or bamboo skewer, make a hole near the top of the heart. Remove chopstick.

5. Carefully pull cookie cutter away from birdseed heart.  Repeat until all the mixture is used up. (You should spray the cookie cutter after every six hearts, that way it won’t stick.)

6. Let dry 6-8 hours. (I let mine sit overnight.) Cut 10-12 inches of jute for each heart. String jute through heart and add a tag. I created my thank you tags by using a rubber stamp, card stock and a rounded corner punch.  Tie the jute in a knot after you have added the tag. (You can tuck the knot inside the hole so it doesn’t show.) You can hang these from branches at your wedding, or place inside bags or boxes.

Note: A couple of brides left comments stating that they made the favor hearts a couple of weeks prior to their wedding, and they molded. If you are making these before your wedding, don’t make them more than a few days ahead just to be safe.

BIRD FEEDERS: I had the kids make 2 each of these for their craft at the party. It went really well. They liked what they were doing and I love how easy they are to just slip on a branch. No crazy hanging supplies needed.

Picture & recipe from growingajeweledrose.com

Bird Feeder

Materials needed:

• Toilet paper rolls
• Peanut butter
• Bird seed
• Spreading tools (we used butter knives)

Method

 1. Give each child a toilet paper roll and have them carefully cover it in peanut butter

2. Once covered have kids roll the toilet roll in bird seed 

3. That's it!  Once the feeder is covered in seed it is ready to be hung 

{menu plan} July 2015

July was a busy month. Lots of hamburgers and hot dogs, along with a few of these other dishes. You can find these recipes here.

Skillet Mac & cheese

Alice Springs Chicken

Crockpot Mac & Cheese

French toast, scrambled eggs 

Pap's baked chicken legs

Tangy hamburgers 

Orange chicken with rice and egg rolls 

Moose track cookies* (new recipe to come)

Beef Stroganoff 

{menu plan} June 2015

Here's a bit of what we ate during June. If the recipes aren't self explanatory (aka hot dogs), you can find the recipes here, or they'll be coming soon.

Hot dogs

Paps baked chicken legs

Slow cooker pot roast/ roast beef

Congo squares

Black bean quesadillas

Alice springs chicken 

Cauli pizza

Crockpot chicken teriyaki

Cafe rio pork 

Grilled hamburgers & hot dogs 

Double chocolate brownies 

Lemon dill salmon *

Bbq chicken breasts

Roasted sweet potatoes * 

Pork & sauerkraut

{obb} slow cooked roast beef *

* new recipe (coming to the blog soon)

{our best bites} strawberry spinach salad with lemon poppyseed vinaigrette

Here's another delicious recipe from OUR BEST BITES! Have I mentioned I LOVE them?! All their recipes are tried and true, normal ingredients and very reliable!

Inexpensive, delicious strawberries are a sure sign that spring is coming! Slice up a handful and toss them in this light, fresh salad. For a cool, quick dinner add some diced grilled chicken.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Ingredients:

1 (10 oz) bag fresh baby spinach

1/2-1 red onion, thinly sliced 

1 medium cucumber, seeded and sliced (you can peel it first if you want)

1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced

1 c sliced almonds, toasted

1/2 lb grilled chicken breast, sliced or diced, optional 

Directions:

For the salad, toss ingredients together and serve immediately. You can also arrange the ingredients on individual plates for serving.

Lemon Poppy Seed vinaigrette

2-3 large lemons (use as needed to yield 1/3 c juice and 1 t zest)

1 t grated onion

1/4 c rice wine vinegar

1/4 c canola oil

3/4 t kosher salt

1/4 t freshly ground black pepper

1/4 c sugar

2 t poppy seeds

1 clove garlic, finely pressed

Directions:

Using a microplane or other fine grater, grate 1 t lemon zest and 1 t onion. Place in a small container with a lid. Add remaining ingredients and shake vigorously. If possible, refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Shake well before serving. 

Quick meals for summer fun

Summer time is here and that means we're trying to pack in a lot of fun and adventure, which doesn't always leave time to be messing around in the kitchen. I thought I'd compile some of my favorite recipes that require little to no prep work and can be whipped up in a jiffy.

Find most of these recipes on my Recipe Index.
Meals On the fly-

Boiled, fried or scrambled eggs

Grilled ham and cheese sandwiches 

Broiled chicken breast atop salad (with feta, craisins, sliced almonds and balsamic vinaigrette)

Grilled hot dogs

Black bean quesadillas 

Italian style shrimp

Roasted salmon with fennel & red onions

Meals requiring a little prep work before you head out for the day-

Cafe Rio Chicken (tacos or with salad)

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork tacos or with salad)

Crockpot French dip sandwiches

Slow cooker pot roast 

Tangy hamburgers

Baked creamy chicken taquitos

Cilantro lime chicken tacos (or chicken atop salad)

Crockpot chicken teriyaki 

Herb roasted crockpot chicken

Slow cooker 20 garlic chicken

I hope this helps you. I'm excited to have this on hand for future reference! :)

Holy Guacamole!

I guess I must be growing up because I finally like, and appreciate some good guacamole. I used to think it was just bland before, but I guess I've had enough good guac to learn to like it!

Daddy makes some good Guacamole. Here's his recipe.

Daddy's Guacamole
2 avocado

1 T lime juice 

3 T cilantro lime ranch dressing or salsa (great way to use up extra Cafe Rio dressing)

Salt & pepper to taste

Mash and mix all together.
Eat quick with tortilla chips before it turns brown. (If it lasts that long.)

We LOVE the guacamole from Chipotle and found it online! Here it is. It's perfect! Just like their's!

Chipotle's Guacamole

THIS IS ALL YOU’LL NEED:

• 2 ripe Hass avocados (In the restaurant, we use 48 per batch, multiple times per day)
• 2 tsp lime juice

• 2 tbsp cilantro (chopped)

• 1/4 cup red onion (finely chopped) (red onion makes ALL the difference; white or yellow onion will not do the trick, we tried)

• 1/2 jalapeño, including seeds (finely chopped)

• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Choose the right avocado. It should feel squishy yet firm (like the palm of your hand), and be a nice dark green color on the inside.

2. Cut the avocado in half and the remove the pit (carefully!)
3. Scoop the avocados and place in a medium bowl.
4. Toss and coat with lime juice.
5. Add the salt and using a fork or potato masher, mash until a smooth consistency is achieved.
6. Fold in the remaining ingredients and mix well.
7. Taste the guacamole (over and over) and adjust seasoning if necessary.

{less sugar} strawberry jam

We went berry picking because we wanted to each some fresh strawberries, but also because we are ALMOST out of our strawberry jam from last year. Luckily we picked a BUNCH so we were able to do 2 batches of jam.

It's quite the process. Here's a peak.

Clean jars keeping warm and sanitized in the warm oven...

YES! I made 16.5 jars of jam. That should last us a while. :)

In the past I've used this Strawberry Jam recipe, but last year I also made THIS less sugar strawberry jam recipe. We really like the flavor of this less sugar recipe so I decided to do ALL my jam with this recipe. Less sugar and still tasty, SCORE!

Less Sugar Strawberry Jam

Ingredients:

6 pt strawberries (to make 6 cups crushed berries)

4 c sugar 

1 box Sure-Jell For Less or No Sugar Needed Recipes Fruit Pectin
1 t. Butter (if desired)

Directions:

1. Bring water bath or steam bath canner (filled with water) to a simmer. 

2. Put jars in dishwasher or wash in hot soapy water. No matter what method you use once your jars are clean move them to a baking sheet and place in oven on "warm" or low setting. 

3. Wish screw bands and lids in hot soapy water. Rinse. Place them in a saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to steaming but not boiling then turn to low. 

4. Prepare strawberries by washing, taking off the stems and mash with a potato masher 1 cup at a time for a total of 6 CUPS CRUSHED BERRIES 

5. Measure exact amount of fruit in to a 6-8 qt soup pot. 

6. Measure exact amount of suave into a separate bowl. Set aside. 

7. Mix 1/4 cup sugar from measured amount and 1 box Sure-Jell For Less or No Sugar Needed Recipes Fruit Pectin. Stir this mixture into strawberries in pot. Add butter to reduce foaming. 

8. Bring mixture to a rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. 

9. Stir in remaining sugar quickly and stir constantly .  Once it reaches a full boil start timer and boil, while stirring, exactly 1 minute. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam. 

10. Ladle quickly into prepared warm jars, filling to with 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. 

WATER BATH CANNER:

A. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. Water must cover jars by 1-2 inches. Add boiling water (from sauce pot with lids) if needed. Bring water to a gentle boil. 

STEAM CANNER: 

A. Place jars on rack. Put on lid.

11. Process jams 10 minutes. Adjust processing time according to altitude chart. Remove jars and place right on towel to cool completely. 

12. After jars are cool, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger. If lid springs back the lid is not sealed and you need to refrigerate and use within 3 weeks. 

13. Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours. Store in a cool,dry, dark place for up to 1 year. 

{meal plan} May 2015

For my future reference (and if it happens to help you too), here's some of what we ate during May. Most of these recipes should be found here.

{obb} guiltless Alfredo sauce with chicken and fettuccine

Paps baked chicken legs

Cauli pizza 

Mel's kitchen cafe: quick and easy pizza dough 

Grilled chicken

{obb} berry kiwi fruit salad

{obb} roasted potatoes with garlic & mustard 

Grilled hot dogs

Roasted asparagus

Caramel chocolate squares 

French toast, scrambled eggs 

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Priest Lake Lasagne

Congo Bars

Chicken Davinci 

Marshmallow fruit dip with pineapple, grapes and strawberries 

{obb} strawberry cheesecake bars 

Cafe rio chicken atop salad with Kraft Zesty Lime Vinaigrette 

Pot Roast

{obb} Italian roasted vegetables 

Strawberries {by the numbers}

{5.28.15}
It's berry picking time!

Here it is "by the numbers"-

1 hr

12.25 lbs $1.80/qt or $4/qt pre-picked 

Double batch of low sugar strawberry jam

Double batch strawberry sauce

1 qt to give away 

1 qt to keep and eat today 

My cute little helper

And a funny face for the road.

It was a good morning. It was the first day the fields were open so the picking was easy and plentiful. ;)

dutch oven ravioli

I wish I was an experienced dutch oven chef but I'm not. I'd like to be and hope to be someday but I'm not yet. This recipe looks interesting and easy enough so we tried it at the cabin. It was very good and so simple! We'll make this again!

Recipe & Photo from 50campfires.com

Dutch Oven Ravioli

 

Author: Chelsey Janes

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

• 1 25 oz bag frozen sausage ravioli, thawed
• 1 large 45 oz jar spaghetti sauce
• ¼ cup fresh Parmesan cheese (can use grated)
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
• ½ cup water

Instructions

1. Spray the dutch oven with cooking spray or line with tin foil and spray with cooking spray. Put a thin layer of spaghetti sauce on the bottom of a 12″ dutch oven. Place a single layer of the ravioli over the bottom of the oven.
2. Cover the ravioli with half of the remaining spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle on the parmesan cheese. Place another layer of the ravioli on top of the sauce. Pour on the rest of the spaghetti sauce.
3. Top the sauce with the mozzarella cheese and add a little more Parmesan cheese. Pour the water around the edge of the pan to add some additional moisture.
4. Cook in the dutch oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. The sauce should be bubbling and the cheese will just start to brown.

dutch oven fry bread

I would love to perfect this recipe. I just need more time and experience with dutch ovens. Maybe i'll get there someday. In the meantime, this was yummy; just had a couple bumps in getting them cooked through.

Recipe & Photo from GrassHavenOutdoor.com

Dutch Oven Fry Bread

YIELD:	6-8 servings
HOME PREP:	5 minutes
SITE PREP:	60 minutes
GADGET CHECKLIST:	skillet, paper towels,
INGREDIENTS:	3 cups flour ½ teaspoon salt 3 teaspoons baking powder ¾ cups milk E xtra water to make it come together Vegetable oil for frying
AT HOME:	Combine the flour, salt and baking powder in resealable bag. Assemble other ingredients for transport to the campsite.
AT THE CAMPSITE:	Add the milk to the dried goods mixture bag. Knead with your hands (we do this on the outside of the bag – it’s less messy). Add a little water (about ¼ to ½ cup) to make sure it all comes together. Don’t over knead. Let the mixture rest for 30-45 minutes After the dough has set, heat oil or shortening in a large skillet or griddle. Scoop out an orange sized piece of dough. Add a little extra flour if it is too sticky. Press the dough flat to form a circle, stretching it a little as you go. Add the dough circle to the skillet and fry on one side until golden brown. Flip the bread to the other side, frying another 30 seconds or so. Place fry bread onto a paper towel lined plate. Cook remaining dough in a similar manner,
CHEF'S NOTES:	Add cheese, garlic, cooked onions, honey or any other addition to the bread. Sweet or savory it makes a good starting point for anything you throw at it. Fry bread can also be grilled. Take dough and place onto a marshmallow stick or skewer and roast over an open fire.