Sausage & Lentil Stew.

1lb pork sausage
3T scallion, sliced both white and green parts (I had leftover from the asian salad, feel free to use whatever onions you like tho)
4 mini bell peppers, chopped, use your favorite color of a medium bell pepper if you can't find the minis.
1/2t minced garlic
1 can (14oz) diced tomatoes
4oz dried lentils, i didn't do as many because Brad doesn't like them very much but you can use 8oz.
salt
pepper
paprika

1. Cook the sausage and veggies (except tomatoes) until mostly cooked, drain, the put back in the pot. Add the lentils and cook for a few minutes, this is mostly just to get the lentils coated in oil. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Add the tomatoes and i rinsed out the can twice so, 28oz of water.
3. Let it come to a boil and cook for 40 minutes until the lentils are tender.

That's it! :) Pretty easy and it tastes good!

Asian Couscous Salad for Easter!

Couscous:
3c couscous
6c water
1t salt

Boil the water and add the couscous. Removed from heat and let sit for 5min and fluff with a fork or if leftover water, strain thru a mesh strainer. Let it cool.

Dressing:
1 orange, juiced
1T rice wine vinegar
1T sesame oil
1T honey
2T veg oil
3T (or a little more) water
crushed red pepper flakes
salt
1/4t grated ginger**

**Ginger tip: I discovered that if you have your ginger root frozen (it had been from a previous meal and I put it in the freezer so it wouldn't go bad), it is a million times easier to both peel and use a microplane on!

Anyway, whisk all this stuff together and pour onto the couscous

Veggies:
1lb cherry tomatoes, quartered
4 mini sweet bell peppers, I had orange, red, & yellow. But by all means use a medium size bell pepper of your choice
1t minced garlic
3T sliced scallion, both white and green.

I sauteed the veggies (except the tomatoes) in a little oil for maybe 5 minutes then put them in the bowl that the couscous is in.

Stir to combine everything.

Grandma Anne's & My Lemon Cream Puffs

Cream Puff "Paste":


1qt water
1 stick butter
1cup flour
4 eggs

1/8 tsp salt ONE CUP BOILING WATER---- STIR IN ONE CUP FLOUR all at once and then when it forms ball--add 4 eggs, one at t time!


Directions:


1. Bring liquid and shortening to a rolling boil.
2. Put flour in stand mixer, add hot liquid and mix until dough pulls away from sides.
3. Add eggs a few at a time.
4. Put in pastry bag or use spoon.
5. Line sheet pan with parchment paper (DO NOT SPRAY).
6. Head oven to 425F, cook MAYBE 20-25min. Shut off oven and let dry for half an hour.

Cream Puff Filling:

Combine:
1/2c cold water
7T cornstarch

In a medium sauce pan bring to boil 1 1/2c hot water and 1/2 sugar. Transfer to a double boiler and add the cornstarch mix. Temper 3 egg yolks. zest and juice 3 lemons and add to the filling. Melt in 1 tablespoon of butter.

We had an issue with trying to add splenda and it was horrible. Don't use splenda. It's not worth it. To fix the splenda taste we had to add 3oz of softened cream cheese, 1/2t lemon extract and 3/4 tub of cool whip. Then once the cream puffs were done, we filled them with the filling and put them in the fridge until dessert later that evening!

Vegetarian Zucchini Meatballs & Alfredo Sauce

Small batch of 13.

Meatballs:

1 1/2 zucchini, peeled, and minced or a small dice

3 tablespoons minute rice

Salt

3/4c breadcrumbs

3T grated parmesan cheese

1 egg

2T milk

Salt

Pepper

Onion & garlic powder

1/2t baking powder

1. Boil zucchini & rice in salted water for 8 minutes.
2. Drain and put in a thin cloth or cheesecloth and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
3. Combine the zucchini mixture with the breadcrumbs, cheese, seasonings, eggs, & milk.
4. Form into small balls and place on a greased pan. Preheat oven to 375F. Bake for 30 minutes, turning them at 20 minutes.

 

Alfredo Sauce:

4T butter

4T flour

Salt

Pepper

Nutmeg

Parm Cheese

1 pint heavy whipping cream

1. Melt butter and flour together to make a roux. Season the roux with salt & pepper. I find that the seasonings come thru better if you season early on. Slowly whisk in the cream making sure to not let it get lumpy! Microplane some fresh nutmeg and check your seasonings. Add the cheese once the cream is thickened.
2. You can eat the meatballs with just the sauce or pasta! HOPE YOU LIKE IT!

Note: I had to use up bell peppers, onion, and broccoli so I sauteed that with some butter before making the roux.

By all means serve this over pasta! But they are just as delicious by themselves with the sauce!

Smothered Pork Chops & Roasted Vegetables

4 pork chops
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4c chicken/beef broth or water
lawrey's seasoning salt & pepper

1 bunch of asparagus (I prefer the small stalk as it will be more tender)
4 red skin potatoes
1 handful of fresh green beans

1 box bread stuffing
OR
1 cup of fresh bread cubed
1/2t italian herbs
1/4t onion powder and garlic powder
salt
pepper

1. For the stuffing if you're making it homemade, combine the cubes and seasonings and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven at 250F for 15min making sure to shake them around so they don't get burned. Set aside in a bowl.

2. Cut the potatoes into bite sized cubes. The asparagus trimmed until there is only about 3 inches left, the bottom part is too woody. A good measure to cut them at is take one stalk, holding at either end and bend until it snaps. You can use that as your guide to cut the rest of them.  The green beans just cut off the ends and cut in half.

3. In a large bowl, season the veggies with salt, pepper, onion & garlic powder. I should note that the veggies all have different cooking times so if you don't mind the different doneness of them, I'd keep them separate. If not, combine away.

4. Dilute the soup with the water. Season the pork chops with lawrey's salt and pepper. Spray a casserole dish and put the pork chops in the bottom. Cover with the soup and then the stuffing mix. Cover with foil.

5. Bake at 325F for an hour until done. You can cook the veggies at this time too, put the potatoes on first, then green beans 20 minutes later, then the asparagus when you have 20 minutes left on the timer. However, if you don't care about the different doneness, go ahead and put them all in with the pork at the same time.

This was a great meal and filling. Next time I'd try it in the crock pot to see if that would help the slight toughness of the meat. Boneless pork chops seems to be tough no matter what so maybe try bone in if you like. Overall it was delicious and Brad even sorta liked it.

Sweet & Sour Pork

I had been craving Chinese food and so I found this great recipe from  Damn Delicious. I added and subtracted a few things but it was still delicious!

Yields 4 servings

• 1 can (8 oz) pineapple chunks in juice, drained, juice reserved
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2t hoisin sauce 
• 1t sesame oil
• 1T honey
• 2 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2t minced garlic
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Vegetable oil
• 1 lb pork tenderloin, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 1/2 white onion, minced
• 1/4 each of green & red bell pepper, minced
• 1c chopped broccoli, I used frozen.
• 1c sugar snap peas
• 2T brown sugar
• White rice, serving

1. I had gotten a large pork loin so I just sliced and cubed it myself. I put the soy sauce, hoisin, sesame oil, & rice vinegar on the pork as well as half the garlic and let it marinate for a little while. It'd be best to marinate it over night or all day but I had to work with it being a frozen brick so that didn't work out. :P

2. Drain the pineapple juice (I put a splash in with the pork), in the juice I also put the honey and brown sugar and stirred it until it was well cincorporated.

3. I minced the veggies except for the broccoli & peas since those are already done. I combined the veggies & pineapple together. I set the broccoli & peas aside until later since those don't need long to cook since the broccoli was in tiny bits.

4. In a large skillet, heat veg oil. Add in the peppers, pineapple, onion, & garlic. Cook until tender. Meanwhile get the rice going. I cook my rice by 1c (minute) rice to 3-4c water, Brad doesn't like sticky rice plus this way it doesn't get stuck to the pan. I put hot water in the pan and add salt until it clouds (to help with the starch) then bring to a boil. Add the rice and boil for 5 min. Remove from heat and let sit for 5-7min, drain.


5. Put the cornstarch on the pork pieces and put in the pan and fully cook. Add the pineapple juice to the pan. If it gets a little too thick, just add a tiny bit of water. Add the broccoli & peas and cook an additional 5 minutes.


Serve over the rice.


This actually really tasted like a restaurant dish! I really liked it. Royce ate a few bites of it and Brad ate the pork stuff just not the rice but that's ok. I recommend this recipe!

John Wayne Casserole/Taco Bake

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef, cooked and drained

1 (1.25-ounce) packet taco seasoning

4 ounces sour cream

4 ounces mayonnaise

8 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded and divided

1/2 white onion, minced

1 pizza crust mix

1 tomatoes, sliced

1/4 each of green & red bell pepper, minced

1 (4-ounce) can diced chilis

Directions

Heat oven to 325. Brown ground beef and add peppers & onions, then drain. Add taco seasoning and water, according to packet instructions; set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, 4 ounces of cheddar cheese, tomatoes, & chilis. Once the ground beef has cooked for 5 min in the taco seasoning and water, combine the sour cream mixture and the taco meat.

Stir pizza crust mix and water (directions on box) to form soft dough. Pat dough on the bottom and one-half-inch up the sides of an 9 x 13 in. greased casserole dish.

On top of pizza crust, pour beef mixture on it, and cover with cheese. Bake 30-40min until cheese is golden brown.

Brad said it was ok but bland (I disagree) and that he wouldn't really want it again. I however really like it and will be sharing the recipe with relatives. Oh I topped mine with extra sour cream and avocado slices! Salsa would be good on it too.

CousCous Stuffed Bell Peppers & Simple Syrup

Couscous Stuffed bell peppers:

1/2c tomato sauce/spaghetti sauce
4 bell peppers
1/2lb hamburger
1t garlic
1/2 minced white onion
1/4t garlic & onion powder
salt & pepper
3/4c couscous, dry
2 roma tomatoes
top of bell pepper

Cook the hamburger, seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic & onion powder. Drain and sautee the garlic & onion (you can cook this with the beef if you want) add the sauce & hamburger in a bowl and add in the cooked onions & garlic.

I was testing to see which way the pepper did better and I think cutting off the top of the pepper (the red one) is the best option but you can do it however you like. 

I chop up the top of the pepper & put in the filling. Then clean out the ribs & seeds. One of them had a baby!

So once the filling is mixed up and the peppers are prepped. I put them on a foiled pan, you may need to do some trimming on the bottom of the pepper if it keeps rolling over. Fill the peppers to the top and a little over of the filling. Cook at 375 for 30min.

Then top with breadcrumbs (or cheese or both) and a little butter if you're just using the crumbs and bake for 15 more minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Simple Syrup:

Great use for making blended drinks instead of adding straight sugar (then it gets gritty) and it has a wonderful taste if you add flavorings.

Fresh mint 10 leaves

peel of one lemon

juice of half a lemon

1 chunk of ginger that is cut in half

1 1/2c water

1 1/2c sugar

Boil the water & sugar until it is thickened. Add the flavorings & let it sit for at least half an hour. Strain out the leaves & whatnot. Keep in a jar or air tight container in the fridge. Lasts a few weeks!

Royce is a chicken.

He kept wanting to grab the food off the plate and I hate that we don’t really have the availability of space to eat on the floor together on a mat so he can feed himself/ work on feeding himself.

Of course we’d put him in his high chair & let him self feed but he hates sitting in it. More often then not, he sits on our lap while we eat and he’ll eat off of our plates. He’s been really picky lately, not sure why. Today he is eating ham loaf which he seems to love so that is good.

So about this chicken thing. I put a few chunks of food on the towel for him. He then squatted down and started pecking it like a chicken. lol. He’s never seen a chicken up close but it’s just what it reminded me of. He’s done that with snow, cheerios, and noodles too.

He really loves to feel the texture of all the food. Right now he is poking the patty with his finger, then hitting it with the spoon. I’m all for feeling items & things, that’s how he learns. Sometimes he would rather play with the food than eat it OR he’ll get so distracted by feeling the food he won’t eat it.

We’ve had an issue lately with him eating the food then chewing it for a few minutes then spitting it out onto the floor. I’m not sure if he just doesn’t like the texture of the food even tho he has eaten the food before and liked it or what is going on.

I am worried about how he will be when he is big enough to sit in a chair or when we are finally eat around the table as a family because since we hold him in our lap now or if he wants to get down, we let him and he’ll go do something else for a few minutes then come back. I just hear parents saying “sit there and eat your food or go without” and I don’t like that. I want Royce to eat his food but I don’t want to force him. I just want him to eat and if he wants to take a break in between, who am I to deny him food?

I just don’t know and I hope Brad will understand or agree. And I hope that over time, Royce will learn to just eat his food and not take breaks which really they’re only like 5 minutes in between and he’ll learn to sit in a chair and all that other stuff.

I’m just worried about my son turning into one of those kids that are complete brats in public places and that I will be judged even at like my mom’s house for Royce not wanting to sit in his chair and what not. I think we’ll be ok with the discipline bit so he won’t be a brat but who knows.