Saturday Morning Pancakes

Did you know you can make pancakes without using Bisquick?  Honestly, I didn’t.  Until I wanted pancakes Saturday morning and realized I didn’t have any Bisquick.  (And how does that happen anyway?)  So I found a recipe online and tweaked it.

Single Serving Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (substitute 1 Tbsp. White Vinegar in 1 cup of milk)
• 1 teaspoons vegetable oil
• Butter and maple syrup

Directions:

• To make a buttermilk substitute, place a Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup. Add enough milk to bring the liquid up to the one-cup line. Let stand for five minute. Then, use as much as your recipe calls for.
• Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add egg, buttermilk and oil. Stir until blended.
• Pour batter by 1/3 cupfuls onto a lightly greased hot pan; turn when bubbles form on top of pancakes. Cook until the second side is golden brown. Serve with butter and syrup. Yield: 1 serving (3 pancakes).

These were delicious.  They made big fluffy restaurant style pancakes and were so tasty with my pure maple syrup!  Definitely a keeper recipe, since my husband doesn’t like pancakes.  Just enough for me.  Though I left a few bites for J, and even he said they were good!

So Yummy!

Crock Pot Roast

Our local grocery store (Kroger) had beef pot roasts on sale last week, and since I’m all about shopping the sales, I picked one up. (I always buy meat on sale, and freeze it if we can’t use it right away.) Ours was smallish, only about 2 pounds and it only cost me $4. I’m pretty sure we’re going to get 5 – 6 servings from this, maybe more.

Ingredients:
Pot Roast
4 red potatoes
2 carrots
1 small can mushrooms
1 can Campbell’s Golden Mushroom soup
dried basil
salt
pepper

Directions:
1. Wash the potatoes, and cut into quarters
2. Wash & peel the carrots, slice into pieces.
3. Add potatoes & carrots to the crock pot.
4. Open and mostly drain the mushrooms, add to crock pot.
5. Top all of this with dried basil. I covered the ingredients pretty well and didn’t measure.
6. Brown the roast on all sides. Remove from skillet. Salt & pepper all sides. I used fresh ground pepper and sea salt. I also threw a little more basil on the roast. Add to crock pot.
7. Pour can of Golden Mushroom soup on top of roast.
8. Cook on low for 10 – 12 hours, stirring only occasionally.

We also made some asparagus as a side dish, since we trying to eat more green veggies. The meat just melted in your mouth. This is really easy to make. I threw it all together before I left for work this morning.

Meredith’s Frugal Vegetable Soup

I read a Heloise column a few months ago with a reader tip that said to dice and freeze any leftover fresh vegetables you had, to use later in soups or stews.  This seemed like such a smart idea to me for a number of reasons. First, I love to buy fresh vegetables when they are in season and cheap. Second, I usually ended up buying too much and throwing away what we didn’t use before it went bad. Third, things are too tight right now to just throw food away. Fourth, I love stew, so having my prep work done ahead of time seemed like a no-brainer.

So I took a large tub, and just added to it with any leftover veggies we had from whatever dish we were cooking for dinner that night, and kept it in my freezer.  Since it is summer, I ended up with a lot of zucchini, celery and carrots.  I had leftover V8 and chicken broth from my latest batch of Almost La Madeleine Tomato Basil Soup.  So tonight I decided it was time to try making a vegetable soup.  It was amazing.  Really, some of the best vegetable soup I’ve had and far superior to any canned version we’ve been eating.

Meredith’s Frugal Vegetable Soup

3 cups V8
1 ¼ cup chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can white kidney beans, rinsed
1 can black eyed peas, partially rinsed
1 parsnip, peeled and diced
2 red potatoes, peeled and diced
1 yellow squash, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup corn
1 cup celery, thinly sliced
salt & pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon paprika

Combine all ingredients in a large pot.  Simmer for 2 hours, stirring periodically.  Enjoy.

Notes: In my frozen tub, I had shredded carrots, zucchini, celery, and corn.  I added fresh the parsnip, potatoes and yellow squash (which was on sale at Kroger this week).  The other ingredients are all pantry staples for me.  Jonathan deemed it “delicious!”  I ended up with probably 8-10 servings from the entire pot.  I put part of it away to freeze, and still have enough for us to have dinner again and for me for lunch tomorrow.

It will be wonderful with some warm crusty bread or cheese on top.  The best thing, is you can completely customize it for your tastes.  I’m really pleased with the result, and probably won’t ever buy canned vegetable soup again.

Blackberry Cobbler

I had Friday off, and wanted to do some baking.  Since blackberries were super cheap at the store, I felt compelled to buy some.  But then, what to make?  I found a Blackberry Cobbler recipe over at Pioneer Woman Cooks (two actually) and went for what seemed the simplest one – here’s a link to her post, where you can find a printable recipe.

It was apparently so tasty my husband had to eat the entire thing, almost by himself.  The best thing I’ve ever made, he said.  I did mess up and mixed all the sugar in, instead of sprinkling it on top.  Oh well.

Here’s how mine turned out:

PW's Blackberry Cobbler #1

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup shortening (half butter or margarine)
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 package chocolate chips (whatever you prefer)

Mix shortening, peanut butter, sugars and eggs thoroughly. Measure flour by dipping method or by sifting. Blend all dry ingredients; stir into shortening mixture. Add chocolate chips.

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Roll dough in 1 1/4″ balls and place 3″ apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Flatten crisscross style with a fork dipped in flour.
Bake 10-12 minutes.

These turned out big, just the way I like them.  They ended up about 3 inches across, so I only made a small batch and froze the rest to cook later.

Note: I have no idea where this recipe came from, so if it’s yours please email me so I can give you credit!

Beef & Onion Enchiladas

Beef & Onion Enchiladas

Adapted from Mia’s Recipes.

Yield: (More than) 4 servings.  I got 10 enchiladas from it.

Ingredients:
1 lbs ground beef
1/2 chopped onion
1 can Enchilada sauce
1/2 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1/2 can refried beans
10 corn tortillas
1/2 lb cheddar cheese – (grated)
red pepper to taste
chili powder to taste
salt to taste
pepper to taste
Italian herbs to taste

Directions:

1. I always brown my beef with seasoned with salt, pepper, chili powder, red pepper and Italian herbs.  You’d be surprised at how versatile the mix is.  Brown ground beef in a pan, drain off grease.
2. Add chopped onion, 1/2 can tomatoes w/green chilies to beef. Cook until onions are tender.
3. While these are cooking, pour the enchilada sauce into a measuring cup and add the remaining tomatoes w/green chilies to the sauce.
4. Add refried beans to ground meat mixture.
5. Put a scoop of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a greased pan.  It will probably fit in 1 9×13 if you are making them all.  I used smaller dishes and froze half the enchiladas.
6. Heat a few corn tortillas at a time in the microwave by wrapping them in a paper towel and heating them for about 15 seconds.
7. Spoon meat mixture in tortillas, roll them up and place in the pan until all are filled. If you have some meat left over, dump it in the enchilada sauce and pour the enchilada sauce over the enchiladas.
8. Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes.
9. Remove and cover with cheese and bake until the cheese is melted. I gave it another 10 minutes.
   

   Before the cheese.

Mock La Madeline Tomato Basil Soup

Mock La Madeline Tomato & Basil Soup

Adapted from this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes and 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
3 cups V8, 1 cup Chicken Broth
14 fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 lb butter
sea salt and ground pepper to taste
1 tsp lemon juice (or more for taste)

Directions:

1.    Simmer tomatoes, tomato juice and chicken broth together over medium heat for 30 min.
2.    Puree in small batches in blender or food processor with 14 basil leaves.  Move back to pan.
3.    Add cream, butter and lemon juice. Season with salt & pepper. Heat through, being careful not to boil.

Meredith’s Notes:

I used canned tomatoes.  I also used Gourmet Garden Basil Herb Blend, about 4 tablespoons, which I simmered with the tomatoes and V8.  So, I skipped blending the fresh basil leaves.  This soup turned out very close to La Madeline’s version, and freezes very well.

Chili & Cornbread

Last night for dinner we had a family favorite: chili and cornbread. The cornbread was my idea.  For full disclosure purposes, I’d made the chili a few weeks ago and froze the leftovers.  The cornbread was fresh.

Crockpot Chili

Adapted from Dorothea’s Slow Cooker Chili in Fix it and Forget It: Feasting with your slow cooker.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 an onion, chopped
• 2 medium green peppers, chopped
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 2 15 1/2 oz cans red kidney beans
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 6 oz can tomato paste
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Brown beef in a skillet.  I salt and pepper the beef as it’s browning, and throw in some Italian herbs.  Drain.
2. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.
3. Cover.  Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

This freezes pretty well, which is good since it makes way more than we can eat in one meal.  Should serve 8 – 10.

Cornbread

This recipe was adapted from one I found online.  Unfortunately, I don’t have the source to share.  I scaled it to fit in an 8×8 pan.

Cornbread, hot from the oven

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup & 1 Tbsp & 1 tsp. Milk
• 1 cup and 3 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 2 & 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.
2. Combine the eggs and milk.  Combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.  Add to creamed mixture alternating wet and dry.
3. Pour into a greased 8 x 8 pan.
4. Bake at 400 degrees F for 22-27 minutes.  Cut into squares and serve.

We got 16 smallish squares from the pan.

Me, I like to put the cornbread on the bottom, top it with chili and then sprinkle some cheddar cheese on top of that.  Cuz really, everything’s better with cheese.

See for yourself:

Finished Product

Printable Recipes: crockpot-chili and cornbread

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Again, I just found one on the internet to use, and it happened to be this one from Land O’Lakes.

BEST EVER OATMEAL COOKIES

Preparation time: 45 min Baking time: 8 min 

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

3 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats

2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Heat oven to 375°F. Combine all ingredients except flour in large bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Stir in flour by hand until well mixed.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let stand 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet.

VARIATION: Chocolate Drizzled Oatmeal Cookies. Prepare and bake cookies as directed above. Melt 1/2 cup real semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening. Drizzle mixture over cooled cookies.

TIP: Stir in 1 cup of one of the following ingredients: mini real semi-sweet chocolate chips, raisins, chopped mixed dried fruit, sweetened flaked coconut or chopped pecans. Bake as directed above.

TIP: Dough is best when baked the day it is made. If dough is stored in the refrigerator, the oats absorb liquid and cause the cookies to be dry.

Nutrition Facts (1 cookie): Calories: 80, Fat: 3.5g, Cholesterol: 15mg, Sodium: 75mg, Carbohydrates: 12g, Dietary Fiber: <1g, Protein: 1g

Printable Recipe: oatmeal-cookies

My Notes: I had extra chocolate chips from the fudge I made, so I threw those in.  Despite the fact that my husband loves oatmeal raisin cookies, I couldn’t bring myself to make any.  I loathe raisins, well any kind of dried fruit, actually.  So I wanted to be able to eat them too!

I did freeze these cookies, despite the warning about it being best the day they are made.  I made the dough, portioned it out on cookie sheets and stuck them in the freezer until they were firm.  Next, I transferred the semi-frozen cookies to a Ziploc bag and kept it in the freezer for about 2 weeks before we baked them.  I didn’t defrost, just added a little extra time onto the baking time.  They turned out delicious, and not at all hard or dry.

Meredith’s Fudge Recipe

My friends this weekend all praised the baked goodies I made for the New Year’s Eve party.  I kind of hated to admit that I use regular recipes and didn’t come up with them on my own.  But I’ll be upfront and I’m posting the recipes here.

CARNATION® Famous Fudge  (From the evaporated milk label)

Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 6 min
Cooling Time: 2 hrs refrigerating

Servings: 24 servings (2 pieces per serving)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup (5 fl.-oz. can) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 1/2 cups (9 oz.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
LINE 8-inch-square baking pan with foil.

COMBINE sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt in medium, heavy-duty saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

STIR in marshmallows, morsels, nuts and vanilla extract. Stir vigorously for 1 minute or until marshmallows are melted. Pour into prepared baking pan; refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. Lift from pan; remove foil. Cut into 48 pieces.

FOR MILK CHOCOLATE FUDGE:
SUBSTITUTE 1 3/4 cups (11.5-oz. pkg.) NESTLE® TOLL HOUSE® Milk Chocolate Morsels for Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels.

FOR BUTTERSCOTCH FUDGE:
SUBSTITUTE 1 2/3 cups (11-oz. pkg.) NESTLE® TOLL HOUSE® Butterscotch Flavored Morsels for Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels.

FOR PEANUT CHOCOLATE FUDGE:
SUBSTITUTE 1 2/3 cups (11-oz. pkg.) NESTLE® TOLL HOUSE® Peanut Butter & Milk Chocolate Morsels for Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels and 1/2 cup chopped peanuts for pecans or walnuts.

Nutritional Info:
Calories: 140 Calories from Fat: 40 Total Fat: 4.5 g
Saturated Fat: 2.5 g Cholesterol: 5 mg Sodium: 40 mg
Carbohydrates: 23 g Dietary Fiber: .5 g Sugars: 21 g

Printable Recipe: fudge

My Notes: I use a small jar of marshmallow creme and Ghirardelli chocolate chips for this recipe.  Otherwise, just the same.  Also I leave out the nuts.  Too many people with nut allergies in my family.  I’ve also frozen my fudge.  I chilled it in a silicone muffin pan, wrapped each piece in wax paper, then foil and put it in a Tupperware container in the freezer.  I then defrosted in the fridge prior to using.