Showing posts with label Jill's Cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jill's Cooking. Show all posts

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Meat Cakes - YUMMY!!




As I am making a giant cupcake shaped cake today, I thought "Hmmmm...why have I never made meat cupcakes?" Yes, a question I'm sure we've all asked ourselves at one time or another. So I decided to make breakfast casserole cupcakes today with sausage.

Breakfast Sausage Cupcakes

1 pound turkey sausage
1 bag shredded cheddar cheese
1 onion, chopped
1/2 loaf bread, chopped into cubes
8 eggs
1/2 cup milk
spices - salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc

Cook onions in pan to make soft. Add turkey sausage, and cook. In bowl, mix all ingredients, including onions and sausage. Let soak in fridge for a few hours. If mixture looks too wet, add more chopped bread. If mixture looks too dry, add more eggs and milk.

Spray muffin tins, fill with mixture, and bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. May need less or more cook time, so watch carefully.

When they were done, I took them out of the muffin tins and put them in a tupperware in the freezer. As soon as they were frozen, I threw them into a freezer bag for quick and easy breakfasts for the kids!

Friday, May 14, 2010

Ethiopia: Day 10 (5-14-2010)

Today was a nice relaxing day at the Guest House with just our family! It was strange not to have the other families around! I spent the day cooking with Birtukan Sinshaw and got some wonderful recipes from her. I can't wait to go home and try some of them out; our little Birtukan loves all of them.

Spaghetti Sauce

5 small chopped onions
6 tomatoes
1-2 pounds ground beef
1 heaping tsp berbere
2 tsp canned tomato paste
2 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp mekelesha powder
1 tsp salt, or desired amount
1 cup oil
water

* Boil tomatoes, peel, and chop/grind until it's a sauce

*Put chopped onions in large sauce pan and cook (without oil) for about 5 minutes

*Add 1 cup oil

*Add ground beef to onions and mix

*After meat is cooked; add berbere, tomatoes, tomato paste, and 1 cup water

*Mix well and cook for about 5 minutes

*Add garlic paste, mekelesha powder, and salt

*Mix, cover, and boil

*Can add fresh rosemary if desired




Shuro Wat

2 Chopped Onions
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
2 Heaping TB Bean Flour
1 tsp Salt
3 tsp Ground Garlic paste
1-2 tsp Berbere - if desired
Water

*Put chopped onion (about 2 onions) in sauce pan with 1/2 cup oil

*Cook until onions are soft

*Add about 3 cups water, and boil with lid on

*Add 2 heaping tablespoons bean flour (Can add berbere if desired)

*Whisk very well, mixing constantly

*Add another 1/2 - 1 cup water to thin the consistency

*Cover, and cook

*Add 1 tsp salt, or desired amount - and 3 tsp garlic paste, mix well

*Cover and cook again

*When thick, turn off burner and cover until ready to eat (About 15 minutes after powder is added)




Lentil Wat

2 Chopped Onions
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
1-2 Heaping TB Berbere
1 Cup Lentils
1 TB Garlic paste
1 tsp Mekelesha powder
1 tsp Salt
Water

* Put chopped onions (around 2 medium sized) in a large hot pot with 1/2 cup oil

* Cook and mix until onions are soft

* Add 1-2 (hugely) heaping Tablespoons Berbere

* Add 1/4 - 1/2 cup water, mix, and cook

* Heat to boil, adding water 1/4 cup at a time to keep mixture soupy

* Add 2 cups water and 1 cup lentils

* Boil with lid on, mixing occasionally

* Add about 1 cup water when beans start cooking and getting poofy, if needed

* Add 1 tsp salt (or to your taste), 1 TB garlic paste, and 1 tsp Mekelesha powder

* Mix and cook, adding a small amount of water if needed

* Turn off burner when lentils are cooked and dissolving, and cover




Ethiopian Vegetables

1-2 cups shredded onion
1 cup oil
1/2 small head shredded cabbage
3-4 large cut potatoes
1 TB tomato paste (if desired)
1 tsp salt
2-3 tsp garlic paste
2 chopped small spicy green peppers
*Can use carrots, zucchini, spinach, etc)

*Add shredded onion in large pan, and cook

*Add 1 cup oil, and cook onions until soft

*Add shredded cabbage

*Mix, cover, and cook - stirring about every 1-2 minutes until cabbage is soft

*Add vegetables, and tomato paste if you want to use some for flavor/color

*Add salt, garlic paste, and green peppers

*Mix, cover, and cook until vegetables are done

**Can use mekelesha powder or berbere as well if desired, probably about 1 tsp each.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Ethiopia: Day 7 (5-11-2010)



Birtukan Sinshaw made donuts for breakfast at the guest house. We went out to lunch on the way to the Embassy, right during nap time for all the kids! All of the kids were short tempered and crabby. An older lady at the restaurant asked me if I was Irish, because a lot of Irish families adopt from Ethiopia, and "God bless me for what I am doing." She said she was Ethiopian now, but was originally from Malta.

Birtukan had her first full blown temper tantrum in the bus on the way to the Embassy. She found a mint in my bag, so I gave it to her. Then she dropped it on the insanely dirty floor and wanted to put it back in her mouth, but I wouldn't let her (because it was covered in dirt) and threw it out the window. How. Dare. Me. About 5 minutes into the kicking and screaming, I almost started crying myself at the thought of taking her into the Embassy in public like this. "Yes, I'm a totally fit parent. Don't mind my kicking and screaming child that wants absolutely nothing to do with me. Nothing to see here, keep the line moving!" Ugh! Luckily she stopped screaming as soon as we got out of the van to go inside of the Embassy.

We got there around 1400, and the kids had already been pushed to their limit. There were a ton of people there! There were 4 adoption agencies ahead of us at the Embassy, which meant we had a long wait ahead of us! Luckily there was a little play area for the kids to play at, and Birtukan really started warming up to Mike. Whenever she needed something, I would redirect her to him, which I think helped. They called our name at about 1630. We answered a few questions, signed a few documents, and that was pretty much it!

Birtukan did really good using the potty today. Mike watched a DVD with her (The Alligator Hunter) and she said her first sentence in English: "The turtle ate popcorn." Yes, another one of our children is obsessed with popcorn! He also went through numbers with her, and she started counting "1, 2, 3" all day long. She is very smart!

She fell asleep really early again tonight and skipped dinner. They made a delicious meal of hamburgers and french fries for dinner, which Birtukan slept through. We played Apples To Apples tonight with other families from the guest house while the kids slept. It was an exhausting day without lots of fantastic photo ops. I did get some shots from around Addis Ababa though.

Hamburgers
: Ground beef, chopped onion, chopped spicy peppers, salt, berbere, egg, flour.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Jackson's Mini-Cinni's






1 package crescent rolls
butter
sugar
cinnamon
mini chocolate chips
mini m&m's

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees, and spray Pam on baking sheet.

2. Unroll crescent rolls into 3 rectangles - which means that 2 triangles will remain together. Pinch the rolls together down the middle.

3. Spread butter on rectangles.

4. Sprinkle sugar, cinnamon, and mini chocolate chips on rectangles.

5. Roll up tightly, and pinch them closed.

6. Slice the logs into 6 rolls.

7. Place the mini rolls onto baking sheet.

8. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

9. When finished baking, spread with cream cheese frosting.

10. Sprinkle with more mini chocolate chips or m&m's.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Mario Party Pasta


1 pound boneless skinless chicken tenders
6-8 oz fresh or frozen spinach
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 chopped tomato
4 oz feta cheese
8 oz bottle Balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing
Pasta

In greased 13x9 pan, layer spinach, chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes, and feta. Pour bottle of dressing over all. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes uncovered. Serve over pasta.

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We called this "Mario Party Pasta" because there is red tomatoes (for Mario), green spinach (for Luigi), and mushrooms!

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Injera Bwuh?

Today was attempt #2 at making Injera. My first attempt I used the recipe that mixed in all purpose flour. They turned out like little rubber shoe soles. Today I used the recipe that had yeast and fermented over night. It turned out like...well, a hot pile of brown goo. I'm going to let the rest of the batter/dough sit another day and try again tomorrow. Third time's a charm?? ;-)

Jackson has been really struggling in school this year with paying attention, listening, and getting his work done at school - and we would appreciate your prayers. We've been trying to re-do a few things we do at home with discipline and getting work done, so we are hoping this new system will be an encouragement for Jackson and give him a little more motivation to stay on task.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Berbere

  • Whole cumin -- 2 teaspoons
  • Red pepper flakes -- 1-2 teaspoons
  • Cardamom seeds -- 1 teaspoon
  • Fenugreek seeds -- 1 teaspoon
  • Whole peppercorns -- 8
  • Allspice berries -- 6
  • Whole cloves -- 4
  • New Mexico dried chilies -- 3-4
  • Onion, chopped -- 1
  • Garlic, crushed -- 3 cloves
  • Paprika -- 1 tablespoon
  • Salt -- 1 tablespoon
  • Ginger, ground -- 1 teaspoon
  • Turmeric -- 1 teaspoon
  • Cayenne pepper -- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon
  • Nutmeg -- 1/2 teaspoon
  • Oil -- 1/2 cup
  • Water or red wine -- 1/4 cup

Method

  1. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium flame. Add the whole spices and toast, stirring for about 2-3 minutes until they give off their aroma. Do not burn. Remove from heat.
  2. Over an open flame, lightly toast the New Mexico chilies, turning quickly from side to side until they soften and become flexible. Do not burn. Remove the stems and seeds and roughly chop.
  3. Put the spices and dried peppers into a spice or coffee grinder and grind to a powder.
  4. Put the ground toasted spices into a food processor or blender along with the remaining ingredients and process until smooth.
  5. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze portions for later use.

Variations

  • Berberé Powder: omit the onion, garlic, water and oil. Mix all the spices together and store in an airtight jar. Add the powder when paste is called for in recipes.
  • You can make berbere as spicy or as mild as you like. Just vary the amount of pepper flakes and cayenne in the recipe.
  • If you don't have all the whole spices, substitute an equivalent amount of ground. Eliminate the toasting step.
  • If New Mexico chilies are not available, substitute another Mexican-style dried chile: anchos, guajilla, etc. If no dried chilies are available, substitute 2 more tablespoons of paprika.

Doro Wat

  • juice of one lemon
  • two teaspoons salt
  • one chicken (about 3 pounds), cleaned and cut into serving-size pieces -- some cooked remove skin and score or pierce the meat with a knife to facilitate marinating
  • two (or more) onions, finely chopped
  • four tablespoons niter kebbeh (or butter)
  • four cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced
  • one piece fresh ginger root -- cleaned, scraped, and chopped (about a teaspoon)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground fenugreek
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon berberé -- or -- 1 - 2 tablespoons of a combination of cayenne pepper and paprika (if berberé and niter kebbeh are not used)
  • 1 small tomato, chopped or a few tablespoons tomato paste or tomato sauce (optional)
  • 1 cup chicken stock, water, or dry red wine
  • hard-boiled eggs (1 per person), pierced with a toothpick or the tine of a long fork.

  • In a glass bowl, combine the lemon juice (some cooks use lime juice), half the salt, and chicken pieces. Let chicken marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.
  • Cook the onions over medium heat for a few minutes in a dry (no oil) pot or dutch oven large enough to eventually hold all of the ingredients. Stir constantly to prevent them from browning or burning; reduce heat or remove the pot from the heat if necessary. (Some cooks add the niter kebbeh at the start, but dry-cooking the onions for a few minutes gives the dish a distinctive flavor. )
  • Add the niter kebbeh or butter to the onions, along with the garlic, ginger, fenugreek, cardamom, nutmeg, remaining salt, berberé (or cayenne pepper and paprika), and tomato. Stir and simmer for a few minutes. The onions should be soft, tender, and translucent, but not browned.
  • Add the chicken stock, water, or dry red wine. Bring the mixture to a low boil while stirring gently. Cook for a few minutes, then reduce heat.
  • Add the chicken pieces, making sure to cover them with the sauce. Cover and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes — or until the chicken is done — turning the chicken a few times.
  • After the chicken has been cooking for 20 minutes, gently add the hard-boiled eggs and ladle sauce over them.
  • Serve hot. The only traditional way to serve doro wat is with a spongy flat bread called injera, which can only be properly made with difficult-to-obtain teff flour. While it's not the way Ethiopians would serve it, doro wat is very good with Couscous, Rice, or Middle-Eastern or Indian style flat bread.
__________________________

  • Chicken legs and thighs, skinless -- 2 pounds
  • Lemon, juice only -- 1
  • Salt -- 2 teaspoons
  • Onions, chopped -- 2
  • Garlic, crushed -- 3 cloves
  • Gingerroot, peeled and chopped -- 1 tablespoon
  • Oil, butter or niter kibbeh -- 1/4 cup
  • Paprika -- 2 tablespoons
  • Berberé paste -- 1/4-1/2 cup
  • Water or stock -- 3/4 cup
  • Red wine -- 1/4 cup
  • Cayenne pepper -- from 1/2 to 2 teaspoons
  • Salt and pepper -- to taste
  • Hard-boiled eggs (optional) -- 4

  1. Mix together the chicken pieces, lemon juice and salt and in a large, non-reactive bowl and set aside to marinate for about 30 minutes.
  2. While the chicken is marinating, puree the onions, garlic and ginger in a food processor or blender. Add a little water if necessary.
  3. Heat the oil, butter or niter kibbeh in a large pot over medium flame. Add the paprika and stir in to color the oil and cook the spice through, about 1 minute. Do not burn. Stir in the berberé paste and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
  4. Add the onion-garlic-ginger puree and sauté until most of the moisture evaporates and the onion cooks down and loses its raw aroma, about 5-10 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to burn.
  5. Pour in the water or stock and wine and stir in the chicken pieces, cayenne to taste, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Add water as necessary to maintain a sauce-like consistency.
  6. Add the whole hard boiled eggs and continue to cook for another 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and very tender.
  7. Adjust seasoning and serve hot with injera bread or rice.
___________________________

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons salt
2 onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup Niter Kebbeh (Spiced Butter)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger root
1/4 teaspoon ground fenugreek
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup Red Pepper Paste (aka Spice Paste, Berbere)
2 tablespoons paprika
1/4 cup dry red wine
3/4 cup water
4 hard-boiled eggs
Freshly ground black pepper

Rinse and dry the chicken pieces. Rub them with lemon juice and salt. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

In a heavy enamel stewpot, cook the onions over moderate heat for about 5 minutes. Do not let brown or burn. Stir in the niter kebbeh. Then add the garlic and spices. Stir well. Add the berbere and paprika, and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Pour in the wine and water and bring to a boil. Cook briskly, uncovered, for about 5 minutes.

Pat the chicken dry and drop it into the simmering sauce, turning the pieces about until coated on all sides. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, piece the hard-boiled eggs with the tines of a fork, piercing approximately 1/4" into the egg all over the surface. After the chicken has cooked, add the eggs and turn them gently in the sauce. Cover and cook the doro wat for 15 more minutes. Add pepper to taste.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Injera

Serving for 2 people, yields 5 to 6 Injera...
99% Teff, 1% Self Rising Yeast *

1 lb - of Teff Flour
3 cups of luke warm water
1 teaspoon of yeast *
- a large bowl, for mixing
- large pancake pan, for baking

1. Mix by hand, 1lb of Teff with 3 cups of water along with 1 teaspoon of yeast.

2. Set aside overnight (24 hrs) outside. For fermentation to take place.
3. Preheat pan, and leave on low fire/heat during baking.
4. Bake in a circular motion, same as a pancake. Only heated on one side, takes about 2 minutes.

5. Take injera out carefully (hot) and set aside on a plate to cool down before eating.

* If this is your first batch of injera, use the teaspoon of yeast; but if you plan to make injera regularly... then save about 3 soup spoons of the mix for your next injera. This will act as a self rising yeast on your next batch of injera; save it in your fridge it will stay for over a month. This is the same process of saving some of your current dough for your next batch of sour dough cakes or cookies.

________________________

• 1/4 cup teff flour
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup water
• a pinch of salt
• peanut or vegetable oil

Put the teff flour in the bottom of a mixing bowl, and sift in the all-purpose flour. Slowly add the water, stirring to avoid lumps. Stir in the salt. Heat a nonstick pan or lightly oiled cast-iron skillet until a water drop dances on the surface. Make sure the surface of the pan is smooth: Otherwise, your injera might fall apart when you try to remove it. Coat the pan with a thin layer of batter. Injera should be thicker than a crêpe, but not as thick as a traditional pancake. It will rise slightly when it heats.

________________________


Ethiopian Vegetables

1 pound each carrots, red potatoes, broccoli
1 small head cauliflower
4 Tb butter or margerine
1/4 tsp each cinnamon, ground cardamom, & ground ginger
1/8 tsp each ground cloves and tumeric
2 crushed cloves garlic
1 large onion chopped
salt
plain yogurt or cottage cheese

Cut carrots into 1/4" thick slices .Scrub potatoes (cut into quarters if larger than bite-size). Cut flowerets off broccoli stalks. Cut off & discard tough base of stalks, peel stalks, & cut into 1/4" thick slices. Break cauliflower into flowerets. Cut Arrange potatoes in a vegetable steamer & steam over boiling water until tender (sbout 15 min). Remove potatoes and let cool. Add water to steamer if needed. Arrange carrots, broccoli stems & cauliflowerets in steamer. Steam until just tender (about 9 Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a wide frying pan over medium heat. Stir in cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, turmeric, garlic, & onion. Cook stirring until onion is soft, then stir in carrots, broccoli stems, cauliflowerets & potatoes. Cook covered Pile the vegetables on top of Injera (pancakes). Pass yogurt or cottage cheese at the table, or can spoon a dollop on top of the veggies. Serve extra Injera to tear apart & scoop up the veggies. It's traditional not to use utensils! Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Chicken Chili

The most delicious soup in the world!!

1 jar of mild salsa
1 can of chicken broth
1 1/2 lbs of chicken breast
3 cans of white beans -drained
2/3 of an 8oz block of Pepper Jack cheese cubed
1 8oz block of Monteray Jack cheese cubed

Put salsa, cubed cheese, and chicken broth in a crock pot on High heat. Cook chicken in a skillet until completely cooked. Add cubed chicken to the melting cheese mixture. Add in beans. Cook until cheese is completely melted. Serve with grated Colby Jack cheese and sour cream.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Pepperjack Breakfast Casserole

1 package turkey bacon

1 8oz block Pepperjack cheese

1 8oz block Cheddar cheese

1 dozen eggs

3/4 loaf bread

1 1/2 cups milk

spices (salt, pepper, fiesta party dip)


Cut turkey bacon, cheese, and bread into little cubes. Mix all ingredients in large bowl and mix, soaking all pieces of bread. Put ingredients into greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Chicken Noodle Casserole

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1/2 pound egg noodles
2 Tb butter
1 Tb olive oil
1 1/2 cups cream or milk
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped onion

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook egg noodles according to directions. Drain and rinse, set aside.

In a skillet, mix butter and oil. Saute onion and mushrooms until golden brown. Stir in flour until absorbed, approximately 3 tsp. Gradually pour in chicken broth and milk/cream, mixing constantly to prevent lumps. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, beat egg yolks with a few Tb of above mixture to temper eggs so they won't scramble; then add egg mixture to skillet along with remaining ingredients. Mix well.

Transfer to large casserole dish. Sprinkle with a little butter and parmesan cheese, can add bread crumbs if desired.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until top is golden brown.

UPDATE: When I made this, I added about 1/4 cup more milk before putting it in the casserole dish, because it didn't look "wet" enough to me.

Friday, February 27, 2009

Jilly's Crockpot Potatoes

12-14 oz Diced Ham, Sausage, or Chicken
8-10 Medium Potatoes (Sliced Thin)
1 Large Onion (Chopped Tiny)
Salt and Pepper
8 oz Block Pepperjack Cheese
1 Large Can Cream Mushroom Soup

Layer half of the meat, potatoes, and onions in crock pot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and half the cheese cubes. Repeat with remaining meat, potatoes, and onions. Top with cream of mushroom soup and remaining cheese. Cover and cook on High for 30 minutes, then on Low for approximately 4 hours or until potatoes are tender.

I just made this recipe up, altering another recipe I found online. For the meat, I used a 14 oz package of precooked Butterball Turkey Smoked Sausage cut into little pieces. If you don't like pepperjack, the original recipe called for cheddar cheese instead. It's cooking right now, so I'm not sure how it will turn out. Tonight we'll see! :-)

UPDATE: I would mix this about every 30-45 minutes, otherwise the cheese sticks to the bottom. It has about an hour left to cook in the crock pot, and so far it smells delicious! :-)

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 onion, chopped
4 chicken breasts
32 oz chicken broth
1 can pepperjack soup
1 can corn
1 can diced tomatoes (not drained)
1 can black beans (not drained)
1 box (6oz) rice mix
Fiesta party dip
3 cups water

Cook chicken breasts, and shred/dice into small pieces. Add all other ingredients besides rice into pot, and boil for 10 minutes. Add rice mix and 3 cups water. Cook covered for 20 minutes on a simmer, stirring about every 5 minutes.

Thanksgiving Caserole

1 pound ground Turkey
1/2 onion, chopped
1 apple, chopped
1 can corn
1 can cream corn
1 box stuffing mix

Mix stuffing with 2 cups hot water. Set aside. Brown turkey, drain, and add all other ingredients to pan. Cook until warm and onions and apples soften. Mix with stuffing and put in baking dish. Bake covered for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Creamy Soup

Tonight for dinner, I mixed up a random soup that was super fantastic! My new favorite soup! Nothing was measured, so I'll try to guess the amounts that I put in. It also used up our leftover ham and turkey bacon finally!

Ham
Turkey Bacon
Potatoes
Cream Corn
Corn
Onion
Salt & Pepper
Garlic Powder
Fiesta Party Dip
Milk
Water
Butter
Velveeta Cheese

Cut or shred cooked ham and turkey bacon into tiny pieces. Put into a medium/large pot on stove along with diced onion, butter, and potatoes cut into little cubes (approximately 5 potatoes). Cook until potatoe mixture starts to get warm. Add can of corn, cream corn, and a couple cups of both milk and water. Add spices. (And no, you can't leave out the Fiesta Party Dip because that's what makes this soup super fantastic!!) Cook until boiling, mixing frequently. Add cubes of Velveeta cheese. Lower heat and simmer for approximately 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are soft; mixing frequently so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Add more water or milk if soup is too thick.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Lasagna

Here's a lasagna recipe that I wanted to try:

4 slices raw bacon, minced
3 T. Butter
2 cloves garlic
1 medium onion, minced
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound sausage (I acutally use the whole pound and it works great)

4 cups Ragu Traditional Old World Style (large jar - 2 lbs. 13 oz.)
2 t. Italian seasoning
1 cup dry white wine

1 pound cottage cheese
1/2 t. salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup parmesean cheese

4 cups mozzerella cheese
1/2 pkg. of lasagna (I usually use about 9-10 noodles)
(I usually cook my noodles beforehand. I know some people use them uncooked, and I tried that once, but I felt like the lasagna was too dry)

Saute bacon, garlic, and onion in butter until onion is tender. Add ground beef and sausage. Brown and drain. In a large saucepan, combine Ragu, wine, and seasoning. Add meat mixutre. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the cottage cheese, salt, eggs, and parmesean cheese and set aside. Layer as follows:

Sauce
Noodles
Cheese Mixture
Sprinkle Mozzerella
Noodles
Sauce
Cheese
Mozzerella
Noodles
Sauce
Remaining 2 cups of mozzerella cheese on top

Bake uncovered at 350 for about an hour. Use a deep dish 9x13 pan, as it will bubble over.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Caramel Puff Corn

1 (8 oz.) bag "Old Dutch Puff Corn Curls"
1/2 lb. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. light corn syrup
1 tsp. baking soda

Place corn puffs in a large roaster pan. In a 2 quart saucepan cook butter, brown sugar and corn syrup until it boils. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add 1 teaspoon of soda and stir until mixture foams.Pour caramel mixture over corn curls and stir until well mixed. Place in 250 degree oven for 45 minutes. Stir at least every 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and pour on wax paper and break apart. Let cool

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Popcorn Balls

  • 3/4 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/4 cup margarine
  • 2 teaspoons cold water
  • 2 5/8 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1 cup marshmallows
  • 5 quarts plain popped popcorn
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the corn syrup, margarine, cold water, confectioners' sugar and marshmallows. Heat and stir until the mixture comes to a boil. Carefully combine the hot mixture with the popcorn, coating each kernel.

Grease hands with vegetable shortening and quickly shape the coated popcorn into balls before it cools. Wrap with cellophane or plastic wrap and store at room temperature.