Spagetti w/ garlic toast

We eat spagetti weird around here. My husband’s allergies are such that he avoids tomato sauce, especially seasoned tomato sauce. So our spagetti is prepared in 3 completely separate pans: spagetti noodles, sauce, and meat. Then it is assembled on each person’s plate in the manner to which they are accustomed. Husband gets noodles and meat smothered in sprinkle cheese (parmesan). First born gets noodles, meat, small serving of sauce, small sprinkle of cheese. 2nd born gets the traditional noodles, meat, sauce, sprinkle cheese combo- the one you get in restaurants. 3rd born gets noodles, sauce, only a sampling of meat, and oodles of sprinkle cheese. I am a sauce lover so if there is not sauce left on my plate when I’m done with the noodles, something was not assembled correctly. I also occasionally stir-fry a few peppers and onions and maybe a slice of pepperoni or two and add to mine as well!

Oh, you wanted a recipe??? Oh, almost forgot!!!

We prefer angel hair pasta because it cooks in only 3 min. but any pasta will do.

ruralmomof3’s spagettie sauce? (this is also my pizza sauce recipe)

Take a  regular size can (12 oz or so? not the little can) or two small cans of tomato sauce and dump it into a pan.  Add the following:

• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp minced garlic or one pressed clove or equivalent of garlic powder (garlic is not absolutely necessary)
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley

Bring this to a simmer and serve.  If you are worried that your kids only eat spagetti sauce and ketchup for veggies, you can sneek some stuff in your sauce. 

• jar of strained baby food carrots or some shredded carrot
• finely chopped spinach and tell the kids it’s fresh basil (hee, hee)
• finely chopped onion (just get into the habit of ALWAYS putting onion in your ground beef)
• mushrooms
• bell peppers
• even corn or peas (if you think you can get away with it!  Good luck!!)

Meatballs

Our meat usually consists of browned hamburger that is browned with chopped onion.  You can make meatballs if you want to be fancy.  Just make your basic meatloaf recipe- turn it out onto a cutting board, flatten it into a rectangle, and cut it into desired meatball size squares.  Pick up each square, give it a slight roll in your hands, and throw it on a baking sheet or in a skillet.  Brown and serve!!  The trick to round meatballs is turning them often so I don’t recommend the baking method if you have to have round meatballs.  The smaller the meatball, the faster the cook time.  If your’s are golf ball size or bigger, be careful that you have cooked them thoroughly!  No one wants cold in the middle meat balls with their spagetti!!

Garlic toast-

I prefer to be lazy when it comes to garlic toast.  I wait for the sale on the already prepared kind in the freezer section or buy the clearance rack kind in the bakery!  If you prefer to make your own or have leftover bread, buns, etc to get rid of- Here you go!

Spread bread or buns or whatever out on a cookie sheet.

Butter each piece well.

Sprinkle with your favorite garlic spice blend (if you don’t have one, you can soften a stick of butter and stir in a tsp minced garlic and some parsley- don’t forget the parsley because the little green flecks will keep you from putting the leftover garlic butter on your cinnamon toast tomorrow morning!)

For a crisp toast, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake in 400^ oven until browned.

For a soft toast, sprinkle with mozzerella cheese (or american, or colby, or whatever) and broil for a minute or two until the cheese melts.

 

 

ENJOY!!

Easy and Cheap Sloppy Joes and Leftover Sloppy Joes

I made a huge batch of sloppy joes the other day because we had some other kids over and because I bought on clearance the other day:  70/30 ground beef for 1.79/lb and 90/10 ground beef for  3.09/lb.  I mixed a package of each together to give us a little more moderate amounts of grease fat.  I know, I know- 3.09 /lb doesn’t sound cheap but it is regularly 4.79!  If you average the two, it comes to 2.44/lb which is pretty good for 80/20 beef.  Anyway,  on with my ramblings. . . . .

Sloppy Joes

1 lb ground beef, browned and drained (cook a chopped onion in with it if desired)

Heaping Tbl brown sugar (or similar combo of sugar, molasses, honey)

1/2 tsp mustard

1/4-1/2 cup ketchup

salt/pepper

After draining beef, return it to the skillet and stir in the remaining ingredients.  With the ketchup, use your judgement starting out with a small amount and adding more until you get the consistency you prefer.  Simmer until flavors are well blended- approx. 5-10 min. or place in crockpot on low until ready to serve.

Need to stretch your hamburger to serve a few more?  You can add a stalk or two of celery and more onion  (chopped fine so the kids won’t notice)  to your ground beef when browning.  This will add maybe one more serving.  To get even more, stir in a  handful of instant rice right before you turn the heat down to simmer.  Simmer with the lid on for the 5-10 min.  I have also heard of people adding quick oats or refried beans but I have not done those myself.

Leftover Sloppy Joes?

You can use leftover sloppy joe meat for:

• nachos
• tacos
• sloppy joe casserole (Spread in bottom of square pan.  Sprinkle on some cheese. Make drop bisquit dough – or bisquick casserole topping on side of box.  Spread on top.  bake)
• spagetti sauce or goulash (because of the sugar in the sloppy meat, rinse your meat under hot water to remove some of the sloppy sauce, then add to your spagetti or goulash.  It will be slightly sweeter than regular but still good)
• sloppy joe cheeseburger pizza

OR just leave it in the fridge for a week and feed it to the dog (ha ha ha- now that is funny!  you know you’ve done it!!  a million times Isn’t truly amazing how real life “truths” are often the funniest things ever!!??)

My take on Cowboy Caviar

I tasted Cowboy Caviar at a wedding a few years ago and fell in love!!!  I have found many, many different recipes for it.  For those of you who have never heard of it, it is a salsa of sorts.

Here’s my version that I made for lunch today!

1 can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

2-3 green onions sliced

4 medium Roma tomatoes or equivalent

1 tsp minced garlic (2 cloves)

2 Tbl olive oil (regular oil will do fine)

2 Tbl apple cider vinegar

2 Tbl lime juice

1/2 jalepeno diced very fine (add more for more Hot)

2 tsp dried cilantro or 1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped

salt and pepper  (if it’s a little too sour, add more salt)

Combine in a large bowl at least 20 min. before serving.  Can refrigerate overnight if necessary.  Stir just before serving.  Can be eaten with tortilla chips, flour tortillas, or on crackers or bread like Bruschetta.

Grilled Corn on the Cob, Fresh Coleslaw, and Cold Meat Sandwiches

Here on the farm, the irrigation (second set) is coming along with help from a few friends and occasionally the irrigation crew shows up too.  We hired an unemployed neighbor who has been here all week and another friend showed up to “volunteer” today.  So, two extra guys meant a mad dash to straighten up the kitchen and make it presentable for guests while at the same time, cook a meal!!  Lovely. . . like a bee sting . . . . .

The Corn recipe is first and the Coleslaw is down further- scroll to find!

My #3 boy had determined that we would have grilled corn on the cob today come heatwave or snow. . . . . yesterday he prepared the corn and got it to soaking.  Here’s what you do!

12 hours ahead of time (preferable, but not absolute) or more. . . . .

Gather your fresh corn

Pull back the husk, one layer at a time but do NOT remove the husk from the end.  Carefully pull out as much silk (hair) as you can and discard that.

Check for any bad spots- cut them out if necessary.

Carefully pull the husk back up over the corn and place the corn in a bucket or tub.

When you have completed that for each ear, cover them with ice cold water and let them soak until tomorrow.

Tomorrow, at least 30 minutes before your meal, fire up the grill with a high flame or hot coals.

Drain your corn slightly, but not completely,  so it won’t put out your fire and place on grill. 

Turn your heat down to medium (or with charcoal, raise your grid)

Blacken the side closest to the heat, being careful not to catch the husk on fire (you can keep a squirt bottle of water handy or just smack any flames with a spatula)

Turn and repeat

Check for doneness.  I usually take a fork out there and get a kernel or two on my fork and taste it.  Some people say it’s done if the kernels squirts juice at you- this is not “for sure” though with grilled corn.  If they are not done, carefully turn the ears a quarter turn instead of all the way over and repeat, lowering the heat slightly.

Remove from heat,but not to table.  Carefully, pull husks back to stem and break stem off.  This can be too hot of a job for some people.  I hold the corn by the stem end and swing it in the air to cool it slightly before husking.  Serve with cold butter and salt and pepper or any of the neat and fancy grilled corn rubs that are out in all kinds of recipe sites.

Grilled corn does not taste the same as boiled corn.  Some kernels will blacken, some will brown.  The brown kernels are quite sweet and chewy.  Some may not cook completely.  It is wondeful!!

Coleslaw

Cabbage (I’d say to use a half of head but the one I got from the neighbors is huge- like the size of 4 heads!!!- so a chunk about the size that two hands can hold- this will serve 6 or so)

Salt/Pepper

Sugar

Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip

Shred or chop fine or slice very thin- your cabbage.  Place it in a bowl and salt and pepper it generously.  Cabbage appears to be quite dry but it really isn’t.  The salt will help draw the moisture out and add flavor.

In a separate bowl, combine almost equal amounts sugar and mayo to form a grainy paste.  A little more mayo than sugar.  I’d start with a heaping scoop of mayo and a heaping spoon of sugar.

Stir this into the salted and peppered cabbage.  It may appear to be quite dry and you may be tempted to add more of the salad dressing but don’t- NOT YET!!!  Wait 5-10 minutes and stir it again.  If it still seems dry, add a little more dressing.  Some kind of reaction takes place with the ingredients and the salad dressing thins out.

If you like carrot or bell pepper in your cabbage, feel free to add some.  We like ours plain.

Pork Loin Sandwiches

Pork Loin is excellent meat!  Often times when you hear about someone fixing pork loin, it’s some fancy meal, not at our house!  Pork Loin is nearly considered a convenience food here!  It is the easiest hunk of meat to make into sandwiches on the face of the earth (my humble opinion!)

The one I made yesterday did come from the meat counter at the store but I bought it on clearance for less than $2/lb (remember that’s my rule- no meat for more than $2/lb) and it had been in my freezer.  Since the wrapper was froze fast to the meat, I did have to defrost it some before putting it into the oven.  But, basically a frozen loin was put in my dutch oven pan (it just fit. . . whew!)with the fat side up (fat up helps keep it moist).  I poured a cup or so of water in, salted and peppered well, put the lid on and popped it in the oven.  While I was getting ready for the day, it was at 450^ (for like an hour and a half).  When we got ready to leave for an appt, I turned it down to 200^.  We came home around noon and it was almost 180^ internal temperature (I have found that a meat thermometer is an invaluable kitchen tool- although my mother never used one!).  That’s an okay temp but for pork 185^ would be better, so I turned the oven back to 450^ while I prepared fresh corn on the cob and set the table.  By 12:30 it was done!  Removed that long hunk of meat to a cutting board, carefully scraped off the fat, and sliced it.  Pefect sandwich size pieces of meat!!  Perfect!

We prefer our meat plain but BBQ sauce would be an excellent compliment!

Also, any juice that is in the bottom of the pan must be saved (or you’re a lunatic).  Carefully pour it off into a container, leaving that  curdled, funky stuff (cooked blood)  in the pan the best you can (I have a really fine strainer that I use.  Cheese cloth also works.  OR you can just be careful, it won’t hurt you to eat it. . . ) Put that broth in the fridge for pork and noodles later in the week!!

PB and J

We had peanut butter and jelly last night- yes, seriously!  I included this because I want all of you to know that it is okay and perfectly normal to be too tired or too busy to prepare a REAL meal once in a while (once or twice a week at least here. . ..  lol)  PB&J, cold cereal, ice cream, etc.

It’s all good!!

Beef Short Ribs

I’ve been so busy with swim lessons and meetings and recovering from camping at the fair that I’ve neglected “what’s for dinner”!  The other day I got out a couple packages of ribs from the freezer- we are down to the ribs, stew meat, etc from our cow and pig that we put in there a while back.  Just in time too because soon there will be turkey, duck, and rabbit in there!

Anyway- Short ribs are the wider section of rib than what you typically see at the grocery store.  Come to think of it, most ribs at the store are pork ribs.  Anyway, ribs are ribs and you  cook them all the same.  Some people grill them on a low flame, I hate to waste all that fuel and when I’m grilling it’s usually because I’m in a hurry.  So my ribs are done in the oven.

This time I got them out frozen, wacked them on the counter to break them apart.  I don’t have a broiler pan, but if you do, this is a great time to use it.  Instead, I use my largest cookie sheet with a lip on it and the wire cookie racks that I have.  The large amount of fat on ribs makes it mandatory that you cook them up off the bottom of the pan so you the grease has a place to go away to.

I placed my frozen short ribs on my wire racks that were on the cookie sheet and covered them tightly with foil.  No seasoning, no nothing- just the hunks of meat.  I placed them in a 200-250^ oven and left them for like 8 hours.  When we came home that night, they were beautiful!  We served them with BBQ sauce.

If you don’t want to wait 8 hours, you can use my moms “Sunday dinner” trick.  Turn the oven up hot, like 450^, while you are getting ready in the morning- for an hour or so.  Then right before you walk out the door, turn it down to 250^.  They should be done when you get home from church.

Short version of that story:

tightly covered and still  frozen ribs, roast, chicken, etc (meat with less fat should have a shallow layer of water in the pan)

450^- 1 to 1 1/2  hours

Reduce to 250^ for 4 hours

Dinners ready!

What to eat at the Fair

Since we will be camping at the 4-H fair next week, I thought I would spend some time discussing what I enjoy of “fair food” and what we cook at the camper while camping there.

My list of “to die for” and “can’t live without” from the Fair-

1. Shaken Lemonade
2. Fish and Fries
3. Fried Cheese
4. Wet Burrito
5. Shaved ice
6. Taco in a Bag (or Walking Taco)
7. Soft Pretzel
8. Elephant ears
9. Pork Burger
10. Corn on the Cob

NOTE: a couple of those are considered healthy, I think. . . . . .

But seriously, how do we live at the fair and not double in size in 7 days?  I try to purchase fair food for one meal and one snack each day and that is it.  The rest of the time we eat at the camper.  But living in a camper at the fairgrounds is completely different than “going camping”.  Camp fires cannot be left unattended  and besides that, it’s usually like 9000 degrees the week of the fair and no one wants to have an outdoor fire to warm up by.   But we do have a stove and microwave in the camper and a grill that I keep outside as well.

Last year, 3 kids, me, and my honey/husband only part time – we went through 2 cases of bottled water (I buy this and teach them how to mix their own koolaid, gatorade, etc. mixes in them rather than buying tons of soft drinks) and 10 gallons of “from home” water.   The 10 gallons of water was used for cooking and drinking because we don’t like the taste of the fair water.  We did use fair water for bathing and toilet facilities though.

But because the “fair life” is not a sit at the campfire all day kind of life, the food must be different.  We have cold cereal or breakfast bars nearly every morning.  We have lunch meat or hamburgers/hotdogs for lunch/dinner.  I do bring eggs and ham too and keep pancake mix in the camper.  There will also be tons of carbs for the kids to snack on.  I did not say it would be a healthy week by any means.  I also keep apples, oranges, and maybe a banana or two on hand as well.  Plenty of coffee and Coca Cola for me!

Any fair campers out there have any thoughts on how they do it?

Burgers, Onion Rings, and Fries Oh My!

Yup, that’s tonight!  I might throw in some watermelon.  On an “I have time to cook for real” day, I might give you a recipe for homemade fries or rings but not today. . . . . Today it will be burgers on the grill and fresh from my grocer’s freezer onion rings and fries. . . . . .

On a similarly unhealthy note, today I ran into a former co-worker of mine.  She was the first person to introduce me to the idea of drinking water for health and she’s just a healthy person inside and out.  Not flashily so, but just healthy.   Anyway, I run into her for the first time in like 10 years and what am I filling my cart with?  Hamburger Helper, Little Debbies, Bacon, Paper Plates, Plastic Cups, etc.  I know that I’m preparing for living in a camper for a week at the fairgrounds but here stands my “lead me to health” friend and I have an entire cart full of junk food and environment killing products. . . . . . .nice. . . . Impressed aren’t you. . . .

Please don’t call PETA or Vegetarians Anonymous on me either when you find out that the animals my children are taking to the fair will be in our freezer in no time. . .

Have a great one!

Tacos with Homemade Salsa

Tonight we are having Tacos!

My Salsa recipe is quite simple.

1 tomato chopped or diced

1/2 onion chopped or diced

1/4 jalepeno chopped into teeny, tiny pieces

1 Tbl dried cilantro or 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

2 dashes of lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

Combine and enjoy!!