The PERFECT {American Styled} Gyro!

I LOVE gyros!!!

 I know "the Perfect Gryo" is a BOLD title, 

but honestly 

IMO is MOST CERTAINLY is!!! 

I could eat them every day, I just can't afford the cost or the calories, but since I found this recipe online I make it more often. 

Photo Credit

I have adjusted it to meet my budget and family tastes- it is very flavorful & worth the extra steps to get that perfect texture and taste!!

I will make the pitas and the tzatziki sauce from scratch too I love that I know what the exact ingredients that is in my food. Though making it all from scratch does take time I will double or triple my efforts and place the extras in the freezer making it easier for me later in the month.

The Best part of this, though time consuming, is you can make it ahead of time and slice it broiling each slice as you desire a sandwich....

Ingredients

For the meat:

• 1 pound  ground 85% lean ground beef
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon table salt)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons picked fresh oregano leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 1/2 onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 5 slices sliced bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

For the yogurt sauce:

• 3/4 cup plain, unsweetened yogurt
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 clove garlic, minced on microplane
• 2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 
• 1/4 C Grated English Cucumber

To serve:

• 4 pieces soft, hand-pulled-style pita (not pocket pita or better yet homemade try my tips and recipe here)
• Chopped fresh tomato
• Finely sliced onion
• Shredded Lettuce 

Directions: {D

1. Combine ground beef, salt, pepper, and oregano in medium bowl. Mix with hands until homogeneous. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to over night. 
   
   Meanwhile, place yogurt in fine-mesh strainer set over small bowl. Allow to drain in refrigerator for 1 hour. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 300°F. 
   
   Place cold meat mixture in bowl of food processor with onion, garlic, and bacon. Process until smooth puree is formed, about 1 minute total, scraping down sides with rubber spatula as necessary.
   
   
2. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. With moist hands, form meat mixture into rectangle about 1 1/2 inches high, 8-inches long, and 5-inches wide. Bake until center of loaf reads 155°F on an instant read thermometer, about 30 minutes. Allow loaf to rest at room temperature for fifteen minutes (or refrigerate for up to a week or freeze loaf at this point)
   
   
3. Meanwhile, make sauce. Combine strained yogurt, mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, cucumber and parsley and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.
   
   
4. Adjust broiler rack to highest position (about 1 1/2 to 2 inches from broiler element) and preheat broiler. Slice loaf crosswise into 1/8th to 1/4-inch thick strips (each strip should be about 5-inches long and 1 & 1/2 inches wide). Lay strips on rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and broil until edges are brown and crispy, about 2 minutes. Tent with aluminum foil. 
   
   Warm bread by placing on rimmed baking sheet and broiling until soft and pliant, about 45 seconds per side.
   
   
5. Spread 1/4 cup of sauce over each piece of bread. Divide meat evenly between sandwiches. Top as desired, wrap with foil, and serve.
   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

Farm Girl/Western/ Pony/Cow Boy/Girl Party Menu...GETTY Up Y'ALL!

I thought it would be another layer of fun to make up names for the dishes at the party to use olden time Authentic Western Slang~ got my ideas from this site.

Food Buffet

Deviled Eggs............Deviled Hen Fruit

Veggie Tray...............Cow Girl's Vittles

Fruit Kabobs.............Lil' Cowpokes Delight

Garlic Herbed Dip......Garlic Chuck Wagon Dip




 Barb-B-Q Chicken Drummettes........Barb-B-Q Chickabiddies
Potato Chips........Spud Crunchies
Pasta Salad..........Wranglers Salad
Bacon Potato Salad......Ranch Hand's Bacon Spuds

Dessert Bar

Red Velvet Cake Pops...........Red Velvet Lassos
Rich Sour Cream Devil's Food
Cake with Caramel-Choc Chips Trifle.....Diablos's Trifle
Cherry Pie Pops.....................Cherry Flap Jacks
White Cake with
Vanilla Frosting......................Old West Mini Cakes

Drinks

Cherry Limeade.....................Cherry Lime-aid Quencher
Water......................................Adam's Ale

I made table name plates using upcycled grocery bags to give an authentic Western look. Food was a hit and guests got a kick out of the names.

Recipes & Links:

Forgot to take a pic of mine, looked like this, only mine was REDDER

~ Cherry Lime-Aide

• 1 & 1/2  Jars Maraschino Cherries
• 2 containers of Frozen Lime-Aide Concentrate
• 2-3 Limes, Sliced
• 3>> 2-Liters Lemon Lime Soda (7-Up is the best IMO)
• Bunt Pan
• Large Punch Bowl

1. In a bunt pan pour nearly half of 1 of the 2-liter of 7-Up, add limes slices and place in freezer
2. Check in about 1 hour and add 1/2 the cherries from 1 jar of Maraschino Cherries, SAVE THE JUICE!!
3. Allow to freeze solid over night
4. In same large punch bowl pour the juice of 1 reserved Jar of Maraschino Cherries and 1/2 of the other jar. Pour rest of 7-up 2-liter and some of the 2nd bottle, leaving 1- 2" space at top of Bowl- Stir well.
5. MUST LEAVE ROOM FOR ICE RING SO LEAVE ADEQUATE ROOM!!
6. UP to 20 min b4 party starts loosed the bottom of bunt pan by holding under running hot water- once loosened add to large punch bowl.

Add reserved 7-up and Maraschino Cherry Juice as punch empties as... 

IT WILL EMPTY AS THIS IS DELICIOUSNESS IN A GLASS!!! 

~ Remember to thank me later...   ENJOY!!

~Ranch Hand's Bacon Spuds

~ Wrangler's Salad


~ GARLIC HERBED DIP

• 2-4 T of Tastefully Simple Garlic Garlic Dip
• 2 C each Sour Cream & REAL Mayo
• Palmfuls of Dried Dill & Parsley
• Few Cranks of Pepper Mill & Half a Palmful of Kosher Salt
• 1 T Smoked Paprika

Mix in med bowl and allow to sit over night/12 hours for flavors to mingle

~ Barb-B-Q Chickabiddies

• 9-12 Lbs Chicken Drummettes
• Brown Sugar, Palmful of Smoked paprika, Cumin, Chili Cumin, Granulated Garlic, & Onion Powder
• Kosher Salt Cheyenne Pepper & Fresh Cracked Black Peppercorns to taste
• Splash Of Hot Sauce or 2
• Bottle of homemade Barb-B-Q Sauce
• Splash of Liquid Smoke
• EVOO

Crock Pot & Oven Instructions:

1. Rinse Chicken Well and dry
2. Layer Chicken in XL Roasting pan and coat with EVOO
3. Sprinkle with spices and Hot sauce- massage into chicken
4. Bake in 415 oven for about 60-65 min until cooked through (about 180 degrees)
5. Remove and drain off fat
6. To Keep Warm place in Crock Pot and on warm setting & add bottle of Barb-B-Q Sauce of choice and more Hot Sauce if desired stir to mix.
7. Or Slather with Barb-b-q sauce and enjoy immediately
8. Serve with Hot sauce for guests with spicier tastes

~ Campfire Beans
1 30 oz can Pork & Baked Beans
1 16 can Rinsed Black Beans
1 16 oz Can Pink or Red Beans
1 Onion Finely Diced cooked in Bacon drippings
5 pieces crisp bacon crumbled
1 jar Barb-B-Q Sauce
1 Lb Ground Beef, cooked, Drained, & Crumbled
Palmful of Cumin, Smoked Paprika, Chili Power
Sprinkle of Brown Sugar

Mix all ingredients above and place in a large baking dish or crock pot.
Bake in 350 oven for 30 min and serve or Place in crock pot on low for 1-2 hours until heated through and keep on warm for serve

Diablo'sTrifle

~Diablo's Trifle
Necessity is the mother of invention, right? So it goes with this tasty little ditty.

~Red Velvet Cake Pops

~Cherry Pie Pops

Pony Party- Cake Pop/ Marshmallow Display Stand/Holders

I know, big title right? Not sure what to call it, Googled the basics to get the name more concise but both showed up... sooooooo here are the details if you would like to make a similar display stand/holder for your lollipops/dipped marshmallows/cake-cookie-brownie-pie pops WHATEVER IT IS YOU HAVE PLACED ON A STICK, have WORKED so hard to perfect and now wish to display! {For my tutorial on making Cake Pops near perfect ever time, click on my link here}

All you need are upcycled household items & Craft knife/exacto blade to cut holes so treats stand upright!! - it was super easy & super cheap, try basically FREE!

These did get knocked around so be kind!

 To make the rectangle display/holders I made all you need is:

• Large Cereal Boxes
• Brown Grocery Bags {The thinner ones made of recycled paper are easier to use}
• Good Quality Clear strong tape
• Hot Glue & Glue Gun
• Ribbons of choice, preferably one(s) you all ready own to keep this FREE
•   Good Quality Paper Scissors
• Paper Mache Hat Box

The hardest part of this project was convincing my hubby to stop trying to throw away my grocery bags and cereal boxes, grrrrrr! I had to rescue several bags and noticed boxes gone MISSING right as I was going to make the display holders/stands..UGH!!

Details on the rectangle display holders/stands:

1. I took a plain brown grocery bag, {the thin recycled bags that barely hold 3 grocery items work the best}. Cut down the side on the seam like you do when you make book covers, and cut off the bottom. 
2. Tape the cereal box opening down and place on opened grocery bag graphics/wording facing up {Meaning you don't want to tape the boxes up so you end up seeing the writing on the bags when you are finished!}
3. Cut to size and wrap tightly like you do with gifts, the use of Good Quality Strong Clear tape is a help, the cheaper brands don't hold well, ask me how I know, LOL!
4. Use Ribbons of choice and cut to size around the circumference of the box and use small dab of hot glue to affix Ribbon. I used:

Eco-Friendly Sustainable Natural Fiber Sinamy

Natural Sinamay Fiber Ribbon in 1 & 3/4" Can be found here {it is mostly an Eco-friendly ribbon and from the link I attached are hand made by artisans in remote villages around the world - creating jobs and fair wages for hard working communities.} I got on sale CHEAP years ago!
Jute String
Red Gingham ribbon

On the paper Mache hat boxes I had painted one white however thought it was not the look I was after, so I used the one box I bought about 12 years ago or so that was left plain and I hot glued the Natural Sinamay Fiber Ribbon and red polka dot ribbon I bought last year for a hair bow favor for my son's Elmo Party click here for pics. Placed mini horses on top for effect...

Got knocked around a bit, but you get the idea!

The Cherry Pie Pops, I used a a head of lettuce and placed inside a twig basket I bought years ago that I never really utilized until now and used natural colored un-dyed crinkle paper shreds to hide the lettuce. WAS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN, but in the rush to get last minute touches was done in haste and just torn tissue paper was used. NOT the look I planned but sometimes you just have to go with it. I made mini buntings and used one on this twig basket, cute, huh!

For all boxes I used several cake pops/dipped marshmallows as guides to know where to cut holes, and use a craft/exacto knife to make holes. Don't make too big sticks will fall through and too small will cause paper bags to rip.

Those were cute super cheap display/stand holder (s) to show off all your hard work!

 Other ideas for a display stand holder for all your goodies you have made on a stick:

• Shoe box either wrapped in decorative paper, painted, or left as if for a funky look
• Any kind of box/crate you have lying around the house in a shape or size you are looking for wrapped, painted in color or design of choice, glued &/or modge podged- playing cards, copies of vintage: post cards, tags, envelopes, pictures, 
• Mini Hay stack, left as is, outside wrapped in burlap, Sinamay or other ribbon of choice- or placed inside a decorative container
• Foam block placed inside a decorative container, or shaped Styrofoam {Like cones or spheres}
• AstroTurf
• Expensive {IMO} acrylic/cardboard factory made holders like these ones
• Placed inside a: tea pot, Terra-cotta pot, glass cup, mugs, tea or other decorative cups, vases, canning jars, upcyceld baby food jars, cookie jars, fish bowl, brandy sifter,  cup cakes or layer cake, inside hallowed out pumpkins or other decorative gourd, halved fruit like cantaloupe or watermelon,  galvanized steel wash tubs or buckets, cleaned out paint buckets with colorful coated pops, clear jars filled w/colorful candies like M&M's, Skittles, Jordan Almonds etc...
• If you want to place them ball side down you could place them inside a small decorative suit case, cake tower, cake plates, boxes, placed inside mini cupcakes liners and displayed on trays or mirrors.

I could go on and on with ideas, I have more ideas than parties coming up, I think each party will probably be built around my cake pop display/holder ideas, LOL! For more visual ideas here is a Google link that might inspire you too!
 
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