Mexican Pulled Beef

Seriously, this IS CRAZY good!! 

I am waiting for "the faja" to return home from work, and we all are just about salivating because of the incredible aroma wafting through the house right now. Poor guy might have to eat dinner by himself tonight!!

We typically make this in the crockpot, but because of the snowstorm we had today, I decided to roast it in the oven using my trusty heritage cast iron dutch oven. I perceived it would help warm us all up when we came back in from shoveling and playing in the snow!

When I use the cast iron cookware my mom and grandmother passed down to me; I envision anything I make in it is creating a legacy of memories for my children. Perhaps one day they too will create a much-anticipated meal for their brood in one of my cast iron collection and think of this snowy day celebrating winter with me?

Budget Friendly Easy & Quick Family Meals: Sept 29-Oct. 5, 2014

Phweeee! We just had one of the busiest weeks yet! 

Most days we had 3 events in 

3 different cities on the SAME day!!

Thankfully this week is decidedly slower with only 4 events spread out over the entire week. Our budget has gotten tighter so we really needed to buckle down on the fast food runs...so hard when you are all the state and you have kids to feed lunch and snacks. Not only does it get costly it is void of any REAL nutrition, so I had a ton on prep work on grocery day that paid off!

Here are some tips on road trip lunch & snacks*

• Good eating starts with GOOD PLANNING! Plan your snacks and all other meals so you have good tasty options PLUS you won't go back to the store and spend extra $ on things you inevitably will purchase along with those snacks for the kids.
• Look at the prepackaged snacks for inspiration! They have some nifty ideas that you can duplicate at home for nickles on the dollar!
• As soon as you get home from grocery store scrub, clean, dice, peel, slice, & package produce for a quick "grab & go" snack
• Designate a "lunch/Snack Grab & Go" area in your fridge and pantry. I remove all dry snack items from boxes and place in a bin in the pantry to save space and allow easy viewing of supplies. Maybe it's only my house, but it never fails if I leave snacks in the boxes, I will think we are fine on snacks bc of ALL those boxes still in the pantry...HA!  Empty boxes...Ergo, all snacks are REMOVED from boxes, neatly arranged in their bins & boxes are PROMPTLY placed in recycling bins.
• Freeze drink boxes, they will help keep food cold until lunch time and will thawed but icy cold in a few hours! BE sure to wrap in strong paper(cloth would be best) napkin. This has double duty: #1- will hold in moisture from thawing juice box and prevent soggy sandwiches & #2- you will be have a nice moist towel to wipe that jelly off your fingertips and face!

*More on this on a future post-will link here once posted! 

Breakfast Choices:
cold oatmeal cereal, Pancakes, Toast w/Jelly, Smoothies, Fresh Fuit, Cold Whole grain Cereal, Biscuits and Sausage Gravy, Bacon and eggs of choice.

Lunch Options:

• Left Over zucchini patties & carrots with dippings, 
• pizza-dillas w/ applesauce & chopped salad
• Fish-cakes on whole grain w homemade tarter sauce and dilled potatoes with grilled asparagus, 
• Cheese, Crackers, Veggies munchies w/dip and fresh fruit, Chopped Veggie Salad w/chilled fruit cup
• PBJ on toasted rounds with veggie chips and fresh fruit
• Grilled Cheese and Tomato soup
• Grilled Veggies, hummus, Felafels on homemade pitas, and fresh fruit

Supper Selections:

Meatless Monday:
Zucchini Patties w/Tahini Sauce, Mushroom Quinoa Pilaf
Tomato & Cucumber Salad
 
Tuesday:
Beef Stroganoff over Noodles w/Mixed Greens Salad

 
Wednesday:
Crunchy Coated Chicken w/Tomato & Basil Cream Sauce over Pasta, Mixed Greens Salad, Fresh Fruit Cup 

Thursday:
Kielbasa Sausage Links w/Romanian Cabbage, Mac & Cheese and Jello Cup

Fish Tacos w/Honey-Cumin Cilantro Slaw & Chipotle Mayo

Fish Friday:
Fish-Tacos w/Honey-Cumin-Cilantro Slaw and Chipotle Mayo on Homemade Puffy Tacos (Seriously? YUMMY!)

Saturday:
Homemade Pizza & Calazones w/homemade Pizza Sauce, Fresh Salad Green w/Balsamic Vinegar, Grilled Nilla Banana Pudding Boats.

Sunday:
Crock Pot Carribbean Jerked Chicken, Artichoke Hearts w/Herbed Couscous, & Chilled Fresh Fruit. 

Snacks Offerings:
Salted Caramel Greek, Vanilla or Peach Yogurts, Cottage Cheese, String Cheese, Puddings, Jellos, Chunk Cheese, Grapes, bananas, Peaches, Apples, Cucumber Spears, Carrots, Broccoli florets, Cauliflower, whole grain crackers, Dip, popcorn, applesauce, juice boxes, water, Hard boiled eggs, peanut butter crackers, dried fruit, & granola bars.

Linked to Menu Mondays!

RECIPE WED # 20: African Chicken Recipe

Picture credit

Been thinking of trying this recipe, sounds good, I would omit the slimy okra, I only like okra deep fried, so that would be a "no-go" plus the apple slices, we don't like apples with our chicken dishes...so all the rest sounds YUMMY!! 

Have you tried a "new" recipe to to celebrate the New Year yet??  

This one is the "first new" recipe I am going to try, upon my research of this recipe I learned  Africa is the birth place of "Asian-fusion" cooking of course according to one web site, uhh, interesting?

RECIPE WED #21: Greek Chicken

This recipe to me says "SUMMER" and right about now I am summer dreaming, so to have little summer on my plate brings sunshine to my belly!!

Kim's Cut-Out Cookie Recipe

Kid-approved!

 Kim's Cut-Out Cookie Recipe
My high school friend gave me this recipe....

We LOVE this cookie recipe, super soft thick
and very tasty!

RECIPE WED # 14: Rich Sour Cream Devil's Food Cake with Caramel-Chocolate Chips Trifle

Necessity is the mother of invention, right? So it goes with this tasty little ditty. 

I had made this cake for my chocoholic 4 year old daughter's birthday and because my blasted oven is so stinking hot ( I know buy an oven thermometer all ready will ya?) the outside edges were over baked before the center was cooked through. 

So I cut off the crunchy parts and we snacked or I should say CRUNCHED on them while I took the rich and delicious center and layered it with frosting making a trifle. Based on the dab of cake left in the bowl I would say it was a hit!

RECIPE WED #8: MYO Ortego-like TACO SAUCE!!

I am a sucker for MYO mixes and sauces that taste just like the ones that cost $$ at the grocery stores, and I stumbled upon this taste-alike recipe from THE Make Your Own Zone blog and am going to give this recipe a try since we really enjoy the taco sauce. Now I am on a quest to find a good taste-a-like MYO HEALTHY Catalina dressing, since I really like Catalina dressing on my taco salad along with taco sauce...

 

RECIPE WED #22: Bubbles & Squeak

A perfect warm up dinner in the winter time!!

This is a dish my momma 

would make often!! 

We loved it, she would change it up with what was available in the garden, grocery store, or even fridge. 

Kinda like a Shepperd's pie. 

My momma never called it "Bubbles and Squeak" 

but as I grew up I realized it wasn't just a "made up dish" it actually had a name...

Isn't this head of cabbage lovely?! This pic is from this blog.

Rice Remake: 6 INGREDIENT Rice Pudding

I had a TON of left over rice, (Which in case you didn't know FREEZES BEAUTIFULLY!!), but I really wanted some Rice pudding, but most pudding recipes start with uncooked rice...So I tinkered with a couple recipes and enter in:

 "6 Ingredient RICE PUDDING... MotherHOOD  style!!"

 

My Family Just loves this custardy-eggy vanilla infused pudding,my daughter LOVES hers with raisins, 

but is allergic to cinnamon, 

my hubby is a purest no raisins but LOVES cinnamon,

my son LOVES nutmeg, and I really don't care- sometimes 

I will soak the raisins I use in rum and 

call it drunk raisin pudding 

for ADULTS ONLY of course.... 

soooo how to please so many palates and allergies?? 

I make one big batch and before I bake them I place them in smaller ramekins or other oven-proof glass jars and individualize each bowl to family's personal tastes. 

One thing is for sure, the vanilla bean is the KEY! There is no comparison to taste, 

you can of course omit it if you don't have any in your pantry storage, 

I encourage you to get some if you can, here is a source I use.

 

Amazing 6 INGREDIENT Rice Pudding with COOKED rice

• 1 C-COOKED RICE
• 2 C WHOLE MILK
• 2 EXTRA LARGE EGGS
• 1 teaspoon VANILLA
• 1/2 *VANILLA SUGAR OR REGULAR SUGAR
• 1 VANILLA BEAN POD
•  OPTIONAL STIR-INS:
• SPICES AS DESIRED, CAN ADD: FRESH GRATED NUT MEG, CINNAMON, ALLSPICE, GINGER GROUND CARDAMON, GROUND CLOVES...
• CAN ADD: DRIED RAISINS (TRY SOAKING IN A WEE BIT OF RUM FOR 10 MIN PRIOR FOR AN ADULT TREAT!!, CRANBERRIES, OR CRAISINS)

-----------------------------

1. IN HEAVY SAUCE PAN GENTLY HEAT MILK AND RICE, STIRRING CONSTANTLY- DON'T LET MILK GET TOO HOT OR WILL SCORCH IN PAN
2. SLICE DOWN CENTER OF VANILLA BEAN POD LEAVE END INTACT AND USE DULL END OF KNIFE TO SCRAPE OUT THE "SEEDS" (BLACK SPECKS, LOOKS LIKE DIRT DON'T BE SKEERED- IS DELISH!!) AND PLACE PODS, SEEDS AND ALL IN HEAVY SAUCE PAN
3. SIMMER OVER LOW HEAT FOR ABOUT 10-15 MIN FOR VANILLA TO INFUSE THE MILK
4. WHISK EGGS UNTIL COMBINED  THEN ADD VANILLA SUGAR AND VANILLA EXTRACT IN A MEDIUM HEAT PROOF BOWL
5. *Remove the vanilla bean pod from milk mixture-don't discard!! place on paper towel and allow to dry overnight
6. SLOWLY WHISK IN SMALL AMOUNTS (I USE A LADLE) OF MILK MIXTURE INTO EGG MIXTURE, THIS IS CALLED "TEMPERING THE EGGS" THIS IS IMPORTANT SO YOU DON'T GET SCRAMBLED EGGS! 
7. I SLOWLY ADD MILK TO EGG MIXTURE UNTIL EGGS ARE SAME TEMPERATURE OF MILK, THEN ADD EGG MIXTURE TO REMAINING MILK MIXTURE AND COOK A FEW MINUTES MORE, CONSTANTLY STIRRING
8. POUR PUDDING INTO 4-6 INDIVIDUAL RAMEKINS (DEPENDING ON SIZE OF RAMEKINS)
9. THIS WOULD BE THE TIME TO ADD IN ANY STIR-INS YOU DESIRE, I DO THIS ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS, BECAUSE WHAT I MENTIONED ABOVE
10. PLACE SMALL RAMEKINS IN LARGE PAN (I USE A 9"X13" PAN) AND POUR ENOUGH WATER TO COME HALF WAY UP ON RAMEKINS
11. BAKE FOR 20 MINUTES UNTIL PUDDING IS SET AND CREAMY, IF NOT "PUDDING IN TEXTURE" MORE SOUPY, LET BAKE A LITTLE LONGER.

ALLOW TO COOK SLIGHTLY AND SERVE WARM, OR COOL TO ROOM TEMP AND PLACE IN REFRIGERATOR. 

 MY FAMILY LOVES THIS COLD TOO...

JUST BE SURE TO EAT WITHIN 3 DAYS...AS IF YOU WOULD HAVE ANY LEFT OVER, LOL!!

*Vanilla sugar: DON"T DISCARD SPENT VANILLA POD!!  After you used Vanilla Bean pod in your rice pudding recipe, allow it to dry overnight. Then place pod in sealed canister you hold your sugar in. Will flavor the sugar, and give you vanilla sugar. 

Picture Credit

 Vanilla Beans are an expensive ingredient, good to know that it can do double duty as vanilla flavoring plus become vanilla sugar which is also an expensive ingredient to purchase on it's own.  

 NEVER throw the pods away, keep placing the spent pods in the sugar canister. Keeps indefinitely or close to it if your canister has a TIGHT seal.

RECIPE WED: Sun Dried Tomatoes, Crimini Mushrooms & Capers Carbonara w/ Capelini Pasta

During a "Pantry Challenge Menu Week", I  came up with this easy version of Pasta Carbonara. I built my sauce around 2 cans of diced tomatoes but I didn't have any bacon or any garlic cloves on hand but I always have bacon drippings & Garlic infused EVOO fridge so I went from there...

The family loved this so much my hubby had 3rds BOTH of my children had seconds and my hubby begged me to take the left-overs to work the next day. I knew this was a keeper and thought you might enjoy this quick and easy sauce that is super delicious!!!

SUNDRIED TOMATOES, CRIMINI MUSHROOMS 

AND CAPER PASTA CARBONARA

 

2- 15 oz cans diced tomatoes- Keep LIQUID!
1 oz capers
2T bacon Drippings (or 3 bacon slices crisped)
1T Garlic infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Or 2 garlic cloves, minced)
1 Small Onion, Diced
8 oz Crimini Mushrooms, Sliced
2-4 oz Sun Dried Tomatoes Packed in Olive Oil, Julienned
2 t dried Basil
Hickory Smoked Salt or Kosher Salt to taste
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper Corns to taste
Pinch of Baking Soda
Pinch of Brown Sugar
1 lb Capelini Pasta or other thin Spaghetti type pasta, cooked al` dente'
1/4 C Heavy Cream-Optional

 ---------------------------

1. Heat medium sauce pan over medium heat and add bacon drippings and Garlic Infused EVOO (I keep these in fridge so I add long enough to melt them and get it nice & hot but not smoking)
2. Add Diced Onions and Slice Mushrooms
3. Cook until Onions are translucent and Mushrooms are half their size. About 5-10 minutes
4. Open cans of diced tomatoes, add entire cans, liquid and all. 
5. Slightly "mash" up tomatoes with potato masher to break down tomatoes faster.
6. Add rest of ingredients up to heavy cream
7. Cook until slight sauce starts to slightly boil. Reduce to heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes until reduced nearly by half 
8. Right before serving add 1/4 C heavy Cream and stir to combine. 

 

Such an easy recipe that makes a quick and tasty meal that won't weigh you down.  






Pair it with a mixed green salad, & warm artisan hand shaped bread along with herb infused dipping grape seed oil and you have a dinner everyone will come to table for!!
 


 

Frugal Fridays: #3 MYO Gifts- Hot Chocolate on a STICK!!

Crazy notion ... EXTREMELY tasty!!!

Once I saw this here and here  & instantly I KNEW I was making them this year as Christmas Gifts!!  I just might make it for Valentine's Day too!! 

After I reviewed the ingredients and instructions I realize I have made a VERY similar fudge years ago, called triple chocolate fudge using bittersweet, milk chocolate, and semi-sweet. 

And I remember when I made a mistake with the temperature and timing, this fudge never set up right, so we added it to warmed milk and it was sooooo awesome we laughingly said I just made up the 1,000 calorie to die for hot chocolate!! LOL!!! Why didn't I think of doing this?? (Ohh yeah that's right, they never set up...)

I am telling you these are really, 

 REALLY,  REALLY 

R. E. A. L. L. Y

GOOD!!

The homemade marshmallows might seem like such a FUSSY affair, and originally I thought so too and bought "back up GIANT marshmallows" just in case this doesn't turn out. So far I don't think so, I haven't tried cutting them yet, but I can tell you so far it isn't as fussy or

 involved as I thought at first.  

It is quite gratifying to make them and the taste, uhmmm, well I gave the beaters to my husband and daughter and 

they are still licking them 20 minutes later, 

saying, "Hmmmmm, hmmmmm, hmmm!" 

I think I will be making these marshmallows again & again b/c

store bought DOES NOT compare. 

I LOVE these!!

You do have to account for "setting up" time-- so a little planning before hand and about 90 minutes of your time to make the marshmallows and fudge plus clean up time...but that is all then, my friend...  you are sooooo there. 

Your friends will think you are the MOST AWESOME Betty

Crocker-y girl EVER, your kids will think you are the best, and you will sit back and marvel at your adorable little creations all lined with pride and satisfaction just envisioning the excited recipients plopping these little bad boys in mug full of steamy milk, & sipping on the...

BEST EVER Hot chocolate !!

Then you wake up, 'cuz no one but you cleans anything around this place and somehow you and your cabinets are covered in all three of those chocolates, your daughter has decided to let the dog lick the marshmallow beater and it's now stuck in her 100lbs of Chow-Chow/Akita fur.... Ohhh that's just my house... Carrying On~ Enjoy the recipe & my delusions!! Please let me know if you have tried it!! :-)

HOT CHOCOLATE ON A STICK

Hot Chocolate:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
  1 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk  
• 3 cups  chocolate (I used 1 Cup 60% cacao bittersweet CHIPS, 1 Cup Milk Chocolate chips, plus 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chopped )
  4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped (I used a 4 oz. bar, chopped) 
• 1 Vanilla Bean, seeds scraped or 1 t GOOD vanilla
• unbleached parchment paper
• 8X8" square baking pan
• Lollipop sticks, cellophane treat wrappers, ribbon

 --------------------

1.  1. Heat the heavy cream, Vanilla Bean Pod and Seeds,  PLUS the sweetened condensed milk over medium heat in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a slight boil.

1. Remove the milk mixture from the heat and add the chocolate. 
2. Stir just until the ingredients begin to come together and then let sit for 10 minutes.
3. Place the saucepan back over medium-low heat and begin to whisk until all of the chocolate is melted and the mixture is shiny.
4. Pour the chocolate into an 8x8 inch square pan that has been lined with parchment paper. Smooth the mixture into an even layer and let sit for at least 12 hours, or overnight.

5. When you're ready to assemble the hot chocolate on a stick, remove the chocolate block from the pan. Turn it face-side down on a flat surface and cut the chocolate into 36 pieces  (6 lines by 6 lines). 

I try to use as little chemicals as possible & my treats are no different- this is unbleached parchment paper I found it here.

A couple tips when you cut these: 

• Use a CLEAN knife with serrated edges, HEAT the knife in a cup of HOT water for a few minutes, 
• WIPE dry with a towel or paper towel, 
• MAKE a few cuts, REPEAT the knife-heating procedure.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Homemade Marshmallows:

 3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 cup cold water, divided
1 1/2 cups GRANULATED Sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. CLEAR vanilla
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Nonstick cooking spray 

THE original instructions were set up for people that have those fancy-smancy stand mixers. I, being one of those people who hasn't acquired one yet nor have any room for it, modified the instructions to suit those with hand held mixers. 

Plus though I am not a fan of artificial flavorings, I opted for pure visual art and chose to use CLEAR vanilla. I don't know if it is availble in pure all I have seen is imitation vanilla. I wanted CRISP white and the homemade extract I have would have made the marshmallows more ecru'ish...

1. Put the gelatin and a 1/2 cup of the water into a large steel or glass HEAT-PROOF bowl. Have mixer set up and ready to go but, DON'T MIX yet-simply allow the gelatin to absorb the water.
2. Combine the powdered sugar and cornstarch in a bowl & prepare a 9x13 baking pan by spraying it with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle the cornstarch mixture on the baking pan and move the pan around until the entire pan is coated in the mixture. Shake any excess back into the bowl. Set aside until needed.
3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the remaining 1/2 cup of water, sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Heat
ingredients over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes until boiling-while covered.

4. Uncover the pot, clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan, and cook the mixture until it reaches exactly 240 degrees/soft ball stage for you candy nazis out there. (this took about 12-13

 minutes) Once temperature is reached, immediately remove the pan from the heat.

Mixture first looks like this...

5. Turn the mixer on low speed and slowly add the sugar syrup to the mixer. (Be careful...it is VERY HOT!) Once all syrup has been added to the mixer, turn the mixer to high 

Then will become VERY THICK!!

6. Beat the marshmallow mixture for 10-12 minutes, or until the mixture turns white, is very thick, and is no longer hot. Add the vanilla and whisk for 1 more minute.




 

7. Pour the marshmallow mixture into the prepared pan, smoothing it into an even layer. Dust the top with the remaining cornstarch mixture. 





8. Let the marshmallows sit, uncovered, for at least four hours, or up to overnight.
9. Once marshmallows have rested, turn them out onto a flat surface that has been coated with more of the cornstarch mixture. Using a pizza cutter (that has also been coated with some of the cornstarch mixture), cut the marshmallows into 1 inch squares. 
10. After they are cut, coat the marshmallows with remaining cornstarch mixture so that all sides are coated. Set marshmallows aside for hot chocolate on a stick assembly.

Place one piece of fudge and one marshmallow onto each lollipop stick. Wrap each stick in a cellophane treat wrapper and tie with a ribbon. Feel free to attach instructions for the hot chocolate on a stick when giving as a gift.  

Instructions:
*"Swirl & melt the chocolate and marshmallow stick in 4 - 6 ounces of warm-hot steamy milk, (depending on how ‘chocolatey’ you like it!)" 

{Original instructions say "4-6 oz" of milk but honestly I didn't really tasted the chocolate flavor until I used 3! I I say 4 ounces, like a regular small coffee cup, like a cappuccino size mug NOT a huge monster size latte mug. But then again I ended up with over 50 of these, so- Oops I cut more than 36...perhaps that was the issue?? }

*Or click here ~~ all the work has been done for you, at least the tags anyways....From Make & Takes Blog: Here is FREE printable instruction TAGS!! all organized looking and stuff-- all you have to do is download & print from this sight.