Easy Casserole

This is a dish I make when I just can't get inspired. My kids LOVE it, my husband eats it without complaint and it brings back memories because my mom made it when I was a kid. Brown and drain a pound of ground beef, stir in a can of corn (drained) or 2 cups of frozen corn, a can of cream of something soup (I like mushroom), 1 cup shredded cheese and stir. Dump into a casserole dish, top with a bag of frozen hash browns, bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Supper is finished, with very little fuss. Maybe tomorrow I will be more inspired!

grilling out . . .

It is a beautiful sunshiny day here in the greater metropolitan area of Whitesville and I am planning on grilling my supper tonight. I bought a family sized package of country style spare ribs at the store this week. I have them simmering in a crock pot, seasoned with 1 c barbecue sauce, 1/2 c each Worcestershire sauce and vinegar, 1/4 c brown sugar and a dash or 2 of hot sauce. About an hour before I am ready to grill these, I will remove them from the crock pot and let them cool a bit, so they don't fall apart on the grill. Baste them with the sauce from the crock pot while they grill. YUM!!!

I am probably going to be lazy and bake a bag of fries to go with these, but I also have some corn on the cob I bought fresh this week. Soak it in water for 20 or 30 minutes (in the shuck) and toss it on the grill with the ribs. Now I have a nice, simple supper and we are ready to go play in the yard some more.

Happy Birthday Honey!

Today is my husband's birthday. I am working on a very special supper for him, some of his favorite things. I have a pork tenderloin marinating in a sauce made of teriyaki, bourbon, pineapple juice and hot sauce, loaded baked potatoes, baby Lima beans, and a salad made of fresh lettuce from my dad's garden. After the pork has marinated all day, I will sear it in melted butter in a hot skillet, then grill it. I will caramelize mushrooms and onions in the skillet, then add a little beef broth and red wine to make a pan sauce to serve over the pork.

While supper will be yummy by itself, what is a birthday dinner without a special dessert? Jeff's favorite is pecan pie, so that is what he gets. I will cheat and use a frozen pie crust, but the rest is from scratch.

4 eggs, 1 c packed brown sugar, 3/4 c light corn syrup, 5 T melted butter, 1 t vanilla, all mixed well, 2 cups pecans, stirred in, pour into the crust and bake at 375 40-45 minutes, let cool 1 - 1 1/2 hours before slicing. If it is still a little warm when you cut it, it may run a little, but it will also melt the vanilla ice cream you scoop on top.

Happy Wednesday everyone, Happy Birthday, Jeff.

Mothers Day

Tomorrow is Mother's Day. We will enjoy a nice lunch at my grandmother's house with her, my parents, several aunts, uncles and cousins, then we will come home to CHAOS! My wonderful husband's family is coming over for supper. All of them, his parents, his sister and her husband and their 2 boys, his brother, his wife and their 3 boys. I know it doesn't sound like a lot, but it will seem like a lot when they get here and bring their drama with them. To make it easier, we are loading up a wood fired smoker today for the main dish for tomorrow. I have 2 Boston butts, a rack of ribs and a beef brisket ready to go. They are all rubbed with a spice blend I put together, then smoked for several hours on a low fire while several beers are consumed. They will be basted with a sauce consisting of vinegar, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and other things, but the secret is in the rub, which I am happy to share with you.

ingredients
1 c brown sugar
1/2 cup paprika
3 tablespoons chili powder
5 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons garlic salt
3 tablespoons onion powder
2 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 1/2 tablespoons dried thyme

Rub into meat and cook. This can be used on the grill or a smoker, it is a little spicy, so reduce the black pepper if you wish. Happy Saturday everyone.

Cinco de Mayo

It is traditional in my house to coordinate the meal with the day. For example, we eat corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day. Today is Cinco de Mayo, which is Independence Day for Mexico. In honor of Cinco de Mayo, we are having tacos (chicken and beef) tonight. My family has a picky eater, she will only eat chicken tacos, she has to have a certain kind of cheese, and she want guacamole, but it has to be homemade. So today I am making homemade guacamole.

I start with 1 avocado, which I have let sit out overnight to soften. After scooping the avocado out of the skin, I mash it well, add a dash of onion powder, a dash of garlic salt, 2 finely chopped jalapeno pepper rings (no seeds) and about a teaspoon of lime juice. If I have fresh tomatoes (which I don't) I will finely chop a small tomato into the mix, but tonight I will add a spoonful of well drained mild salsa. Mix everything well, spoon onto a piece of plastic wrap and wrap well, try to remove all the air, or the guacamole will turn brown before you eat it. Serve with chips or on your taco.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Beer Chicken

I tried this recipe last night, and it was really good. My picky eater ate a whole chicken breast.

Melt 1/2 stick butter, add 1 beer, 1 teaspoon each thyme and rosemary, 1 clove garlic, crushed and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a simmer and pour over chicken breasts in a shallow pan. I let them marinate for about an hour, then basted them with the marinade as they grilled. The chicken was very tender and juicy, not dry at all.

I served these with cheesy ranch potatoes (a bag of hash browns, mixed with 1 c ranch dressing and 1 c shredded cheese, bakes at 400 for 35-40 minutes) and green beans. Look Mom, no leftovers!

Happy Tuesday!

Beans and Taters!

One of my husband's favorite meals is bean soup and cornbread. Because he has to work this rainy, dreary Sunday, while the kids and I are being lazy, I am making this for him tonight for supper. After soaking a pound of great northern beans overnight, I put them in the crock pot with a can of chicken broth, a chicken bullion cube, a slice of onion, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and black pepper, a dash of liquid smoke, 4 carrots, chopped, 4-5 potatoes, peeled and cubed, a slice of country ham and 4 cups of water. (Keep an eye on it, you may need to add more water) I will let this all simmer on high in the crock pot all day. Before serving, remove the slice of ham, trim to remove any fat or bone, then finely chop the meat and return to the beans. Serve with cornbread.

When he comes in from work tonight he will peek into the crock pot and say the same thing he always does when I fix this. I think he just likes to watch me roll my eyes at him, "What a meal, beans and taters!"

Happy Sunday everyone!