Sweet Corn Casserole

4 cups sweet corn
1 can cream of celery soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
pinch salt
dash pepper

Topping:

1 tube Ritz crackers, crushed
1 stick butter, melted

Lightly mix corn, soup, sour cream, onions, salt and pepper in a bowl. Spread evenly in sprayed or greased medium casserole or 9x9 baking dish. Top with crackers, pour batter over all. Cook in pre-heated 350° oven 30-35 minutes or until done

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Luggage Giveaway

Its that time of year when many will be going on spring break. Would it not be great if you could roll your luggage and not have to carry it?? I believe this rolling suitcase from Chester Travels is not only great to take on those long trips away from home but those every day trips out of the house when there are to many things to carry that there are not enough hands to carry it all

Chester Travels offers a secure, strong and functional bag that may just help your day a bit better. Best thing is right now you have a chance to win one. The blog Michigan savings and more is hosting this great giveaway. Her co-host include Deliciously Savvy, This Frugal Family, Gifts for all seasons, Giveaway Gator, Home Jobs by Mom, Ice Cream n Sticky Fingers

Head on over there and get your chance to win this great giveaway 

Homemade Biscuit and Gravy

Homemade Biscuit and Gravy

for biscuits

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. baking powder, preferably homemade (see above)
1 tsp. salt
4 Tbs. cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 450F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside. Put flour, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl, and whisk to mix. Using fingers or 2 forks, quickly work butter into flour until it is the texture of oatmeal with some larger lumps remaining. Make a well in center of flour, and pour in cream. Stir just until blended. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead briefly but strongly, for 6 or 7 strokes. Roll out dough to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Using a floured fork, prick surface of dough all over at 1-inch intervals, taking care that fork goes through dough. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter, stamp out dough. Place biscuits close together on baking sheet. Bake in center of oven for 8 to 12 minutes, or until biscuits are crusty and are a rich golden brown. Remove from oven, and serve.

*** Store the powder in a tightly sealed container away from sunlight. When cutting out biscuits, don’t twist cutter; cut straight through dough to work surface. This recipe makes 8 biscuits

for gravy

4 tablespoon flour
3/4 cup water
2 cup skim milk or milk
1 substitute
1 1/2 teaspoon fresh sage, crumbled finely

Mix flour and water until smooth and no lumps. Put into medium sauce pan, and heat over medium-high heat until the mixture boils. Reduce heat, stirring constantly, and boil for 4 - 5 minutes. Mixture should be very think and blubbery. Add milk and stir until the mixture is smooth again. Add spices, and return to boil, cooking until it has the consistency of thick gravy.

extra tip:

If you want to make your own baking powder, the formula is very simple: Combine 1/4 cup cream of tartar with 2 tablespoons baking soda, and sift the two together three times.

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St Patrick Day Lime Poke Cake

1 white cake mix (plus applicable ingredients for the mix, such as eggs, oil, milk/water)
1 small box lime jello (3 oz/85 g)
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup ice cold water
Icing - use your favourite homemade recipe or store bought icing

Bake the white cake according to the package directions, in a 9 x 13 pan.  Allow to cool completely.

Once the cake is totally cooled, using a plastic spoon, poke holes in the top of the cake.

Prepare the jello mixture - dissolve the package of jello in 1 cup of boiling water.  Once dissolved, add the 1/2 cup of ice cold water and mix well.  

Once mixed / fully dissolved, slowly spoon  the jello mixture into the holes in the cake.  Cover the cake as evenly as possible.  Don't worry, there is plenty of the jello mix for the full cake, all is good!

Cover and refrigerate for several hours.  Prior to serving, ice the cake.  You'll see that I tinted my icing green for the St. Patrick's Day effect :-)

Serve and enjoy!

Store leftover cake covered in the fridge.

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Crockpot Tenderlion

1/2 cup Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinaigrette
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 pound pork tenderloin rinsed and patted dry with paper towels
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 to 5 red potatoes washed and cut into bite sized pieces
1 red bell pepper seeded and diced
4 whole garlic cloves
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Combine both roasted red pepper and balsamic vinaigrette in a bowl. Pour 2/3 of the vinaigrette mixture into the bottom of the crock pot.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add vegetable oil to the skillet.
Place the pork tenderloin in the hot skillet. Cook each side for 1 to 2 minutes, or until well seared and brown.
Place tenderloin in the crock pot, and turn it so all sides get coated in the vinaigrette.
Sprinkle the pork with onion powder, salt, and pepper.
Add the potatoes around the tenderloin.Then add the bell pepper and garlic cloves on top of the potatoes. Spoon the remaining vinaigrette over all the ingredients, focusing on coating the meat.
Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW or 7 - 8 hours.
Uncover the crock pot and transfer to pork to a cutting board. Allow to the pork rest while you prepare the sauce. Then, cut the tenderloin into 1/4-inch slices.
Remove the potatoes, bell pepper, and garlic to a serving bowl. Smash the garlic and mix everything together.
Whisk together the water and cornstarch in a small bowl with a fork. Pour this mixture into the sauce in the crock pot and whisk to combine.
You can plate this dish onto individual dinner plates, or serve it family style with the pork tenderloin in the middle of a platter surrounded by the potatoes and peppers. Transfer the sauce to a gravy boat and spoon it over the pork for serving.

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Baked Spaghetti Recipe

12-oz spaghetti
1 (26-ounce) jar prepared spaghetti sauce
1-lb lean ground beef
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350ºF degrees.
In a skillet, brown the ground beef until cooked through; drain fat and stir in spaghetti sauce. Set aside.
Cook spaghetti according to directions on packet. Drain and place cooked spaghetti in bowl. Add cream cheese, Italian Seasoning and minced garlic. Stir until cream cheese is melted and the spaghetti is thoroughly coated.
Lightly grease a 9x13" pan. Spread a small amount of meat sauce in the bottom of the dish. Put spaghetti on top of sauce and top with remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.
Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly

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New Zealand Beef and Cheese Pot Pie

Lets take a moment and take a look at a dish from another country. This recipe comes from New Zealand where beef and lamb are often easily available. This dish is more or less a pot pie made with beef or lamb and cheddar cheese. The entire dish is wrapped in a puff pastry and baked. 

• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 1 minced onion
• 1 minced carrot
• 1 pound of ground beef
• 1 tablespoon fo Worcestershire sauce
• 1 pound of puffed pastry dough thawed if frozen
• 6 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 egg yolk

Instructions:

1) Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

2) In a large skillet on medium-high heat melt the butter, and saute the onion and carrot. Salt and pepper them.

3) Add the beef and cover it with Worcestershire sauce and pepper. Stir and cook until it is no longer pink.

4) Add the tomato paste mix in well with the beef and vegetables. Cook until the paste begins to brown. Remove the skillet from the burner.

5) Roll out the pastry dough and cut half of it to fit into the bottom of a large pie or quiche dish. Poke holes in the dough with a fork.

6) Pour in the meat mixture and top it with cheese.

7) Top the meat with the other half of the pastry dough that has been rolled out to fit the top of the pie dish. Press the edges down and make a criss-cross pattern on the top of the dough with a fork.

8) Brush the egg yolk onto the top piece of dough and bake for 30 minutes or until the dough is golden brown.

9) Cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Great with a side green salad.

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Cozy Upto Soup

Nonstick cooking spray
 1 cup chopped onion
 1 large red sweet pepper, chopped
 1 teaspoon ground cumin
 1 teaspoon chili powder
 1/2 teaspoon paprika
 5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
 1 1/2 cups peeled, cubed winter squash
 1 large tomato, chopped
 1/4 teaspoon salt
 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
 2 cups chopped cooked turkey or chicken (about 10 ounces)
 1 cup loose-pack frozen whole kernel corn
 2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro

 Coat an unheated Dutch oven with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat over medium heat. Add onion and sweet pepper to hot Dutch oven. Cook about 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in cumin, chili powder, and paprika; cook and stir for 30 seconds.
 Add chicken broth, squash, tomato, salt, and black pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes or until squash is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in turkey or chicken, corn, and cilantro; heat through. Makes 6 servings.

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Strawberry Banana Pretzel Dessert #Recipe

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
CRUST: or bottom layer.
2 cup crushed pretzels
3 Tbsp sugar
3/4 cup melted butter
Mix all together and spread into the bottom of a 13×9 baking dish. Bake at 375 for 8 minutes. Cool completely.
MIDDLE LAYER:
In mixing bowl add,
1- 8oz block cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1-8 oz tub of cool whip
Whip all ingredients till smooth. Spread on top of cooled pretzel crust.
TOP LAYER:
1-6oz box strawberry/banana jello
2 cups boiling water
2 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup sliced bananas
Bring water to a boil. Dissolve jello in water. Add fruit. Slowly pour over cream cheese layer. Let set in fridge for at least 4 hours.
ENJOY!!;)

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