Cranberry Relish

Cranberry Relish is one of the staples of my family's Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.  I'm not speaking of the gelatinous mass which comes in a can.  That stuff was never brought into our home.  This relish is the perfect mixture of sweet and tart, smooth and chunky.

Since I was six years-old, I have been entrusted with the making of the relish.  I took so much pride in making it, too.  I never hesitated to let everyone know that I made the Cranberry Relish that year.

This year, I decided it was time to teach my 7 year-old niece how to make the Cranberry Relish.  I suspect she will be filled with just as much pride telling people she made it as I was nearly 30 years ago.

Ingredients:

• 1 bag cranberries
• 1 large red apple
• 1 large orange
• 1 large packet of strawberry gelatin
• 1 to 1.5 cups of sugar
• .5 cup crushed walnuts (optional)
• large plastic bowl with lid
• medium sauce pan

Now, when I made this as a wee little lass, I used an old fashioned meat grinder to chop all the bits up.  Thanks to the advent of electricity, we now have this fancy-dancy food processors to do our grinding for us.  Hooray!  Hooray for this!

Method:

• Put one handful of cranberries in the food processor at a time, until they are tiny little pieces, and dump into the large plastic bowl.  Repeat until you've processed the whole bag.  
• Cut the apple and orange into eighths, leaving the rind on the orange and the core of the apple. Remove the seeds from the apple.  YES, the rind AND the core.  You'll be okay, I promise.
• Process two slices of apples and oranges together until you have tiny pieces, and dump into the large plastic bowl.  Are you over that orange rind thing yet?  Don't worry, it'll be good, I promise.  Repeat until the apple and orange are gone.
• If you want the walnuts, this is the time to process them.  It's up to you how nutty you want it to be, but I make the nuts into pieces just about as small as the fruits.  That's just my family's preference, though.  In regards to the amount of nuts: this is something you can eyeball and take your family's preferences into mind.
• It's sugar time!  By now, you should have a mess of cranberries, apple, and orange (and possibly nuts) in the bowl.  The sugar is relative, really.  If you'd like it a little more tangy, omit some of the sugar.  If you want it sweeter, add more.  Personally, I add the sugar until it "looks" right, and then I taste it.  When it has the perfect balance of sweet and tart, it's good.  
• There's always room for gelatin.  Make the gelatin according to the directions on the package, and then pour immediately into your large plastic bowl and mix it all up.  Once you're done stirring, put the lid on the bowl and slide it into the refrigerator to chill, baby, chill.
• After an hour you need to stir it again.  This is to ensure there isn't a separation of the gelatin and the fruit.
• Let chill for at least another two to three hours, and presto!  It's done!

Breakfast Burritos

I had a dozen eggs that needed to be used SOON. It's hard to use a dozen eggs when you're single.

Then I remembered that Trent Hamm, who runs http://thesimpledollar.com, makes and freezes breakfast burritos in bulk. Here is the link to his post about the burritos, and his recipe:
http://m.thesimpledollar.com/2009/02/20/bulk-breakfast-burritos-convenient-cheap-healthy-and-easier-than-you-think/

I used what I had on hand to make my burritos. The great thing about these burritos is that you can customize them to satisfy even the pickiest of eaters.

Here is my recipe:
1 dozen eggs
1 cup salsa
3 cups diced ham
12 flour tortillas, large size
8 oz cheddar cheese
Seasoning to taste. I used cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper.
Plastic sandwich bags or plastic wrap

I put half the ham in a food processor and chopped it up. Then I added half the eggs and salsa to the food processor and mixed until it was well blended.

I scrambled the egg mixture on medium high heat, making sure to not completely dry the eggs out. This is because things tend to become dry when reheated.

I cut the flour tortillas in half for the burritos since I have been focused on serving sizes. You can make them full-sized.

I put the shredded cheddar on the bottom of the burrito, add the egg mixture, and roll up. I chose to place the burritos in a zip lock sandwich bag. I could fit three half-sized burritos in one bag. If you are going to make full-sized burritos, you will want to use plastic wrap.

One thing to remember if you are using sandwich bags: you will want to remove the extra air in the bag to keep the burritos from getting freezer burnt.

These freeze up wonderfully and microwave easily. One half-sized burrito paired with a small to medium size piece of fruit makes a balanced breakfast. Also, two of the smaller burritos topped with sour cream, guac, and/or salsa is fantastic as well.

I estimate these cost about $0.25-$0.30 per half-size burrito.

Tomato Soup

Okay, I'll admit it; I'm cheap. Yet, I'm a snob when it comes to some things. Tomato soup fits in both of those categories.

Cheap: I refuse to buy a name-brand soup when the store brand is half the price.

Snob: I refuse to make tomato soup with water. It HAS to be milk at the very least. Under optimal circumstances, half and half.

You might be thinking "Misty, how do YOU make tomato soup?" I'm so very glad you asked. I'm happy to share this recipe with you.

1 can tomato soup
1/2 can milk/half and half (this makes a thicker soup. For thinner soup, add more milk)
1 teaspoon Zesty Seasoning mix (or you can put a pinch into your bowl of soup)
5 drops lime juice (if adding it to just your bowl, use a drop or two)

Add soup to sauce pan and incorporate milk.
Cook on medium heat for five minutes.
Add seasoning.
Add lime juice.
Serve! Preferably with grilled cheese.

Ta-da! It's an easy way to liven up a cold weather lunch.

Crockpot (or Stovetop) Ham and Cabbage Soup with Red Bell Pepper

Updated 10/11/10

I rearranged my kitchen cabinets on Thursday, taking note of what I had on hand to make dinner with.

I discovered I had a ham which I needed to use, and I knew that I wanted something I could put in the crock pot.

On Friday I did a search, and Google lead me to http://www.kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/. I saw that Kalyn had a recipe for this soup, and it would use half of the ham I had. Hooray!  (Click here to see Kalyn's original recipe at her site.)

I went to the grocery store this morning to get the two ingredients I didn't have, and then started the soup.
Here is the recipe. As of right now, I am typing this from my phone, so I can't put links in. Once I get to a real computer, I will.

INGREDIENTS:
1 head cabbage, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 large or 3 small carrots, cut into small rounds or chopped
2 cups diced lean ham
1 teaspoon Spike Seasoning (or use other all-purpose seasoning mix if you don't have Spike)
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon Vegeta Gourmet Seasoning (if you don't have this, just use a bit more of the other seasonings ot a tablespoon of another type of soup flavoring)
2 bay leaves
Course ground black pepper to taste
6 cups ham stock (you can use chicken or vegetable stock)
2 cups water
Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

My notes on the ingredients:

I didn't have the Spike, Vegeta Gourmet, or soup seasonings mentioned by Kalyn, nor were they available at my Kroger. I used two teaspoons of the Kroger brand seasoned salt.

When it came to the stock, I used half chicken, half vegetable. I use the Better Than Bullion brand of stock.

Additionally, I forgot to add the black pepper. I'm personally not a fan of a lot of it, so I didn't notice.

What I did notice is that I could have used a little more salt. I personally tend to under-salt dishes, because who likes over-salted food?

METHOD:
Chop cabbage, onion, red bell pepper, carrots, and ham.
Add to slow cooker.
Add Spike Seasoning (or substitution), garlic, parsley, Vegeta (or substitution), bay leaves, and black pepper.
Pour in ham, stock, and water.
Cook on high for 4-6 hours, until cabbage is meltingly soft and the carrots are tender. Serve hot, sprinkled with Parmesan (if desired).


My notes on the method:

The chopping of the ingredients took me 45 minutes.

 Just now I realized I added the water for my stock mix, but not the two cups of water. This made my finished product a little more stew-ish, but I don't

I cooked it on high for five hours, and then kept it on warm for another two.

Overall impressions: I fed this to a 5, 3, and 2 year old for dinner (I'm babysitting) and they liked it.

Substitution ideas:
I could see this working well with some heat to it, like garnishing with red pepper flakes or adding a dash or two of tabasco. Maybe even substituting the ham with some spicy sausage.

If you are pressed for time, you can buy pre-shredded carrots and cabbage (for making coleslaw), cubed ham, and used dried onion flakes. Then all you'd have to chop would be the red bell pepper.

Beth's Mexican What'sit

1lb hamburger
1 can refried beans
1 cup chopped onion
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 can enchilada sauce
1 small can tomato paste
tortilla chips
shredded mozzarella


~~~~~~~~~~
*Preheat oven to 350
*Brown hamburger with onions and drain
*add enchilada sauce and tomato paste and stir until blended
*combine refried beans and milk together
*pour hamburger into a baking dish
*pour milk and bean mixture on top of that
*crunch up chips and add to top (I also add them around the side to make it look pretty)
*add cheese to the top
*bake for half hour or until the cheese is to your desired brownness

Add sour cream on the top. It's super easy, quick, and good. Also, I add some chili powder to the hamburger to spice it up a bit.

Momma Snider's The Brownies

Yes, the article is capitalized.  That's how good these things are.  

1 cup margarine, very soft
2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 oven, preheated to 350 degrees

COMMANDMENTS:
1) Thou shalt Cream the margarine and sugar together
2) Thou shalt add the eggs
3) Thou shall not use an electric mixer
4) Thou shalt add the flour
5) Thou shalt add the cocoa
6) Thou shalt add chocolate chips
7) Thou shalt mix with a spoon
8) Thou shalt spread mixture into a greased pan
9) Thou shalt bake for 30 minutes at 350
10) Thou shalt enjoy

Ranch Dip (Or Dressing)

I was at my sister's house for dinner tonight, and they didn't have ranch dressing.  But they had all the ingredients to make it, so here is a super easy recipe.  More than likely, you have all of the ingredients. 

1 cup mayonnaise (NOT Miracle Whip)
1 cup sour cream
½ cup milk (depending on how thick you want it.  If making a dip, don't add any.  If making a dressing, I recommend adding a little bit of milk at a time to get the consistency you want.)

1 teaspoon parsley flakes
½ teaspoon dill
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder (you can substitute 1 teaspoon dried onion flakes or fresh, finely chopped green onion)
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon salt

Mix everything together.  Easy peasy!

Beth's Super Easy Casserole

Beth is much hotter than this

Preheat oven to 375 and grease a 9x13 pan.

Chop up 1 small onion, toss it into a large skillet with 1.5 lbs meat, and cook til meat is brown. Drain. Put the meat back in the skillet and sprinkle garlic salt and oregano on it.

Meanwhile, boil a 12-oz bag of pasta and drain. Put the pasta in the skillet. Add 1 jar (3 cups) or spaghetti sauce and mix.

Dump everything into the pan. Sprinkle lots of mozzarella on top. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is brown.

(6-8 servings)

Abby's Baked Chicken 'n' Butter and Cream

(Makes 3-4 servings)

1/2 cup flour
1.5 t. salt
1/2 t. paprika
1/4 t. pepper
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 cut-up frying chicken (I just buy the trimmed chicken breasts in the package at the store)
1/4 cup butter
1.5 cups hot water

Dip chicken into water. Coat with mixture of flour and seasonings (in a medium bowl). Put skin side up into 13x9x2" baking pan (I use a glass pan). Dot with butter. Bake at 425 for 30 minutes (or until golden brown). Remove from oven. Blend dry milk powder with hot water and pour around chicken. Cover with aluminum foil. Return to oven and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Not the real Abby

Abby says:

 It seems like a lot of steps, but trust me it's incredibly quick. Also, some things I learned the hard way: do not spray the pan with Pam or anything like unto it or it'll splatter all over your oven. Also, do NOT line the pan with aluminum foil or it won't cook all the way. Yes, the pan is a little tough to clean afterward, but just let it soak for an hour before cleaning it out. Otherwise, the taste is worth it all.

Broccoli, Buttermilk, and Dill Potatoes

INGREDIENTS
4 (8-ounce) baking potatoes
2 teaspoons olive oil
1-1/2 cups coarsely chopped broccoli florets
1 cup diced onion
1/3 cup low-fat sour cream
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons minced fresh or 2 teaspoons dried dill
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
Dill sprigs (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Wrap potatoes in foil; bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour or until tender.
3. Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add broccoli and onion; saute 4 minutes or until tender. Set aside.
4. Unwrap potatoes. Split open each potato; scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4- inch-thick shell. Combine potato pulp, broccoli mixture, sour cream, and next 5 ingredients (sour cream through pepper) in a bowl; mash.
5. Stuff shells with potato mixture, and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Place on a baking sheet, and bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Garnish with dill sprigs, if desired.

YIELD
4 servings.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
CALORIES 323 (24 percent from fat); FAT 8.7g (sat 4.1g, mono 2.5g, poly 0.6g); PROTEIN 13.7g; CARB 50g; FIBER 5.9g; CHOL 18mg; IRON 3.8mg; SODIUM 478mg; CALC 258mg

Abby's Hot Taco Salad

1 lb hamburger, browned and drained in a large skillet.

Add the following to the browned hamburger:
1 pkg Taco Seasoning
1 10 oz can refried beans
1 10 oz can stewed tomatoes
1 8-10 oz can corn
3 handfuls Doritos

Mix on medium heat until warm, then add a couple cups of shredded Cheddar cheese. Mix until cheese is melted. Serve with remaining bag of Doritos.

 

Not an actual picture of Abby

Abby says:
This has always been one of my favorite dinners since I was a kid and everyone who's tried it since loves it also.  So there.

Serina LaPointe's Cheeseburger Soup

• 1 lb. ground something
  you can use turkey, beef, what not. I have made it with the veggie crumbles all the time, and it works great. A bag of it cost about as much as a pound of meet, and you don't have to brown it. Just open the bag and pour it out.
• 1 small onion
• 4 tbs. butter
  if you are going to use the ground something
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 small bag of shredded carrots
• 1 tsp. basil, parsley
• 2 cans chicken broth
  don't use veggie broth... it doesn't work
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 4 cups diced pealed potatoes
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1 lb. cheddar cheese
• sour cream
• pickles
• Tortilla chips
  
• If you are using real meat, brown it with the butter and onions. Drain and put it in a big pot.
  
• If you are using the Veggie Crumbles, open the bag and put in the pot.
  
• Turn the stove on to about medium
• Open cans and dump in the pot
• Add carrots to the pot
• Chop up potatoes and put in the pot. I don't remove the skins, because I am lazy, but you can if you want.
• Cube cheese and add to the soup. Add the cheese little by little and stir as you add it.
  
• Once the cheese is all melted, put into bowls. Add sour cream and chopped pickels on top.
  
• Yields 6-8 servings

Sister Reeder's Burrito Casserole

fry 1 lb hamburger
sprinkle dry onions or add fresh onion and seasoning
mix in 1 small can of refried beans
add salsa to mix (opt.)
--
Take flour tortillas put large spoon size of stuff on tortilla sprinkle cheese on top--roll up.
Put in casserole dish. Continue until bean mixture is all gone.
--
Mix 1 can of cream of mushroom soup with 1 can of milk. Pour mixture over top of casserole.
Sprinkle cheese over top.
Warm in oven until cheese melts.
About 15-20 min at 350º