Broccoli Cornbread

It's been a really long time since I've posted a recipe. I don't even have the picture of the finished project with this one. 

Camera problems. 

Anyhoo. We are having a potluck this Sunday at church (they call them "carry-in's" around here). And this particular recipe for Broccoli Cornbread is one that is easy to whip up and always gets rave reviews 

It's especially nice in the cooler months. It's great on soup night. It also happens to be featured in our family cookbook. 

Enjoy. 

Broccoli Cornbread 

1 cup cottage cheese
4 large eggs
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 (8.5-ounce) packages corn bread mix 
1 (12-ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed (make sure you don't leave it frozen...you'll have extra liquid if not)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I use some sort of cheddar)

Preheat your oven to 375 and grease a 9X13 pan. Wisk the cottage cheese and eggs together...add butter. Stir in the onion, cornbread mix, broccoli and 1 cup of the cheese. Pour into the baking pan and add the rest of the cheese on top. 

Bake for 35-40 minutes. 

I am fixing a Mississippi roast to take along to the potluck, but one of my favorite ways to serve this is with a big pot of veggie soup. it doesn't get any better than that! 

White Chicken Chili

Burr! It’s cold out there. Temperatures here in Indiana have been below freezing. I don’t know about you, but I like to serve my family warm and filling soups and stews on those cold winter nights. 

 They seem to stretch farther and since they don’t require as much time to prepare, I give the appearance like I have my act together.

As long as I feed him, The Studly Muffin is a happy camper.

I have a few soupy recipes I want to share with you over the month of January, but this first one is one of my favorites.

I LOVE chili. And this White Chicken Chili is a yummy respite from a traditional tomato based chili. This is similar to a Mexican Chicken Soup my mom used to make when we were younger. I actually shared this particular recipe in a long ago forgotten post years ago (we are talking nearly 11). It is still one of my favorites. 

I like to serve it with tortilla chips, extra cheese and a little diced avocado for good measure.

I DON'T have a picture of the finished product. That would be too industrious today 😀

White Chicken Chili

2 cans of great northern beans

1 large onion, chopped

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup chicken broth

2 cups half-and-half

1 teaspoon hot sauce (less if you like a milder chili)

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon pepper, or to taste

Two 4-ounce cans chopped mild green chilies, chopped

2 pounds skinless chicken breast halves cooked and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack (about 6 ounces)

1/2 cup sour cream

In a skillet cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter over moderate heat until softened.

In a pot, melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter over moderately low heat and whisk in flour. Cook roux, whisking constantly, 3 minutes. Stir in onion and gradually add broth and half-and-half, whisking constantly. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in hot sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Add beans, chilies, chicken, and Monterey Jack and cook mixture over moderately low heat, stirring, 20 minutes. Stir sour cream into chili.

If you want to make this dish more economical, you can use more beans and less chicken. Don’t skimp on the spices…This last time I made this I added some dried wild garlic I got from my mom PLUS some smoked paprika.

Yummo! 

A Lazy Girl's Cookie Bars

I haven't forgotten you.

Promise.

Would you believe me if I told you that I have had just a FEW things going on?

More on that a bit later. For now I have some catching up to do.

I have a easy peasy recipe to share with you.

This is for all of us who haven't had the time, energy or the wherewithall to do any kind of Christmas baking. BUT feel guilty for not blessing their families with a little bit of sugary Christmas goodness.

Here is the thing.

This recipe is not for you purists out there.

It is not for those of you who are watching your diet. Meaning....that I the most I get to enjoy is the whiff of the wooden spoon.

Tomorrow we are having our Christmas program at church. At least, we are having our Christmas program if the weather makes a happy recovery between now and tomorrow morning. As of right now, most of the parking lot is a skating rink. We should know. We live right across that parking lot.

Anyhoo. It is my plan to have cookies and hot cocoa before church in the foyer. The ingredients for the cocoa are in the fridge and I spent a bit of time tonight whipping up some magic.

I should tell you that some of that magic came from a box of brownies with mini Christmas M&Ms.

We do what we can.

It's what in the other pan I need to tell you about.

And. It involves another box.

It's cake mix!

I have a confession. I almost always keep a cake mix or two in my pantry. I find them easy to doctor up and it saves having to buy a lot of ingredients for baking I frankly don't use much of.

Like sugar.

Enough chit chat.

This is the easiest baking you are going to do all Christmas long.  You can mix and match add-ins. For example, you can mix in cranberries or white chocolate. Or crushed up candy bars.

This time around I spoke Josiah's love language and used peanut butter chips and chocolate chips. You just need to use 2 cups of whatever you wish.

Ready for the recipe now?

Here 'tis.

Ingredients

1 stick of butter

2 eggs

1 yellow or white cake mix

2 cups of chocolate chips (or mix and match!)

Melt the butter in a bowl. Mix in the eggs and stir in cake mix. Add in the chocolate chips and spread in a greased 9X13 pan. The mixture will be thick so you will need to press it out. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.  

Just a note or two...

Chocolate chips or the like keep their shape better if they are frozen before adding to anything. I didn't have any of mine in the freezer and they did melt just a bit. 

You can also make a variety of flavors using other kinds of cake mixes. For those of you who are watching your sugar intake, but don't mind using flour try using a sugar free cake mix. I know Pillsbury makes a chocolate and white version. Just be sure that your add-ins don't add a bunch of sugar to your cookie bars.  My choices would be nuts, coconut or some sugar free candy bars crushed up. Yummo! 

Enjoy my friends! 

Classy Recipes for Your Crockpot (5 Days of Tips For Homeschool Parents)

This week I'm bringing to you a whole lot of tips and tricks. Homeschooling is a special life and we need all the encouragement we can get. I love when I get practical advice and so I am passing some on to you. Take what you can use and tuck the rest of it in a nice little file called "maybe doesn't apply to me." 

So it's Monday. On Monday I generally do my grocery shopping. I've got my meal plan for the week together and I'm setting myself up for "Homeschool Mom Success." This happens when you do what is on at least 75% of your lesson plan. There aren't any major disasters (especially involving plumbing) and everyone has been fed relatively healthy meals. Personal grooming and laundry are optional. 

One of my favorite tools in my home is my crockpot. Why a crockpot? A crockpot can help me morph into Superwoman. I can teach AND cook at the same time. My own personally food philosophy demands that I make HEALTHY and DELICIOUS meals. I also like to make something every now and again that makes my boys stand up and cheer. 

I realize that the term “Classy” is not what comes to mind when one thinks about crockpot cooking. Crockpots are at their best when they are filled with hearty soups or chilies. They like tougher cuts of meats and generally won’t be found on the counter any highfalutin restaurant.

However. I am here to tell you that we can kick it up a notch. That we can replace our beefy stew with something with a little more posh?

Why, you say?

Cause it’s a whole lot of fun to serve interesting and flavorful foods to our families. Cause we don’t have time to spend hours putting together a meal worthy of Gordon Ramsey. And we must embrace the tools of the trade…and make it fabulous.

1.       Begin your day with a pot of Morning Glory Steel Cut Oats. This particular recipe suggests to cook it during the day (not overnight) and then store it to eat through the week. But who are we kidding? The idea of breakfast cooking while I am sleeping is like music to my ears. I also like to fix it when I have company. I just set out a bunch of fun toppings and let my guests top their bowls. What I love about this recipe is the added veggie. We gotta get them in there the best we can, my friends.

2.       This Slow Cooker Butter Chicken is an Indian Classic….at least in our neck of the woods. I like to serve this with brown rice. I also will sauté green beans in a little coconut oil and garlic. Yum! Our son’s biological father is from India. We consider this a homage to his culture. I think it’s fun to explore our respective ancestral heritages through food.  

3.       Nothing says posh like “quinoa”. Try this Quinoa and Vegetables.  The Muffin is not as fond as Quinoa as I am. I try and remind him that truly evolved people eat Quinoa. I don’t think he’s impressed.

4.       I didn’t say I wouldn’t include soup. Soup can be elegant.  If you must have soup, serve this Black Bean Soup with Toasted Cumin Seed Crema. Special things happen when you serve Black Bean Soup. World Peace. Mastery of Long Division. It all can happen.

5.       So I realize that when you hear the word “classy” tacos don’t really come to mind. These Slow Cooker Spicy Chicken  Lettuce Wraps are truly delightful. And they sure look pretty.

6.       When I have company and don’t have much time to piddle in the kitchen I like to fix this Balsamic Pork Recipe. I love serving it with roasted green beans and baked sweet potatoes. And it makes GREAT leftovers.

7.       A family favorite is are these Crockpot Italian Turkey Meatballs. I serve them over pasta and fix a huge green salad! This is also a good company meal. FYI. This is a perfect meal to get the family involved. We might struggle with fractions but we can roll a meatball!

8.       So basically this is just a big pot of spaghetti and meat sauce. But it is a delicious Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce.  Doesn’t Bolognese sound just a bit fancier (unless we associate it with bologna. Then I can’t do anything for you). The beauty of the Bolognese Sauce is all the extra veggies that are involved. I like to make a double recipe and stick the rest in the freezer.

9.       Have you been introduced to the wonderful world of polenta? I present to you a delectable dish of Crockpot Braised Beef Ragu with Polenta.  I use just a basic cornmeal for my polenta. And the Braised Beef Ragu? Sigh. It will make you want to smack somebody. Preferably, not the children.

10.   A French classic done the easy way. Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon. Now I adore Julia Child. She was perhaps my first exposure to a “celebrity” chef. But her recipe for Beef Bourguignon takes more time than I have. If it can be thrown into my crockpot in twenty minutes…anybody with me? This recipe makes me smile. It makes my family smile.

And just in case your wondering... 

A smiling family is a good thing. 

I am joining dozens of my friends for 5 Days of Tips For Homeschooling Families. 

You can check out this group of lovely bloggers below. I know they will have wonderful tips for all of us. I'll have more tomorrow. 

Annette @ A Net In Time
Brandy @ Kingdom Academy Homeschool
Brenda @ Counting Pinecones
Carol @ Home Sweet Life
Cassandra @ A Glimpse of Normal
Chareen @ Every Bed of Roses
Cristi @ Through the Calm and Through the Storm
Crystal @ Crystal Starr
DaLynn @ Biblical Womanhood
Danielle @ Sensible Whimsy

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

I (HEART) my crockpot/slow cooker.  It's one of my most used appliances.

Last Thanksgiving, my sister-in-law fixed the dish I am going to share with you today. It was scrumptious and perfect for our night-before-Thanksgiving meal. I had mine while chopping veggies for the veggie tray.

This is one of those "don't need to measure-just dump everything in" kind of meals.

I first prepared my chicken. Which simply meant to take it out of the package. Now I got this chicken for a really good deal. Only 1.28 a pound. Yippee! I purchased quite a few packages and stuck them in my freezer. You can use boneless chicken thighs if you prefer those.

You can also add as much chicken as you think your family will eat. I only use ONE breast. There are only 3 of us and I have plenty left for The Muffin's lunch the next day and second helpings.

Next, I dump in a can of black beans and 1 can of corn. This is where you can add portion sizes to your dish.  You can see that the can of black beans is labeled "seasoned." I generally just use whatever I have and this time around this is what I had.  If you have a big crew to feed just add more beans and more corn. This is certainly a good budget meal! 

Next you add the secret sauce. A jar of salsa.You can use whatever kind or brand you wish. I happen to be allergic to jalapeno peppers. Most jarred salsa's contain jalapeno peppers. I have found a few (this is one of them) that don't have those offending peppers. I've tried to make the dish with my fresh salsa. It just doesn't taste as good. It is fun to try different salsas. Each one give the dish just a bit of a different taste. This salsa (which I got at the discount grocery for about $1) tasted a bit spicier and smokier.

This next ingredient is completely optional. It is smoked paprika. I only add it because I like sniffing it. I am so in love with smoked paprika that I try and sneak it into everything. Smoked Paprika Pancakes anyone?

So now everything is in the pot. This recipe does not take long AT ALL to cook. I put it on low for maybe 6 hours or on High 3-4 hours. If you use chicken thighs you might want to cook it longer.  I have also used frozen chicken breasts in this dish. They obviously take a little bit longer but they are a good option for all day cooking. After your dish has cooked and all those flavors melded together you will need to take out the chicken breasts and shredded it before putting it back in. 

The Muffin likes me to serve this saffron yellow rice with this dish. I have used both brown and this little bag below. The yellow rice does make a pretty dish and is easy to fix. 

Now we're ready to put the whole thing together. I usually put out some sour cream or greek yogurt, shredded cheese and maybe some chopped green onions...whatever I have one hand. This dish is comforting, just a little spicy and just plain tasty. 

Try it and tell me what you think?

Chicken and Greens

The recipe I am posting today is not necessarily ooey-gooey comfort food.

In fact, it's disgustingly healthy. It was introduced to me by my Momma and is so easy to put together that my 18-year-old nephew made it for us one weekend.

I knew that this was a dish I needed to make at home.

A few weekends ago, my Dad sent me home with a huge bag of turnip greens.

And this HUGE sweet potato. It looks like a baby dinosaur is going to hatch out of that thing any minute (or at least an alien).

He had just dug up a "mess" of turnips for me and threw the whole bunch in the bag. Talk about "fast food."

Most folks have a love/hate relationship with turnips. Either you like them or you don't. I didn't like them growing up...I found maturity brought many things with it. Among them a taste for turnips and an unfortunate habit of talking to myself.

Turnip greens are extremely healthy. They help reduce inflammation, improve liver function and contain a splendid amount of antioxidants.  A particular benefit of interest to me is their effectiveness in promoting cardiovascular health. They contain fiber and folate.  Folate is a B vitamin. It helps prevent homocysteine build-up in the arteries.

Look at me! Talking all sciency...

Turnip greens can be found in abundance (at least in my neck of the woods) in the produce section of the grocery store.

My turnip greens came attached to the turnips so I first separated the turnips from the greens. I also served the turnips with this meal, but I am only going to share with you the chicken and greens dish.

After cutting the greens from the root, I put the greens back in the sink and filled it with water to rinse all of the dirt and any critters that might have come along for the ride.

Cutting the greens is easy. I kind of twist the whole stalk into a manageable rope and start chopping. I don't like big hunks of greens.

I put all my chopped greens in a big roaster.

Next, I chopped garlic. Let's face it. Life is better when there is garlic involved. I just sprinkled my chopped over the greens and tossed the whole mess together a little bit.

This chicken came from one of those big bag of leg quarters. I got bag for under $4 and managed to get 3 meals out of it. That is cheap eating! Don't be afraid of cutting up your own chicken. You can save a lot of money.

I put the chicken right on top of the greens and sprinkled the whole thing with salt and pepper. Then I drizzled lemon juice over the dish. Of course, I used fresh lemon juice....:<)

Normally, a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese would come next. I was out and used nutritional yeast instead. Nutritional yeast is not as strange as it sounds. It has a cheesy taste (but doesn't contain any dairy). We love to sprinkle it on our popcorn.

Now my Chicken and Greens were ready to pop in the oven. You bake them at 375 for about 45 minutes. Chicken thighs and legs take a little longer to cook. I found it helpful to go in every 15 minutes or so and kind of stir my greens around (the best I could). The chicken juice and lemon really make them yummy.


A perfect dish of Chicken and Greens. Almost perfect. I probably needed to broil the tops of the chicken just a little. I like my critters crispy!

Go eat those greens!

Homemade Pudding (One Quart)

It's Fall Y'all. 

By the way. I never say Y'all. 

I imagine it is because my parents never used it. Even though they both were born in the sticks of Southwest Missouri. I, myself, have only spent a few years out of the hills (only to return again). 

I did just a little research and found this article on Branson slang. My momma was born in Branson. I thought it was interesting that the author was right on the money about "You All" and Southwest Missouri Hillbillies. Some of the other vernacular I was unfamiliar with. 

Don't get me wrong. I had the "hickiest" accent as a child. It still can creep up on me when I'm not looking. 

This post, of course, has nothing to do with my accent...

I am going to share with you an old family recipe. 

This was the one that Mom fixed on those chilly evenings when we all were looking for something sweet and comforting...and fast. 

I didn't know what instant pudding looked like until I was a teenager. 

Lately, I have been fixing this recipe more often.  It is yummy and so, so easy. 

Years ago, Mom and I made a little cookbook. She did all the hard work. She actually hand illustrated all of the recipe pages. 

It's quite charming. This is the page for the One Quart Pudding. 

This recipe doesn't require a lot of ingredients. It does call for a quart of milk, but you can make that up in any combination you wish. I have used almond milk, coconut milk, canned milk, heavy whipping cream (yummers) and just plain skim milk. I have to stay away from a lot of dairy so I use a combination of almond milk, coconut milk and whipping cream.

I also use sweetener in place of the sugar. I am diabetic and am also careful with what I eat for  weight loss purposes. Sugar is not a superfood!

This is a microwave friendly dish and it takes just minutes to make. This is a terrible picture. You can almost see how it is thickening up.

And turns out just creamy and wonderful. I did sprinkle a bit of nutmeg on my serving here.

  

Here is the recipe.

In a large microwavable bowl combine the following;  

1 quart of milk

2/3 cup of sugar

1 egg, well blended

4 TBSP cornstarch

dash of salt

Put in the microwave. Cook six minutes. Take out and stir with a whisk. Cook another three minutes. Take it out and stir. It should come up to a boil and thicken. Stir and then add:

3 TBSP of butter

1 tsp. of vanilla

Just a note: I think it would be yummy with a little lemon for a fresher tasting pudding. The vanilla is really versatile. I know my Mom used to make different flavors when we were growing up. Josiah loves the vanilla and that is what I make. 

This recipe is just an old-fashioned dish of wonderfulness. Perfect for cool evenings. I think I might go make a batch.  

Chocolate Cola Chili!

It's that time of year! I'm dragging out my chili recipes.

They are many, my friends.

Sometimes my chili is made up whatever I have in the pantry.

Sometimes...like a few weeks ago...I have a specific "never-fails" recipe that I turn to.

Josiah WUVS this chili.

It also happens to be the recipe I made up for his FIRST birthday party. He wasn't quite interested in chili then, but the birthday guests sure appreciated it!

I have heard this chili recipe called a Steak and Shake Chili copycat. I'm not sure if I would go that far. But it's still yummy.

I do need to put a little disclaimer here. This is not my "healthy" chili recipe. It does, after all, call for some sort of soft drink.

We don't drink much of that around here. But...in this recipe...it's magic.

Did you know that you can put any kind of meat in chili? I realize that in some circles I could be shot and quartered (or is it hung and quartered?). For this recipe I am using some ground beef.

Frankly, ground beef is a luxury in my grocery budget right now. I look for markdowns and stick it in the freezer.

It took me just minutes to get this chili going.

I simply started it browning in a big pot. I also added some chopped onions...cause we like them. This will eventually be transferred to my crockpot. I used to use a can of French Onion soup in this chili recipe. Then I read the back of the can and decided it didn't make that much of a difference. There is some interesting ingredients in canned soup!

I generally cook up a big pot of beans and use it for a few different meals, but for this particular week I needed to grab a couple of cans. I threw the beans in the crockpot.

And then added an 8 oz. can of tomato sauce.

Then a can of tomato paste.

Chocolate! Not a great picture of chocolate. But trust me...this is chocolate. I added 2 teaspoons to the crockpot.

After my ground beef was brown I added 1 Tablespoon of chili and then 2 teaspoons of cumin.

Then the SECWET INGWEDIENT. A cup of Cola. I just used a cheap can I got at the Dollar Tree.

Then I just let it cook! I made it on a Friday and then took Josiah to swim team. When we got home it was scrumptious and ready to eat. 

I just served it with some saltines and a little cheese. 

My guys went back for seconds (and maybe thirds!)

I was just happy that our Friday night meal included more than one food group.

There are those days.

2 pounds of ground beef
2 cans of kidney beans (undrained)
1 can tomato paste (6 ounce)
1 can tomato sauce (8 ounce)
2 teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup of cola (soft drink)
1 teaspoons of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon of chli powder
2 teaspoons of cumin
You can add a few teaspoons of your favorite hot sauce for more kick.

Brown the hamburger with the onions. Drain if needed. Put all of the ingredients in the crockpot and cook for 6-8 hours on low or 3-4 on high.

Serve with your favorite chili toppings.

I have a few more chili recipes ready to put on the blog. Next up is a chili recipe that I made with some of my Dad's homemade ketchup and served with Cheesy Grits!

I'll post that one next week.

Chili Cheesy Hominy Casserole

WARNING: This is not the lightest dish I am going to present to you on the blog. We enjoy it only
occasionally. However, it's easy to make and perfect to take with you to a church dinner or family get together.

It's all about the hominy.

What is hominy? Hominy is made from whole corn kernels. The corn kernels are soaked in a lye or lime solution. This process helps soften the tougher outer hulls of the corn. The kernels are washed to remove all of the process solution and the hull.

Whew! Sounds like science.

Hominy is also used to make masa flour...which is the flour used to make those wonderful corn tortillas we all enjoy. I happen to love Grits. If you are a fan of southern style grits...those too are made from hominy.

If you are worried about the chemical process that is used to make hominy you might be interested to know that lutefisk is made the same way. The Swedes certainly haven't suffered.

The dish I am sharing with you today was one we enjoying growing up. Along with Posole, grits and homemade masa tortillas.


For this dish you can use either golden hominy or white hominy. I used both. I am equal opportunity hominy user. I did use 3 cans of hominy for this recipe.

I rinsed it and let it drain in the colander.

Sour cream makes everything better! I added one 8 ounce container. You could use Greek yogurt if you wanted to make it a little lighter.

Then one small can of chopped green chilies. Don't ask me the ounces. Just get the smallest can!

 Cheese was next. The whole recipe calls for 2 cups of cheese. I used 1 cup in the casserole itself and then saved 1 cup for the top.

I mixed it all together and put it in a oven safe stoneware bowl.

Sooo easy! This is one dish that gives you a lot of "wow" with just a little effort.

I baked it in the oven for 25 minutes at 350. It came out loverly!

This night I served the casserole with some pinto beans (with just a little cumin and garlic added) and a salad with tomatoes and avocados.

Here is the recipe.

3 cans of hominy (drained and rinsed)
1 can of chopped green chilies
1 container of  8 ounce of sour cream
2 cups of cheese

Mix everything together except for 1 cup of cheese. Put in an oven safe casserole dish (greased). Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Enjoy!