BEST Brussel Sprouts (trust me)

Do you like brussel sprouts?  I have only recently learned to love them.  This shouldn't really come as a surprise to me, since I am a broccoli lover from way back, and they are so similar in flavor.

I've tried roasting them on a cookie sheet with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and they are delicious -- but, the other night, I outdid that method.  For some reason, I decided to put them in a foil packet.  This is just a method of steaming [the brussel sprouts] to tender perfection.  There are probably a kazillion recipes out there, but I didn't even look.  I just did my own thing, and I'm sharing what worked for me.

Preheat your oven to 450F.  To prepare the brussel sprouts: rinse them well and remove the outer leaves.  Cut off the stem-end, and cut them in half to [theoretically] make the cooking time shorter.

Place the cut brussel sprouts on an extra-long sheet of foil.  I sprinkled them with a little olive oil, some sea salt, and freshly ground pepper, just like when I roast them.  [You could also add a little lemon juice, or any spices that you enjoy.]

Then, fold the foil in half over the brussel sprouts.  Fold up and crimp the three open sides.  Place directly on the oven rack, and "bake" for about 20-25 minutes at 450F.  Carefully slit the foil with a knife [beware the steam!], and test for done-ness with a sharp knife or a fork.

Not rocket science, just crimp edges tightly.

The result is super-tender, melt-in-your-mouth, flavorful brussel sprouts.  No tough spots or hard edges.  Just pure deliciousness!

I didn't take any pictures when I made them the first time.  After tasting the result, I knew that I wanted to share the idea with you -- and my mouth has been watering just thinking about making them again.  The second time did not disappoint!

Also... I read some interesting information about brussel sprouts HERE.  Imagine that by steaming them, you "up" their cholesterol-lowering power!  Who knew?

Everyone Loves a Big Finish

And so... 

I thought I'd share the two biggest posts on my blog.  The biggest success (much to my surprise) and the biggest failure (in the name of humility and a good sense of humor).

By far, the most visited post on my blog this year was my Killer Hashbrown Casserole recipe.  It far surpassed any and all previous posts on this blog!  My wish for the new year is to actually hear from someone who prepared this dish -- and to know if you loved it as much as our family does.

If, for some reason, you missed it, here it is again.

Killer Hashbrown Casserole 

(printable recipe)

2 lbs. frozen "Southern Style" (diced) hashbrowns
2 can cream of celery soup
1 T. dehydrated onion flakes
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
8 oz. cubed "original" Velveeta
1 pt. sour cream
1 tsp. salt
1 stick margarine, melted
crushed cornflakes to make 2 cups

Allow hashbrowns to thaw a little -- particularly if you're baking immediately.

Mix all but margarine and cornflakes together well, and place in a 9x13 pan (or larger -- I actually use a rectangular pyrex pan that is a bit larger than 9x13, and it's FULL!)  Melt margarine, and drizzle over potato mixture.  Sprinkle crushed cornflakes on top.  Bake uncovered, 1 hour at 350F.

Most recently, for Easter, I made this casserole the day before (minus the margarine and cornflakes) and refrigerated until I was ready to bake on Easter Sunday.  Then, I added the margarine and cornflakes, and popped it in the oven.  The casserole was bubbling-hot after an hour in the oven, and since you bake UNcovered, the cornflakes are a crunchy topping!  Delish.

This is such a simple dish to have ready ahead of time, making dinner-time oh-so-easy!

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The next post was... not as memorable -- and I'm not sure why.  Perhaps the subject matter wasn't as interesting to others as it was to me: Thanksgiving Traditions.  I thought I'd do a survey about such things, but the only one who came along for the ride was.... wah, wah, wahhhhhhh... my sister, Jill.  As glad as I am that she participated, I think you could call the post a FAIL.  At this point, I do have to admit, the idea sounds pretty boring, but at the time, I truly did think it would be interesting to hear about other traditions.  Hmmmmm. Whatever.  :/

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When it comes to linky parties, I'm no Myquillyn, Jen, or Edie, that's for sure. They all gave me huge amounts of traffic this holiday season as we did HOME TOURS and COOKIE EXCHANGES -- and for that I am grateful.  And, I can't forget about my friend Vee who always sends lovely people my way for her Note Card Parties!

Thanks also to those of you like Vee, Jill, Donna, and Ohio Farm Girl who have added me to your blogroll.  I'm trying to watch my stats and be more aware of those who have done this.

Thanks for following along, dear friends!  -- for your love and support, and kind words. Here's to another year of blogging.  To new adventures, and new friends!

God bless us -- everyone!

A "Sa-weeet" Sweet Potato Recipe

I mentioned that we visited my hubby's sister and her family on Labor Day weekend.  We had a fabulous visit, and ended up working on a dinner together.  We had delicious barbecued chicken, stir-fried asparagus, and sweet potato chips, along with some fresh veggies.  I think it was my hubby's idea to cut the potatoes up in slices, and then my sister-in-law remembered that she had an amazing "mandolin" type attachment for her KitchenAid mixer.  She attached it, and we started slicing those sweet potatoes.  I mean to tell you... it sliced them beautifully.  Nice and thin, too!

I decided to recreate the recipe at home today because it was so delicious I couldn't wait to do it again!  I didn't have a mandolin type gadget, so here's what I did:

INGREDIENTS: sweet potato(s), olive oil, freshly ground black pepper, sea salt.

1.  Preheat oven to 400F.
2.  Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
3.  Dice sweet potato(s) up into about 1/2" cubes & place on cookie sheet.

 4.  Sprinkle lightly with extra virgin olive oil, freshly ground black pepper, and sea salt.

5.  Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until they are done to your liking.  When you open the door to check on them, stir them around a little bit.  I let mine get a little brown & caramelized.  Yummy!

This is such a sweet & savory, deliciously simple side dish to make!

Difficulty Level: BEGINNER
Taste Level: OUT OF THIS WORLD!

Enjoy!

My Top Recipes ~ A Heaping Helping of Comfort Food

If you visit here often, you know that I share recipes here on my blog.  Not often, and not regularly.  But, I do share.  Some of the recipes I share are old family favorites.  Some are new recipes that we've found via blogs or Pinterest.  Others are recipes shared by friends.

My Killer Hashbrown Casserole was a recipe originally from my husband's cousin in Minnesota.  I got the recipe via my mother-in-law who makes it for family dinners, and knows I love it.  I posted it not all that long ago, but it already comes in at #3 on my "favorite posts of all time" stats.

The next recipe-post comes in at #4, but the recipe isn't mine at all.  I found it on Pinterest.  This Pumpkin Roll was something my daughter really wanted to try.  We got the recipe from Stilettos and Diapers.  The fun part about my post is that my daughter told how SHE made the Pumpkin Roll.  It turned out NOT to be her favorite thing to eat, but I was more than willing to help her out with that! (sigh)

Another recipe that we found on Pinterest is Crescent Pepperoni Roll-Ups (#7) from Plain Chicken.  These ooey-gooey pizza-style crescents are a family favorite, and great for an easy dinner!

The recipe for Sweet Pepper Poppers (#8) came from a church-friend.  She made them for a lunch at her house, and I HAD to have the recipe.  They're a bit addicting for me, I confess!  They're a great colorful dish to share for the holidays -- but also a super summer appetizer.  No cooking involved!

The #9 favorite post of all time is a post called "Scavenger Hunt" -- and you might not think you'd find a recipe there, but... you will!  Towards the bottom of the post, you'll find the recipe for Pineapple Angel Dessert.  My mom shared the recipe with me, and it came from a friend of hers.  This is a decadently sweet dessert, and so light and fluffy.  It's a real treat!  You'll have to turn on the oven, but as far as ingredients, the only thing easier is to buy a pre-made cake at the store.  TWO ingredients here!

And coming in at #10 with NO PHOTO is my mom's Holiday Cheese Ball.  It's a real favorite as well, and I never seem to arrive in time to take pictures before it is consumed -- or at least destroyed.  You'll just have to trust me.  It's yummy.

Do you cook/bake a lot during the summer?  We definitely tend to keep things simpler on the cooking side, and don't do anywhere CLOSE to the baking that we do during the colder months.

This has been a crazy VBS week with my sweet hubby working a late shift.  He's at home in the morning, but my daughter and I are at VBS.  We're at home in the evening, but by the time he gets home, we're thinking about bedtime.  Our son is on an ever-changing schedule, so add that to the mix.  No dinners together this week. (sad face)  I'm looking forward to next week and a fresh start!

What have you been cooking up lately?

What are your summer specialties?

Recipe: Killer Hashbrown Casserole

This is the "awesome" potato casserole that I told you I was making for Easter dinner.  My mother-in-law shared the recipe with me (she knows I love it when she makes it!), but the recipe originally came from her niece in Minnesota.

It's really a no-fail recipe.  I've altered amounts of ingredients (within reason) depending what I had on-hand, and this "Killer Hashbrown Casserole" always seems to turn out deliciously.

It's definitely a special-occasion recipe for our family... being a little too rich for everyday -- though my son told me that he thinks I should make it 2-3 times a week.  Ummmm... No.  Not happening.  Nice to know he enjoys it as much as I do, though!

I hope you'll enjoy it too!

Killer Hashbrown Casserole 

(printable recipe)

2 lbs. frozen "Southern Style" (diced) hashbrowns
2 can cream of celery soup
1 T. dehydrated onion flakes
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
8 oz. cubed "original" Velveeta
1 pt. sour cream
1 tsp. salt
1 stick margarine, melted
crushed cornflakes to make 2 cups

Allow hashbrowns to thaw a little -- particularly if you're baking immediately.

Mix all but margarine and cornflakes together well, and place in a 9x13 pan (or larger -- I actually use a rectangular pyrex pan that is a bit larger than 9x13, and it's FULL!)  Melt margarine, and drizzle over potato mixture.  Sprinkle crushed cornflakes on top.  Bake uncovered, 1 hour at 350F.

Most recently, for Easter, I made this casserole the day before (minus the margarine and cornflakes) and refrigerated until I was ready to bake on Easter Sunday.  Then, I added the margarine and cornflakes, and popped it in the oven.  The casserole was bubbling-hot after an hour in the oven, and since you bake UNcovered, the cornflakes are a crunchy topping!  Delish.

This is such a simple dish to have ready ahead of time, making dinner-time oh-so-easy!

Recipe: Spanish Rice Pronto!

Did ya'all have a nice Memorial Day Weekend?  We sure did.  We have family that visits traditionally every year, staying with my parents.  We typically gather together a couple of times while they are here.  We really enjoy one another's company, and look forward to this tradition so much!

cheese popcorn goody bags 

TODAY, we are chill-axin' around here.  We thought this coming Wednesday would be our son's last day of school, but by the time he got his exam schedule figured out, he realized that he would be finished on Friday.  LAST Friday.  Isn't that happy news?

So, I'm kickin' back today and relaxing with NOTHING on the schedule.  I thought I'd share an easy post, and an easy recipe with you.

This is an old family stand-by -- a recipe that my mom often made for our family.  I believe it came from a cookbook that was compiled by a mom's club that my mom used to attend when my sister and I were small.  "Spanish Rice Pronto" (always just known as Spanish Rice to us) was an inexpensive meatless dinner for us - as Mom served it as a main dish. Nowadays, Mexican food is so popular.  This could easily be used as a side dish, accompanying your favorite Mexican food.  It's not "hot" -- but could easily be adapted to add more heat.  Remember the key words:  inexpensive, and EASY.  It's also a quick recipe to put together with ingredients that you might often have on hand.  Here are most of them:

[looks like I forgot the salt]

Spanish Rice Pronto (makes 4 generous servings)

¼ c. margarine
1 tsp. onion flakes
1.5 c. Minute Rice
1.5 c. hot water
1 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
½ tsp. prepared mustard
8 oz. tomato sauce

Melt margarine in skillet.  Add onion flakes and rice (uncooked).  Cook and stir over high heat until you see a few grains of rice browning lightly.  Add hot water, salt, pepper, mustard, and tomato sauce.  Mix well.  Bring quickly to a boil, reduce heat.  Simmer uncovered for 5-15 minutes until liquid is absorbed.

Let it bubble away on simmer until the liquid is absorbed.  Stir occasionally.

Taa-daa!  Spanish Rice.  Pronto!

linking up here:

Creamy Scalloped Potatoes

from Betty Crocker's Cookbook

(New and Revised Edition, fourth printing 1980)

2 pounds potatoes (about 6 medium)

3 T. margarine or butter

3 T. flour

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

2-1/2 cups milk

1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)*

1 T. margarine or butter

Wash potatoes.  Peel if desired. Cut into thin slices (about 4 cups).

Heat 3 T. margarine in saucepan over low heat until melted.  Blend in flour, salt and pepper.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat.  Stir in milk.  Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir 1 minute.

Arrange potatoes in greased 2-quart casserole in 3 layers, topping each of the first two layers with 1/2 of the onion and 1/3 of the white sauce.  Top with remaining potatoes and sauce.  Dot with 1 T. margarine.  cover and cook in 325F oven for 40 minutes or in 350F oven for 30 minutes.** Uncover and cook until potatoes are tender, 60-70 minutes longer. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.  (6 servings)

* I use dehydrated onions, just adding about 1 T. (dry) to the cream sauce before layering with potatoes.

**Here's where you have to plan --> Minimum cooking time = 90 minutes

Unpeeled potatoes make for a more rustic dish, but underneath all of those browned edges, these potatoes are so creamy.  I don't make them often, but Creamy Scalloped Potatoes are definitely a family favorite!!  I hope you'll enjoy them too!

 

Whose Fries?

Emeril's, that's who!

<Well, that's what we call them at our house, anyways.>

These are easy as pie, and so delicious.

They're a little spicy too,

depending on how crazy you go with the spices.

I don't recommend slices. They end up whimpy. Wedges are meatier.

Here's what you need:

Some of your favorite potatoes, wedged

Emeril's Original Essence - several good shakes

oil - only about 1 Tablespoon

gallon-sized zip bag 

Suggestions:

* Cut extra-large potatoes in half cross-wise, and then wedge the halves.  

* Don't make your wedges too thick.  That means extra baking time!

* Though I usually make the wedges, I tried slices (pictured here), and they end up whimpy.  Wedges are meatier and much more enjoyable!

* Don't use too much oil.  It just makes a mess in your oven! 

Place potato wedges in gallon zip-bag.  Add 1 T. oil.  Seal bag, and squish potatoes around to coat with the oil.  Then, add a few shakes of Emeril's Original Essence (available at your local grocery store in the spice aisle).  Zip bag and squish again to coat potatoes with spices. Here's the critical point.  Open the bag.  Do you love the smell?  Do you like things spicy? Now's the time to decide if you need more spices...decisions, decisions!  If you add more spices, squish the potatoes around again. You get the drill.

Place potatoes on a baking sheet or stone.

Move around so that they're only in a single layer.

Bake at 450 for 25 minutes.

And... end up with this yumminess!

As Emeril would say: "BAM!"

Recipe: Beans

A while back, I told you about my Aunt Kathy's "Beans" recipe.  She brought them every year to the family reunion, and they were SO YUMMY.  One summer (when I was in high school or college) I asked Aunt Kathy for her recipe.  She was happy to oblige.  The recipe that follows is in her words.

Beans
2 regular cans CHEAP BEANS (Campbell's, Bush's or your favorite generic brand!)
2-3 good shakes of ketchup
2 good shakes of mustard
small handful of brown sugar
a good 1/4 bottle of lite molasses
1/2 small onion, diced
good handful of bacon bits

Cover with sliced bacon.  Bake for a while.

I'm sure I was married for several years before I really "got it."  I'm pretty sure my Aunt Kathy never made the beans the same way twice.  She wasn't too worried about quantities.  She threw in a little of this and a little of that until it was all yummy -- after it had baked "a while."  =)

Truth be told, I use dehydrated onions and Bacos.  In more recent years, I have left out the brown sugar and molasses (even the "lite" stuff), trying to trim down the calories for us.  Also - no bacon on top.  But, I still think of Aunt Kathy every time I make beans.  Oh - and I have never baked them either.  I always use the crock-pot if I'm taking them somewhere, or just make them on the stove-top if we're eating them at home.

I guess maybe I take after Aunt Kathy a little.  I've learned to do things my way.