What's For Dinner? 2016-19 Archived

[angelface555]

Now that everyone has secured a good supply of pumpkin puree or knows where and how to get it, here are eighteen other terrific pumpkin recipes. And no I haven't tried them but they do look good!

https://acultivatednest.com/2017/09/completely-irresistible-pumpkin-desserts/

[so_P_bubble]

Mmmm I'm jumping on  a plane  and will buy a supply of pumpkin cans, pie shells and Cool Whip!

[angelface555]

Bubble, I hope you plan to pack some pumpkin in those cans! 

Italian Chicken & Rice Dinner

This is an old recipe.

https://www.mrfood.com/Chicken/Italian-Chicken-and-Rice-3059

Or  Sheet Pan Balsamic Chicken

https://www.mrfood.com/Chicken/Sheet-Pan-Balsamic-Chicken-and-Veggies

[JeanneP]

Did a stupid thing today. Made that Beef,potato cabbage casserole. Covered the dish with Siran wrap and put in the MW for 5 min while the over heated. I then just moved it to the oven leaving the wrap on. At a little of the under part but tossed the rest out. Thing was I made in in 2 dishes and so the other one is O.K for baking later.

[angelface555]

I received this from my sister today and 15 minutes prep sounds good to me!

http://www.eatgood4life.com/15-minutes-asian-shrimp-broccoli/

[so_P_bubble]

That looks delicious.  I like the addition of sesame seeds, to make it even healthier.
Thanks!

[angelface555]

I went ahead and subscribed to the blog on her recommendation. she is the one who studied in Florence for a number of years.

[angelface555]

Today I broke up eight pounds of moose meat, you could use hamburger as a substitute, into two pound lots. I chopped and minced three large white onions, and two each, red, orange and green sweet peppers to go into each lot of meat while the meat was browning. I added different types of seasoning to each of the four lots.

For example, one two pound lot received, Beau Monde, grounded pepper Verde Curry seasoning, and sage. Another lot received mashed tomatoes, rosemary, Hungarian Paprika. You get the idea, each of the four was different. I will often add Swanson's beef, chicken or vegetable broth to different lots of meat, either chicken, pork or red meat. My freezer currently has 32 frozen freezer bags of chicken, pork, and red meat.

I have included in that, Dall sheep, mountain goat, and caribou as well. I am lucky to have friends who will supply me with their excess. The moose meat will add approximately eight to ten two cup bags to that. This is the lazy way to cook when you can't digest commercially added chemicals to food. Simply thaw a bag of meat, add extras or a salad and fix in the microwave or convection oven.


I then made egg noodles to be later frozen into lots as well. They will be cooked during meal preparation because cooked noodle really can't be frozen but uncooked can be frozen.

[angelface555]

This egg noodle recipe I found while Googling. It is the closest to the way I make mine.

Basic Egg Noodle Recipe

2 parts Eggs
1 part Flour
Salt
This is where you can customize the recipe for how large or small of a group you are serving. For every 1/2 cup of flour you will need 1 egg. So, to serve my family of 6, I use 4 eggs and 2 cups of flour. In a medium sized bowl, add the flour. Create a well in the middle of the flour and add the eggs. With a wooden spoon or fork, stir the mixture until the flour is completely incorporated and the dough is stiff.

Flour a large bread board / cutting board heavily. Dump your dough mixture out onto the floured board. Knead additional flour into the dough. Unlike pie crust (you don’t want to work pie crust too much) you want to continue to add flour to the dough until it is thick and smooth in texture. Just work with it and use your instincts.

Roll out the dough (again… make sure your board is well floured so your noodles won’t stick) until very thin â€" roll, flip it over, roll, flip it over, etc. Once your dough is rolled out, using a pizza cutter, slice your dough into thin vertical strips. Make a couple of slices horizontally until your noodles are a desired size.

TIP: If you are having trouble with rolling out your dough to your desired thickness, let it “rest” a couple of minutes then try again. Also, these noodles expand when cooked, so roll very thin for thin cooked noodles. To cook pasta, bring a large stockpot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles, just a few at a time, to the boiling water. Once all the noodles are added, cook for 3-4 minutes or until tender. Drain (but do not rinse). For a garlic butter noodle, add 2-4 Tablespoons salted butter and 3 cloves minced garlic to the warm stockpot. Warm until butter is melted. Return the noodles to the stockpot and toss with garlic butter mixture. Add 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Toss and serve while hot.

Freezing Instructions:

Lay out your noodles onto a sheet of wax or parchment paper and let air dry for about 20 minutes. Then place noodles into a freezer bag or foodsaver bag and get all the air out. Place in the freezer with a label until ready to serve. TO SERVE: You can either cook them from frozen or let them thaw. It’s up to you. If frozen, bring a pot of water to a boil. Once boiling add some sea salt and noodles. Cook about 5-8 minutes until noodles are tender and cooked through. Served as desired. If thawed, bring a large stockpot of water to a boil. Add the noodles, just a few at a time, to the boiling water. Once all the noodles are added, cook for 3-4 minutes or until tender. Serve as desired.

It's longer to type out than it is to do.

https://onceamonthmeals.com/blog/series/get-real/egg-noodle-basics/

[SharonE]

Angel Face, have you ever tried Almond milk?  I am lactose intolerant also and use this entirely for anything requiring milk. You can get the original unsweetened for 30 calories. That's my choice, but they have other flavors and higher calories.

One short cut to cooking that I use regularly is to buy brown rice and make about 8 cups of it, let it cool, then measure a cup (for 2) into a sandwich bag. Continue till all gone.  Put the SW bags in a freezer bag and when you want rice, remove a sm. bag, put it in a dish with about a tablespoon of water and microwave 2 or 3 minutes.  I cook my rice with chicken broth also, so it has a nice flavor.  I use this as a side with fish or maybe chicken.

Last week, I bought some steel cut oats and cooked about half of the box in my crockpot on low overnight, then stirred in some frozen blueberries. Agaiin, I divided it up in one serving bags, put in a freezer bag and froze.  I then put it in the fridge the night before I want to eat it and it is ready to heat up in the microwave.  Steel cut oats are supposed to be better for you than rolled, although my hubby prefers the rolled.

I have to watch grease as well.  Also, I was interested in your comment on the banana. I can get by with half of one, but not a whole one, so usually skip them unless they are in banana bread which I love.  Sharon

[angelface555]

Sharon, I do use the unsweetened almond milk. I also will sometimes use oat or rice milk altho the oat is rather thick. I had to go look as my oatmeal comes from an ethnic store in brown bags. Mine is steel cut as well. I still use white rice even as family and friends tell me not to. I need to switch over completely to wild and brown but it's hard.

I buy most of my groceries from the small family ethnic groceries here and from the farmer's market. I do have a yearly contract with a local farm that supplies me with eggs, vegetables, and chicken. Many of the small area farms have similar arrangements. You can either supply labor or cash or a combination for a weekly or bimonthly delivery.

I supply my own two-quart glass jar and get honey twice a month for $8.00 per. There are also three local goat and or llama farms that sell meat, milk or cosmetic and bath products. I only buy the milk or products no meat altho I've had it before. You can also buy buffalo meat here locally if you prefer but I don't altho I've had it at people's homes.

My friends keep me supplied with game that has never sent me to the hospital from eating it. We use a barter system as I help them out however I can in return. I have never had food allergy attacks from the food sold at these ethnic groceries, or from local farms and markets. I often have them from food purchased from national chains.

My freezer is packed with one and two cup freezer bags or the one-quart size. I have a post on the freezer door where I have an inventory list of freezer food and cross out items as used. I have white rice, homemade soup mixes, mixed sweet peppers, onions, eggs, and game.  I also have frozen blueberries, raspberries, rhubarb, and strawberries. Berries are everywhere here, like weeds.

I have dried cherries, different bagged nuts, oatmeal, hot cereals, bagged types of beans and grains,  uncooked rice, various ethnic seasonings, real maple syrup and sauces in the cupboards and in the refrigerator. I make my own yougart, soup, and spice mixes and doctor my own dairy butter with various seasonings. I also have white rice, homemade soup mixes, mixed sweet peppers, onions, eggs, and game in my fridge and cupboards.  Since it is only me and I purchase in small quantities, I can try new items and deli products such as olives, pickles and other items of that type.

There is a company based here, Moosetard, that sells both locally and worldwide that grows their own mustard seeds and seasoning to make multiple types of mustards that are very good! I always have some of theirs! There is also a local restaurant, the "Loose Moose," that also sells and serves Alaskan only products and there is the "Great Alaskan Bowl Company" that also either makes or sells Alaskan food and products locally and worldwide. I retired from the latter in 2014 and remain a regular customer.

I was interested in your cooking and then freezing the oatmeal. I should start doing that. I always thought the grease was from IBS but maybe from both? I also never thought of the sandwich bags used in freezer bags, that might be cheaper than buying various sizes of freezer bags. I do make my own broth but never used it in the initial rice cooking, I should. You've given me some good ideas!

[angelface555]

Spiced Pumpkin Butter

https://premeditatedleftovers.com/recipes-cooking-tips/spiced-pumpkin-butter/

Prep time
5 mins

Cook time
25 mins

Total time
30 mins

Author: Jody
Serves: 8

Ingredients
1- 14.5 oz. can pumpkin puree
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. cloves
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup apple juice

Directions
1. Place pumpkin puree, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, brown sugar, apple juice, and pumpkin pie spice in a large saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a low boil, stirring constantly.
2. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir frequently.
3. Remove from burner and stir in vanilla. Cool completely then transfer to a jar with a tight fitting lid.

https://premeditatedleftovers.com/recipes-cooking-tips/how-to-roast-a-pumpkin-and-how-to-make-pumpkin-puree/

How to Roast a Pumpkin and Make Pumpkin Puree

Prep time
10 mins

Cook time
45 mins

Total time
55 mins

Author: Alea
Recipe type: Vegetable
Serves: 16
Ingredients
a sugar pumpkin

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and cover a baking sheet with foil.
2. Cut the pumpkin in half crosswise.
3. Scoop out the seeds.
4. Place the pumpkin halves cut side down on the baking sheet.
5. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minute or until the skin darkens and it can easily be pierced by a fork.
6. Remove from oven and let cool.
7. Remove the skin.
8. Place one half of the pumpkin in a bowl, blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
9. Repeat with the remaining pumpkin.
10. If using in baked goods, place the pumpkin in cheesecloth and squeeze out the excess liquid.
11. Use in a recipe, or freeze it for future use.

[JeanneP]

Does that Spice Pumpkin Butter. Set like a spreadable. Sort of like Peanut bugger.

[angelface555]

??

[SharonE]

Angel Face, you're welcome to my hints. They work for me.  You are very lucky to have access to all the local AK food. We enjoyed it so much when we were in AK 20 yrs ago.  What do you use all the honey for?  Due to the calories, I don't use too much of it, although I like it. It is also good for allergies if it is local. 
Sharon

[angelface555]

Local honey works if it comes from within ten miles of your location due to the same types of plant life that are causing your allergies. I still chuckle when I remember the uproar stateside, about some accident at an M&M's plant. A commercial hive's bees had gotten into the sludge and were producing M&M colored honey! It all had to be dumped, hives redone and thoroughly cleaned.

I use honey in facial masks, as a splinter remover, egg white is useful in that as well. They both when applied & allowed to dry, pull out splinters, blackheads, etc. It's good in some medicines, good in foods, used on hair;  some drinks such as mead and in cold meds. A quart of honey can last months in my cupboard.

I don't really use sugar or sweeteners that much, preferring coffee or tea undiluted and am just one person so the amounts I do use are minimal. If I had a sweet tooth instead of a savory one it would be different and I like to use local foods as much as possible due to medical need and personal preference.

Applesauce, molasses, honey, and real maple syrup are good sugar substitutes. I tend to use spice blends, sauces and butter blends in food more than sweets in food and drink. Luckily they are readily available in local products. I support CSAs

"New to CSA's? Here's a quick rundown of what to expect: CSA participants do not simply buy from a farm, they invest in it. Much like a magazine subscription, members pay an upfront fee in exchange for that farm's produce, doled out over the course of the summer. Each week members pick up boxes, bags or baskets of whatever’s “vine ripe” and ready to harvest.  The exact mix of each share will differ from farm to farm, and will vary throughout the summer, but one thing will always be the same: a cost-efficient, heaping portion of the Interior’s freshest produce." 

[SharonE]

Sounds great. Don't think we have that here. We do have a farmer's mkt that comes to our community once a week during the summer, but that's about it.  Sharon

[FlaJean]

We hadn’t had meatloaf in a while and my husband enjoys it.  I found this recipe for two and made it yesterday.  It was good and I have enough left today.

                             MEATLOAF FOR TWO
INGREDIENTS
      1 egg
      1/4 cup 2% milk
      1/3 cup crushed saltines
      3 tablespoons chopped onion
      1/4 teaspoon salt
      1/8 teaspoon rubbed sage
      Dash pepper
      1/2 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
      1/4 cup ketchup
      2 tablespoons brown sugar
      1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, beat egg. Add the milk, cracker crumbs, onion, salt, sage and pepper. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into two loaves; place in a shallow baking dish coated with cooking spray.
Combine the ketchup, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce; spoon over meat loaves. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and a thermometer reads 160°; drain. Yield: 2 mini meat loaves.
Originally published as Mom's Meat Loaf in Cooking for 2 Fall 2005, p25



NUTRITIONAL FACTS

1 each: 337 calories, 12g fat (4g saturated fat), 162mg cholesterol, 898mg sodium, 31g carbohydrate (18g sugars, 1g fiber), 27g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 2 starch.

[angelface555]

That does sound good Jean! Particularly as I am looking past gray skeletal branches into more rain and plus 41 outside my balcony doors!

Some hot stewed tomatoes and or mashed potatoes also would go good with!

[JeanneP]

Jean.  Been awhile since I had meat loaf also. Have the making so think will defrost the beef and make 2 small ones tomorrow.  I love meatloaf cold on a toasted English Muffin.
Getting cooler now and so will be getting back to cold weather cooking. Have just put a rice pudding into my small cooker. Been awhile since did that also

I have lost the WebCam for the Eagles. Don't know how that happened. Does anyone have a good one.?

[angelface555]

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2017/03/eagles_return_to_nest.html#incart_river_index


https://explore.org/livecams/bald-eagles/decorah-eagles-north-nest

All I've got.

[MaryTX]

Jeanne and Patricia, here are two more eagle sites.  They both are run by the American Eagle Foundation.  I'm hooked on both.

The one in NE Florida ("Romeo and Juliet") is up and running now.  They are working on the nest now and she should start laying eggs around the first of November. 

                                         www.nefleaglecam.org

My favorite cam ("Mr. President and The First Lady") is the one in the Washington, DC  Arboretum.  Mr. P arrived back last week and TFL should be arriving in the next week or so.  The cam usually comes up about January l and she start laying eggs the latter part of February.

                                         www.dceaglecam.org

It's easy to get hooked on watching them .  I've watched a couple of others but these two are my favorites.

Mary

[MaryTX]

Jeanne and Patricia, here are two more eagle sites.  They both are run by the American Eagle Foundation.  I'm hooked on both.

The one in NE Florida ("Romeo and Juliet") is up and running now.  They are working on the nest now and she should start laying eggs around the first of November.

                                         www.nefleaglecam.org

My favorite cam ("Mr. President and The First Lady") is the one in the Washington, DC  Arboretum.  Mr. P arrived back last week and TFL should be arriving in the next week or so.  The cam usually comes up about January l and she start laying eggs the latter part of February.

                                         www.dceaglecam.org

It's easy to get hooked on watching them .  I've watched a couple of others but these two are my favorites.

Mary

[JeanneP]

Thanks MaryTX.  I think I use to have the President/lady one on years ago. going to try them both.

[angelface555]

Thanks, Mary!

[donklan]

SOUP season coming up.......
Should be able to find 1 or 2 here..........

http://www.myrecipes.com/course/soup-recipes/best-soup-recipes?iid=news-ws&utm_source=myrecipes.com&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-specials&utm_content=2017101512PM#bacon-and-beef-stew

[FlaJean]

I made a Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup a couple of days ago.  It was really good when I first made it but it thickened up after sitting in the fridge overnight.  Had to add more chicken broth to it when we finished it off.

Those soups look good, Donklan.

[angelface555]

Those soups do look good especially with the weather we're having!

Yesterday I mixed olive oil, flour, nondairy dried milk, salt and pepper and combined that with the boiling water I had left after draining some egg noodles. When it turned into a creamy white sauce, I tasted a small bit and added a touch more salt.

I then added three cups of shredded white cheese and blended that.  Other than the cheese, I never measure this as it is a version of milk gravy I've made forever it seems.

Finally, I added the egg noodles, some chicken from the slow cooker and some mixed vegetable leftovers. While I will have to add broth to it each time I serve it, it will make at least nine easy suppers or lunches in the coming fortnight.

[so_P_bubble]

I do much the same Angel, but then put it all in a pyrex dish in the oven for 20 min to half an hour. It makes a nice crispy top and  a soft creamy inside.  That was my last Friday night meal for the family, with a nice tomato/onions salad.

[angelface555]

That does sound good, Bubble and something new for me to try! Did you use vinegar on your tomatoes and onions or dressing?