Tag: Trying Something New

Po’Boys

This go-to recipe is wonderful on cold days, and can be set up first thing in the morning for a welcoming dinner at the end of the work day. To do that, use frozen meat and set the crockpot on low.

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Po’ Boys

Crockpot dinner that is super easy, super yummy, and has only 5 ingredients.
Prep Time5 minutes
Crockpot time6 hours
Total Time6 hours 5 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: creole, crockpot, easy
Servings: 4 people
Author: Ava Broadway

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds beef roast can be in multiple pieces
  • creole seasoning to taste
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup (10 3/4 ounces)
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup (10 3/4 ounces)
  • 2 teaspoon Bob’s Flavor Enhancer can substitute salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Season the beef roast on both sides with creole seasoning and Bob's.
    creole seasoning, 2 teaspoon Bob’s Flavor Enhancer
  • Put meat in crock pot and set on high. Pour soups over top of meat. Cover and cook for 6-8 hours on low, until tender.
    3 pounds beef roast, 1 can cream of mushroom soup (10 3/4 ounces), 1 can cream of chicken soup (10 3/4 ounces)
  • Remove roast and slice thinly. Add back into crockpot gravy.
  • Serve on crusty rolls, with gravy in small bowls for dipping.

Notes

If your meat is frozen, it will take longer to cook.  You can set the crockpot on high in that case in order to ensure the meat is thoroughly cooked.  You do not need to mix the soups together, they will blend naturally.  
Feel free to mix and match different ‘cream of’ soups, depending on what is available in your cupboard.

Angel Biscuits

Light biscuits that can be mixed up ahead of time and baked on demand. A classic.

This is a great recipe to mix up early in the week and then bake as needed during the week. The aroma alone will make you hungry. For convenience I have included the recipe for Honey Butter Spread, which pairs beautifully with the biscuits.

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Angel Biscuits

Light biscuits that can be made ahead and baked in the morning.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: make ahead, most requested, refrigerate
Servings: 45 biscuits
Author: For Goodness Taste

Ingredients

  • 1 package yeast or a scant teaspoon from a jar of yeast
  • 2 tablespoons warm water
  • 5 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup shortening
  • 1 cup buttermilk or 1 tablespoon vinegar + 7 tablespoons milk

Instructions

  • Dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside.
    1 package yeast, 2 tablespoons warm water
  • Sift flour with other dry ingredients.
    5 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt
  • Cut in shortening, using a pastry blender, fork or two knives, until it looks like crumbs.
    1 cup shortening
  • Add buttermilk and yeast mixture to flour mixture. Stir until a soft dough forms.
    1 cup buttermilk
  • Knead on a floured board for 2 minutes.*
  • Roll out to desired thickness and cut with biscuit cutter. **
  • Bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees F.
  • Serve warm with Honey Butter Spread.

Notes

  • * At this point you can put the dough into a covered container or ziplock bag and store it in the refrigerator until it is needed; it will be good for at least 7 days.  Dough does not need to come back to room temperature before rolling it out.
  • **If desired, roll the dough out on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for 10 minutes before cutting the biscuits. This may allow the biscuits to bake taller.
  • If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make a substitute by just adding  vinegar to milk.  Measure 1 tablespoon of white vinegar into a measuring pitcher, then add milk to make 1 cup.  Stir and let sit a few minutes.  
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Honey Butter Spread

The shortest recipe in my collection!
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Course: Dressing, Sauce or Spread
Cuisine: American
Keyword: dip, quick, spread
Servings: 4 people
Author: Kathleen Finnegan

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup butter softened
  • ¼ cup honey

Instructions

  • Beat butter and honey in a small bowl until light and fluffy. Serve with Fried Donut Puffs or Angel Biscuits.

Notes

Serves 4.
Store covered in the refrigerator.  Let soften at room temperature before serving for maximum spreadability.

Ways to use Angel Biscuits:

1) Pair fresh biscuits with Sausage Gravy for the classic Southern breakfast.
2) Serve with Sunday dinner.
3) Unexpected guests? Add Angel Biscuits to the menu to feed a few more mouths.
4) Bake, slice, then wrap in tinfoil and freeze. Pull out just what you need and make quick-to-go breakfast sandwiches with ham, sausage, bacon, eggs…
5) Pair freshly baked biscuits with Honey Butter Spread for a hospitality or condolence visit. Often the aroma of the biscuits is enough to entice the grieving to eat just a little bit, and the honey butter has them reaching for seconds.

Caprese Spaghetti Salad 

A summery side dish, easy to make and fun to eat.

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Caprese Spaghetti Salad

A deliciously light, fresh summer side dish – especially when your garden is churning out a lot of tomatoes!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easy, fresh vegetables, light, pasta, stovetop
Servings: 8 people
Author: Kathleen Finnegan

Ingredients

Salad:

  • 8 ounces vermicelli or other thin spaghetti broken into thirds, cooked, drained and cooled
  • 6 green onions sliced OR 1 vidalia onion, diced
  • 4 roma tomatoes seeded and diced
  • 4 ounces mozzarella cheese cubed (1 cup)
  • ¼ cup diced ham or pepperoni or salami optional

Dressing:

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
  • ¼ teaspoon BOB’S seasoning or other seasoning salt

Instructions

  • Combine salad ingredients and toss well to combine.
  • Pour dressing on salad and mix again to coat.
  • Combine dressing ingredients and blend well; set aside on counter.
  • Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until serving time.

Notes

If you want a heartier salad/main dish, add ham, pepperoni or salami.  I love the salad without the meats; it is light and tasty and a wonderful summer side dish that pairs well with any grilled meat.  

The Only Limitation is Within Us

We have all heard that little voice that says “what if it doesn’t work”? “What if they don’t Ike it?” “What if they make fun of me?”

Don’t listen to that voice. What does it matter if it works, or they like it, or they tease you? What is important is the trying. What is important is do YOU like it? What is important is that you don’t limit yourself before you even make an attempt, because that is the surest path to failure.

Pick a few of your own possibilities and make them real. At the very least, you will shut up that negative little voice for a few minutes – and perhaps forever!

Bluebirds

How did Bluebirds become my “sign” as in ‘Give me a sign!’

I guess it happened because I have tried for so many years to attract bluebirds to my yard. I have a blue mealworm feeder. I have a fountain. I have bluebird houses.

One bluebird house hosted a family of wrens this year. Another hosted chickadees. The third was the springboard launcher for every squirrel in the neighborhood during the time period when Mr. Bluebird was trying it on for size.

For a while Mr. B was breakfasting at my kitchen window…and then one day he was gone. No warning. No note. But before he left, he inspired me to try something I had never done before in my life, because I had never had a bluebird visit me so regularly before. He was THE SIGN!!!