My First Crochet Project – Flower Appliques

4 Dec

I have had a small Learn to Crochet kit sitting in a closet for a while that had patterns for a peace sign, a flower, and a heart. I decided to start with the flower. The directions were a little confusing and not working out for me (I think I started and pulled the stitches about 10 times!), so I headed online. I found this pattern, Flower & Leaf Appliques, and after a lot more attempts, finally got a flower!

Crochet Flower Applique

Once I was able to create this, it gave me confidence to try more. I now have also made a few flowers to use as accents to some other pieces. It’s now a quick, easy project since I know more of what I am doing!

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My New Hobby – Knitting and Crocheting

3 Dec

When I was a kid, I did a LOT of cross-stitch. I think one year my sister and I cranked out Christmas ornaments for a huge list of people. I had always thought about learning to knit or crochet, but the time or opportunity just ever presented itself. Last year, my daughter joined a knitting club at school, and I decided it was time to time to try to learn. I used the sheets she was given and watched some videos on YouTube, and learned how to cast on, the knit stitch, the purl stitch, and the stockinette stitch. I started with scarves. I figured those were easy enough! I played around with the different stitches to get different looks and had fun doing it.

My first scarves Close up of my first scarves

Then, my daughter lost interest, and life got busy with other things, so I didn’t work on anything for about a year. We recently had some new babies born in our family and circle of friends, so I got the urge to start working on some new projects to give as gifts. I had to watch the videos again, but was able to pick it back up. Then, my mom came to visit, and she was working on crocheting granny squares for Christmas stockings. Again, I watched a few videos and watched her work, and learned how to do chain, slip, single, double, half-double, and treble stitches. Then, after posting a few projects on Facebook, a friend from college let me know about a forum called, Ravelry.com, which is free to join, and has a TON of free and paid patterns for both knitting and crocheting. It was a whole new world opened up for me, and I have been busy creating since.

I’m hoping to be able to keep it up, and over the next few weeks, I will share my finished projects. As I work on more, I will share those too. I’m starting my younger daughter on knitting, and my older daughter has been knitting again and wants to learn to crochet as well. I’m excited at the opportunity to work with them on this as well!

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Potato Soup

2 Dec

This past weekend, we visited our favorite German restaurant, Angelika’s German Imports Market & Deli. My younger daughter had potato soup with her sandwich, which was so good. She wanted more of it, so I tried to come up with something close. It tasted similar, but not quite as good as Angelika’s did. I also added in cabbage to ours, since I had some that needed to be used and felt it would fit in well. I would probably add some bacon or ham next time, but as is, it was very good.

Note: This picture shows it a little thicker than it originally was because it is the leftover soup. I forgot to snap a picture the night we had it!

Potato Soup

Potato Soup

How to make it:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 large stalk celery, diced
1 large onion, diced
3 cups shredded cabbage
1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1-1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups beef broth
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, onions, cabbage, parsley and marjoram. Cook until transparent. Stir in potatoes.

In a small bowl, whisk flour into 1 cup of the beef broth. Pour into pot. Add remaining beef broth, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

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Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 Dec

In the past, I’ve used this Chicken Enchilada Soup recipe. I really liked it, but felt it was a little lacking. So, I looked around at a few recipes, and added in black beans and corn, then used diced tomatoes and green chiles in place of the enchilada sauce. If you want a little more kick to your soup, add in a diced jalapeno with the onion and garlic.

It turned out so good! I topped each bowl with shredded Mexican blend cheese and tortilla chip strips. You could also put sour cream, fresh cilantro, and/or a lime wedge.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup

What you need:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or, I just use chicken from a rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken to save on time)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
6 cups chicken broth, divided
1 cup masa harina (This is corn flour. You can use corn meal, but it will may have a grittier texture)
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.75-oz can whole corn kernels, drained
1 10-oz can Ro-Tel (or 1 can diced tomatoes and 1 small can diced green chiles)
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt

How to make it:

In large pot over medium heat, cook chicken in oil until well browned on all sides. Remove, shred, and set aside.  (This step is skipped if you already have cooked chicken)

Cook onion and garlic together in remaining oil until onions are translucent.

In a bowl, whisk together masa harina and 2 cups water until well blended. This step is important, if you just put the masa harina right in the pot, it won’t blend in as well, making it gritty.  Pour into pot along with the remaining 4 cups chicken broth, black beans, corn, Ro-Tel, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt. Bring to a boil.

Add chicken. Reduce heat to low and simmer 30-40 minutes, until thickened.

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Chicken Salad

13 Oct

There really are a LOT of different ways that chicken salad is made. So, when my husband wanted Chicken Salad, I wasn’t sure where to start. Sure, I could just do chicken, mayo, maybe some onion. I have played around with it a couple of times, and finally found the combination that he, my older daughter, and I can all agree on…and here it is!

Chicken Salad

Chicken Salad

What you need:

4 cups cooked chicken, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 bunch green onions, diced
1 1/2 cups mayo
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced or 1 teaspoon dried dill

How to make it:

Add all ingredients to a large bowl. Mix well. Chill for several hours or overnight.

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Ground Beef, Summer Squash, and Rice Skillet

12 Oct

I recently acquired a zucchini and a yellow squash at a Kiwanis Club meeting. I have made plenty of different meals with zucchini and yellow squash, but wanted to try something new. So, I used what I had on hand, and came up with this combination. Even my little one liked it, and she’s been rather picky lately! It also took little time to put all together, which was nice with the busy nights we tend to have lately.

Ground Beef, Summer Squash, and Rice Skillet

Ground Beef, Summer Squash, and Rice Skillet

What you need:

1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1 cup beef broth
1 zucchini and 1 yellow squash, sliced
1 cup cooked rice (I made it in my rice steamer)

How to make it:

In a large skillet, brown ground beef over medium heat. Add in onions and garlic, and cook until onions are translucent. Next, stir in Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, tomato paste and beef broth. Add sliced zucchini and yellow squash. Cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until squash has softened. Stir in cooked rice and serve.

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Katie’s Chili

4 Oct

Katie has been asking me to make chili for the longest time, but I kept putting it off. It’s still warm here in AZ, and hot meals just don’t always sound appealing. But, I have never made it before, so it was time. I know there are a ton of different ways to make it, all based on personal preference. So, we found 5 different versions in the cookbooks that we have, and came up with a combination of our own. It was really, really good! Now, I won’t wait so long the next time she asks.

Katie's Chili

Katie’s Chili

What you need:

1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (optional)
1 15-oz can dark red kidney beans
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
1 10-oz can tomatoes and green chiles (Ro-Tel)
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
Juice of one lime
Salt and ground black pepper

How to make it:

In a large pot, brown the ground beef. Add garlic, onion, green pepper, celery, carrot, and jalapeno, and continue to cook until vegetables have softened. Next, add kidney beans (undrained), diced tomatoes (undrained), tomatoes and green chiles (undrained), tomato sauce, and beef broth. Stir well, adding more beef broth or water if it seems too thick. Next, stir in chili powder, cumin, oregano, lime juice, and salt and ground black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer about 20-25 minutes.

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Sloppy Joes with Ground Beef and Lentils

10 Aug

I have been wanting to make sloppy joes for a while, and really wanted to try using lentils instead of ground beef. Of course, my family was a little hesitant to try it with lentils, so when I found this recipe that uses lentils along with ground beef, I figured it would be a good start to try with them. We all thought it turned out really well, and next time I may try it with all lentils just to save on some cost. If I do, I will update this recipe with the all lentil version.

Sloppy Joes with Ground Beef and Lentils

Sloppy Joes with Ground Beef and Lentils
Original recipe here

What you need:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 small carrot, finely chopped
1 bell pepper (red or green), finely chopped
1 cup ketchup, divided
1 cup dried brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
4 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and ground black pepper
1 pound lean ground beef
2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

How to make it:

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion, carrot, bell pepper and 1/4 cup ketchup and cook until the vegetables are soft. Add the lentils, oregano and broth. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until the lentils are tender and most of the water is absorbed, about 35 to 40 minutes (add up to 1 cup water or broth if necessary). Season with salt and pepper.

Add the beef to a large non-stick skillet, break it up, and cook, until it begins to brown. Add the Worcestershire sauce and the remaining 3/4 cup ketchup and stir until combined. Add the lentil mixture and, if needed, up to 1 cup water or broth. Cook until the lentils are soft and the mixture thickens, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

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Slow Cooker Chicken and Green Bean Casserole

20 Jul

My husband went to the store a couple of days ago, and brought home 2 big cans of cream of mushroom soup, 4 cans of green beans, and 2 bags of fried onions as a “suggestion”. I guess it has been a while since I made Green Bean Casserole, and really, it’s just not something I tend to work in to our meal rotation much. So, as I woke up this morning, I had a thought. What if I used the ingredients for Green Bean Casserole and put it over chicken in the slow cooker? I have cooked chicken with cream of mushroom soup before that turned out well, why not add the green beans and onions too? It turned out great, and got rave review from my parents, who are here visiting, and my kids! I doubled the amount of everything to have enough to serve 6. I made mashed potatoes and brown rice to go with it. Only reason I made both was because I didn’t have enough of either to serve everybody, but had plenty with making both! Oh, and the Cheddar Garlic Biscuits were a great addition, too. This was a super easy meal, that came together very nicely.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Green Bean Casserole

Slow Cooker Chicken and Green Bean Casserole

What you need:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 10-3/4 oz cans cream of mushroom soup
2 14.5 oz cans green beans, drained
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2/3 cup fried onions, plus more for garnish
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

How to make it:

Mix cream of mushroom soup, green beans, milk, soy sauce, fried onions, and ground black pepper in a slow cooker. Place chicken breasts into the mixture, making sure they are fully covered.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4 hours.

Serve with mashed potatoes or rice. Garnish with fried onions, if desired, to give it some crunch.

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Loose Meat Gyros Pitas

13 Jul

So, I have wanted gyros for a while, and just never make it to the place in town that has them on the menu. I really liked the Gyros Meafloaf I made a while back, but I didn’t want all the cooking time. So, instead, mixed the ground beef, onion, and seasoning the same, but then just browned the beef in a skillet. I found some pocket pitas, added some feta cheese, lettuce, and ranch dressing (didn’t have ingredients for tzatziki, unfortunately), and we had a meal we all enjoyed. I didn’t make any other sides to specifically go with this, but Lemon Roasted Potatoes would be a great addition.

Loose Meat Gyros PItas

 

Loose Meat Gyros Pitas

What you need:

1 pound ground beef and 1 pound ground lamb or 2 pounds ground beef
1 small onion
4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon dried savory
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon dried oregano or 2 teaspoons fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Dash of ground cumin
1/2 cup water

How to make it:

Place the meat into a large mixing bowl, and then grate the onion and garlic into the bowl. Next, add remaining ingredients. Mix everything together well, cover, and, refrigerate for 45 minutes to an hour.

Brown meat mixture in a large skillet, in batches if necessary. Add 1/2 cup water, stir, and turn heat to low to simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Serve on pita with toppings of your choice, such as feta cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, olives, cucumbers, tzatziki, hummus, tabbouleh, etc.

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