From Mess Hall to Bistro

Wordless Wednesday-Super Bowl Festivities

2012-02-01T08:21:00.000-05:00

Make sure to visit the fantastic blog parties on my sidebar, and of course, link up all your made from scratch recipes on my Tuesday linky-Made From Scratch Tuesday!

Made From Scratch Tuesday 1/31

2012-01-30T20:12:00.000-05:00

There's really nothing I love more than a good steak. Usually, I only season our steaks with sauteed onions and garlic, and salt and pepper. I was feeling adventurous tonight, so I made up a batch of steak seasoning loaded with flavor. This will make quite a bit, so save the leftovers in a jar with a tight lid.

What you'll need:
3 T salt
1 T royal peppercorns (or you can use just black peppercorns)
1 T onion flakes
1/2 T garlic powder
1/2 T crushed red pepper flakes
1 T savory
1 T rosemary
2 t fennel seed

Combine all in a spice grinder and grind to a smooth powder. Rub over steaks and cook to desired doneness.

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Made From Scratch Tuesday 1/24

2012-01-23T22:00:00.000-05:00

Do you have a go-to sauce or base? We do. In our house, the kids call it Toxic Green Sludge, which is pretty much what it looks like. I let them get away with calling it that because it's mostly spinach and any time I can squeeze some veggies in, I'm all for it no matter what they call it.

In a food processor, combine a 10 oz bag of spinach, one container of fresh mozzarella cheese, a few tablespoons Parmesan cheese, basil, thyme, oregano, salt and a splash of olive oil.

Process until, well until it looks like toxic green sludge!

Once you have it made, you can use it as a dressing in a chilled pasta salad, or as a layer in lasagna, add chicken and stuff ravioli or shells, and the list goes on! It's a good base sauce to make on the weekends and use during the week when you don't have as much time to pull off a great dinner.

Now it's time to link up all of your creations!
Here are the rules:
1. You can link up as many posts as you'd like.
2. The post has to be made from scratch.
3. The post you link up MUST CONTAIN A RECIPE!
4. If you want to put my button somewhere, that'd be cool. You can grab the code for the Made From Scratch Tuesday button on the top right of my sidebar.

Iron Chef Challenge-King's Hawaiian Bread

2012-01-22T10:57:00.001-05:00

We love King's Hawaiian Bread in this house! They're the perfect size for sandwiches for the kids and they are so tasty with a bowl of soup. So when I heard Ott,A's January Iron Chef Challenge was King's Hawaiian Bread, I didn't have to look far for the theme ingredient.

Sweet and Savory Stuffing
4 Kings Hawaiian Rolls1/2 c stock (I made this with cornish hens, so I used chicken)1/2 c carrots, diced1/2 c celery, diced1 medium onion, diced1 avocado, diced2 tablespoons olive oil1/2 t thyme1/2 t basil1/2 t rosemarysalt and pepper
Saute the carrots, celery, and onion in the olive oil

While they are cooking, tear the rolls apart and place in an 8x8 pan. Lightly toast under the broiler.

Add in avocados and stock

Toss in sauteed celery, carrots and onions. Toss in seasonings and bake at 350 35-45 minutes.

Thanks to Ott,A and King's Hawaiian Bread for sponsoring this month's challenge!

Made From Scratch Tuesday 1/17

2012-01-16T19:37:00.000-05:00

Tonight, we had artichoke burgers. The husband was giving me funny looks while I was making them, but they turned out soooo tasty! One of these days, he'll learn to quit doubting me!

What you'll need:
1 lb ground beef
4 artichoke hearts, chopped into large pieces (I used canned)
2 T creamy Italian dressing
Salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl

Shape into patties and cook to desired doneness

We topped these burgers with crumbled Feta cheese

Made From Scratch Tuesday 1/10

2012-01-09T22:00:00.000-05:00

So according to Food Network Blog, mustard is going to be the "it" food of the year. I make my own barbecue sauce, but honestly, it never occurred to me to make mustard. Well, consider me inspired. After doing a little searching and comparing recipes, I came up with a spicy, tangy mustard based on Alton Brown's Best Mustard Ever.

What you'll need:

2 teaspoons light brown sugar

1 teaspoon canning salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon pickling spice
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup mustard seed

In a spice grinder, grind mustard seed and picking spice 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, stopping and shaking every 30 seconds. Pour into medium glass bowl and add the rest of the dry ingredients.

Whisk in vinegar and water until well mixed. Microwave on high heat for one minute. Immediately pour into blender and blend on low for 1-2 minutes with the lid off. I know, it sounds like it could make a mess, but this really doesn't make a whole lot of mustard and you need to let the steam escape so you don't end up with mustard soup! If it's still too thin, microwave for another 30 seconds and blend again. Alton's recipe says to use an immersion blender, but I tried that and still ended up with soup. Round 2, I used the blender and it came out perfect. Pour into glass jar and store in the refrigerator for up to a month.

I'll warn you now-this mustard is not meant to stay in the background. This mustard screams a tangy, bright flavor that's sure to bring a whole new dimension to any plain hot dog (or whatever you like mustard on)!

Made From Scratch Tuesday 1/3

2012-01-02T22:00:00.000-05:00

Made From Scratch Tuesday is back from the holiday break! I hope everyone had a happy holiday season and is ready for 2012!

One of the things we did over the holidays was pick up our beef. We bought a side of beef from a local producer back in November. After a few weeks hanging time and processing, it was ready for us to pick up last week. We've only bought quarters in the past, so the sheer amount of beef we picked up was almost overwhelming!

One of the other things I like about buying our beef this way, is we get to choose how it's cut and packaged.

More on that on a later post....

Another thing I love about buying our beef like this is all the bones! And bones mean stock! It seems like I never have enough stock in the freezer, so I make trips to the butcher throughout the year to pick up more. Although, they really hooked me up this time. I left with bags and bags of bones. Want to guess what I spent my Saturday doing? Making stock!

I started out with the bones and enough olive oil just to cover the bottom of my 22 qt pressure canner/cooker.

I slightly browned the bones then added 4 large carrots (broke in half), 4 ribs of celery (broke in half), 2 onions (quartered), salt, 1 T whole peppercorns, 4 bay leaves, 2 cloves of garlic, 5 fresh basil leaves, a sprig of rosemary, 1 t thyme, and 1 t savory. Then add enough water to fill the pressure cooker between 1/2 and 2/3 full.

Then, lock on the lid and turn the heat up. When I could hear the steam coming out, I turned the heat down to low and let it cook for 45 minutes. Then turn the heat off, but keep it on the burner and let it cool down. After the pot cooled enough to be able to touch it, I carefully took off the lid to check out my stock.

My stock had a great aroma and a beautiful color. Now the only problem was storing it. As you can see, our freezer had reached its limit. So, I condensed it down by transferring to smaller pots and simmering until most of the water evaporated. This also gave me a good chance to skim off some fat. When it was all said and done, two batches of stock in the pressure cooker was concentrated down to 10 of these little containers, which fit in my freezer perfectly!

Made From Scratch Tuesday 12/20

2011-12-19T22:00:00.000-05:00

Christmas is only days away. That means my kitchen is on overdrive this week!

I've been making buckeyes

Danish Wedding Cakes

Peppermint Pinwheels (a new addition from last year)

And of course, Peanut Butter Blossoms!

What holiday goodies are you baking in up your kitchen this week?

Now it's time to link up all of your creations!
Here are the rules:
1. You can link up as many posts as you'd like.
2. The post has to be made from scratch.
3. The post you link up MUST CONTAIN A RECIPE!
4. If you want to put my button somewhere, that'd be cool. You can grab the code for the Made From Scratch Tuesday button on the top right of my sidebar.

December's Iron Chef Challenge

2011-12-15T06:35:00.000-05:00

All year long, Ott,A has challenged us with monthly recipe contests. December's challenge, sponsored by Taste of Home, challenges the winners from the entire year to make the same product using the same recipe (cinnamon raisin bread) and create a new dish using the finished product.

First, I made the bread

While the husband ate the second loaf, I brainstormed some recipe ideas. I came up with two and made them both. The first one was not so great. Good thing the second one was quite tasty!

Herb Crusted Stuffed Hens

What you'll need:
2 Cornish Game Hens (I bought frozen, so make sure they're completely thawed. Fresh ones generally have giblets inside, so be sure to remove those first)
1/2 loaf Cinnamon Raisin Bread, cut into 1/2" cubes (Fresh from the oven bread won't work as well for stuffing, so I made these 2 days after I baked the bread)
1/2 c chicken stock (I make my own, so it's full of onion, carrot and celery as well)
1/4 c carrots, diced very small
Equal parts savory, rosemary, sage
3 parts Thyme
Salt and pepper

Mix all seasonings/herbs in a small bowl and set aside. Prepare hens by rinsing thoroughly.

In a medium bowl, mix together cubed bread and 1 1/2 t of the seasoning mixture. Toss well.

Add in carrots, pour stock over bread, mix well and stuff birds.
Take the remaining seasoning mixture and coat the hens well.
Bake at 375 until a meat thermometer reads 180 when inserted in the middle of the thigh (about an hour). The meat is done when the juices run clear and the wings and legs move freely. If skin starts browning too much, make a tent with aluminum foil and cover the hens. Because stuffing can be a potential bacteria hangout, make sure it's cooked thoroughly!

The skin was so crispy and full of the wonderful flavors of the herbs!
The stuffing soaks up the earthy flavor of the herbs and a tasty juices from the poultry, while the meat absorbs the cinnamon and raisin flavors. It all makes for a surprising and wonderful combination!

Thanks to Taste of Home for sponsoring December's Iron Chef Challenge and to Ott,A for a great year of challenges!

From Mess Hall to Bistro-Iron Chef Challenge entries

January Maple Leaf Farms (Duck)
February American Lamb (Lamb)
March Red Gold (Tomatoes)
April Clabber Girl (Baking Powder)

June Dean's and Kelsay Farms (Milk)
July King Arthur (Flour)
September Red Star (Yeast)
October Ocean Mist Farms (Artichokes)

Made From Scratch Tuesday 12/13

2011-12-12T22:00:00.000-05:00

Sometimes when you're trying out new recipes (or concoctions), you end up with an EPIC FAIL. That's what happened last week when I was working on a recipe for Ott A's Iron Chef Challenge. December's challenge is for the winners throughout the year. We all start with the same recipe (cinnamon raisin bread) and then used the finished product to make something else. More on that on Thursday when you see my official entry.

I spent a few days trying to decide what to make and finally narrowed it down to two recipes. I figured the best way to decide was to make them both and enter the one we liked the best. The first one I made was spaghetti and meatballs. I used the cinnamon raisin bread as the binder in the meatballs. We're not going to go into the failure that was. They were just waaaay to sweet and almost confusing to eat. But while preparing that dish, I knew I couldn't just use regular tomato sauce, so I found a Sicilian pasta sauce with raisins in it that I could adapt to bring the dish together. In the end, the meatballs were horrible but the sauce was awesome! We'll definitely use this sauce again.

What you'll need:
equal parts raisins and rum
1 medium onion, diced
2 T olive oil
2 cans diced tomatoes
Oregano, basil, savory, thyme (I used between 1 t and 1 T of each)
Salt and pepper

Simmer equal parts raisins and spiced rum in a small pot. I used 1/2 c of each.

While those simmer, saute the onion in olive oil in a large skillet until translucent.

Add in herbs and tomatoes.

By this time, the raisins will have plumped up. They should be about three times their original size.

Add in the raisins

Toss and serve over pasta. Ignore the meatballs in the photos...at this point, we didn't know they were horrible!

The husband, ever the skeptic, did not want to try to sauce. I told him if it was that bad, we'd just order pizza, but he had to try it first. To my surprise, he LOVED the sauce! He couldn't believe how great the raisin/tomato combination was. He ended up eating all the sauce I made.

Moral of the story, out of epic fails can sometimes come accidental hits!

Now it's time to link up all of your creations!
Here are the rules:
1. You can link up as many posts as you'd like.
2. The post has to be made from scratch.
3. The post you link up MUST CONTAIN A RECIPE!
4. If you want to put my button somewhere, that'd be cool. You can grab the code for the Made From Scratch Tuesday button on the top right of my sidebar.

Gooseberry Patch Giveaway!

2011-12-05T19:33:00.001-05:00

I've cooked my way through 10 recipes in What's for Dinner....

Buttery Scalloped Potatoes

Chicken in Cream Sauce

Peanut Butter Balls

Swiss Steak Supper

Golden Chicken Casserole

Chocolately Chocolate Cake

Lemon Chicken

Easy Beef and Noodles

Peanut Butter Bars

BBQ Chicken Wings

Now it's your chance to win a copy of the cookbook!

Make sure to visit the fantastic blog parties on my sidebar, and of course, link up all your made from scratch recipes on my Tuesday linky-Made From Scratch Tuesday!

Made From Scratch Tuesday 12/6

2011-12-05T19:24:00.001-05:00

Ok, I know I'm quite a bit late, but here's the 10th and final Gooseberry Patch recipe from What's for Dinner!!

You're going to love how easy this is too!
Peanut Butter Balls

What you'll need:
1 c peanut butter (I used Nutella)
1/2 c honey
1/2 c powdered milk

Mix ingredients together

Roll into 1" balls and set on wax paper. I used my 1" cookie scoop.

Chill until set. You can eat them right away, but they're creamier if you let the powdered milk hydrate for a bit!

Now since I'm done with the recipes, it's your chance to win a copy of this cookbook!! Head on over to this page and enter using the rafflecopter form!

Now it's time to link up all of your creations!
Here are the rules:
1. You can link up as many posts as you'd like.
2. The post has to be made from scratch.
3. The post you link up MUST CONTAIN A RECIPE!
4. If you want to put my button somewhere, that'd be cool. You can grab the code for the Made From Scratch Tuesday button on the top right of my sidebar.

Made From Scratch Tuesday 11/29

2011-11-28T22:00:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We sure had lots of great food! This year, I was in charge of bringing some veggie dishes. I decided to use Rachel Ray's Garlicky Creamed Corn and Spinach.I adjusted some of the quantities and upped the spinach to our taste.

Ingredients

2 4 tablespoons butter
4 8 ears corn, kernels scraped from cob
2 4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
~~2 bundles fresh farm spinach, about 1/2 pound trimmed weight~~, 2 lbs fresh spinach, chopped

Directions

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the butter. When the butter is hot, stir in the corn and the starchy liquid scraped from the cobs. Cook for 5 minutes, then stir in the garlic and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, then add the cream and nutmeg, stirring occasionally, until very creamy, about 15 minutes. Add the spinach and stir until wilted. I also added about half a pound of bacon (fully cooked and chopped into small pieces)...it really needed some texture! Season with salt and pepper, if needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

I made this early in the morning and reheated it before we ate. It was delicious!

Made From Scratch Tuesday 11/15

2011-11-14T22:00:00.000-05:00

Mom's been busy in the kitchen again with another Gooseberry Patch recipe!

This time, she made Buttery Scalloped Potatoes!

She started out by mixing together the butter, flour and milk.

Next, stir in cheese, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper until cheese melts.

Pour the cheesy mixture over a one quart dish of sliced potatoes.

Bake about an hour and serve!

Only one more recipe until the giveaway! Until then....

Now it's time to link up all of your creations!
Here are the rules:
1. You can link up as many posts as you'd like.
2. The post has to be made from scratch.
3. The post you link up MUST CONTAIN A RECIPE!
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Made From Scratch Tuesday 11/8

2011-11-08T09:37:00.000-05:00

When I was grocery shopping last week, I saw something I haven't seen before in the meat section--turkey wings. Maybe I've just happened to overlook them all this time, but I'm fairly certain it was something new, or at least something only around in November. We all love turkey, so I thought I'd give them a try.

Preheat the oven to 375.

I started by spraying down an 8x8 pan with butter flavored cooking spray, then adding the wings.

On the wings, sprinkle with a mixture of salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder, coriander, paprika, and parsley. That's my typical chicken wing mixture, so I figured it would work with the turkey too!

Bake until internal temperature is 165. You'll want to flip them over once during the cooking time to make sure the skin on the bottom gets crispy too. I flipped them after about 40 minutes.Total cooking time for these was about an hour and ten minutes.

The skin was crispy and the meat was tender and juicy! We served it with butter and herb mashed potatoes and cheesy cauliflower.

Chicken in Cream Sauce

2011-11-04T05:00:00.000-04:00

We're back in the kitchen with mom!

This time she fixed Chicken in Cream Sauce from Gooseberry Patch's What's for Dinner?
You'll love how easy this recipe is! Start by melting butter in a pan. Saute chicken, onions and your favorite seasonings until chicken is cooked through. Then stir in whipping cream and simmer for a few minutes. Remove chicken and put it on a warm serving dish.

Next, beat an egg yolk and lemon juice into the warm sauce and let it thicken.

Pour over chicken and serve!

Want to win a copy of this cookbook for yourself? We're just a couple of recipes away from giveaway time! Make sure to check back for your chance to win!

Make sure to visit the fantastic blog parties on my sidebar, and of course, link up all your made from scratch recipes on my Tuesday linky-Made From Scratch Tuesday!

Swiss Steak Supper

2011-11-03T06:27:00.000-04:00

When the Real Farmwives started the Gooseberry Patch cookbook series, the first thing that popped into my head was sharing some of these recipes with my mom. Since she's the one who taught me how to cook, I knew she'd enjoy trying out new recipes too!

The first recipe she made was Swiss Steak Supper from What's for Dinner?

She started by layering her browned, boneless beef round steak, onions, green peppers and carrots in the crock pot.

Next, mix together brown gravy and tomato juice. Pour over meat and veggies in crock pot.

This recipe takes 10-12 hours to cook, so she let it cook all day while she was at work. (Hey all you working moms....try getting everything ready the night before and refrigerate overnight. Before you leave for work, just turn the crock pot on and dinner will be ready when you get home!!)

Want to win a copy of this cookbook for yourself? Stay tuned as we finish up our 10 recipes for a giveaway!

Make sure to visit the fantastic blog parties on my sidebar, and of course, link up all your made from scratch recipes on my Tuesday linky-Made From Scratch Tuesday!

Made From Scratch Tuesday 11/1

2011-10-31T22:00:00.000-04:00

My favorite thing about pork tenderloins is you can throw them in the crock pot and not think about them until hours later. So on a Sunday when I'm trying to get all the things done I didn't so on Saturday, it's a perfect choice. To mix it up a bit this time, I made a spicy tenderloin. Here's what you'll need:

2 T Ketchup
2 T White Wine Vinegar
2 T A-1 Sauce
2 T Worcestershire Sauce
1 t Garlic Salt
1/4 c Sugar
1/2 t Ground Black Pepper
Dash of Hot Sauce (or more if you want it spicier)
One large onion, sliced

Lay out the onion slice in the bottom of the crock pot and put the tenderloin on top.

In a bowl, mix together the rest of the ingredients.

Pour the mixture over the pork loin, put the lid on the crock pot and cook on low 4-5 hours.

We had some sweet and spicy couscous and roasted veggies with it....absolutely delicious!

Here are the rules:
1. You can link up as many posts as you'd like.
2. My ~~only~~ content rule is it has to be made from scratch.
3. The post you link up MUST CONTAIN A RECIPE!
4. If you want to put my button somewhere, that'd be cool. You can grab the code for the Made From Scratch Tuesday button on the top right of my sidebar.

Artichoke and Spinach Pizza

2011-10-27T19:04:00.001-04:00

The theme ingredient for this month's Iron Chef Challenge is artichoke. I'll be the first to admit artichoke is not a vegetable I cook often. Don't get me wrong; I love artichoke. I just never cook it. The husband, on the other hand, is not an artichoke fan. I "forgot" to tell him I put artichoke hearts on this dish and he raved about it! Go figure.

Spinach and Artichoke Pizza
What you'll need:
Artichoke hearts
Spinach
Fontina Cheese
Romano Cheese
Olive Oil
Red Onions
Pizza crusts (I used sandwich-style flat bread because it's like two circles joined together and I thought they'd make cute mini pizzas!)

First, I steamed the artichokes and cut up the hearts. Don't worry, I didn't throw the rest of the artichoke away. I munched on it while I was waiting for the pizzas to cook! (The best way to munch on artichokes is to have a small dish with melted butter and salt handy!!)

To assemble the pizzas, drizzle the crust with just a bit of olive oil and add sliced red onions. I'm a cheese person, so I added a little bit of the Fontina cheese here too!

Next, pile on the spinach and artichoke!

Top with more Fontina and Romano cheese

Bake at 400 until the cheese has completely melted (8-10 minutes) and serve!

These pizzas were delicious! Artichoke and spinach are a perfect match and the red onions provide just a bit of crunch to make it interesting!

A big thanks to Ott,A and Ocean Mist Farms for sponsoring this Iron Chef Challenge!

Make sure to visit the fantastic blog parties on my sidebar, and of course, link up all your made from scratch recipes on my Tuesday linky-Made From Scratch Tuesday!

Pumpkin Carving 2011

2011-10-26T06:01:00.001-04:00

Super mom secret, or laziness...you decide! We use the big rolls of plastic for all kinds of messy activities around the house. We taped it down to the garage floor and on top of the table. Clean up is a breeze; just pick the plastic up with all the pumpkin guts inside and throw away!

Make sure to visit the fantastic blog parties on my sidebar, and of course, link up all your made from scratch recipes on my Tuesday linky-Made From Scratch Tuesday!

Made From Scratch Tuesday 10/25

2011-10-24T22:00:00.000-04:00

I had grand plans for today's post. However, dinner was an epic failure. And since I waited until tonight to make the dish, and didn't have a plan B, we're going to go with things I plan on making soon!

Source: isharefunfood.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: None via Stacy on Pinterest

Source: None via Courtney on Pinterest

Now, it's time to link up some of those great dishes you make from scratch!
Here are the rules:
1. You can link up as many posts as you'd like.
2. My ~~only~~ content rule is it has to be made from scratch.
3. The post you link up MUST CONTAIN A RECIPE!
4. If you want to put my button somewhere, that'd be cool. You can grab the code for the Made From Scratch Tuesday button on the top right of my sidebar.

Made From Scratch Tuesday 10/18

2011-10-17T22:00:00.000-04:00

I figured I'd stick with the apple theme as long as they were in season and I still had fresh-picked apples around the house. I was trying to figure something different to do with them, so I decided to make apple chips!

First, I sliced the apples on my mandolin and let them soak in a bowl filled with Sprite. The citric acid keeps them from browning, but doesn't add the strong lemon flavor you get by using lemon juice.

Then on the skillet, I heated up some simple syrup and spiced rum. I used about a cup each of water and rum and 3/4 c sugar. Cook the apples just until they start to become translucent.

Pat the excess water off and place on a foil lined cookie sheet.

I used the convection oven to help cook these faster, so it took about an hour with the oven set at 220. Once you hit the hour mark, you'll need to check them every 5 minutes or so. To see if they're done, remove one from the oven and let it cool for a couple of minutes then try to break it. If it snaps, it's done. If it bends, keep on baking! When they're done, remove from cookie sheet immediately and place on cooling rack until completely cool. Store in an airtight container.

Indy Food Swap

2011-10-15T18:15:00.002-04:00

Today I went to the Indy Food Swap. What's a food swap? Well, basically you bring a bunch of stuff that you made/grew/canned/etc and swap it with what other people brought. I brought caramel apple jam and hot chocolate mix with homemade marshmallows. With this being my first time, I didn't know how much to bring, so I brought 10 jars of jam and 8 jars of hot chocolate mix with marshmallows. Some people just brought a few items and others brought lots. There aren't any rules about quantity, but when you run out of items to trade, you may miss out on something you really wanted.

I set out my samples and ventured around to try out what other people brought.

There were so many great things to choose from! I ended up with a wide variety of goodies, 18 different goodies to be exact!

I can't wait to try them all out! I'm really looking forward to the tea and the crock pot soup mix. The next food swap is supposed to be in December. I can't wait!

Make sure to visit the fantastic blog parties on my sidebar, and of course, link up all your made from scratch recipes on my Tuesday linky-Made From Scratch Tuesday!

Made From Scratch Tuesday 10/11

2011-10-10T22:00:00.000-04:00

Apple season is one of our favorites (as if you hadn't already picked that up form my several posts about apples!) so it stands to reason that I'd make a lot of apple dishes. This week, I made apple crisp.

You'll need:
Apples, peeled and sliced (enough to make a good layer in an 8x8 dish, about 4 large apples)
1 c oats
3/4 c brown sugar
3/4 c flour
3/4 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/3 c butter, cut into chunks

Place apples in the bottom of dish.

In separate bowl, mix rest of ingredients until you have a crumbly mixture

Sprinkle on top of apples and bake at 325 for 45 minutes, until topping is crisp and apples are soft when pierced.

For this recipe, I used Winesap apples. I like them because they're slightly tart and stand up really well in baking.

When we picked these apples, I wore my new Carhartt hoodie. Want to win one of your own? Check out Real Farmwives of America to find out how!

Now, it's time to link up some of those great dishes you make from scratch!
Here are the rules:
1. You can link up as many posts as you'd like.
2. My ~~only~~ content rule is it has to be made from scratch.
3. The post you link up MUST CONTAIN A RECIPE!
4. If you want to put my button somewhere, that'd be cool. You can grab the code for the Made From Scratch Tuesday button on the top right of my sidebar.

Struttin' Around in My New Carhartt

2011-10-10T06:00:00.000-04:00

A few weeks back, some of the Real Farmwives and I were offered an opportunity to check out something from the Carhartt's women's line. I was super excited about the opportunity! I didn't know about the women's line (which has been around since 2006), but that's probably because I'm always buying the husband coveralls and coats and quite honestly, never thought about buying something for myself!

He was a little disappointed when I told him my Carhartt came in and he saw the pink fabric! You see, he assumed it was going to be something for him when I told him I was going to receive something for free from Carhartt. I picked a pink (Sherbet is the actual name of the color) hoodie. I absolutely love the lining of the hood! It's soft, fuzzy and warm! The jacket itself is also amazingly soft and warm!

The jacket came just in time because we had our first cold snap shortly after! I wore it to the Apple Festival

Then out to pick apples

And it was perfect for cutting up some down trees in the woods

I seem to be enjoying the chainsaw just a bit too much! Don't laugh at the little trees, he wouldn't let me cut the big ones! I don't know if he thought I was dangerous, or if he just didn't want to share his new toy.

I absolutely love this hoodie and certainly will be buying more from the Carhartt Women's line!

To win a Carhartt of your own please visit www.realfarmwivesofamerica.com to sign up for their giveaway!

Carhartt did provide me with this product to review but the thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

Make sure to visit the fantastic blog parties on my sidebar, and of course, link up all your made from scratch recipes on my Tuesday linky-Made From Scratch Tuesday!

ScratchTruck and GroovyGuysFries: Indy Food Truck Experiences

2011-10-06T12:27:00.000-04:00

Yay for Indiana weather! Actually, I'm serious this time. We're in the middle of an Indian Summer of sorts. That basically means we've had a frost, but temps are back up in the 70's and even approaching 80's. That will be great this weekend we go to Anderson's Orchards and pick out our pumpkins and do a little apple picking.

But the part that's been the best this week has been the food trucks! Since the weather has been cooperating, I'm loving the walks outside to get to these guys! I try not to eat out for lunch very often, and usually do pretty good about bringing my lunch. But this week, I've been a slacker. I've eaten out twice this week. But in my defense, I bought my food from food trucks. So that means I'm supporting local business and it's good for the economy, right? Well, that's my rationale and I'm sticking to it. :)

Anyway, the first of the week brought Groovy Guys Fries.

I really wish I had a pic of the Steak n Cheese fries, but I was hungry! Picture a mound of fresh fries topped with thin sliced steak and melted cheese! Like a deconstructed philly cheese steak. Their menu also includes sweet potato fries!!! You definitely need to check them out and try some of the fantastic fries!

Next stop this week was Scratch Truck

Scratch is comfort food with a trendy twist. Let me tell you about the grilled cheese...

This is nothing like that wonder bread/cheese food product stuff you at with your tomato soup as a kid. This is munster and colby jack cheese (not cheese food product), red wine braised short ribs, caramelized onions and arugula, all toasted up into a gooey, melty, savory piece of heaven....with fries.

These folks are living my dream, whipping up classics with a gourmet twist on the go. Maybe one of these days I'll have my own truck, selling an eclectic variety from pumpkin flavored marshmallows to duck stuffed mushrooms. But for now, I'm glad Indy has a great variety for me to choose from!

Make sure to visit the fantastic blog parties on my sidebar, and of course, link up all your made from scratch recipes on my Tuesday linky-Made From Scratch Tuesday!

Made From Scratch Tuesday 10/4

2011-10-03T22:00:00.000-04:00

On to the next Gooseberry Patch recipe! It's been a few weks, so I'd better get back to it!

Tonight, I picked a recipe from the "Can't Miss Casseroles" section. I don't make casseroles too often, but I decided to give this one a try because it sounded so easy and yummy!

I made a few changes to the recipe based on what I had on hand. Instead of 3 cans of mixed vegetables, I used a can of corn and a can of green beans. Instead of crescent rolls, I used flaky biscuits. I also substituted cream of broccoli and cream of celery for the cream of chicken. And since I'm being honest here, I used Tyson frozen, fully cooked chicken breast chunks. They're so convenient and have a great grilled taste!

To begin, I mixed up everything except the rolls in a 13x9 baking dish.

Since I was using precooked, frozen chicken, I put it in the oven at 400 for about 15 minutes, or until the chicken thawed out. Then I pulled it out and added the biscuits. Back into the oven for 18 minutes, until the biscuits browned.

It was delicious...and a total no-brainer, which was perfect for the Monday I had!

Now, it's time to link up some of those great dishes you make from scratch!
Here are the rules:
1. You can link up as many posts as you'd like.
2. My ~~only~~ content rule is it has to be made from scratch.
3. The post you link up MUST CONTAIN A RECIPE!
4. If you want to put my button somewhere, that'd be cool. You can grab the code for the Made From Scratch Tuesday button on the top right of my sidebar.

My Husband Loves Couscous-Just Don't Tell Him!

2011-09-26T22:00:00.000-04:00

Every time I walk past the couscous at the grocery store, I almost drool. I love couscous because it's like a blank canvas. It will take on any flavor and add a light sweetness. But, the husband always made a face and said he didn't like it. So for nearly five years of marriage, I've deprived myself of the wonderfulness of couscous. I finally had enough! He was going to eat it, and like it! I don't know what to call this dish; all I know is it's delicious and we both cleaned our plates!

It's less of a recipe and more like generalities, but here goes....

In a large skillet, sear 1 1/2 lbs beef stew meat in a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Add in stock (preferably beef, but I realized I was out of beef and used duck instead), carrots, celery, onions, a splash or two of rice wine vinegar, thyme and salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until beef is tender. Mine took about 45 minutes. While that's cooking, use your leftover veggies and make some stock to cook the couscous in. When the beef is nearly done, toss in two portabella mushroom caps, sliced, and steam some asparagus. Cook the couscous by combining equal parts of boiling stock and couscous. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork.

Serve by laying asparagus on bottom, couscous next, then top with meat and vegetable mixture-make sure to get lots of the juice from the pan!!!

The best part of this was he ate everything on the plate. After he was done, I asked him if he liked the couscous! He finally admitted that maybe, just maybe, he likes couscous.

Now, it's time to link up some of those great dishes you make from scratch!
Here are the rules:
1. You can link up as many posts as you'd like.
2. My ~~only~~ content rule is it has to be made from scratch.
3. The post you link up MUST CONTAIN A RECIPE!
4. If you want to put my button somewhere, that'd be cool. You can grab the code for the Made From Scratch Tuesday button on the top right of my sidebar.

Made From Scratch Tuesday 9/20

2011-09-19T22:00:00.000-04:00

Instead of sharing a recipe with you all today, I'm going to share a story. I'm part of an amazing group of women called the Real Farmwives of America and Friends. And as we speak (type, read...whatever the case may be), one of these ladies is battling for her life right now.

Leontien, from Four Leaf Clover Dairy, is battling cancer, again. And to show her how much we love her, and are praying for her, we're giving her a "love bomb". So go visit her blog, read about her panties (you'll understand when you see it!), visit the Facebook Page, tweet her a message (#Power2Panties), anything you can to show some love for Leontien!

Homemade Root Beer

2011-09-16T22:06:00.003-04:00

Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Red Star Yeast

If I was a planner, which we all know I'm not, I totally would have made some beer.

Since I didn't have time to make beer, I made root beer!

I looked around a bit and it seemed to be fairly simple. You'll need:

an empty 2 liter bottle
1 c sugar
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon root beer extract
1/4 t yeast
water

To start, place a funnel in the top of the bottle. Add sugar and yeast.

Swirl around to mix together. Next add root beer extract.

Add in about 3 cups of water and mix well.

Finally fill the bottle to almost the top. You'll want to leave about 1" to 1 1/2" headspace. Tighten cap and let sit at room temperature until you can no longer squeeze the bottle. Depending on what kind of yeast you're using, it could be 6 to 48 hours. I used Red Star Quick Rise yeast, so it took just about 6 hours for the bottle to be ready. See all the carbon dioxide bubbles formed by the yeast?! That's how this root beer gets the carbonation.

When you can't squeeze the bottle anymore, refrigerate over night. Now it's ready to drink!

The root beer went over great at our bonfire this weekend! The whole bottle was empty before I knew it! At one point, a couple of our guests even hid the bottle so they could have the rest! I think I may have inspired these two to start making their own sodas.

If root beer isn't your drink of choice, what about ginger ale?
To make ginger ale, you'll need:

2 T fresh grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon yeast
juice of one lemon
1 c sugar
water

Pour sugar and yeast into bottle. Swirl around. Mix the ginger and lemon juice together to make a slurry.

Add slurry to the bottle. I used a kabob skewer to push it through my funnel.

Add water and shake bottle until mixed. Let it sit out at room temperature until you cannot squeeze the bottle. Refrigerate over night. Enjoy!

Made From Scratch Tuesday 9/13

2011-09-12T22:00:00.001-04:00

In case you missed my post on our new fire pit, make sure to check it out and find out how you can win one of your own!

Tonight for dinner, we had braised pork shoulder with wild rice and broccoli. DELICIOUS! And the best part, it's super easy!

To start out, give the pork shoulder steaks a good rub. Like a deep tissue massage for the pork. I used a mixture of paprika, cumin, salt and pepper.

Then pour a little bit of olive oil in a cast iron skillet and get it hot. Sear each side of the meat.

Next, add in an onion and a couple of cloves of garlic. Then pour some stock over the whole thing.

Bake, covered, in a 300 degree oven for an hour and half to two hours. The meat should be tender, but not stringy.

Now, I couldn't let all that gorgeous gravy go to waste, so I made wild rice in it!

Roasted Hotdogs, S'mores and a Giveaway

2011-09-12T06:00:00.000-04:00

The awesome folks at Avant Garden Decor gave us farmwives and friends the opportunity to review one of their fine products. Let me tell you, they have so many great choices, I had a really hard time deciding which product we wanted to try out. We finally decided on the Portable Fire Pit.

I chose this one for a couple of reasons:
1. Wheels. I really like the fact it's so easy to move around our porch. We can pull it right out to the middle of the porch when we need it and scoot it on over out of the way when we're done.
2. The shelf on the bottom. It's super convenient to be able to stash firewood down below. So not only can you wheel it around, but the firewood is always right there!
3. Well, I just really liked it!

Just like most things you receive in the mail, we had to put it together when it arrived. Super easy! It even came with the tools needed! Now that's my kind of company.

All that was left was to enjoy, and Labor Day weekend seemed like the perfect opportunity. Honestly, it was the first weekend it was cool enough to be comfortable around a fire!

By the way, this is what happens when you let the husband start the fire. You end up with one tiny flame in the middle and everyone is trying to cook their hotdog in the same place. Sigh. Time to put the camera down and show him how to make a real fire!

Back up boys! Let the ladies show you how it's done!

Now that's how you build a fire! Time to eat!

After a little digesting, and fire maintenance, on to the s'mores!

We like them with chocolate graham crackers!

Now it's time to just relax and spend some quality time together. And suddenly develop a shyness from the camera. Teenagers...what can you do? Even a fire pit can't solve everything!

If you would like to win a Fire Pit of your very own then head over to the Real Farmwives of America & Friends Blog and sign up for the giveaway!"

Avant Garden Decor did provide me with this product to review, however the thoughts and opinions shared about this product on this blog are my own.

Make sure to visit the fantastic blog parties on my sidebar, and of course, link up all your made from scratch recipes on my Tuesday linky-Made From Scratch Tuesday!

Apple Picking '11

2011-09-07T06:31:00.000-04:00

Make sure to visit the fantastic blog parties on my sidebar, and of course, link up all your made from scratch recipes on my Tuesday linky-Made From Scratch Tuesday!

Made From Scratch Tuesday 9/6

2011-09-05T22:00:00.000-04:00

Time for our next Gooseberry Patch recipe! We're on to #6, so after just a few more, I'll be giving away a copy of What's for Dinner!

Tonight, we made Chocolatey Chocolate Cake

First, get out all the ingredients, substituting coffee for the water the recipe calls for

Then mix them all up together

Then pour into a greased 13x9 pan and bake for 30 minutes.

I topped it with a whipped marshmallow vanilla icing

Delicious!

Now, it's time to link up some of those great dishes you make from scratch!
Here are the rules:
1. You can link up as many posts as you'd like.
2. My ~~only~~ content rule is it has to be made from scratch.
3. The post you link up MUST CONTAIN A RECIPE!
4. If you want to put my button somewhere, that'd be cool. You can grab the code for the Made From Scratch Tuesday button on the top right of my sidebar.

Made From Scratch Tuesday 8/30

2011-08-30T06:11:00.000-04:00

While Canning Week may be over, I still have one more canning recipe to share!
Over the weekend, I picked a few raspberries. When I saw a few....it's really more like 10 cups! What can I say? I love raspberries!

Anyway, I had enough berries to make raspberry jam and try out a new recipe for raspberry peach jam! I found this on the Taste of Home website.

2-2/3 cups finely chopped peeled peaches
1-1/2 cups crushed fresh raspberries
3 cups sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons bottled lemon juice

Directions

In a Dutch oven, combine all ingredients. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved and mixture is bubbly, about 10 minutes. Bring to a full rolling boil; boil for 15 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; skim off foam.
Carefully ladle hot mixture into hot half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe rims and adjust lids. Process for 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Yield: 5 half-pints.

I followed the directions, but mine was still a bit runny. I went ahead and canned it, hoping it would set. It didn't. On to batch #2. I put the fruit in the dutch oven and added 3 T of pectin. Bring that up to a boil, add sugar and continue with directions above. Second batch worked perfect!