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Let me make this emphatic disclaimer, from the outset. THIS is decadently creamy, richly delicious and soul-satisfying, once-in-a-blue-moon dessert. It is NOT what we eat everyday, (but, oh Baby, you will be tempted. :) ) and no one is more aware than myself, that it has no redeeming health properties, whatsoever. Please don’t send me [...]
Let me make this emphatic disclaimer, from the outset. THIS is decadently creamy, richly delicious and soul-satisfying, once-in-a-blue-moon dessert. It is NOT what we eat everyday, (but, oh Baby, you will be tempted. :) ) and no one is more aware than myself, that it has no redeeming health properties, whatsoever. Please don’t send me email. I’ll be forever grateful. :) That being said, proceed with great delight and prepare to enjoy a little slice of heaven! When you make this for guests, they will swoon. Your kitchen will become hallowed ground and people will travel to pay homage to your cast iron skillet. Well…maybe not travel…but they WILL tell people. And, they’ll want seconds!
As is often the case for me, a recipe first jumps out at me from a photo on Pinterest and this yummy pie did exactly that. It led me to a recipe called Mamaw Pie over at I Should Be Mopping the Floor. I could tell, right away, that Kristi and I have the same love of cooking and the photos on her blog just sort of sucked me into this dazed pinning frenzy, which delayed my preparing this recipe for a day or two. As always, I put my own spin on things, using ingredients my family enjoys or that I had on hand, but Kristi’s Mamaw is my hero and most definitely the inspiration for this new special occasion family recipe. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 graham cracker crusts
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (8 oz) block cream cheese
- 1 (16 oz) Cool Whip, (that is the LARGE tub)
- 1 T. vanilla
- 1 stick butter
- 1 1/2 cup pecans
- 1 1/2 cups coconut
- 2 cups caramel topping
- 2 cups fudge topping
Instructions
- In a heavy skillet, toast coconut and pecans in the butter. Stir frequently and remove from heat when coconut has lightly browned.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, cream cheese and vanilla,
- I was able to use a fork and blend it until it was smooth, but a hand mixer would work well, also.
- Fold the entire tub of Cool Whip into the cream cheese mixture, blending only long enough to be sure everything is combined, but the filling is still fluffy.
- Layer 1/4 of the cream cheese filling mixture into the bottom of each of the graham cracker crusts. (You will still have half a batch of cream cheese filling in your bowl.)
- Drizzle 1/2 cup of caramel topping over the filling in each pie.
- Drizzle 1/2 cup of fudge topping over the caramel layer in each pie.
- Sprinkle 1/4 of the toasted coconut and pecans onto the top of each pie.
- Now repeat the layers, a second time, with the last half of your ingredients, until both pies are full and topped with the coconut and pecans.
- Place the pies on a sheet tray and place them in the freezer. Once they have hardened, you can cover them with plastic wrap and then foil, to keep them in the freezer for awhile.
- Or, if you're like us, they won't make it past the evening. Remove them from the freezer and allow them to thaw, slightly, for about 15 minutes. Slice and serve to your delighted guests and/or family.
- I actually doubled this recipe recently, to have two pies for a get-together and two in the freezer, so I already have a quick, delicious dessert prepared if unexpected company arrives or I need to prep a meal for a new mom, etc.
- We also left the few uneaten slices of the pie that were left over, in the refrigerator, instead of refreezing. It stayed set-up, but soft and creamy, (instead of firm, like when it was slightly frozen) which was equally delicious. I could see it being served either way, depending on your preferences.
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This is one of my old stand-by recipes and I was shocked when I realized I had never posted it, here, for you. Craving the savory, rich, meatiness of this homey dish, I reached for the computer, to just pull up my recipe on the blog, and discovered that it wasn’t here. It was definitely [...]
This is one of my old stand-by recipes and I was shocked when I realized I had never posted it, here, for you. Craving the savory, rich, meatiness of this homey dish, I reached for the computer, to just pull up my recipe on the blog, and discovered that it wasn’t here. It was definitely necessary to immediately remedy that oversight. Well….immediately, after I made and ate some. :) That meant digging around in the upper cabinets for my old recipe box and retrieving a well-worn sheet of folded paper that I had scribbled the recipe on, years ago, when we were visiting David’s folks. Back then, we didn’t have two spare pennies to rub together and never subscribed to any magazines. Mom, on the other hand, always had several “ladies” periodicals on the coffee table and I loved to pore over the recipes, with her. If for no other reason than to recall that fun memory, this post had to happen.
As you can see, this recipe has been well loved and used. Now, that I have it here on the blog, I probably won’t pull it out, again, but I will definitely save it and put it back in the recipe box, stains, tears and all. Someday, when my grandkids pull it out and ask their moms about it, the girls can tell them all about their Great Grandma and Grandma looking through magazines for recipes and making fabulous family suppers.
I got a great deal on round steak by shopping very early in the morning, last week. The manager’s specials for meat whose “best if used by” dates will expire in a couple of days, are usually snapped up quickly, so I have to be one of the first to arrive to get the savings. I was able to get two, thin-cut, top-round steaks for a real bargain. One was just a little over 2 lbs for $4.97 and the other was a little under 2 lbs for $4.53! With some fresh bell peppers, onions, garlic and canned tomatoes, those steaks stretched to feed our family, plus guests, through several delicious meals. Gotta love stretching the grocery budget in such a tasty way!
I hope you enjoy this simple, easy recipe, as much as we do. The crock pot lets you just start it and forget it, while reaping the flavorful rewards of the slow-cooking the meat until it is, literally, fork-tender. This time, I served it over wide egg-noodles, but have served it over brown rice, with the same tasty exclamations of delight. I think it would be good over quinoa, too. Just be sure you have already trained your family to enjoy the texture of quinoa and cook it in chicken or beef stock, to ramp up the flavor.
Ingredients
- 4 to 4 1/2 lbs of round steak
- 2 large onions
- 4 large bell peppers, any color
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 2/3 cup soy sauce
- 2 (14.5 oz) cans of petite diced tomatoes, undrained
- 2 tubs Knorr Homestyle Beef Stock concentrate
- sea salt, to taste
- fresh black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Slice the round steak into thin strips. Place the strips into your Crock Pot.
- Dice the onions and add them to the Crock Pot.
- Add the garlic and soy sauce to the Crock Pot.
- Add salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Stir everything together, and put the lid on your Crock Pot.
- Set the Crock Pot on LOW and cook for 4-6 hours, until the meat is tender.
- While meat is cooking, cut the peppers into thin strips.
- When the meat is tender, add both cans of tomatoes, the Knorr beef stock concentrate and all the bell peppers. (You could leave out the Knorr beef stock concentrate and the dish would still be good. I just love the rich, savory boost it gives to the sauce that forms in the slow cooker.) Turn the crock pot to HIGH and cook for another 30 minutes.
- Serve your pepper steak over noodles, brown rice, or even quinoa. We had broccoli and cantaloupe as side dishes to this wonderful meal!
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http://busy-at-home.com/blog/crock-pot-pepper-steak/When you need a quick snack that everyone will love and doesn’t involve tons of dirty dishes, this hot crusty Italian loaf with drippy, melty Jack cheese, bacon and green onions will drive your family wild! It’s deliciously simple, but definitely party-worthy. It will be the hit of any hor d’oeuvres table you contribute to. At [...]
When you need a quick snack that everyone will love and doesn’t involve tons of dirty dishes, this hot crusty Italian loaf with drippy, melty Jack cheese, bacon and green onions will drive your family wild! It’s deliciously simple, but definitely party-worthy. It will be the hit of any hor d’oeuvres table you contribute to. At any party where you arrive carrying it, you’ll be going home empty-handed and it will be the MOST requested recipe of the night. Some time ago, I pinned a recipe from keyingredient.com and when I recently had time to test it out, you know I had to put my own spin on it. The basic premise is ingenious and there are so many different ways you could take this by changing up the cheese, the toppings, etc. I’m envisioning a pizza pull apart or a nacho pull apart or maybe even a cinnamon roll pull apart that wouldn’t use cheese at all. Go crazy! This recipe will make you famous in your neighborhood! lol Yes, ma’am, it’s THAT good! You’re only five ingredients away from YUM! So here’s my twist on a great idea. Enjoy!
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Ingredients
- 1 loaf Italian bread
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 1/2 cup chopped bacon, cooked and drained (Use real bacon, you won't regret it!)
- 3 - 4 green onions, sliced thinly
- 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
Instructions
- Slice your Italian loaf diagonally, but don't slice all the way through. You want to leave the bottom crust intact.
- Turn the loaf and slice diagonally in the other direction. It will create a diamond pattern on the bread and the loaf will start to open up or "bloom".
- Be smarter than me and at this point, transfer your loaf to a foil covered baking sheet. (I assembled mine and then made the transfer, which worked, but it would have been so much easier to build it on the baking sheet, to begin with.)
- Drizzle melted butter over the top of your loaf and be sure to let it drip down into all your diagonal cut marks.
- Sprinkle your pieces of chopped bacon over the melted butter.
- Next distribute the green onion slices and then cover the entire loaf with cheese.
- Bake it on a foil-covered baking sheet, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for 15 -20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and beginning to lightly brown, in places.
- Remove from the oven and serve warm. Take my word for it. You won't have to call the family to let them know it's done. The smell of the toasting bread and bacon, wafting from your kitchen, will have had them waiting at the counter for you to pull it out of the oven.
- To serve, simply allow guests to pull the pre-sliced chunks from the loaf. This is most definitely finger-food! Enjoy!
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http://busy-at-home.com/blog/cheesy-bacon-onion-pull-apart-bread-delish/Yay!!! I’m very excited to have been selected as one of 15 finalists in the Pompeian “Change Your Oil” Recipe Contest! I submitted our family’s favorite Chocolate Cake Recipe and substituted Pompeian Grape Seed Oil for the butter. It worked like a dream and the cake is over-the-top fantastic! Now, that the wonderful folks at [...]
Yay!!! I’m very excited to have been selected as one of 15 finalists in the Pompeian “Change Your Oil” Recipe Contest! I submitted our family’s favorite Chocolate Cake Recipe and substituted Pompeian Grape Seed Oil for the butter. It worked like a dream and the cake is over-the-top fantastic! Now, that the wonderful folks at Pompeian think so, too, I have a huge favor to ask. I need your vote. And if you need some motivation, everyone who casts a vote gets to enter an awesome giveaway for a Pompeian Gift Basket! They’re giving away one each day until the 12th!
On May 12, the finalists will be reduced to five, based on YOUR votes for our recipes. I would so appreciate you taking the time to cast your vote for Chocolate Cake, Busy-at-Home and I can’t thank you enough! When you click the link, to vote, be sure to LIKE Pompeian, so you can cast a vote. Then at the bottom of the age, you’ll see the link to check out the 15 finalists. Clicking that will show a page with all 15 recipes. Please choose the radio button for Chocolate Cake, Busy-at-Home and hit the submit button. Then you will be able to enter the giveaway!
Why would I be so excited about a recipe contest? It may seem sort of silly to you, but to me, it would be one of the most exciting things to happen for my blog. The prize is an all-expense paid trip to BlogHer Food ’13, the ultimate food blogger’s educational and networking conference! What a fantastic blessing it would be for growing my blog and learning even more that I’d be able to share with all of you. So, yeah…I’m just a little excited. :) Thanks in advance for being such awesome fans and followers and for taking the time to cast your vote! Busy-at-Home readers are THE best! :)
And in case you missed it in the last post, here’s the cake recipe, again. It really IS the Best Chocolate Cake!
I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and Kraft Foods. The recipe is my own original creation. A positive review was not required, and as with all Busy-at-Home reviews, the views and opinions expressed are [...]
I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and Kraft Foods. The recipe is my own original creation. A positive review was not required, and as with all Busy-at-Home reviews, the views and opinions expressed are wholly my own and based on my personal experience with the product.
Something about cold weather inspires me to make casseroles, even if the cold weather is long after the beginning of spring. We are waiting for the last remnants of winter to give up and let go, here in southeast Nebraska, and without a doubt, we’ve had some perfect casserole weather. So, when I had the opportunity to create a recipe using Kraft Fresh Take, you know I didn’t bread something with the Southwest Three Cheese kit, I selected. I went, just slightly, outside the box. Kraft Fresh Take is a meal kit that provides you with a fresh take for your usual weeknight suppers. The cheese and breadcrumb mix provides a flavor-punch that dresses up many of the recipes you already use, making them something new and special. They are easy to find in the cheese aisle at your local grocery store.
There are so many wonderfully flavorful varieties of Kraft Fresh Take to choose from that you’ll be able to find something to complement any recipe.
I think you and your family will love the hearty Southwest Chicken Meatball Casserole, I created. It’s the ultimate comfort food with just a bit of a Southwest kick. I used pasta, but it would definitely work just as well with rice, or even quinoa. And if you are inspired to make it, or to use Kraft Fresh Take to dress up one of your own family recipes, be sure to watch for immediately redeemable coupons on specially marked packages of chicken. You’ll save $1.00 off the chicken when you buy Kraft Fresh Take. Plus, the Kraft Fresh Take Tour Bus may be coming to a store near you, with loads of ideas and recipes for using these simple meal kits. Check here to see if they will be coming to your town. Now, here’s that casserole recipe I promised. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground chicken
- 2 pkg Kraft Fresh Takes Southwest Three Cheese
- 1 red bell pepper, minced
- 1 jalapeno, minced
- 1/2 c. minced onion
- 1/4 c. minced fresh cilantro
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 eggs
- 1 recipe Better than Cream of Chicken
- 1 (8 oz) pkg Kraft Mexican Queso Quesadilla Cheese
- 1 lg. jalapeno (1/2 seeds removed), minced
- 35-50 Southwest Chicken Meatballs
- 1 recipe Creamy Southwest Sauce (above)
- 1 lg red bell pepper, diced
- 3 green onions, diced
- 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 lb. shell pasta, cooked and drained
- 1/2 cup cheddar or Mexican Blend cheese, grated
FOR THE SOUTHWEST MEATBALLS
FOR THE CREAMY SOUTHWEST SAUCE
FOR THE CASSEROLE
Instructions
- Mince the red bell pepper, onion, garlic, cilantro and jalapeno. Be sure to mince them fairly fine. These are small, bite-sized meatballs, so you'll want to keep the ingredients sized accordingly.
- Also, the amount of heat in your dish will be largely dependent on how many of the seeds and ribs you leave in your jalapeno. Remove them all for a mild flavor or leave them all for a spicy kick. I removed all but about 1/4 of the seeds and ribs in my large jalapeno, before mincing it.
- Place all the minced veggies in a large bowl with the chicken,eggs and both Fresh Take cheese and bread crumb packets.
- Combine all the ingredients, making sure that they are distributed evenly throughout the ground chicken mixture.
- I used about two teaspoons of meat mixture to form and roll each meatball. Since I was mixing them into a casserole, I wanted them to be small and bite-sized. These would actually be perfect sizes for party appetizers, too. Making them this size, I got 102 meatballs from this batch, so I had some to use and some for the freezer, which makes for easy quick prep of a future meal!
- Lay the meatballs on a lightly greased baking sheet, being sure to leave a little space between them so they cook evenly and from all sides.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly before removing them from the baking sheet.
- Enjoy these delicious, spicy little meatballs, as is, as appetizers with salsa for dipping, or as ingredients in one of your favorite recipes. They're so tasty, you will find yourself just popping them in your mouth, as you continue cooking. So beware, and be sure to save some for the casserole! :)
- Make one recipe of my Better than Cream of Chicken
- Add the minced jalapeno and the Kraft Queso Quesadilla Cheese, stirring over low heat until the cheese has completely melted and is incorporated into the sauce.
- Set the Creamy Southwest Sauce aside to prep the casserole.
- Combine black beans, cooked and drained pasta, veggies and meatballs in a 9x13 baking dish. Mix them and distribute the ingredients evenly.
- Pour the Southwest Casserole Sauce over this mixture.
- Stir to combine, making sure all the casserole ingredients are coated with sauce.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until the casserole is heated through and the sauce is bubbly around the edges.
- Sprinkle the 1/2 cup of Cheddar or Mexican blend cheese over the baked casserole and return to the oven for about five minutes or until the cheese has melted.
- Remove from the oven and serve this hearty dish with steamed broccoli or a fresh green salad! Yum!
To Make the Meatballs
for the Creamy Southwest Sauce
for the Casserole
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I received a bottle of Pompeian Grape Seed Oil in order to test it in my own kitchen and gather information for this post. My recipes, below, are entered in a contest and I could win an all-expense paid trip to BlogHer Food ’13. No monetary compensation was received for this post and a positive review [...]
I received a bottle of Pompeian Grape Seed Oil in order to test it in my own kitchen and gather information for this post. My recipes, below, are entered in a contest and I could win an all-expense paid trip to BlogHer Food ’13. No monetary compensation was received for this post and a positive review was not required. As with all Busy-at-Home reviews, the views and opinions expressed are wholly my own.
I’ve apparently been living under a rock somewhere, with no access to the most vital outside information. How could I have missed this? Do you know about grape seed oil? I’m ashamed to admit, until last week, I had never heard of it. So, I did a little online investigating and was shocked to see that, apparently, EVERYONE except me already knows about it and is excited about the potential health benefits, as well as using it to replace butter in their favorite recipes.
Pompeian Grape Seed Oil – I substituted this for butter in two of my recipes, one savory, one sweet. The results were quite surprising.
Grape seed oil is made by pressing the discarded seeds of grapes, left after wine making. Some of the articles I read, suggest that grape seed oil has some pretty impressive health benefits since it is rich in Vitamin E, flavonoids, Vitamin C, antioxidants and beta carotene. It may be helpful in regulating blood sugar and protecting the body from health problems caused by free radicals. Because grape seed oil can suppress the production of histamine, there are even studies being conducted to see if it might be helpful in reducing the effects of allergies and asthma. It is also used in many skin care products, since it has astringent properties that help to tighten skin. Some people have found it helpful in treating acne and that it may protect skin from the sun. It’s easily absorbed by the skin, since it is so light and many believe it is particularly good for skin around the eyes.
When it comes to cooking, I had no difficulty discerning grape seed oil’s benefits, on my own. It’s a very light oil and I found that whether I was making sweet or savory dishes, the oil did not overpower or change the flavor in my recipes, at all. It has a very high smoke point, higher than butter or olive oil, and that means it may also work as an alternative to butter for frying, stir frying and even deep-fat frying. I haven’t had a chance to use it in any dressings or vinaigrettes, yet, but because it is such a light oil, without any overpowering flavors to compete with other ingredients, I think it would be a delicious complement in most salad dressing recipes.
I’m not going to lie. When it comes to replacing butter in my recipes, I’m a hard sell. I love what butter does for flavor and texture, when I’m cooking or baking. And if you’ve been around the blog for very long, you know that from my recipes. So, to really put Pompeian Grape Seed Oil to the test, I decided it was not going to be enough to try it in just one recipe. I wanted to replace butter in both a savory and a sweet recipe, to see the results. My two recipes that I believe are most dependent on the butter for the reasons, mentioned above, are Chocolate Butter Cake and my Better than Cream of Chicken Sauce. I altered both recipes to substitute grape seed oil for the butter. No one was more surprised than me! Texture and flavor were virtually unchanged in both recipes. The cake was not quite as moist as when we make it with butter, but the flavor was spot on and the whole family loved it. There was no detectable difference in the sauce. It was absolutely perfect. I think you will love BOTH these recipes; and when it comes to savings, ounce for ounce, grape seed oil is slightly less expensive than butter. Money savings AND good for both baking and stove-top cooking –it’s hard to argue with success! 
Enjoy!
TIP: When substituting oils for butter, in baking, I use a ratio of ¾:1. For example, if your recipe calls for 1 cup of softened butter, substitute 3/4 cup of oil. Otherwise your baked goods may be too “soupy” and not set up correctly. For stove top cooking, I use a 1:1 ratio (equal amounts of oil substituted for butter).
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Pompeian Grape Seed Oil
- 2 cups Morena sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 cup cocoa
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup boiling water
your favorite Chocolate Buttercream Icing
Instructions
- Blend oil and sugar.
- (You can use any sugar that you prefer. I find Morena sugar in the ethnic food aisle at Walmart. It is with the Mexican foods. It is 100% pure cane sugar, non-GMO, and it doesn't go through the bleaching and chemical processing that white sugar does. You use it cup for cup just like white sugar. The only difference we have found is that you can't get pure white coloring in your baked goods. They have more of a caramely color. For us, that's a non-issue. Morena sugar is also less expensive than the heavily processed white sugar you will find in the baking aisle.)
- Mix in the eggs.
- Add the milk and mix well. (We use raw, whole milk. Use the type you are most comfortable with.)
- Add the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
- Mix in the boiling water.
- Pour cake batter into a greased 9x13 cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. The toothpick test will not work for testing doneness on this cake. Center will be set, but soft and the edges of the cake will be pulling away from the pan, when it is done.
- Remove from oven and cool in pan, on a cooling rack. Center will sink somewhat as it cools. This is normal and happens even if I use butter, instead of oil.
- Frost with your favorite icing when cake has completely cooled.
- This delicious cake is best served ice cold from the fridge. It is moist, dense and delicious!
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Pompeian Grape Seed Oil
- 1/2 cup flour
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups sour cream
Instructions
- Mix oil and flour in a saucepan. Cook for about one minute on medium-high heat.
- The mixture will bubble and start to get "dry" around the edges of the pan.
- Add the chicken stock and whisk it into your oil and flour roux. Lower heat to med and allow to cook until it thickens. Continue stirring constantly. (I use homemade chicken stock. You can use canned or cartons if you like. We like ours to have lots of good chicken flavor, so I taste as I go and will add a tub of Knorr Stock concentrate or bouillon if I feel like the sauce needs a boost of flavor.)
- When sauce has thickened, remove from heat and stir in sour cream.
- This sauce is fantastic as a gravy or as the creamy base for a casserole. It's perfect for creamy chicken enchiladas, too. You can use it as is, or add flavors that will complement the dish you are making.
- I add jalapeno and cheese to create my Southwest Chicken Meatball Casserole. Be sure to check out that tasty recipe, too!
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This post is linked up with Tasty Tuesday and the Make, Bake, Create Party #5.
We love Mexican food in this house. We’ve discovered, though, that we probably prefer an Americanized version of it. The few times we have had the opportunity to sit down in an “authentic” Mexican restaurant, we have left disappointed in the flavors and go back to our favorites. The problem is that, with the Americanized [...]
We love Mexican food in this house. We’ve discovered, though, that we probably prefer an Americanized version of it. The few times we have had the opportunity to sit down in an “authentic” Mexican restaurant, we have left disappointed in the flavors and go back to our favorites. The problem is that, with the Americanized versions, you never know exactly what you’re getting. We are so conditioned to processed foods, in the United States, that we hardly recognize them and their dangers, anymore, as we’re eating. The beauty of the authentic Mexican food is that it is cooked with whole food ingredients, from scratch, and you know exactly what is going into it. That’s what I’m trying to do, more and more, in my own kitchen. (With the exception of tortillas. Oy! I still haven’t mastered them, yet.)
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Once you make these from scratch, you’ll never buy canned again. They are flavor-packed, easy to make in your slow cooker, economical and infinitely more healthy than store-bought. SOOOOO GOOD!
So, refried beans are a staple in our house. My kids will eat them for a quick snack, spread on a tortilla like peanut butter, then cover the beans in grated cheddar, roll the tortilla and pop it in the microwave to melt the cheese and heat the beans. These have been fondly dubbed, “Cheesies”, after a similar dish in a local restaurant. We also like them in beef and bean burritos, bean burritos or in tacos. They make a fabulous beginning layer in our favorite layered Taco Dip recipe and there are tons of other uses.
I used to buy refried beans, canned, but I never will, again; and it won’t be for the reasons you’re thinking. I’m not opposed to fat in our diet. I never bought the so-called low-fat or vegetarian beans. Our bodies are crying out for healthy fats — whole food fats that can nourish our immune and nervous systems, create strong cell membranes, aid in digestion, provide energy and work to help detoxify the liver. The politically correct demonization of saturated fats in America has not led to a healthier, stronger, less obese population. It has turned the unknowing public to fake fats, artificially created and hydrogenated, that our bodies don’t know how to utilize and it has introduced toxins and free-radicals into our systems. Free radicals are cancer-causers, and wreak havoc on our bodies, at a cellular level. Look around you at the large number of Americans who struggle with their weight. Most of them are drinking diet sodas, eating fat-free bagels, lowfat yogurt, reduced-fat milk and dairy products, and unwittingly, continuing to support a billion dollar food industry lie, because they’ve been told it’s good for them. The foods they are putting in their bodies are mixtures of chemicals, genetically modified foods and “enriched” ingredients. Do we look like it’s been good for us? Heart disease, cancers, and diabetes aren’t “going away” with the use of these products, obesity is on the rise and more and more of our children have allergies, diabetes and weight issues. Clearly there has to be a better way. I’m not a scientist, but I inherently know that food in the form God created it for our nourishment, and in balanced and common-sense serving sizes, must be the answer we’re missing. That doesn’t sell products, though. And the money created in this toxic industry has created something we never anticipated — powerful, conglomerates that have the money to pass legislation that protects them from the truth and limits our ability to know what they are trying to feed us. It’s madness. And it’s definitely time to take control of your own food supply, again.
I use our homemade refried beans in all our families favorite Mexican dishes. You will find the flavor of your favorite recipes to be so much richer and delicious when you prepare the refried beans from scratch with this simple method. Your family is going to love them!
The problem is that now, even though we recognize what’s happening, it’s difficult to change, because the majority of the food available in local grocery stores and markets is laden with genetically modified corn and soybean products, sugar, polyunsaturated oils, hydrogenated fats and tons of chemicals we can’t even pronounce. Those are the cheap, affordable products that tempt and woo us, from the shelves. It costs more to purchase whole, untainted foods, in the short-term, but what you’ll save in medical bills and time lost from work due to illness, over the long-term, will more than make up for it. Plus, with careful planning, buying local and seasonal whole foods and watching sales and coupons, many are surprised to find that these healthier foods don’t have to increase their grocery budgets. Be informed, buy smart, eat normal portions, not super-sized, and consume the flavor-dense, whole and natural foods that build health and vitality. You can do this! It’s never been more critical to know what we’re feeding our families. It’s hard to know who to trust and where to get the truth, but I have been studying a fantastic book, backed up by a lot of science and common sense, that debunks what we’ve been “taught” about food and health. I would recommend Nourishing Traditions as a must-read for your family’s health and to help you navigate the sea of myths, lies and misconceptions about our food supply, as well as what is critically necessary to properly nourish our families. Plus, it’s full of delicious and nutritious recipes.
688 pages packed with practical, do-able whole foods nutrition info that you will never get in the mainstream media. You’ll love the recipes and you’ll have the tools at your fingertips to make wise food choices for your family, debunking the latest politically correct food fads. This picture is my affiliate link, where Amazon has Nourishing Traditions for only $15.68 – a 42% savings!
And you thought this was just going to be a recipe for beans, didn’t you? lol The last can of refried beans I purchased had the following list of ingredients: cooked beans, water, salt, tomato paste (no mention of the ingredients in the tomato paste, but it is likely more salt and sugar), partially hydrogenated lard (Lard in its pure form is NOT hydrogenated. That is an “improvement”, by the powers that be, and that the human body cannot metabolize properly.), chili pepper, sugar (Really? Sugar? Do we need sugar in refried beans? And what kind of sugar? Corn, beet, cane, honey? How was it processed? is it GMO like most sugar beets and sugar cane?), natural flavors (What does that mean? Do the flavorings occur naturally, in nature, or are they chemically processed flavorings that mimic the flavor of naturally occurring ingredients?) and yeast extract (Again, do I need this in my beans? Typically it is added to products as a flavor enhancer.). My refried bean recipe only contains five whole food ingredients that we all recognize, costs a fraction of the price you would pay for canned beans, makes a large quantity that you can divide up and freeze in portions for future use, so you’re not tempted to just “grab a can at the store” and they only take a few minutes of your time to prepare. Simple, delicious, cost effective and nutritious. Isn’t that what you want your family’s food to be?
You are going to love this recipe! I got the idea to make these delicious beans when I was pinning all the fabulous recipes over at Chef in Training. Nikki loves to cook as much as I do and her pictures are absolutely gorgeous! I can tell her family’s tastes and favorites must be similar to our own. I modified the recipe, somewhat, to make it fit my family’s taste buds and my whole food, not-so-processed goals. It’s a keeper and we’ll make it over and over, again. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
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Ingredients
- 2 lbs. dry pinto beans
- 1 large onion, minced
- 2 Tablespoons fresh garlic, minced
- 12 cups of homemade chicken stock (could substitute water, but your homemade chicken stock does indescribably delicious things to these beans)
- 1/2 cup butter (not margarine)
Instructions
- Sift through your dry beans and look for pebbles or pieces of grass. Beans are a natural product, grown in the soil, and even the best brands can have shriveled beans or non-edible bits and be a little dusty.
- Put the beans in a strainer and rinse them with cool water to wash away any dust.
- After rinsing, place the beans in a large bowl or pot and cover them with cool water. Usually 3 cups for every cup of beans is a good ratio. Just be sure the beans are covered with at least two extra inches of water over the top of them. Cover them and let them sit on the counter overnight.
- If you're in a hurry and you don't have time to give your beans an overnight soak, you can place them in a large pot with the water, bring the pot to a boil, cover it and shut off the heat. Let the beans set for one hour.
- (Why soak dry beans before cooking? First of all, it helps to release the enzymes that start breaking down the indigestible complex sugars in the bean coating, making them easier to digest, and cutting down on gas. Secondly, it helps to insure they are clean. And thirdly, they will cook more quickly, which means less loss of nutrients and protein.)
- Drain your soaked and rehydrated beans and give them one more good rinse.
- Pour drained beans into your slow cooker.
- Add the minced onion, minced garlic and chicken stock.
- Put the lid on your crock pot and set it to high.
- Cook the beans until they are soft.
- If most of the chicken stock seems to be being absorbed, you can add a little water to the pot, to keep the beans cooking. They should always have a small head of liquid over the top of the surface of the beans.
- When the beans are soft, drain off any remaining liquid, reserving it for a time.
- Mash one stick of butter into the cooked beans. I used a potato masher and it's the perfect tool to get the chunky/smooth texture that makes these beans so delicious. If your beans still seem a little thick, you can add small amounts of the reserved liquid to achieve the desired consistency. We like our beans thick, so I don't use very much of the reserved liquid.
- Dry beans, onion, garlic, chicken stock and butter. Natural, wholesome ingredients to create a delicious and healthy pantry staple.
- When the beans are cool, I measure two cups into each quart-size freezer bag and seal them up to freeze. Use the beans just as you always do, in your favorite recipes. I use one two-cup bag in place of a typical 14-16 oz. can.
- We made these yummy beef and bean burritos with them. Doesn't it look amazing!!??
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http://busy-at-home.com/blog/easy-flavor-packed-and-nutritious-homemade-refried-beans-in-the-slow-cooker/When it comes to lunch, whether I’m at work or at home, I like things simple and quick. That’s not really too tough, but when you factor in the requirements of uber-delicous and meaningful nutritional value, those recipes are a little harder to come by. I recently pinned this wonderful formulation from Bon Appetit because it [...]
When it comes to lunch, whether I’m at work or at home, I like things simple and quick. That’s not really too tough, but when you factor in the requirements of uber-delicous and meaningful nutritional value, those recipes are a little harder to come by. I recently pinned this wonderful formulation from Bon Appetit because it seemed to meet those standards on every count, plus it simply made my mouth water to read the list of ingredients. For me, there’s nothing better than cold salads for warm weather lunches. Add citrus and the fact that it is a completely nutritious and hearty meal in one bowl and I’m definitely intrigued.
This recipe did not disappoint. Of course, I altered it slightly, to fit what I had in my own kitchen. The results are, nonetheless, extraordinary. I make it in the evening and have lunch for the next several days, as the flavors only get better and better, as it sits. Check out the original on Bon Appetit. The recipe, below, is the way I made it in my own kitchen. It’s light and packed with flavor, and the addition of quinoa provides that perfectly complete protein that leaves you satisfied and energized. The fresh lemon juice makes the veggies in this salad *POP*. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I do. Enjoy!
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Delicious tabbouleh salad of veggies and quinoa with a flavor-packed citrus and olive oil dressing.
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Ingredients
- -1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
- -1 1/2 cups chicken stock (could substitute water or veggie stock)
- -juice of 2 large lemons
- -1/4 cup white wine vinegar (I used champagne vinegar, because it was what I had on hand.)
- -1 teaspoon minced garlic
- -1/2 cup olive oil, (I used Meyer Lemon Olive Oil, but any good EVOO will work.)
- -1 large English hothouse cucumber, diced
- -1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- -1/3 cup red onion, minced
- -2/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- -1 teaspoon dried mint
- -salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Thoroughly rinse quinoa, to remove the bitter saponin layer.
- Cook the quinoa according to package directions. You can use water, but I almost always cook mine in chicken broth, because I like the added flavor and I usually make large batches that I divide and use in several different recipes. Whichever you select, use about 1 1/2 cups of liquid for each cup of quinoa.
- Once the quinoa is cooked and tender, fluff it with a fork and let it cool. I usually spread it in a thin layer on a cutting board to speed up the cooling time.
- While the quinoa cools, dice and slice your veggies -- cucumber, onion, and tomatoes.
- Mix the veggies, parsley and mint.
- Mix lemon juice, vinegar, garlic and salt and pepper in a small bowl.
- Whisk together, briskly, as you drizzle in the olive oil to make the dressing for your salad. Continue mixing until the oil is completely emulsified into the juice and vinegar. Set aside.
- In salad bowl, mix the veggies and quinoa.
- Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat.
- Refrigerate at least 30 minutes to chill and to allow flavors to marry.
- Enjoy!
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http://busy-at-home.com/blog/quinoa-tabbouleh-salad-nutritious-delicious-and-simple-lunch-youll-look-forward-to/If you still need a gift idea for that person on your list who “has everything”, I have an AWESOME present that I guarantee no one else will be getting for them. Besides being a cool, fun, conversation piece, it’s also a functional, high-quality kitchen appliance. A couple weeks ago, I got to custom design [...]
If you still need a gift idea for that person on your list who “has everything”, I have an AWESOME present that I guarantee no one else will be getting for them. Besides being a cool, fun, conversation piece, it’s also a functional, high-quality kitchen appliance. A couple weeks ago, I got to custom design a Crock-Pot for my kitchen. What a blast! There are so many options, that when combined with your personal photographs, create unique, one-of-a-kind appliances that anyone would love to have on their counter.
Ordering was simple, though I DID have several decisions to make. To begin, I visited the Crock-Pot website. The first step was to select the slow cooker that was right for my family. The 6-quart oval with locking lid is perfect for my big crew!
- I love the generous size of this Crock-Pot and the locking lid means I can transport it to parties, potlucks and family dinners without spilling a drop!
Step 2? Simple. I needed to pick the background design I wanted. Crock-Pot allows you to design a slow cooker with any of the 32 NFL teams as the theme, but I wanted a backdrop I could add personal pictures to.
- Decisions! Decisions! Since I had already decided I wanted to design my Crock-Pot with the blog in mind, I was drawn to blue designs, immediately, but…
- …I was pulled toward this veggie design, as well. I decided against it, in the end, but I truly did consider this one.
- This is the background I finally selected for my custom Crock-Pot. I love, love, love this color and have been considering it as an option for painting the cabinets in my kitchen.
The third step is where your customization becomes more personal and allows for the creativity that truly makes your appliance one-of-a-kind. This particular design allows for up to 4 photos to be uploaded to use on your Crock-Pot. I uploaded two and simply repeated them on the back. So, no matter which direction I am shooting pictures for a recipe post, my slow cooker promotes the blog. I know, it was almost a little too narcissistic for me, too, but I managed to get over it. The cool thing about this is that it would be such an awesome way to have pictures of grandkids or nieces and nephews front and center in the lives of those who love them or a creative remembrance of an awesome trip. The possibilities are as limitless as your imagination and to top it off, it’s also such an incredibly practical item. Win! Win!
This is my final design, ready to be ordered and shipped to my home.
This was a fun and simple process and when my custom Crock-Pot arrived, I couldn’t have been more pleased. I love having it out on the counter and having someone notice and say, “Hey! Is that…? Where did you get that?” lol Plus, the recipes I can prepare in it, keep everyone coming back for more. Yes, there’s no doubt about it. A custom Crock-Pot would be an amazing gift!
One of my (and my family’s) favorite slow cooker meals in Roast Beef. It’s perfect for Sunday after church, since all that’s left to do when we arrive home is to make gravy from the delicious beef stock and serve a flavorful roast beef dinner with mashed potatoes and gravy and salad or a vegetable. My favorite mashed potatoes are make-ahead, so they can easily be warming in the oven when we come in the door from church, as well.
There is definitely a “trick” to making delicious roast beef. First of all, if you buy the super-lean, all the fat is trimmed off cuts for roast beef, don’t expect this recipe to turn out the same. The flavor that makes pot roast so wonderful and “like mom used to make” comes from good marbling (fat) streaked through your roast. It will melt away as it cooks and become part of the delicious stock you’ll use for gravy. But, if you’re afraid to allow some fat you will sacrifice flavor, moisture and tenderness. The beauty of that choice is that the cut of roast I am recommending, chuck roast, is so much less expensive than the leaner cuts. Don’t get me wrong, there are times when lean beef is exactly what I want for a particular recipe, but I would likely be allowing it to sit for some time in a marinade to add flavor and help tenderize it. For really amazing roast beef, you want a chuck roast. Just sayin’…
Chuck roasts are usually a flat cut, with lots of fat marbled through the meat. I think this one was between 2 1/2 and 3 lbs.
Once you buy the correct cut of meat, the process to make it delicious for your dinner table is extraordinarily simple. It’s perfect for those times when you won’t be home to watch over a meal. All the work is done by your Crock-Pot and whatever your day goes like, you’ll come home to a delicious meal. The day I made this meal, I had a large group over for lunch after church. I used my new custom Crock-Pot and cooked THREE chuck roasts, approximately the size of the one above. The meat turned out heavenly and everyone enjoyed the flavorful, tender main dish.
I’m not even going to code a specific recipe card for this roast. You only need two ingredients and a Crock-Pot to make it and you can increase it easily, according to the number of people you will be feeding. As I mentioned, my new 6 quart slow cooker accommodated 3 large chuck roasts with ease and they cooked to perfection. So, whether you are preparing one, two or three, the recipe is still the same — 1 envelopes dry Onion Soup Mix for each Chuck Roast you make.
I buy the store brand of Onion Soup Mix or use homemade, whichever I have on hand.
Place the roast in the bottom of your slow cooker and pour the dry onion soup mix over the top. Do not add water. (Unless you are adding vegetables. If you want to cook your roast with potatoes and carrots, layer the potato and carrot chunks in the bottom of the crockpot, place the roast on top and then pour 1 cup of water and the onion soup mix over the top.) My family prefers mashed potatoes with a roast, so I usually don’t cook the vegetables in with the roast.
Chuck roast in the bottom of the Crock-Pot, covered with dry onion soup mix.
Secure the lid on your slow cooker, turn the crock-pot on low and cook for 8-12 hours, depending on how much meat you have in the slow cooker. For one roast, 8 hours will likely be enough. When I cooked three, they were in nearly 12 hours.
Roast Beef cooking away while I slept and went to church.
When the roasts are done, remove them from the crock pot and place them on a platter to rest. Cover them with foil and let them sit while you make the gravy. When I make gravy, I put a strainer over the pan I will cook it in and pour the beef broth that formed while the roast was cooking, from the crock-pot, through the strainer, and into the pan. My family likes really smooth gravy, so I strain all the bits away. There is no water in there, just the wonderful flavorful stock that was made roasting the meat. I bring it to a boil and thicken it by mixing a couple Tablespoons of cornstarch with enough cold water to dissolve it. Then I whisk the cornstarch mixture into the boiling broth and stir until the gravy thickens. It is DELISH!
The roasts were fork-tender, juicy and flavorful when I arrived home from church. Look at all the gorgeous beef stock that it made for gravy!
We got in such a hurry to eat our delicious lunch, that I neglected to take any pictures of the roast plated with the mashed potatoes and gravy. I know. It’s a lame excuse, but the only one I have. Sorry! But no worries, you’ll be able to test out this easy recipe for yourself and see how gorgeous it is. Plus, one lucky Busy-at-Home reader will win a custom Crock-Pot of their very own! How sweet is that?!!!
GIVEAWAY: To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this blog post telling me which of these Crock-Pots you would like to customize for your own kitchen. Register your entries on the Rafflecopter form, below. Easy as pot roast! or pie, if you prefer.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I received a custom Crock-Pot to review and test it in my own kitchen and collect data for this post. No monetary compensation was received and a positive review was not required. As with all Busy-at-Home reviews, the views and opinions expressed are wholly my own and based on my personal experience with the product.
When it comes to making lunch for our family, I love to “mix it up” a little. Typically, I’m serving leftovers, but making them over into something fun, colorful and full of flavor can make a lunch of leftovers a real taste sensation! This recipe is so versatile and can make your leftovers into a [...]
When it comes to making lunch for our family, I love to “mix it up” a little. Typically, I’m serving leftovers, but making them over into something fun, colorful and full of flavor can make a lunch of leftovers a real taste sensation! This recipe is so versatile and can make your leftovers into a healthy-ish, palate-pleasing meal. The original recipe calls for ham and broccoli, but it would be easy to substitute other meats (turkey, tuna, chicken, etc.) and veggies (carrots, spinach, celery, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, etc.). You could also go meatless by using black beans, lentils or tofu. The possibilities are limitless and you can really get creative in coming up with your own colorful and tasty combinations! Honestly, it’s a pretty balanced meal, even on-the-go. For a little inspiration, I’ll show you what we did and I can’t wait to hear your own ideas for tastebud-pleasing, eye-appealing grilled cheese pocket lunches!
Our lunch, today, was DELISH! We had Grilled Cheesy Broccoli Pockets with Ham and Diced Apple.
Our 11-year-old loves to help out in the kitchen and this is a super, kid-friendly recipe, so I was anxious to get her involved. We have had some sort of bug running through our family this week, though, and she was not up to cooking, (only eating ). I just wanted to mention that this is a good way to get your kids into the kitchen. It’s so much more fun, for them, to eat something they’ve helped to create. Get them involved with the dicing and chopping, mixing the filling and stuffing the pockets. The recipe we used came straight from the Birds Eye website. They have a section of kid-friendly recipes, created by kids, for kids. I chose Grilled Cheesy Broccoli Pockets with Ham. I made it almost exactly the same, but as usual, I changed it up a little bit to accommodate the ingredients I had on hand. You can check out the original recipe, here, and the one below, is the way we made it here, at our house. Enjoy!
A delicious way to make a quick, healthful lunch that the entire family will love! Use leftovers and veggies that fit your pantry ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Steamfresh® Broccoli Florets, cooked according to package directions
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 Gala apple, cored, unpeeled, chopped small
- 1 1/2 cups leftover ham, chopped
- 3 whole wheat pita rounds, halved crosswise
- Miracle Whip and mustard
- pan spray for the grill pan
Instructions
- Steam the broccoli in the microwave according to the directions on the package. Allow it to cool enough to be able to handle it.
- Lightly spray a skillet or grill pan and heat the pan over medium to medium-high heat.
- While the pan is heating, core and chop the apple, dice the ham and the broccoli.
- Mix the apple, ham, broccoli and cheese in a bowl.
- Cut the pita rounds in half and gently open the pocket in each half. Spread each half with Miracle Whip and mustard.
- Spoon filling into the pockets.
- Place the filled pockets into the hot skillet, or grill pan, and let it cook until it's a nice golden brown. (If you use a grill pan, you'll get lovely grill marks.) I actually ended up being able to grill 4 at a time, in my grill pan.
- Flip the sandwich and brown the other side.
- Move to a plate and serve!
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If you’d like more info about Birds Eye or their yummy recipes, check out their Facebook page and be sure to follow them on Twitter.
I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Birds Eye. I received product coupons to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item as a thank-you for participating. As with all Busy-at-Home reviews, the views and opinions expressed are wholly my own and based on my personal experience with the product.
