Tuesday, May 24, 2022

Brittany Mitchell's Salsa



 Mild-Medium temperature:

• 24 c tomatoes (Just leave skins on, chop up in food processor) 

• 5 green peppers (5 c)

• 6 large onions (5 c)

• 3 jalepenos, seeded (*Brittany's=4)

• 5 Anaheim peppers 

• 1/2-2 habanero pepper, seeded (*Brittany's=5)

• 3 serrano peppers, seeded (*Brittany's=5)

• 2 bunch cilantro (opt)

• 5 Tbs garlic

• 1/3 c canning salt (kosher salt)

• 1/2 c vinegar

Chop tomatoes, peppers, onions, hot peppers, garlic, and cilantro in food processor. Mix all in canning pot and add salt and vinegar. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered 25 min. While simmering, heat canner with water and prepare jars, lids, etc. Pour salsa into hot jars (makes about 14 pints) up to neck (about 1/2" headspace). Wipe, top with lids and rings. Place in canner of steamy but not boiling water. Cover with 1" water. Heat to a boiling. Once boiling process 25 min. Move onto towels to cool. 

Annie's 3/4 batch (mild-medium)

18 c tomatoes 

3 3/4 c peppers 

3 3/4 c onion (4 1/2 onions) 

2 jalepenos, seeded 

3 anaheim peppers 

1 habanero, seeded 

2 serrano peppers, seeded

1 bunch cilantro 

3 3/4 Tbs garlic 

1/4 c kosher salt (plus a little more) 

1/4 c + 2 Tbs vinegar

(Makes about 10 pints)

*Kashina's Notes:*

I do not add the habanero nor the serrano peppers, we cannot handle them... well Todd could but the rest of us, no go. Also, I double the cilantro always. We love cilantro here.

I like to add lots of different tomatoes, because I don't use a lot of peppers it helps with the flavor! Ours isn't spicy at all, so if you want more heat add the extra peppers. This stuff is really good! 

Todd's Sunday Casserole

 


This is sooo yum! 
Ingredients: 
Chopped Chicken Pieces to cover a 9x13 dish 
2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1-2 Can of Mushrooms (4oz-ish) 
1 pkg dry Onion Soup Mix 
1 1/2 Cans of Water 
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce 
1 1/2 C Minute Rice
1/2 C melted Butter (we usually use 2 TBsp) 

Method: Mix cream soups, mushrooms, onion soup mix, water and Worcestershire sauce together. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle rice on top, and pat down into mixture with a spoon to moisten. Lay chicken cubes on top. Pour melted butter on top. Cook at 350 uncovered for an hour until bubbly and browned on the top. * If you use regular rice you will need to cook for about two and a half hours.

Monday, May 16, 2022

Brooklyn's Pralines and Cream Knock off Cookies


 Ingredients:
1 Cup Cold Butter (cut into small cubes)
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs
3 Cups AP Four
1 tsp Cornstarch
3/4 tsp Baking Soda
3/4 tsp Salt
2 Cups Candied Pecans
3/4 Cups White Chocolate Chips
1/4 Cups Chocolate Chips
1 Toblerone or Symphony bar with toffee

Method:
*Preheat Oven to 350
*In a large mixing bowl, cream together cold cubed butter, brown sugar, and sugar for 4 minutes or until creamy. 
*Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each one.
*Stir in flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined. Stir in all chocolate and pecans.
* Separate dough into large balls and place on a light color cookie sheet. The dough makes 8 extra large cookies, but I made about 12 really big cookies
* Bake 9-12 minutes or until golden brown on the top (in my oven 10 minutes was perfect) let them rest 10 minutes to set... enjoy so hard!

Niki's Chicken Seasoning


 Ingredients:
4 tsp Onion Powder
2 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp Mustard Powder
1 tsp Sea Salt

1/4 tsp Thyme * 

Mix them up well and use as a tasty seasoning for grilled chicken!

* Niki doesn't use Thyme in hers and I don't either. 

Kate Hulet Trio Seasoning


Ingredients 
2 TBsp Italian Seasoning 
2 TBsp Season Salt 
2 TBsp Garlic Powder 

Mix them up well, and use on pizza crust, or even on the pizza itself! Yum! 

Taco Seasoning


 This is a favorite for me, I like it more than the store bought stuff. It is very flavorful (to me) but not spicy at all. So if you need more spice in your life this isn't the taco seasoning for you. 
Ingredients;
2 TB Chili Powder
1 TB Cumin
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes 
1/2 tsp Oregano
2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Pepper

We use this on hamburger for taco meat, and chicken, and in Momma Jean's Taco Soup! 

Wednesday, May 11, 2022

Burley Bobcat

The local pop shop sells these, and they make them amazing! but this is a close second! 
 

Ingredients:
1-2 TBsp Blue Curacaon or Blue Raspberry
1-2 TBsp Pineapple
1-2 TBsp Coconut creamer
3 C Mountain Dew

Optional: Add a bit of coconut

Method: Mix all ingredients together and try. Add more of whatever you think it needs. I usually prefer my drinks coconut heavy, whereas the kids prefer their drinks raspberry heavy. 

Tuesday, May 10, 2022

Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats


 Ingredients

3 cups water

1 cup milk or water

2 cups steel cut oats do not use any other kind of oats

1/2 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons honey optional; add more to taste

Toppings of choice fresh fruit, chopped toasted nuts, chia seeds or flaxseeds, additional maple syrup or honey, splash of cream

Method

• In a 6-quart Instant Pot, stir together the water, almond milk, oats, salt, cinnamon, and maple syrup. Cover and seal. Cook on HIGH pressure (manual) for 4 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Carefully remove lid.

• Stir the oats. Add additional cinnamon and/or honey/b. sugar to taste. The oats will continue to thicken as they cool. Ladle into serving bowls and serve hot with any desired toppings.

Instant Pot Yogurt


 There may be quite a few steps to home made yogurt, but don't let that scare you, it really is easy, and it is by far the best yogurt I have ever had. I usually start the process about an hour before bed, and then wake up to put the yogurt on the strainer. 
Ingredients: 
8 C Whole Milk (supposedly lower fat milk will work, but I haven't ever tried)
1-2 TBsp Yogurt (with live cultures, at room temperature)
1/4C-1/2 C Sugar (or a sweetener of your choice)
1-2 tsp Vanilla (high quality)

Equipment:
Thermometer
Large Bowl (that the IP will fit in with ice water in it)
Ladle
Whisk 
Strainer (for the yogurt)
Coffee Filters (if you don't have a yogurt strainer)


1. Put 2 tablespoons of yogurt in a bowl, and set aside. 
2. Pour milk into instant pot liner. Cover. Vent to sealing. Push YOGURT, then ADJUST, until your machine reads BOIL. Let the Instant Pot start it's magic. It will take about a half hour for the instant pot to heat the milk to 180 degrees. The IP will ding when the milk is ready. * It must be at least 160... the higher temperature the thicker your yogurt should be. That said you can drain it to be as thick as you want, so I just trust the IP. While your IP is heating the milk, get your ice bath ready.
3. Take the IP liner out and place it into your ice bath,
Watch the milk pretty closely here. 
4. Whisk the milk without scraping the bottom (there is burnt milk on the bottom that you don't want in your yogurt)
Whisk and check the temperature of the milk constantly. 
5. When milk reaches 110 degrees F, take IP liner out of ice bath, and dry the outside of the liner, and put it back into the IP. 
6. Take a ladle and ladle some of the milk into your yogurt from step one. Stir until smooth, then pour tempered yogurt back into your milk. 
7. Whisk gently but throughly DO NOT SCRAPE THE BOTTOM. 
8. Put lid back on and set to sealing
9. Push YOGURT and it should say NORMAL and a time of 10:00 hours. 
Be careful here, I thought it was on yogurt/normal once and it was actually on 'keep warm', so make sure yogurt button is lit up.
I10. ncubate 5-6 hours for a mild yogurt, and 8-10 hours for a yogurt more consistent with Greek yogurt. 
Immediately strain over a bowl using preferred method.
- coffee filters over a strainer
- yogurt strainer
Place in fridge, on strainer for 2-4 hours. 2 hours being more of a runny yogurt and 4 hours being more of a Greek style yogurt (we like it more Greek)
11. When your desired thickness is reached then whisk in sweetener. I like 1/4 C-!/2 C Sugar. but you can use warmed honey, or stevia, then and 1-2 tsp of Vanilla. The vanilla here is important, it will essentially be the flavor of your yogurt, so I use a high quality vanilla here. ENJOY. Homemade yogurt is SO much better than store bought! 

Wednesday, May 4, 2022

Dirty Dr Pepper / Coke

 

Ingredients:
1 TB coconut syrup 
Juice of 1/2 a lime
1.5 C Dr Pepper or Coke (or a can)
Ice

Place all ingredients in cup, add ice. 

Spripple

3/4 Apple Juice
1/4 Sprite

3:1 Apple Juice to Sprite, just to give your AJ a little bit of a kick. 

Hot Toddy's Orite

 

3/4 C Sprite to every

1/4 C Orange Juice

3:1 Sprite to OJ

Todd doesn't drink pop very often, but if we have OJ and we have diet Sprite, he will for sure make himself one of these. 

Ocean Wave


 Ingredients:

1-2 TBsp Blue Curacao

1-2 TBsp Blue Raspberry

1-2 TBsp Coconut

3 C Sprite

Optional: Add a bit of cream, but I prefer it without

Method: Mix all ingredients together and try. Add more of whatever you think it needs. I usually prefer my drinks coconut heavy, whereas the kids prefer their drinks raspberry heavy. 

Orange Cow


 Ingredients:

Vanilla Ice Cream

Orange Juice

Method:

Fill cup with ice cream, then top with Orange juice. This one tastes like a creamsicle to me! 

Yellow Cow


 Ingredients: 

Vanilla Ice Cream 

Lemonade 

Method: 

Fill cup with ice cream, then top with lemonade. A great summer treat! 

Brown Cow


 Ingredients: 

Vanilla Ice Cream 

Chocolate Milk 

Method: Fill cup with ice cream, then top off with the chocolate milk. This one is bomb!

Purple Cow


 Ingredients:

Vanilla Ice Cream 

Welches Concord Grape Juice

Method:

Fill cup with ice cream, then top off with grape juice. 

I prefer more ice cream to grape juice and Todd and the boys prefer more grape juice to ice cream. You do you! 

We also really like this blended up in the blender. 

Rootbeer Float


 

Ingredients:

Vanilla ice Cream (although cookies and cream ice cream with this isn't bad)

Root Beer (this is one of those times when a good tasting root Beer is best)

Method:

Fill a cup with as much as ice cream as you like, then top with root beer! Enjoy! 

Hot Toddy's Mountain Aide


 Ingredients:

Lemonade 

Mountain Dew 

Method:

Pour Lemonade and Mountain Dew into a cup in a 3:1 ratio (Lemonade 3, Mountain Dew 1) This is one of my favorite treats after a long Costco run. 

Pink Drink 1 & 2


 Ingredients:

1 Crystal Light Wild Strawberry individual pkg

1/2 C Coconut Milk

Freeze Dried or Fresh Strawberries

Ice

Place Crystal Light Wild Strawberry package into the bottom of a cup, fill with approximately 3:1 juice to milk ratio. Add desired ice. I like this one, the boys and Todd aren't fans



#2

Ingredients:

1 C White Cranberry Strawberry Cocktail (Ocean Spray makes it)

1/4-1/2 C Coconut Milk 

Freeze Dried or Fresh Strawberries

Ice

Pour White Cranberry Strawberry Cocktail into cup, then add coconut milk. Then add your ice. The boys liked this one a lot more, but it has quite a few more calories.