Sunday, March 3, 2013

Happy 1st Blogiversary!

I can't believe I've had my blog for a year now!

It all started with the opening of my Etsy Shop and they said you should start a blog.  What's a blog? I said.  And so started the journey of learning

  • which blog host to use ~ I picked Blogger.com because it seemed more user friendly
  • how to create a great looking blog ~ I spent many hours reading how to's and I'm still changing things
  • thinking of a catchy title ~ The title of my shop was taken so I used synonyms in the wording to alter it
  • what to blog about ~ first it was about the projects I completed and I just went from there
I am still learning of course but looking  back I sure am glad I started it.  It started off as a place to promote the products in my shop and has grown to include all the interests and discoveries in my life.

One of my great enjoyments in life is cooking. At least 4 nights a week I fix a homemade meal for my husband and me.  I have posted a few recipes complete with how to pictures on my blog but I want to make my meal planning a more permanent part of my blog.  So to kick off my second year here at Blogger I'm starting a Sunday Super series.  Every Sunday evening I will post my weekly meal plan complete with recipes. I'm kind of excited.  It's a big commitment but since I already do the planning it will just require putting my plans on the blog in an easy way for people to access it.

So with no further ado I introduce...

 
March 4-10
 
Monday Brunswick Stew
 
Tuesday Black Bean Soup
 
Wednesday Left Overs or Take Out
 
Thursday Chicken in Wine over Rice
 
Friday Left Overs or Take Out
 
Saturday Red Beans and Rice
 
Sunday Brisket and Vegetables
 

Brunswick Stew

Ingredients:

2 tsp vegetable oil

1 ½ Cup cubed, frozen hash brown potatoes

1 Cup chopped onion

1 Can (14 ½ oz) chicken broth

1 Cup frozen corn kernels

1 Can (15 0z) Lima beans

1 Can (15 oz) black-eyed peas

1 Can 14 ½ oz stewed tomato

3 Cans (5 oz) white chicken meat

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp dried basil

½ tsp dried thyme

 

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a 4 ½ quart Dutch oven or soup pot over high heat.  Add the potatoes and onions.  Cover and cook for 4 minutes, uncovering to stir about every 30 seconds.   (the potatoes will stick to the bottom)  Add the chicken broth and stir and scrape the brown bits from the pot bottom.

 

2. Add the corn, then cover and cook while opening the cans.  Rinse and drain the Lima beans and black-eyed peas and add them to the pot, then add the tomatoes and the chicken with its juice.

 

3. Stir in Worcestershire, pepper, basil, and thyme, then re-cover and bring to a boil, uncovering occasionally and stirring.  Reduce the heat to medium-high and continue boiling, stirring occasionally for 8 minutes.

 

Serve with hot, fresh from the oven buttered cornbread.

 

Recipe from Desperation Dinners! by Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross

 


Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 cans (15 oz) black beans

1 can (14 ½ oz) chicken broth

1 can (15 ¼ oz) corn kernels, drained

1 (14 ½ oz) Mexican style stewed tomatoes

3 bay leaves

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

½ tsp ground cumin

 

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a 4 ½ quart Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat.  Add the onions and cook until slightly brown, stirring occasionally.

2.  Meanwhile , pout 1 can of beans and their liquid into a large cereal bowl  Using the back of a serving size spoon, mash the beans against the sides and bottom of the bowl until the beans are broken up and pasty.

3.  Raise the heat under the pot to high and add the chicken broth, mashed beans, and the can of whole beans and its liquid.  Stir well.  Drain the corn and add to the pot, then add the stewed tomatoes, bay leaves, garlic, thyme, vinegar, and cumin.  Cover the pot and bring the soup to a boil.

4. Reduce the heat to low and simmer to let the flavors blend, 8 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking.  Remove from the heat and serve.

Recipe from Desperation Dinners! by Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross
 

Chicken in Wine over Rice

Ingredients:

2 lbs chicken breast

10 ¾ oz can cream of mushroom soup

10 ¾ oz can French onion soup

1 cup dry white wine

 

Directions:

1. Put chicken in slow cooker

2. Combine soups and wine Pour over chicken

3. Cover and cook Low 6-8 hours.

 

Serve over rice

 

Recipe from Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook by Dawn J. Ranck and Phyllis Good
 

Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

1 chopped bell pepper

2 tsp minced garlic

½ tsp thyme

½ tsp basil

½ tsp oregano

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp Tabasco sauce

2 bay leaves

1 can (14 ½ oz) chicken broth

1 lb turkey kielbasa sausage

1 ¾ cups “instant” (5-minute) rice

½ cup water if needed

Directions:

1. Heat oil over medium heat in a large deep skillet that has a lid.  Add chopped onion, celery, pepper and cook until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes, stirring frequently.  Stir in garlic, thyme, basil, oregano, black pepper, Tabasco and bay leaves.

2. Raise the heat to high, add the broth, cover the skillet, and bring the broth to a boil.  Meanwhile, cut the sausage in slices about ¼ inch thick, rinse and drain beans.

3. When broth boils, stir in the sausage, beans and rice.  Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook until the rice is tender, 5-10 minutes.

Recipe from Desperation Dinners! by Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross
 

Brisket with Root Vegetables

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 medium turnip, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces

2 carrots, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces

2 parsnips, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces

3-4 lbs beef brisket

Salt and Pepper

1 ½ tsp onion powder

1 ½ tsp garlic powder

1 cup beef broth

Directions:

1. Arrange vegetables in bottom of slow cooker.

2. Rub brisket with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.  Place brisket on top of vegetables.  Pour broth into cooker.

3. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.

Recipe from All You magazine April 2013


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