Infused Oils

When company over we hang in my kitchen.  Inevitably they always spy these jars sitting on my windowsill.  I frequently hear, "What's going on over here?"

OK, I must admit that these jars look like unclaimed Science experiments.  However, these jars allow me to make several great items: 

Lotion Bars:  http://rediscovermom.blogspot.com/2012/09/lotion-bars.html

Lip Balm:  http://rediscovermom.blogspot.com/2012/12/honey-citrus-lip-balm.html

Hand Lotion:  http://rediscovermom.blogspot.com/2012/12/hand-cream.html

I've become interested in learning all about what nature has to offer us.  Why do we need the chemicals in the items we buy?  Nature has a way to provide what we need.  Infused oils allow me to bring in the healing power of herbs into the concoctions I make.

An infused oil is simply olive oil or another type of oil, with an herb.  On my windowsill you see a mason jar full of lavender, chamomile, peppermint and comfrey.  I've had jars of calendula and other herbs as well. 

Simply fill a mason jar full of oil and add in the herb of your choice.  Place the mason jars in a windowsill that does not get direct sunlight.  Shake the jars a few times a week.  After 4-6 weeks, the oil is infused with the healing power of what you have in the jars.

I am finding that the great Lord has given us what we need to heal, for comfort, to relax.  Do some research and experiment a little. 

Get your geek on!

Calzones

If you are looking for great family time, while preparing dinner, make some calzones!  If you've never heard of a calzone, think a pocket pizza.  Yes, that's right.  Everything you love on a pizza, wrapped up in a pocket of dough.  They are yummy and very easy to make!

Joe and Jonah making their calzones!

Start by making the pizza dough.  The ingredients for the dough are:

3 1/2 cups flour

1 1/4 cups warm water

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

1/8 cup olive oil

Start by putting the warm water in a bowl, with the yeast.  Let the yeast proof - this means that the yeast will activate by foaming or creating little bubbles.  Make sure your water is not too hot or it will kill the yeast. 

When the yeast proofs, add the salt, sugar, oil and 2 cups of the flour.  Mix with a dough hook on your mixer.   If you don't have one, you can mix by hand.  Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time.  Knead the dough until it is barely sticky.  Place the dough in a bowl and let it rise for an hour or so.

While the dough rises, make the pizza sauce.  Mix together and cook on low heat:

1 can tomato sauce

Salt

Pepper

1 teaspoon each:  parsley, basil, oregano, garlic salt

2 teaspoons sugar

Now it is time to think about what ingredients you are going to want in your calzone.  I browned some Italian sausage, made some bacon, got some pepperoni, cheese and chopped up some veggies.  I put those ingredients on the counter so that each person could stuff their calzone with whatever they wanted.

To assemble the calzone, take a small piece of the dough and roll it out on a floured surface.

Put a little sauce on one end of the dough.  Fill that end with the toppings of your choice.

Jonah Bologna saucing up his calzone!  Isn't he cute? 

Brush the sides of the calzone with melted butter.  Fold over and press the ends together.  Roll up each end so that the stuffing doesn't come out.  Take a knife and make a few small holes in the calzone.  This will allow steam to escape so you don't have an explosion in your oven!

Brush the top of the calzone with melted butter.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until browned.

Mangia!

This recipe is listed on

 

Potato Soup

This recipe is featured on The Weekend Gourmet

I love a bowl of soup on a cold, winter night.  Tonight I had a craving for potato soup.  Here is the recipe:

4 large potatoes, peeled and diced
4 green onions, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1/2 stalk of celery, diced
Salt and Pepper
1/2 pound bacon
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk

In a large sauce pan, brown the bacon.  Remove the bacon and set aside.  In that same sauce pan, add the carrot, celery, and potatoes.  Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.  Make sure the potatoes don't stick to the bottom of the pan!

Add green onions, salt and pepper.  Stir and cook another 5 minutes.

Add flour.  Stir to combine.  Slowly add the chicken broth.  Stir as you add it.  It will thicken as it cooks.  Let that cook another 5 minutes.  When the potatoes are soft, take a potato masher and mash some of the potatoes.  This will give a creamy texture to the soup.

Add the cream and 1/2 cup milk.  Stir.  Let that cook on low heat for 25 minutes.  If you desire, add the remaining 1/2 cup milk.  This will depend on how thick you want your soup.

Handy Hint:  Mom says that making potato soup is a good way to use up leftover mashed potatoes.  Substitute mashed potatoes for diced potatoes.  Great idea!

Enjoy!

Pecan Sandies

This recipe is listed on Marvelous Mondays

This recipe is easy and quick.  Pecan sandies are literally shortbread cookies with pecans.  YUM!

When my father was diagnosed as a diabetic, he had to watch what he ate.  Instead of pies and cakes, he would eat pecan sandies.  Yes, I know, those aren't the best for you either, but if you knew my father, you would know that he would NEVER give up on the sweets!

Nonnu, with two his granddaughters:  Sierra and Maria

(Sierra - look at that great knit hat!  Who made that?)

Confession Time:  Mom, when you traveled for work, Dad always had pies and cakes...............Did I just tattle on my Dad?

Anyway, back to the recipe.  Here are the ingredients for easy, quick pecan sandies.

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup flour

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/8 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup pecans

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of salt

In a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar.  Add the vanilla, baking soda and salt.  Slowly add the flour, then the pecans.

Roll the cookies into a ball, placing them on a baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Remove them before they start to brown.

Enjoy!



Chicken and Black Bean Burritos

I can't remember where I got this recipe from but it is a doosy!  Every time I have made it, I was a hit.  It is super easy and fast!

Here are the ingredients:

1 pd chicken breast, sliced into thin strips.
4 slices bacon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups salsa
1 16 oz. can of black beans
1 small can diced chilis
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
12-14 large flour tortillas
1 package shredded Mexican cheese

Cook bacon until crisp.  Remove from pan.  Add chicken and cook until no longer pink.  Stir in garlic, salt and cumin.  Stir in 1/2 cup salsa, beans, chilis, red pepper and green onions.  Crumble the bacon and return it to the pan.  Cook these ingredients about 5 minutes.

Take a tortilla and place some cheese on the end.  Put some chicken filling and roll it up.  Place it seam side down in a baking pan.

Pour the remaining salsa and cheese over the top of the burritos.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Serve with fresh salsa, guacamole and sour cream!  Delicious!  See, I do cook other things than Italian food!

Stuffed Pork Loin

 

Pork + Stuffing = YUMMY!  For my New Year's Eve dinner, I decided to make a stuffed filled pork roast.  Here are the ingredients:

Stuffing:

1/2 onion, chopped
1 apple, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 bag butter croutons
1/2 stick butter, melted
Fresh thyme, sage and parsley
Salt and Pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth

Pork Roast, cut open
String
1/2 cup chicken broth

To begin, assemble the stuffing ingredients, EXCEPT for the chicken broth.  Mix it all together and place in a pork roast that has been cut open for stuffing (salt and pepper the pork).  Keep the extra stuffing - you will cook that in a separate pan.

Fold the roast over or roll it if it is thin enough.  Tie the roast off.  Sear the outside of the roast in a dutch oven with a little olive oil.

When the pork is seared, add 1/2 cup chicken broth to the dutch oven and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until your roast registers 160 degrees.  Cooking time will depend on the size of your roast.

In another oven proof pan, mix the 1/2 cup chicken broth with the extra stuffing mixture.  Bake in the oven for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.  Serve with the pork roast.

Enjoy!  This recipe is featured on This Gal Cooks!

Homemade Ice Cream

This recipe is listed on Pamela's Heavenly Treats

Last month my mother gave me an ice cream machine and I have been dying to try it!  I love watching Iron Chef America and Chopped when the judges make a big deal about the chef going to the ice cream machine.  This little machine helps me imagine that it is me going to the ice cream machine and that Alex Guarnaschelli, Marcus Samuelsson, and Geoffrey Zakarian rave over the bacon ice cream I have concocted....................

OK, back to reality!  Let's start by making a simple vanilla ice cream.  Here are the ingredients:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Heat the cream, milk, honey, sugar, salt and vanilla bean in a sauce pan until very hot, but not boiling.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks.  Take 1/4 cup of the hot cream mixture and whisk that into the eggs.  Make sure you whisk constantly or you will cook your egg........

Stir the egg mixture into the cream mixture.  Remove from heat.  Strain with a fine mesh strainer to remove vanilla bean and any other solid particles you may have in your ice cream base.

Put the mixture in an ice bath (a bowl sitting on top of another bowl full of ice)

Refrigerate until cold.  When that is cold, assemble your ice cream machine.  I had to make sure my ice cream base was frozen.  I had put it in the freezer the night before.

When your ice cream machine is together, slowly pour the ice cream base into the machine and turn it on.  It is that easy!

The paddle turns and the mixture will thicken.  When the paddle slows down and the mixture is thick, turn off the machine and put the ice cream in a bowl, placing it in the freezer.

Allow that to freeze for an hour or so before serving.

Enjoy!