Month: May 2013

Posted in Crafts

A Treasure Hunt in a Jar

Posted on by lmc

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This is a great little craft project that can easily be made for a fundraising activity. Your group can make several of them to sell at local craft fairs or community fundraisers. Weeks before the event, ask everyone to gather up items to be recycled or repurposed for the project. Collect used jars of all shapes and sizes, lots of small “treasures” to place in the jars, and a big bag of bird seed. This is an ideal project for both the young and the old. Don’t be surprised if the jars sell out quickly. Your group will be quite proud of their accomplishment!

A Treasure Hunt in a Jar

Recycled jar with tight fitting lid
Bird seed
Found objects to place in the jar like a…
penny
nickel
safety pin
bobby pin
rubber band
macaroni
marble
paper clip
bead
tack
toothpick
red button
screw
bread tie

Make sure jar is thoroughly washed, clean and dry. Pour bird seed into the jar, filling only half-way. Place “treasures” into the jar. Now, continue to fill the jar with bird seed; about 3/4 full, leaving enough space for items to move while searching for treasures. Cover jar, tightly securing the lid. Print up a “treasure” item list and the following saying on colorful card stock or scrap book paper and attach to the jar with a ribbon.

Here’s a little treasure jar, with lots of hidden things.
See how many you can find, and how much fun it brings!

Posted in Food, salads, side dishes

Perfect Potato Salad

Posted on by lmc

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Growing up in a large family, our meals were always quite simple. My mother wasn’t one to prepare complicated recipes. Opening a bag of frozen peas, boiling potatoes, and throwing meat in the oven, was about as complicated as she would get when preparing dinner. I first tasted potato salad at my in-law’s house and quickly realized that it was one of my husband’s favorite side dishes. After trying several recipes, this one has become a family favorite. Boiling the potatoes and eggs can take a bit of time, but this basic recipe is pretty simple to assemble in no time at all.

Perfect Potato Salad

5 potatoes, peeled and diced
3 eggs
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes; drain. Place eggs in a small saucepan; cover with cold water. Cover saucepan and bring water to a rolling boil for 1 minute; remove from heat, and let eggs stand in boiled water for 10 to 12 minutes. Drain water, peel and chop eggs.
In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, eggs, celery, onion, relish. Mix together mayonnaise, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Pour over potato mixture to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Posted in Food, salads

Crunchy Broccoli Slaw Salad

Posted on by lmc

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Spring has finally arrived and it’s time to pull out all of the delicious salad recipes that have been tucked away all winter long. Today’s recipe is packed with lots of A,C, and B vitamins, calcium, fiber, and protein. Broccoli is known as a “super food” because it is rich in so many vitamins and minerals and has a bushel full of health benefits. Packaged slaw makes this salad a snap to mix together. If you’re so inclined, throw in a handful of raisins for a burst of flavor and added texture. This is a very affordable and clever way to get your kids to eat their veggies!

Crunchy Broccoli Slaw Salad

1 (16 oz) package broccoli slaw mix
1 package chicken flavored ramen noodles, broken into small pieces
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup peanuts (optional)

Dressing

½ cup sugar
½ cup canola oil
½ cup cider vinegar
1 package chicken flavored ramen noodles seasoning

Mix the sugar, oil, and vinegar in a large bowl. Add seasoning packet from ramen noodles; mix thoroughly. Pour broccoli slaw, noodles, seeds (optional peanuts) into the dressing mixture and toss to completely coat all salad ingredients. Chill until ready to serve.

Posted in Baked goods, Brunch, Food

The Perfect Peach Cake Recipe

Posted on by lmc

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When my children were young, we always enjoyed heading out to local orchards to pick the season’s fruit. In the late spring, we would pick strawberries at Johnson’s Farms. In the early summer, we would pick blueberries from Blue Sky Farms, and in the fall, we would pack up the car and drive across the border to Michigan to pick apples and peaches. I have great memories of us packing up the car with a picnic lunch, making sure we had plenty of bug spray and sunscreen slathered on our faces and necks, and comfortable shoes so that we could pick a long while. I laugh as I think about finding my children plopped on the ground gobbling up the fruit in their half filled buckets, while I continued to pick as many berries as I could before the sun grew too hot. After we carried home our bushels of fruit, I would scour my cookbooks to try new recipes with our freshly picked crop. I found this recipe after picking a load of beautiful, white, Michigan peaches several years ago. Mixing the ingredients together takes minutes and the result is phenomenal. I have even used frozen or canned peaches when I am out of the fresh stuff. Either way, this cake is absolutely delicious!

The Perfect Peach Cake Recipe

3 eggs, beaten
1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups fresh peaches – peeled, pitted, and sliced
½ cup pecans, chopped

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13×9” baking pan. In a large mixing bowl, combine all wet ingredients; mix thoroughly. Add remaining ingredients and mix well by hand. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 40-50 minutes or until done. Let cool for 20 minutes and ice cake with my recipe for Powdered Sugar Glaze. Ohhhh, so yummy!

Posted in Baked goods, breakfast, Brunch, Food, lunch box

Our Best Banana Nut Bread

Posted on by lmc

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I have several recipes for banana bread in my stash of cookbooks and various magazine clippings but this is my family’s favorite. Adding wheat germ, nuts, and a few over-ripe bananas makes this quick bread loaf moist and flavorful. I often throw sweet, over-ripe bananas in the freezer so that I will have them on hand when I want to make a quick loaf. I thaw them on the counter or defrost them briefly in the microwave before mashing them into the batter. For an added health benefit, I add wheat germ to the recipe, giving a bit of crunch to the top of the loaf.

Our Best Banana Nut Bread Recipe

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup margarine, softened
2 eggs
3-4 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup water
1 2/3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/4 cup wheat germ

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x5x3″ loaf pan. In a large bowl, cream sugar and margarine; stir in eggs until blended. Add bananas and water; mix well. Stir in remaining ingredients except wheat germ and mix just until moistened. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle batter with wheat germ; gently press into the batter. Bake loaf for 55-60 minutes; cool for 5 minutes and remove from pan. Place on wire rack to continue cooling.

Posted in appetizers/snacks, Food, Main Dish, No-Bake

Tender Homemade Tortillas

Posted on by lmc

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Just last week, I posted a recipe for Favorite Taco Seasoning Mix so I thought I would share my recipe for Tender Homemade Tortillas as well. I use a tortilla press when making these little gems. Cut a plastic bag down the side seams but leave the bottom of the bag intact. Use the plastic bag to line the tortilla press. This makes clean up super easy and will help remove the flattened dough from the press without breaking the tortilla.
Making tortillas from scratch is fun, quick, easy and economical. Keep a bag of Maseca or masa harina in your pantry so that you can easily make a dozen or so in a very short period of time. Once you try the tasty and tender texture of these tortillas, you’ll be so satisfied, you won’t want to go back to the store bought brands.

Tender Homemade Tortillas

1 3/4 cup of masa harina
1 1/8 cup of hot water

In a medium bowl, mix together the masa harina and hot water. Kneed until pliable and smooth. If the dough is too dry, add more hot water, until dough is easy to kneed but not sticky. Let dough sit for 30 minutes, wrapped in plastic wrap.
Preheat a skillet or griddle pan set to medium-high heat. Divide dough into golf-sized balls. Press each in the tortilla press lined with plastic wrap or prepared plastic bag. Carefully remove the tortilla from the press and place on the hot griddle for 30-40 seconds per side. Transfer to a plate and cover with a towel to keep them warm and moist before serving.

Posted in Food, Homemade Mixes

Favorite Taco Seasoning Mix

Posted on by lmc

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As many in the area will be celebrating Cinco de Mayo this weekend, I thought it appropriate for me to share my “go to” taco seasoning mix recipe. I found this recipe shortly after I was married. I was tired of the salty packaged mixes found in the grocery store. Living in Chicago, we were used to visiting authentic Mexican restaurants like Lindo Mexico and El Jardin. I wanted to find a recipe that mimicked the flavor that I was tasting in the restaurant.
This recipe is adapted from an old cookbook that I use religiously. If you could see the stains on the pages of this cookbook, you would get a sense for its continuous use. I always triple the recipe and store the mixture in an old mason jar with a tight fitting lid. This way, I have plenty on hand when throwing together a quick meal. Use this seasoning for tacos, nachos, or for a tex-mex dip. Once you try this mix, you’ll never pay for the pricy,salty, packaged mixes again.

Favorite Taco Seasoning Mix

2 teaspoons instant minced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried crushed pepper
1/2 teaspoon instant minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

In a small mixing bowl, combine all ingredients, stir to combine.
Package in a ziplock plastic bag or in a recycled jar. Store airtight in a cool, dry place. Makes the equivalent to one seasoning packet.

To use : Brown 1 lb. lean ground beef in a skillet, drain well. Add taco mix seasoning and 8 oz. water to the ground beef. Heat gently to develop favors, stirring occasionally. Makes filling for 8-10 tacos. Top tacos with guacamole, shredded cheese, lettuce, salsa, and sour cream (optional).

Adapted from More House Recipes cookbook

Posted in Baked goods, Food, frostings

Springtime Carrot Cake

Posted on by lmc

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When spring arrives, I am thrilled when I can open all of the windows to let a mild fresh breeze flow through the house. Now is the time to use up all of the left over shredded vegetables kept at the ready for the long season of winter baking. Carrots, zucchini, and squash and other veggies are all good candidates that can be thrown into spice cakes, quick breads, and muffins.
This weekend, I hoped to use up all of our remaining stash. Meagan had shredded and packaged loads of carrots last fall and there were a few left over packages that would be great for this recipe. Springtime Carrot Cake is a moist, sweet, and spice-filled cake that tastes even better the second day. For this cake, I take frozen shredded carrots out of the freezer and let them thaw. Having carrots prepped ahead is a real time saver. Shredded apples can be substituted for part (or all) of the carrots for this cake. Either way…it will be absolutely delicious. Use my Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting recipe to top this gem of a cake with a swirl of extra creamy sweetness!

Springtime Carrot Cake

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
3 eggs
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups shredded carrots
1 cup course chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13×9″ baking pan. Mix sugar, oil, and eggs until well blended. Stir in dry ingredients. Beat for 2 minutes. Stir in carrots and nuts. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 35-45 minutes. Frost with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting if desired.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

1 package (8oz) cream cheese
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon good quality vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar

Beat first three ingredients in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Carefully add powdered sugar, one cup at a time; slowly mixing after each addition, until smooth and of a spreading consistency.

Posted in Food, Main Dish

Curley’s Corned Beef Hash

Posted on by lmc

corned beef hash

A tradition in our household when my husband and I were first married, was to head over to my mother-in-law’s house for Sunday breakfast. When we arrived, the smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the air. Gramma Curley would have on her apron as she filled plates with piles of pancakes, pastries, scrambled eggs and various meats. On one occasion, she poured a reddish meat and potatoes mixture from a small pot onto a plate and my husband’s eyes lit up. I asked what it was and he replied, “It’s corned beef hash”. Well, I had never seen anything like it before. Coming from an Irish family, you would think that I would have known what corned beef hash was. After tasting it, I knew that I had to come up with a recipe of my own. This stuff just wasn’t happening for me. Here is a little something I put together one night with left over corned beef, some shredded cabbage, onions and a few baked potatoes. Give this recipe a try…you won’t be disappointed.

Curley Corned Beef Hash

1 pound fully cooked corned beef, diced
1 cup shredded cabbage
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
3 left-over baked potatoes, sliced or diced
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
3 tbls. canola oil

Pre-heat a medium skillet on the stove top , add canola oil and saute potatoes until golden brown. Add shedded cabbage and onions. Season with garlic and onion powder; saute until slightly soft. Add cooked corned beef and continue to saute until heated through; about 15 more minutes. Serve it up hot with some Irish Soda Bread. This is a great one pot meal.

Posted in Baked goods, Food

Curley Power Bars

Posted on by lmc

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As I have mentioned in past posts, my children are swimmers and they are constantly eating! After buying my share of expensive power bars at the grocery store over the years, I decided to try to come up with a recipe that would replace the expensive bars found at the local market. This is the recipe that worked out best. These bars are quite delicious and surprisingly satisfying. If I had a nickle for every time I have shared this recipe with fellow swimmer parents, I’d be rich! 🙂

Curley Power Bars

1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey or reduced sugar (1/3) corn syrup
1/3 cup margarine
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 1/3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup flaked coconut (optional)
1/2 cup raisins or dates(optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix first 5 ingredients until smooth and well blended.
Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Press into a greased 13×9″ baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. After taking the pan out of the oven, cover with aluminum foil until completely cooled. This helps to keep the bars chewy.
Note: I often sprinkle a little non-fat dry milk powder or protein powder into the peanut butter mixture to add nutrients and protein. Cut into bars when cool and wrap individually in plastic wrap. Pop one into a lunch box or a sports bag to give the kids a burst of nutritious energy.