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Posted on August 23, 2020 by wdrell

Old-World Raspberry Bars

Comfort food at its best, stick to your ribs good and you won’t even feel guilty for eating the entire tray! Original Recipe can be found here.

Ingredients

     Crumb Mixture

  • 2 1/4 Cup all-purpose Flour
  • 1 Cup Sugar
  • 1 Cup Pecans, Chopped
  • 1 Cup Butter, Softened
  • 1 Large Egg

     Filling

  • 3/4 cup raspberry preserves

**Substitute 3/4 cup your favorite flavor preserves.

Cooking Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 8- or 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, extending foil over edges. Grease foil; set aside.

2. Combine all crumb mixture ingredients in bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 2 cups crumb mixture; set aside.

3. Press remaining crumb mixture on bottom of prepared baking pan. Spread preserves to within 1/2 inch of edge. Crumble reserved crumb mixture over preserves.

4. Bake 40-50 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely; cut into bars.

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Posted on August 23, 2020 by wdrell

Lavender Earl Grey infused Chocolate Mousse

Earl Grey tea and Chocolate, what is there not to love about this pairing? Tried this out on a whim one day and have only made chocolate mousse this way ever since.  The Earl Grey flavor comes as a accented after taste that compliments the smooth creamy chocolate flavor.

 

Ingredients

  • 1 Pkg Dr. Oetker Chocolate Mousse (or any other boxed chocolate mousse mix)
  • 1/2 Cup Lavender Earl Grey tea or just Earl Grey tea (**see notes at bottom of page)
  • 1/2 Cup Milk

Cooking Directions

1. Prepare chocolate mousse mix as per instructions on box, instead of using 1 Cup of milk substitute 1/2 Cup of milk for 1/2 Cup of Tea. So do 1/2 Cup Milk and 1/2 Cup of Tea. 

2. Allow to set in refrigerator for 1 hr. before serving.

 

** When Brewing tea, either use 2 sachets or allow tea to steep for 5 mins. I prefer to do both, while the tea will taste really strong if you were to drink it, it will be diluted down when added to the recipe mixture.

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Posted on July 3, 2020 by wdrell

Blackberry Cobbler

Blacberry_Cobbler

Great cobber recipe by itself and you can swap out fruit for all sorts of possibilities! Thanks to my cousin Marla for sharing this!

 

Ingredients

  • 1/2 Cup unsalted Butter
  • 1 Cup all purpose Flour
  • 2 Cups Sugar, divided (recommended to use 1 1/2 Cup)
  • 1 Tbsp baking powder
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 1 Cup of Milk
  • 1 Tsp Lemon Extract (optional)
  • 4 Cups fresh Berries*
  • 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
  • Ground Cinnamon or Nutmeg (optional) & 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

 

Cooking Directions

1. Melt butter in a 13 x 9 baking dish.

2. Combine flour, 1 Cup sugar, baking powder, lemon extract and salt; add milk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter over butter (do not stir).

3. Bring remaining 1 cup sugar, berries and lemon juice to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly; pour over batter (do not stir). Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.

4. Bake at 375 F for 40 – 45 min or until golden brown. Allow to cool before serving.

 

*The lemon extract goes great in the batter for an extra zesty flavor.

* The cinnamon/nutmeg can be used based on the type of fruit. i.e. cinnamon + peaches = yum!

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Posted on June 27, 2020 by wdrell

Cheeseburger Soup

cheeseburger soup

Found this recipe in the April issue of Taste of Home: Soups Magazine, stick to your ribs good! Made a few tweaks to my liking from their recipe.

 

Ingredients

  • 1 Lb. Ground Beef
  • 4 Tbsp butter, divided
  • 3/4 Cup chopped Onion
  • 3/4 Cup shredded Carrots (roughly 2 carrots)
  • 3/4 Cup diced Celery (1 celery stalk)
  • 1 Tsp dried Basil
  • 1 Tsp dried Parsley flakes
  • 1-3/4 pounds (about 4 cups) cubed peeled potatoes (I use frozen hash potatoes)
  • 3 cups Chicken broth
  • 1/4 Cup all-purpose flour
  • 16 Oz. Velveeta Cheese, cubed
  • 1-1/2 cups whole milk
  • 3/4 Tsp salt
  • 1/4 Tsp pepper
  • 1/4 cup sour cream

 

Cooking Directions

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook and crumble beef until no longer pink; drain and set aside. In same saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Saute onion, carrots, celery, basil and parsley until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes, ground beef and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender, 10-12 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt remaining butter. Add flour; cook and stir until bubbly, 3-5 minutes. Add to soup; bring to a boil. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cheese, milk, salt and pepper; cook until cheese melts. Remove from heat; blend in sour cream.

 

 

Notes:

— Add crumbled cooked bacon for bacon cheese burger goodness!

— I use 1lb of beef vs the 1/2lb the original recipe calls for, I don’t feel the original recipe has enough meat in it.

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Posted on May 22, 2020 by wdrell

Beef Stew – Instant Pot

beef stew1

Comfort food at its finest! Original recipe can be found here, I tweaked a few things to my liking.

Ingredients

  • 1 Yellow Onion
  • 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
  • 2 1/2 lbs Beef Chuck Roast, boneless
  • 1 1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt, and extra to taste
  • 1/2 Tsp Ground Black Pepper, and extra to taste
  • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided
  • 3 medium Carrots (about 12 oz total)
  • 3 medium Yukon Gold Potatoes (about 12 oz total)
  • 1 Tbsp Tomato paste
  • 1 Tsp Dried Thyme
  • 3/4 Cup Beef Broth
  • 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tbsp Cornstarch
  • 1 Tbsp Water
  • 3/4 Cup Frozen Peas
  • Fresh parsley leaves, for garnish (optional)

 

Instructions

1. Cut the aromatics and beef. Dice 1 medium yellow onion, mince 2 garlic cloves, and place both in a medium bowl. Trim 2 1/2 pounds beef chuck and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces.

2. Season and sear the beef in two batches. Toss the beef with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in an Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker on the Sauté setting until shimmering. Add half of the beef and sear undisturbed until browned on the bottom, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer with tongs to a large plate. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and beef.

3. Soften the aromatics. Add the onion and garlic to the cooker and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the vegetables.

4. Cut the vegetables. Peel 3 medium carrots and cut on a slight diagonal into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Quarter 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (you want about 1 1/2-inch chunks).

5. Add the seasonings and liquid. Add 1 tablespoon tomato paste and 1 teaspoon dried thyme to the onions and cook until the tomato paste is darkened in color, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup beef broth and 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce and stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits.

6. Add the vegetables and seared beef. Add the carrots, potatoes, seared beef, and any accumulated juices from the beef, and stir to combine.

7. Cook on HIGH pressure for 25 minutes. Lock the lid on and check that the valve is set to seal. Set to cook for 25 minutes on HIGH pressure. It will take 7 to 10 minutes to come up to pressure.

8. Natural release pressure for 10 minutes and make the cornstarch slurry. When the cook time is up, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water together. Coarsely chop some fresh parsley leaves for garnish if desired.

9. Release the remaining pressure and thicken the sauce. Quick release any remaining pressure. Carefully open the pressure cooker and turn on the Sauté function. Stir in 3/4 cup frozen peas and the cornstarch mixture and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.

10. Season and serve. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve garnished with the parsley if desired.

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Posted on May 19, 2020 by wdrell

Pizza Sauce

simple-pizza-sauce-1

I love making homemade pizza and having sauce that comes together like nothing is a nice thing, especially when it is so inexpensive to make and leftovers can be frozen for use later! Original recipe found here.

 

Ingredients

  • 6 oz Tomato Paste
  • 15 oz Tomato Sauce
  • 2 Tbsp Dried Oregano
  • 2 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 Tsp Onion Powder
  • 1/2 Tbsp Garlic Salt
  • 1/4 Tsp Black Pepper
  • 1 Tsp Sugar

 

Cooking Directions

1. Mix tomato paste and sauce together in a medium size bowl until well combined (all the lumps of paste are incorporated into the sauce).

2. Add the rest of the ingredients (oregano, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, garlic salt, pepper and sugar) and mix well!

 

Storage Options:

  • Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. The sauce will thicken in the refrigerator, so be sure to let it come to room temperature or gently warm it in the microwave before using!
  • Freeze. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to two months!

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Posted on May 17, 2020 by wdrell

Baked Ziti – Instant Pot

ip ziti

 

Thank you Raygan for the recipe! So good, easy and fast!

 

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. Ground Beef
  • 1 1/4 lb. Sweet Italian Sausage
  • 2 Tbsp Olive oil
  • 1 Medium Yellow onion (diced)
  • 3 Cloves Garlic (minced)
  • 1 14.5 oz can Diced Tomatoes
  • 1 25 oz Jar Marinara Sauce
  • 2 1/2 Cups Water
  • 1 Tsp Dried Basil
  • 1 Tsp Dried Oregano
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 1 lb Dried Ziti Pasta
  • 8 oz fresh Mozzarella
  •  1/2 Cup Parmesan cheese (grated)

 

Cooking Directions

1. Brown meat in pressure cooker breaking it apart with a spoon, drain grease as needed.

2. Add Oilive oil, onion and garlic, saute until tender. (about 3 min)

3. Stir in diced tomatoes, marinara, basil, oregano, bay leaves, water, salt, pepper and pasta. Stir well to evenly combine ensuring all pasta is fully submerged in liquid, this ensures pasta is fully cooked.

4. Add lid, lock in place, place valve into sealing mode, and select beans/chili function and pressure cook for 5 min.

5. When finished pressure cooking do a quick release, taste for any seasonings (salt/pepper) and stir in cheese and serve immediatly.

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Posted on April 4, 2020 by wdrell

Spinach and Herb Lasagna rolls

lasanga_rolls

 

Ingredients

  • 12 Lasagna noodles
  • 3 Tbsp. Olive Oil, divided
  • 1 Cup Onion, Chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. Garlic, Chopped
  • 8 Cups baby spinach
  • 14 Oz. Ricotta Cheese
  • 2 Large Eggs, Beaten
  • 3 Tbsp. Fresh Parsley, Chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. Fresh Basil, Chopped
  • 1 Cup Grated Mozzarella, divided
  • 1/2 Cup Grated Parmasean
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 3 Cups Marinara Sauce

 

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Cook lasagna noodles until al dente, according to package directions. Drain and toss with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Reserve.

2. Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute for 2 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and spinach and saute for 2 minutes longer, until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat and coarsely chop.

3. To make filling, combine spinach mixture with ricotta, eggs, parsley, basil, 1/2 cup mozzarella and Parmesan, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Lay lasagna noodles on the counter and spread each with about 1/3 cup filling. Roll up and place seam-side down in dish. Spoon remaining 1/2 cup sauce over top and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake for 25 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted.

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Posted on March 16, 2020 by wdrell

Lemon Lover’s Pound Cake

Lemon-Lover-s-Pound-Cake

Found this recipe in our latest issue of Taste of Home mag (April/May 2020) and it was amazing! Link to the original recipe can be found here.

 

Ingredients for cake

  • 1 Cup Butter, softened
  • 3 Cups Sugar
  • 6 Large Eggs, Room temp.
  • 5 Tbsp Lemon Juice
  • 1 Tbsp Lemon Zest
  • 1 Tsp Lemon Extract
  • 3 Cups All Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/4 Tsp Salt
  • 1 1/4 Cup Sour Cream

Icing

  • 1/4 Cup Sour Cream
  • 2 Tbsp Butter Softened
  • 2 1/2 Cup of Confectioners Sugar
  • 3 Tbsp Lemon Juice
  • 2 Tsp Lemon Zest

 

Cooking Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in lemon juice, zest and extract. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Beat just until combined.

2. Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, 55-60 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

3. For icing, in a small bowl, beat the sour cream and butter until smooth. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar. Beat in lemon juice and zest. Drizzle over the cake. If desired, top with additional grated lemon zest. Store in the refrigerator.

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Posted on January 24, 2020 by wdrell

Spatchcock Chicken

spatchcokc

 

Another idiot proof easy to make chicken recipe that is great when I don’t want to think about making something complicated. Originally found here at America’s Test Kitchen youtube channel.

 

Ingredients

  • 1 Whole Chicken 3-4 Lb
  • 1 Tsp Rosemary
  • 1 Clove of Garlic
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

 

Cooking Directions

1. Start by spatchcocking/butterflying the chicken. Preheat the oven to 500ºF with a cast iron or stainless steel pan inside the oven (roughly 30min).

2. Coat the skin side with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Remove preheated pan from oven and change oven temperature down to 450ºF.

3. Place chicken skin side down in pan and place pan back in oven for 30 min. While it is cooking mix 1 Tbsp olive oil, rosemary and garlic together.

4. After 30 min remove chicken from oven and flip chicken so that the skin side is now up, coat the skin side with the rosemary/garlic/olive oil mixture. Place back in oven and continue cooking for 10 min or until the chicken hits 165ºF internal temp. in the breast meat.

5. Let rest for 10-15 min., Enjoy!

 

 

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