Mango Raspberry Salsa

This is a super tasty, very fresh salsa!  I found it in a Hy-Vee grocery store ad.

Ingredients:
-2 mangoes, diced
-2 pints fresh rasberries
-1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
-1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
-juice of 1/4 to 1/2 lime
-zest of 1/2 lemon
-zest of 1/2 orange
-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper {I used smoked chipotle pepper}
-1/2 tsp sugar
-salt to taste

Process:
1. Combine all ingredients, toss and serve right away or within 1 hour.
2. Enjoy with your favorite tortilla chips; this would also be fantastic over grilled fish or chicken!

Steel Cut Oat Bread

This is a fantastic recipe!  I found it from Bob's Red Mill.  

The original recipe says it makes 16 servings, although I've been using this recipe to make two loaves of bread which I think equals more than 16 servings.

This is very satisfying and you can substitute any kind of flour that you like.  I made it with spelt flour last time I made it!  I also as usual always make the dough for this recipe using my bread maker   Yum!

I used Trader Joe's Quick Cook Steel Cut Oats.

Ingredients:

-2 1/2 cups milk

-1/4 cup brown sugar

-1/4 cup butter

-4 1/2 to 4 3/4 cups flour {use what you like or what you have, I've done this with white flour and with spelt flour... great with both!}

-2 cups quick cooking steel cut oats

-2 tsp salt

-4 1/2 tsp yeast {2 packets}

Process:

1. Place butter and milk in a microwavable dish or a saucepan and heat until just warm to touch, about 110 degrees {no hotter or you could kill the yeast and your dough won't rise}.

2. Place brown sugar and salt into bread maker pan.

3. Pour warmed milk and butter mixture over sugar and salt.

4. Add steel cut oats.

5. Add flour.

6. Top with yeast.

7. Place pan into bread maker and set to the dough setting.

Yes, I know my bread maker looks like its covered in flour!
I use it A LOT and its just too much to clean it every time.

8. Let dough cycle run through.
9. Once cycle is finished, remove dough from bread maker.

10. Place dough on a floured or oiled surface, cut into two equal pieces and form into loaves.  {I always do an oiled surface; I think it keeps my bread more moist, rather than adding the dry flour.}

11. Place loaves into two oiled bread pans.

12.  Allow loaves to rise for 30 to 45 minutes.  {I like to place my bread pans on the oven, so when I start to preheat the oven the warmth helps the dough rise.}

13. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
14. Bake for 30-40 minutes until bread is golden.
15. Enjoy!

Crispy Rosemary Chicken

This is a fantastic recipe!  Everyone loved it!  

I found the original recipe in my America's Favorite Brand Name Recipes 2011 Edition.  

Ingredients:

-1/2 cup dry bread crumbs {seasoned or not; whatever you have}

-3/4 tsp seasoned salt

-1/2 tsp dried rosemary leaves, crushed

-1/4 tsp pepper

-3 1/2 lbs bone-in chicken pieces, skin removed {I used thighs}

-1/2 cup mayo {I used 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt & 1/4 cup miracle whip...the dairy helps to tenderize the meat, I put the chicken in this mixture the morning I was going to make it for supper; you could do it overnight!}

Process:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Coat chicken pieces in mayo or yogurt/miracle whip mixture.  {This can be done a day in advance, keep refrigerated until ready to use.}

3. In a shallow dish combine bread crumbs, seasoned salt, rosemary and pepper; set aside.

4. Remove a piece of chicken from the yogurt mixture and lightly coat in crumb mixture; place on a lightly greased cookie sheet or baking dish.  Repeat with remaining chicken pieces.
5. Bake for 40 minutes.

6. Enjoy!

Grow Potatoes in a GARBAGE BAG!!! Awesome idea!

I just came across this idea from The (mis)Adventures of a "Born Again" Farm Girl;  did you know that you can grow potatoes in a garbage bag!?!

Now this is something I am going to HAVE to try!

Looks like all you need is a large garbage bag, some seed potatoes and some soil!  

You put some soil in the bottom of the bag and "plant" your seed potatoes and once they grow to be 6 inches tall, you just add more soil to cover them!  And continue doing this until the bag is full!  When its time to harvest your potatoes, dump out or rip the bag and gather your potatoes!

For the full instructions with some great pictures, check out The (mis)Adventures of a "Born Again" Farm Girl.

Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Mom's Three Bean Hotdish

Sorry I haven't posted for a while!  Its been really busy around here with the ups and downs in the weather, the raising of chicks and baby kittens and getting the garden started.  

Plus, I can't help myself, I've begun my summer canning!  Yesterday it was Rhubarb Triple  Berry Pie Filling!  Today it was Rhubarb Sauce {like applesauce, but with rhubarb!}. 

Okay so its time to share a recipe with you!  This is my Mom's recipe, one of those recipes you just love because your mom made it?  Maybe, but this is so super tasty, very easy and very hardy!

You can make this ahead of time and just pop it in the oven, crockpot or microwave when you are ready for it!  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

-1 can pork and beans {I use the large can, you can use the normal size}

-1 can kidney beans {I use white kidney beans, I just don't care for the red ones}

-1 can butter beans

-1 lb. ground beef {I'm sure you could use ground turkey, chicken or pork}

-1/2 lb. bacon

-1/2 cup onion, chopped {you could use minced dried onion if your in a hurry}

-1/2 cup ketchup

-1 tsp dry mustard

-2 tsp white vinegar

-3/4 cup brown sugar

Process:

1. Cook bacon to your desired doneness {I like it crispy}.  Drain on paper towel.  Once cooled, coarsely chop.  {You could do this days in advance and just refrigerate the bacon until ready to use.}

2. Brown ground beef, until cooked thoroughly.

3. Drain ground beef in a colander and rinse with hot water to remove extra fat.

4. Drain kidney and butter beans in colander and rinse well.

5. In a large bowl or in crockpot combine onion, beef and rinsed beans.

6. Add pork and beans.

7. Top with bacon.

8. For the sauce, add the ketchup, dry mustard, vinegar and brown sugar.

9. Stir well to thoroughly combine.

10. Place in a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. 

OR
Place in crockpot and cook on low all day or on high for 3-4 hours.

11. Enjoy!

Overnight Apple French Toast

This recipe is really great!  And I'm sure you could make this in the crock-pot and set it on low for 6-8 hours!

My son completely loved it, he ate most of it!

Sorry, I'm not sure where I found the original recipe; but I also made several changes.  Enjoy!

Ingredients for French Toast:

-3/4 cup brown sugar

-6 tbsp butter

-3 to 4 large apples, peeled and sliced {I used Granny Smith}

-3 eggs  {I used 5 eggs}

-1 cup milk {I used 1 1/2 cups milk}

-1 tsp vanilla {I used 2 tsp}

-{I also added 1 tsp cinnamon}

-9 slices day-old French bread, about 3/4 inch thick {I used Hawaiian Bread, you could really use any bread; if using a soft sandwich bread just use more}

Ingredients for Apple Syrup:  {I doubled the syrup recipe}

-1/2 cup applesauce

-1/4 tsp cinnamon

-pinch ground cloves

-sprinkle of nutmeg, optional

-5 oz. jar apple or crabapple jelly {I used Apricot Pineapple Preserves; because I had about 1/2 a jar in the fridge}

Process:

1. In a saucepan, melt butter and sugar together for about 4 minutes; stir constantly until slightly thick.

 2. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

3. Top with apple slices.

4. In a medium mixing bowl, beat together eggs, milk, cinnamon and vanilla.

5. Dip bread in egg mixture and place on top of apple slices OR like I did... place the bread slices on top of the apple slices and then pour the egg mixture evenly over the top of the bread.

6. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Remove french toast from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Sprinkle with a little extra cinnamon, if desired.

8. Bake uncovered for about 40-45 minutes.

9. Meanwhile, prepare syrup by cooking applesauce, cinnamon, jelly, cloves and nutmeg in a saucepan until hot.

10. Serve over french toast.  Enjoy!

 

*You could also have maple syrup and/or whipped cream on the side, but we liked it as it was with the apple syrup!