May 26, 2012

Chili

By Sarah Stelzl
We discovered this chili recipe not very long ago, and made a few changes… It’s super yummy, but doesn’t take that long to prepare. We usually make it at least twice a month. In fact, we’re having it for dinner tonight!
 
The only problem is, we don’t really measure :-) .
 
I wrote estimates here based on the original recipe (taken from No Guesswork Cooking), but we don’t usually follow it. Personally, I am all for breaking the rules ;-) . Take any recipe you want, and use your tongue to perfect it!

Chili

About 5 cups kidney beans, rinsed and drained (You can also do part black beans if you prefer)

1 lb. ground beef

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves minced garlic

about 2 cups diced tomatoes

about 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce

3/4 cup beef broth

about 8 tsp  chili powder

about 4 tsp Cumin

Salt

Pepper

 

Cook the beans (We usually make big batches in the crock pot and then freeze them). Saute the onions and garlic in a medium pot until soft but not brown. Add the beef, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook until the meat is no longer pink. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, and cooked beans. Simmer for about 45 minutes – 1 hour until the flavors are well blended.

Enjoy! :-) :-) :-)

Leave a comment   |  tags: , | posted in Beans, Chili

May 19, 2012

Black Bean Spaghetti~

By Sarah Stelzl

We got this recipe from my Aunt Lynn – who is actually my dad’s aunt, and my great aunt (Oh my, she is truly a GREAT aunt – Love you so much Aunt Lynn!!!).

Yes, so we’ve been making this for what seems like forever and our family loves it (well, just about everyone!).

Don’t worry…it tastes far better than it sounds!!!  :-) And it’s healthy too – if you leave out the pasta ;-) .

Black Bean Spaghetti~

1 large onion, sliced

2 sweet bell peppers (red, orange or yellow) cut into thin strips

1 – 8 oz package fresh mushrooms, sliced

Olive oil

1 – 16 oz can diced tomatoes (with the juice)

1 – 15 oz can black beans – drained and rinsed

1 – 15 1/2 oz can kidney beans (with the juice)

1 – 3 1/2 oz jar capers (with the juice)

Rosemary

Basil

Pepper

1 package (16 oz) of your favorite pasta

Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions~

In a large skillet, cook the first four ingredients in olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir constantly until tender. Add tomatoes, beans, capers, and seasonings, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over cooked pasta, and top with Parmesan cheese. (Serves 4).

Enjoy!

Below: This is my big-little helper Tiny Tim :-) , and older sister Hannah.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , | posted in Main Dishes, Pasta, Sauces, Vegetarian

May 12, 2012

Buttery Black Raspberry Bars~

By Sarah Stelzl
Today we’re celebrating Mother’s Day with a family trip to the beautiful NC mountains! I made this recipe to go along with our picnic lunch in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It has become a family favorite, and something we love to throw together for our small group studies on Sunday, or any other occasion calling for something yummy and easy. Since we like to eat healthy, I made today’s batch using Date sugar, Agave syrup, and a little liquid stevia in place of the white sugar.

Buttery Black Raspberry Bars

Ingredients~

1 cups (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup sugar (You can substitute 1 cup date sugar and 3/4 cup Agave syrup instead).

2 egg yolks

2 cups flour

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup seedless black raspberry fruit spread

 

Instructions~

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add egg yolks, flour, and pecans and blend with an electric mixer until thoroughly mixed.

Spread half of the mixture into a greased 8×8” glass baking pan. Spread the fruit spread over the first layer, and then top with the other half of the mixture.

Bake 1 hour or until the bars are lightly brown on top. Remove from the oven and cool.

Enjoy!!! :-) :-) :-)

 

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May 5, 2012

Bethany’s Biscuits

By Sarah Stelzl
Our strawberries have been coming in for quite a while now! It’s warm (in the upper 80′s on most days) and sunny, and the plants are loaded with berries that we have been enjoying :-) . It’s the time of year to make strawberry shortcake, and in our house there’s only one way to do it right…
No store bought angel food cake (of course we have made quite a few really delicious homemade ones in the past!) or pound cake. We have decided the best way to eat it, is on homemade sweet biscuits. I am convinced that my sister Bethany is the world’s best biscuit maker. With the right ingredients on hand, you can transform any ordinary recipe into something amazing!!! We love this recipe, and use it all the time without fail, when we feel like having biscuits.
 

Bethany’s Biscuits

1/2 cup palm shortening

2 cups all purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon bob’s red mill baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cups milk

Combine the dry ingredients and cut in shortening. Stir in the milk using a fork. Knead dough 3-4 times on a lightly floured surface. Roll out about 1 inch thick and cut into circles.

Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for approximately 12-13 minutes.

Makes about 6 – 3″ biscuits.

I’m not usually very careful to specify particular brands of baking ingredients, but in this case we have found Bob’s Red Mill baking powder to be much more effective than other brands, in turning out big, fluffy biscuits! The Palm shortening is an ingredient we have been using in place of regular shortening for a long time now, and the two don’t even compare! The result is light, fluffy biscuits that rise very well, and are delicious!!!

Note: for a gluten-free version, substitute gluten free flour for all purpose flour, and add 2  teaspoons xanthan gum. You can also use rice milk in place of regular milk for a dairy free version, and coconut sugar or other natural sugars in place of white sugar.

3 comments   |  tags: , , , , | posted in breads, Desserts

May 3, 2012

1800 Cake

By Anna Dagarin

Oh, it’s good to be back! Seems like it’s been forever since the last time I shared a recipe. Feels like ages since I’ve cooked anything! I can’t even express how wonderful it was to spend some time in the kitchen today.

It was dreary outside. Watching raindrops meander down the window panes made me want to curl up in a cozy chair with a book and a cup of coffee. The patter of droplets on the roof somehow talked me into baking. Pulling warm cookies or a soft loaf of bread out of the oven on a raw and rainy day somehow comforts the heart as well as the stomach.

We had some soft, old apples in the fridge, so I figured a cake would be perfect. 1800 cake is usually my go-to recipe for all occasions. (Now, don’t go asking why it’s called 1800 cake, because, well…I have no idea.) We have used and loved this recipe for so long, I can’t remember where it originated. The cake is a family favorite, and it acquires new fans every time we bring it to a party or share it with friends. Everyone goes crazy for it. Literally. 1800 cake is a great dessert. It goes perfectly with a cup of tea or coffee. I personally like eating it for breakfast.

Filled with apples, nuts, and chocolate, super moist, and not overly sweet, 1800 cake is so delicious. It’s also surprisingly easy to make. You simply can’t go wrong with it!

 

1800 Cake

Ingredients 

  • 2 C. flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 3/4 C. oil
  • 1 1/2 C. sugar (I usually cut back on the sugar by half a cup, and it’s still just as yummy)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/2 C. chopped walnuts (if preferred, you can leave out the nut’s and just use extra chocolate chips)
  • 1/2 C. chocolate chips
  • 3 C. apple slices

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder.
  2. Add oil, sugar, and eggs, and mix with a wooden spoon.
  3. Then add and mix the vanilla, nuts, and chocolate.
  4. Fold in the apples.

Note: The batter is super thick and can be tough to stir! Not to worry, it turns out amazing

5.  Pour the batter into a greased tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Breakfast, Cakes, Chocolate, Desserts, Fruit, Uncategorized

April 28, 2012

Scalloped Potato Special

By Sarah Stelzl
This is one of our favorite recipes to make when we have guests! Although it takes a little while to prepare, it is well worth the time spent in the kitchen :-) . On Thursday my mom, younger sister and I returned from our trip to PA. We brought both my mom’s brothers (Uncle Curt and Uncle Karl) back with us to help move our grandmother’s things into her new home here. Guess what was on the menu for dinner???
We love to serve this casserole with home-made breaded or grilled chicken fingers, and honey-mustard sauce!!! It was so yummy I almost forgot to take a picture before we ate it all up :-) .
 
It’s a family tradition that we love. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! :-)

Scalloped Potato Special – Serves 5

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon butter

3 cups thinly sliced onions

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 35-oz can tomatoes, drained well and diced, or 2 pounds fresh peeled tomatoes, seeded, drained, and diced

1/2 teaspoon salt

ground black pepper

Parsley

Basil

Oregano

2 2/12 pounds raw potatoes

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Grated Parmesan cheese, divided

 

Heat the oil and butter in a medium skillet. Add the onions and garlic, and saute’ them, stirring for 1 minute. Cover the skillet and cook the vegetables over moderately low heat for a few minutes longer or until the onions are soft but not brown (do not let the garlic burn).

Remove the skillet from the heat, and add the tomatoes, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, pepper, parsley, basil, and oregano. Mix the ingredients gently to combine them well.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Peel and slice the potatoes very thin.

To assemble the casserole, place one third of the onion tomato mixture in the bottom of a greased 3- quart casserole dish. Spread one half of the potatoes on top. Sprinkle them with half the remaining salt and some pepper. Sprinkle one half of the cheddar cheese and some Parmesan on the potatoes. Repeat the layers: another third of the onion-tomato mixture, the rest of the potatoes, salt and pepper, and the remaining cheddar cheese and some Parmesan. Top the casserole with the remaining onion tomato mixture, and a little additional cheese.

Bake the casserole, covered, in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Uncover the casserole and bake 45 minutes longer, or until the potatoes are tender but not mushy (We don’t usually time it on the second round. Just cook it until it feels ready!).

Enjoy!!! :-) :-) :-)

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , | posted in Casseroles, Main Dishes

April 21, 2012

Bean Counter Soup

By Sarah Stelzl

I’m headed to Pennsylvania this coming week with my mom and younger sister. We’re going to be visiting with some relatives for a couple of days before coming back with a van full of furniture and other things that belong to our grandmother (who is moving here to North Carolina). Since we’re still on our special diet (but finishing up!!!) we have planned out our little menu for the time we will be away, and are going to be fixing a few of our favorite simpler recipes while we’re sorting through things up there.

This is a one of the recipes we will be making that requires very little preparation, but tastes delicious! We love to serve it for lunch, or when we have a little less time for cooking.

Bean Counter Soup

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 large tomatoes, finely chopped

32 oz chicken broth

11 oz water

Basil

Oregano

5-6 cups cooked navy beans, rinsed and drained

1-1/2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Salt to taste

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until mostly cooked. Add tomatoes and simmer 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer  uncovered for 5 minutes. Add beans, macaroni and pepper. Return to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer 15 minutes, until pasta is cooked (We like ours to cook a little longer if necessary, to thicken up a bit more).

Serve with grated Parmesan cheese :-)

Serves 5-6

Enjoy!

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , | posted in Beans, Soups

April 14, 2012

Carrot Zucchini Muffins

By Sarah Stelzl

Today I’m posting for Elizabeth (and will be for the next little while) because she’s super busy with all kinds of exciting things!!!

I tried this recipe for the first time last summer, hoping to make something a little healthier that tasted good! Our family really enjoyed it! If you are on a gluten free or sugar free diet, I recently modified this recipe for a special four month candida diet our family is completing right now. Visit the link below where I posted on our family blog – it turned out wonderful!!!

This recipe is super easy, and quick to mix up. It only takes 10 minutes to bake, which makes it ideal for a busy day. It’s also easy to modify, and I challenge you to be creative! Try mixing in different things in place of the zucchini and carrots if you aren’t a big vegetable fan. :-) We loved it, but I hope to try it with blueberries, apples, or peaches sometime.

Carrot Zucchini Muffins

For a gluten free, naturally sweetened version of this recipe, visit our family blog!

2- 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

3/4 cups oatmeal

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 Tbsp. flax seed oil or ground flax seed powder

3 eggs

1 cup applesauce

1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup honey

2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup shredded zucchini

1 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup chocolate chips, or raisins (optional)

(You may replace zucchini and carrots with grated apples, berries, peaches, coconut, nuts, etc. Be creative!)

In a large bowl combine the flour, oatmeal, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and flax seed oil/powder. In a separate bowl mix together the eggs, applesauce, yogurt, sugar, honey, and vanilla. Stir in the zucchini, carrots, and chips or raisins. Spoon the batter into well greased or oiled muffin pans and bake at 400 F. degrees for about 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool about 5-10 minutes before removing from the pan.

Enjoy!!! :-) :-) :-)

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in breads

April 11, 2012

Oatmeal Bake ~

By Sarah Stelzl

Two weeks ago I shared our favorite recipe to make on date night – when our parents go out! This is our other favorite recipe to make!!! A family from our church served this recipe to my sisters a LONG time ago (when my parents were away for their anniversary and we were too young to care for ourselves at home) :-) . They enjoyed it so much, they brought the recipe home to share with us. My mom made it, and then taught us girls to make it as we grew older and helped out more in the kitchen. I’m always amazed when I stop to think about where all our favorite recipe came from, and how we’ve changed and modified them over the years to become a family favorite/tradition.

Oatmeal Bake

1 cup Vegetable Oil

1/2 cup Honey

4 Eggs

6 cups Quick Oats

2 tsp Salt

4 tsp Baking Powder

2 cups Milk

Cinnamon

3 cups chopped apples (You can also substitute a can of fruit pie filling instead, partially drained through a colender. The syrup that is set aside is good for topping later on, and the recipe is more moist. However…if you are looking for a healthier version, I would advise you to go with the apples!).

Mix together ingredients and place into a greased 9 x 13″ pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs on it.

Eat it how you like it! We enjoy it with honey or maple syrup and milk. Fresh fruit is delicious as well! And if you used a can of pie filling in your recipe, some of the syrup may be set aside to drizzle on top. Be creative! :-)

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , | posted in breads, Breakfast

April 4, 2012

Macaroni and Cheese

By Sarah Stelzl

It’s been our family tradition for years, to prepare a special meal for each person’s birthday. I can’t count the number of times I’ve asked my mom to fix this yummy recipe for my birthday! Growing up, I shared quite a few birthday celebrations with one of my closest friends, whose birthday fell just 6 days before mine. Her mom actually shared this recipe with us! That’s how we came to know and love it.

And just for the record, I’ve had plenty of experience with the box-mix kind (believe it or not, we used to take it on our mountain backpacking trips!) and it doesn’t even compare to the homemade stuff!!! This recipe is SO yummy, and besides who doesn’t love macaroni and cheese?!

Note: For our family (9) we usually double this recipe.

Macaroni & Cheese

4 Tablespoons butter

4 Tablespoons flour

3 cups milk, divided

4 eggs

2 cups cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

3 cups dry pasta, cooked

2 cups soft bread crumbs (4 slices of bread with a little butter and salt)

Butter

Salt

Mix the eggs in a small bowl with 1/2 cup of the milk and set aside. In a medium saucepan melt the butter on the stove, and whisk in the flour. Add the rest of the milk (2-1/2 cups) and stir until thickened. Turn off heat and whisk in the egg and milk mixture (stirring quickly so the eggs do not cook). Add the cheese, Worcestershire sauce, and a little butter and salt to taste. Pour over the cooked pasta and stir until thoroughly combined. Place the macaroni and cheese into a greased casserole dish or pan, and top with the breadcrumbs. Bake at 350 F. degrees for 35 minutes. (You may need to cover it with foil at some point if the breadcrumbs start to get too dark).

1 comment   |  tags: | posted in Casseroles, Main Dishes, Pasta

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