Christmas Gnomes make for a fun girls day

A friend of mine found these online somewhere and shared them with me..she actually made a lot of them-a couple different sizes for herself and had friends come and make them with her for themselves also.  Today Kim, Alana and myself made this little family of them that are getting split up and shared with others.  I made the big one for my front step.  Once you get all the supplies gathered up they go together super fast.  There are lots of online tutorials to follow..I kind of blended a few of them.  Mine looks so cute on the step and you can see him from the road.  It's an easy fun Holiday craft to put together and for us, we had the tomato cages already pulled out of a storage shed, the fleece for the hats was from Walmart-blankets that were $2.50 each, a couple packs of floral wire, some mittens from the dollar store and his nose was an old knee high nylon stuffed with stuffing I already had here. You can be creative and do whatever you want with them.  some people used real potatoes for the nose and tied yarn for the braided beard etc.  anything goes.

Margaret's Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie

The kid's grandma, Margaret, always made this pumpkin pie every year for Thanksgiving, and no one since has ever made it quite as good as hers was.  It had to be the love she put into it, because even though I have the recipe written in her own hand, it just doesn't quite taste exactly the same.  Now, since she passed, someone, usually myself or eldest daughter Shellie, makes it so we have a little bit of her at Thanksgiving with us.  This year it's me!  I like making it because I think about her and her personality, the way her arthritic hands worked when she cooked or baked and how much she loved her family.  She would have fought off a grizzly bear if it threatened any of us!  LOL.  no, seriously, she would have..Anyway, I wanted to share the recipe that she wrote down, smeared up and aged so future relatives could see it and try it if they want with their families.  (it actually was the one on the Festival pumpkin can), but she never told us and I discovered it long after she was gone)..her secret is safe with us..LOL

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes for another coworker leaving work

We have another coworker leaving..tomorrow is her last day, so I decided to try this Food Network recipe to bring to work to put in her cube area when people come to wish her farewell.  She is one of our LPN's, young, newly married and moving into a job closer to home and that will give her more experience to move up in her field.  I wish her well!  Both the frosting and the cupcake are filled up with vanilla bean paste so they look cute with the little specks flowing in them and smelled so good baking.  You can substitute real vanilla extract -just look up the ratio on the internet if you wish..the paste is not cheap, but is a real treat.  On the show they used wafer straw cookies as poles and put the Lindt candy on the top (just hollow it out a little so it sta on the straw), but my straw were not all whole and broken when I opened the tin, so I am just going to toss them on the tray with the cupcakes to make it look more festive.

Here is the recipe..I actually couldn't find it later on to send you a link-I have no idea where it went so am sharing it this way so I have it going forward for me and my family.

VANILLA BEAN CUPCAKES:

Cupcake:
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons milk
2 Tablespoons vanilla bean paste-or two vanilla beans opened and the seeds scraped out

Heat oven to 350 degrees
Line a 12 cupcake muffin tin with cupcake liners
Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together..set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat eggs with sugar until thick, pale yellow and slightly frothy.  Continue beating eggs with sugar and pour in vegetable oil; beat until combined.  Add the sour cream, milk, and vanilla beat paste.  whisk to combine.

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture in small batches, being careful not to overmix the batter.

Pour the batter evenly into 12 cupcake size pan with the liners..about 1/4 cup batter per muffin cup.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out cleanly.  Allow cupcakes to cook completely before frosting.

FROSTING: I loved this frosting.
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla bean paste
pinch of salt

(I used a large bowl so everything wasn't all over the house)_ Beat cream cheese and butter together in a stand mixer if you have one, or with a hand mixer if not.  Add powdered sugar, turn mixer on low until incorporated, then beat on high for 1-2 minutes.  Add bean paste and salt and beat until combined.

Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with course crystal decorating sugar.  I just put a lindt white chocolate ball candy to top it off.

Oven BBQ chicken from my "youth"

My mom used to make this when I was growing up and it was one of my all time favorites.  I could sit and eat it piece after piece.  I also made it for my family when they were growing up quite a bit and it got the same response from them.  I have been thinking about old time foods again and decided to make a mini version of it for Dave and my supper tonight with 4 drumsticks.  I most likely will kick myself for not making more for leftovers!  You can make as little or as much as you like, just double or triple the sauce recipe and there you go.  I always used cut up whole chickens..yes chickens when I made it, but even chicken breasts will work for those who prefer them.  I generally make mashed potatoes, corn, beans and buns with it, but mac and cheese, coleslaw etc would all be great.

Here is all you have to do:

wash and pat dry whatever chicken you decide to use..salt and pepper all sides.  Brown the chicken.  I use a fry pan with a little oil for small batches, but for large I put it on a broiler pan and brown each side in there.  If you use this method you can use the bottom broiler pan to bake it in also, or for a small batch use a pan that is the appropriate size.

In the meantime make the sauce:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp yellow mustard
1/4 cup vinegar
1 cup catsup
1 tsp Worchester sauce
1/4 of an onion chopped well
1/2 of a 28 ounce can of whole tomatoes, stem pulled out and then squished with your hand into the pot.

simmer until thickened/reduced.

pour sauce over the chicken in the baking pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until browned and done.

Witches Legs Scarf for Kim

Kim picked out this scarf for me to make for Halloween.  She works in a pediatric dental clinic and likes to wear things the kids would get a kick out of for the holidays.  It is a free pattern from The Crafter Life.  It was a little more complicated than I thought it would be..the scarf itself was easy, but the boots were kind of hard to understand, but once I figured the pattern out I decided they weren't that bad at all..it was just wrapping my brain around the process I guess.  She chose the orange and black colors -I liked them in purple in black a lot too though.  I need to get a picture of her with it on yet, but this is one of the finished product at least!

Homemade Dog Food for Annie

As if I don't have enough to do lately I decided to start making Annie homemade dog food. She is almost 14, has hardly any teeth left in her mouth and is showing signs of possible diabetes so don't want her to eat that canned dog food anymore that is full of terrible things and I think made her sick when Dave was in the hospital this last time. I found this recipe online for diabetic dog food and made it up today. She loves it. I found a giant bag of legs and thighs at Walmart super cheap, and made enough for 3 batches. It freezes well they said so I am going to put it in the freezer with 1 cup a day servings for her so it should make enough for a few weeks at least. There was enough chicken legs/thighs left so I cooked some up for chicken and dumplings for us tonight besides. we all will be eating chicken tonight! The Dicalcium Phosphate is a nutrient supplement-I read up on it before making the dog food.  you don't have to add it, but I did.

Homemade Diabetic Dog Food for Annie:

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup cooked pasta-I used spaghetti noodles and cut them up
1-1/4 cup cooked chicken-I roasted it in the oven for about an hour using just legs and thighs
1/2 Tbsp corn oil sprinkled on the chicken
1/2 tsp salt-I just salted the chicken
1/2 cup carrots-I roasted them with the chicken-I actually added more like 3/4 cups for each batch because I wasn't sure how many to roast-I roasted 6 whole ones
1 teaspoon dilcacium phosphate

I ground up all the chicken and carrots (you don't have to do this, but I didn't want Annie picking out carrot chunks and eating only the chicken in chunks. Toss everything in a big bowl and mix well with your hands.  Separate into serving size bags and freeze or refrigerate for up to 3 days.  Annie only weighs about 20 lbs so 1 cup a day is about her size, plus she sometimes gets some meat snacks from Dave..

Goulash (Kim's recipe)

I got this recipe from Kim this week because she made it for their supper.  I had a pound of hamburger to use in the fridge, so threw it together for our lunch and leftovers-if like most of these kinds of goulash/hotdishs it probably will taste better as leftovers besides! It's pretty easy to put together, one pan!, and had all the ingredients in my cupboards besides which is always a big plus.  It does have some added veggies too, so one meal in a pan.  You can omit or add other vegetables too to your liking.

KIM'S FAMILY GOULASH:
One pound hamburger, browned well
one small or 1/2 larger onion diced
corn-I used about 1/2 can but you can use frozen/fresh as much as you like
carrots-I used one cleaned and finely diced
celery-I used one larger stalk finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves minced
32 oz can of crushed tomatoes
16 ounces of beef stock/broth
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz elbow macaroni

Add onions, carrots and celery to browned hamburger, simmer until onions are translucent.  Add all the other ingredients.  Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until elbow macaroni is tender and veggies are soft.

Grilled Hawaiian Chicken with Coconut Rice, Grilled Pineapple and Cucumber Salad

I still am missing my Grilled meats etc from our Hawaii trip, so today I tried a new recipe for the above and it was awesome!  I definitely will make it again and again.  I never had made any parts of it, so it was a new experience, but the recipes were actually really easy and since you marinade the chicken for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours can be made way ahead.  I made it early this morning and let it sit all day until about 5:30 when I grilled it.  only needs to cook about 10 minutes a side, so fast.  Joe came over and was mowing and I had invited him to eat here and he also said it was really good.  Here's how to make the meal..

For the Grilled Hawaiian Chicken:
1-3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup low sodium soy sauce
2/3 cup brown sugar, light or dark..I used light
1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger (I used the already grated ginger in the tube by the herbs etc in the grocery store)
6 cloves garlic, finely minced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder-I used the powder-lazy

Instructions:
Place the opened chicken thighs in a shallow dish or a gallon sized Ziploc bag-that's what I did.
whisk together the pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and garlic and pour HALF of the marinade over the chicken in the bag so the chicken is evenly coated.  seal the bag and refrigerate 4-24 hours .
Refrigerate the remaining marinade until the chicken is ready to be grilled.

preheat grill to medium or medium high.  Bring the refrigerated marinade to a simmer in a small saucepan on the stove.  simmer for 5-10 minutes until it's reduced and somewhat thickened.  set aside.  In the meantime place the chicken on the preheated grill (discard the marinade in the bag/dish) and cook until thermometer reads 165 degrees at the thickest part..about 7-8 minutes a side.  during the last 3-4 minutes of cooking baste the chicken liberally with the reduced marinade.  can drizzle more on if desired when serving.

COCONUT RICE:
1-1/2 cups jasmine rice
1 can coconut milk-I used lite and it was great
1-1/4 cups chicken broth
1/4 tsp salt

Combine the ingredients in a 5 qt saucepan or larger. Bring to a boil  over medium heat, stirring often to prevent sticking.  Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 16 minutes (I did stir it once during the time).  remove from heat, covered still and fluff after 5-10 minutes.

CUCUMBER SALAD:
2 cucumbers, very thinly sliced (I used my mandolin, but be sure to use the shield!)
1 small red onion (I just used a yellow one) sliced thin also with the mandolin
2 Tablespoons vinegar (I used rice wine vinegar)
2 Tablespoons sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp sugar
either some fresh finely chopped dill or 1/2 tsp (about) of dried dill weed


Mix all together until smooth and creamy.  Pour over sliced cucumbers and refrigerate until serving.  can be made earlier that day.  the cucumbers stay a little crunchy if sliced thin like recommended.

STRAWBERRY CHICKEN SALAD

Since I just went strawberry picking and still had some berries available, I decided to make this strawberry chicken salad for our lunch today.  I really liked it.  Dave, not as much.  (not surprising though, he likes everything boring..lol).  I am posting it because some day I definitely will make it again for a pot luck or party, so here goes!  This was my version of another recipe..

STRAWBERRY CHICKEN SALAD:

2 cups of shredded head lettuce or lettuce/greens of your choice
1/2-1 cup of Salad Pizazz mix (cherry cranberry pecano) to your taste.
6 oz grilled chicken breast
3-5 strawberries, washed and sliced.
2 oz feta cheese finely crumbled
strawberry vinaigrette (recipe below)

Strawberry vinaigrette ingredients:
1 cup ripe strawberries
1 cup rice wine vinegar
3 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp strawberry jam
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste (just a few shakes of each)

combine strawberries, sugar, and vinegar and smash together (I used my emersion blender in a deep bowl, mix in jam and dijon, slowly add in oil, season with salt and pepper and blend together well.

set aside-you will only use a little of the finished dressing. Refrigerate remaining dressing.

ASSEMBLY:
Toss strawberries, greens and dressing in a large bowl (just add a little dressing, a little goes a long way and you can always add more later if desired)
thinly slice grilled chicken  and fan out the chicken on one side of the salad and top with candied salad pizazz mix and crumbled feta cheese .  serve immediately.  

Strawberry Freezer Jam

It's strawberry season here in Minnesota!  My daughter, Kim and granddaughter, Alana, did our annual trip to the strawberry fields yesterday morning before it got too hot (it's been humid and in the 90's) lately) and both got two ice cream buckets filled with huge beautifully ripe berries.  I decided I wanted to make a double batch of freezer jam this year with one bucket.  It's great on ice cream, toast, waffles and even to put in my oatmeal bars (recipe on this site also).  I might make a pan to take to work on Monday because everyone really liked them in the past!  This jam is super easy to make and I know some people use other type of fruit to make other flavors..I have never tried it though so can't say how it turns out.  It would be fun to try though with raspberries, blueberries etc.  I had some on toast with butter this morning and it was so so good! I have used other recipes in the past and it turned out kind of runny..tasted great, but kind of messy on toast, but this one IF YOU FOLLOW IT PERFECTLY comes out thicker -perfect to me.  Don't take shortcuts and make sure you have fresh Sure Jel and products and it should be great.

STRAWBERRY FREEZER JAM: I doubled the recipe and it turned out good. This is the single version:

1 quart fully ripe strawberries -these are when they are still whole. (when crushed they will be 2 cups approximately)
4 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
1 box pectin (I use Sure Jel)

You will need CLEAN, DRY either plastic containers with lids or jars-I used jelly jars-they are 1 cup size and doubled the recipe and got 11 jars plus a enough to put in the fridge extra for trying it out.

Rinse strawberries gently with clean water (I put a few at a time in a strainer and sprayed clean water on them well and placed on a paper towels).  stem them and crush them (I stemmed them and placed them in a deep bowl, then just used my hand mixer and on lower speed just busted them up leaving some smaller chunks-worked great).  You need EXACTLY 2 cups of crushed berries.

Add sugar and mix well-LET STAND 10 MINUTES, stirring occasionally.

Mix water and pectin in medium saucepan; bring to a boil on high heat stirring constantly.  boil for one minute.

Remove from heat and add to fruit mixture; stir constantly for THREE minutes or until sugar is dissolved and no longer grainy.  it will thicken more as you stir.

Fill prepared containers immediately to within 1/2 inch of tops.  Wipe off top edges and immediately cover with lids.  If you spilled jam on outside of jars wash off with wet warm washcloth well once sealed.

Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours.

Your jam is now ready to use and can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 weeks or frozen for one year.  Thaw frozen jam in the fridge before using.

Swedish/American Meatballs

SWEDISH/AMERICAN MEATBALLS:

I tried this recipe last night because I had a hankering for some meatballs and mashed potatoes like I used to have in the "olden" days.  I really thought they were good, so posting this recipe with the additions I made to flavor them up.  You can triple the meatball portion and freeze the cooked meatballs to use in other recipes also.  I kind of wish I had done that to pull them out for meatball subs and other quick meals, but will next time for sure.

FOR THE MEATBALLS:
1 pound lean hamburger
1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 egg
about 1 Tablespoon finely minced onion
1 garlic clove minced finely
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Mix all ingredients together well (I used my hands).  Form into one inch balls. I used my cookie scoop.  Place onto cookie sheets and cook in the oven for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.  Make sure they are cooked thoroughly.

In the meantime:  Make the sauce:

SAUCE:
In a large fry pan:
On low heat: melt 2 Tablespoons of butter, add a little minced onion and simmer until soft/clear.  Add 1/4 cup flour and whisk until creamy.  Slowly add 1 cup half and half and 1 cup beef broth (I used one cup water and Better than bouillion beef flavored base).  keep whisking so it doesn't get lumpy over medium low heat.  Add 1 Tbsp sour cream, a little garlic powder, black pepper, and a small amount of Western dressing.  check for salt-I didn't need any, but adjust seasoning if needed. Once incorporated dump in meatballs and stir to coat.  Serve over noodles or mashed potatoes.  I used Simply potatoes mashed potatoes because we like them and they are easy!

Quick little 4th of July Crochet Project to use up some bulky yarn

I saw this little project on Facebook last week (free!) and had the bulky yarn luckily at home to use up, so bought the steel ring and made it between last night and this afternoon to brighten up the house for the 4th of July.  I didn't use as much fringe as the designer, but I think it's cute still.  Here is the link to her pattern if you crochet! https://madewithatwist.com/star-mandala-wall-hanging-pattern/

Honey Brown Sugar Roasted Carrots

I tried these tonight and love them so posting the recipe here so I can find it again..so good.  I made meatloaf and mashed potatoes to accompany them..will definitely make again many times.

https://www.lecremedelacrumb.com/honey-brown-sugar-roasted-carrots/

Browned butter Heath Bar Cookies

There was a bake sale at work a few weeks ago and one of the girls (Heather) who actually organized the event, brought in these cookies for the sale Hospice was putting on.  I bought a pack and then when back, after devouring them, to buy another pack for Dave and to get the recipe from her!  Today I finally had all the ingredients and time so made a batch to share with two of my kids that are nearby this afternoon and some for us.  They are so good, and kind of a nice treat from the standbys I usually make.  They make great gift giving cookies because they hold up well and stay nice for more than a day or two like some.  Be careful when browning the butter so it doesn't get too dark, just a golden color is perfect to bring out the flavors you need. (Tip: they would make awesome ice cream sandwiches for the warm weather just around the corner).

In a large bowl mix together:

3/4 cup white granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Then add: 1 tsp vanilla, stirring in well.

Add: 2 sticks (1 cup) real butter that has been gently cooked until light brown (warm still), until sugar starts to dissolve. (I actually started this before pulling out all the other ingredients I needed)

Add 2 eggs beating well into the dough.

Add 2-1/4 cups flour, and 1 tsp. baking soda and stir until just combined.

Finally:  Add 10.2 ounce total of 1/4 inch diced health bars.  (I used the mini ones and diced them in 4 pieces each.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.

Scoop onto parchment lined cookie sheets in rounded Tablespoon (I used a heaping small cookie scoop and formed them in balls) (12 to a sheet-they spread out).  Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes until they look slightly browned and set.  cool.

Keto Sour Cream and Chive Bisquits by Carrie Brown

I have been trying to keep my carbs in check for the last few months so I can keep my blood sugars down and keep my driving privileges intact!  It's been helping a ton so I plan on continuing (although already know I will cheat on special occasions a little!)  Life is too short either way to not enjoy treats occasionally with family and friends.  Anyway, I made these a little bit back on the program and loved them, so made another batch today.  They are very versatile,  you can pretty much use whatever cheese you like and herbs etc.  I used sharp shredded cheddar both times and just about a tsp of onion powder instead of the chives because I didn't have them and then sprinkled Everything but the Bagel seasoning (they have it at Trader Joe's, but I am hearing them have tons of variations also everywhere now) on the top.  that has garlic and other seasonings in it already.  I cut them in squares, but I have seen them with circles like bisquits also.  You can find the almond flour even at Walmart now and I think the xanthan gum also..I am an Amazon shopper though to save me the trip and get the brands I want.  I like the Honeyville super fine almond flour a lot.  These taste a lot like the biscuits at Red Lobster and are great with a salad or soup.

Here is the recipe (Carrie Brown).  Oh, she is from the UK I believe and they use weights for their recipes a lot.  I just brought a digital scale from Walmart for about $20 because of this)

SOUR CREAM AND CHIVE BISCUITS:
15 oz almond flour
4 tsp backing powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp sea salt
6 oz cold butter-cut up in tiny pieces

1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tablespoon cold water
1/2 oz chopped fresh chives (I used 1 tsp onion powder)
6 ounces feta cheese (I used shredded cheddar) FYI-she says not to buy the crumbled feta, use a fresh block and crumble it yourself so it's more sticky.

Beaten egg to glaze
paprika (I used the Everything but the Bagel seasoning)

INSTRUCTIONS:
1.  Place the almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt and cold butter into a food processor and pulse just until it resembles bread crumbs, do not over process (I actually just put everything in a bowl and used my pasty blender and hands to work in the butter-I still had little tiny pieces of butter in there, but my biscuits came out nice and tender/fluffy)
2)  With everything in a mixing bowl, add the egg, sour cream, water (I beat these 3 ingredients together) , chives and cheese and mix just enough to form a rough, soft dough.
3)  Turn onto a board (use a little almond flour to keep from sticking to the board) and knead about 10 times until dough is all together.
4) Flatten the dough lightly with your hand until it's 1 inch thick (square).  cut into 12 squares with a sharp knife.
5)  Place biscuits on a baking sheet (not greased), brush with a beaten egg and sprinkle with paprika (I used the EBTB seasoning)
6)  Bake in the center of the oven at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.

Just an fyi, I did these on my recipe calculator and they are 243 calories each and only 4 Carbs each..fyi.

How to Make Hawaiian Loco Moco

When Joe and I went to Hawaii a month ago we went to a restaurant called Loco Moco that he had on his bucket list of things to do there.  I have no idea why they don't have that place in the states!  The food was awesome!  Hawaiian BBQ meats with rice and their signature dish of Loco Moco.  Joe actually ordered that and I got BBQ pork chops the first day (yes, we went two days in a row!) and we both left raving about it.  Anyway, I have been thinking about it ever since and last night I made a recipe that I found online to try it.  We both thought it turned out really good, so am posting it so I don't forget what I tweeked with it.  Here goes:

LOCO MOCO:

Prepare White Short Grain Rice-this will be for 4 servings, so make the amount you would like to eat with these.  I had about 2 cups.

For the gravy:
In a large frying pan add a little extra virgin olive oil.

Add one medium onion that has been diced finely and cook on medium heat until it's translucent and slightly caramelized.  Separate in half and remove half of it into a medium bowl to use for the hamburger patties.

add 6 mushrooms that have been cleaned and diced finely (or half a small can of sliced mushrooms that have been chopped finely) and continue cooking until mushrooms are cooked.

Add 1-1/2 cups beef stock, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp low sodium soy sauce, a small amount of your preference of salt, some ground black pepper.  Bring to a simmer.  In a small bowl, make a slurry of 1 Tablespoon of corn starch and 1 Tbsp of water and slowly stir it into the broth to thicken.  Add 1 Tablespoon of Accent or MSG to enhance the flavor.  NEXT TIME I WILL MAKE DOUBLE THE GRAVY-WE BOTH WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE MORE TO ADD, ALTHOUGH IT WAS FINE.  Set aside on low heat to keep warm.

(I actually had a little bit of KFC gravy in my fridge and dumped it in too to use it up and since we liked the taste I might do that again, although it was good without it too)

For the patties: Place all in the bowl with the onions you set aside.
1 lb of lean ground beef
1 egg
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs (they say panko can be used-I used regular)
2 Tbsp of milk
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
pepper
Mix thoroughly with your hands and form into 4 patties that are slightly flattened.

Spray a large frying pan with cooking spray or use a small amount of the olive oil.  Fry patties until thoroughly cooked through.  Add to gravy and warm thoroughly.

Eggs:
In a smaller fry pan, fry 4 eggs just until centers are still soft and slightly runny (you break the egg once it's on the stack to let it run down it a little)

ASSEMBLY:
Rice goes on the bottom, then patty with gravy, then fried egg..you can pour more gravy over the whole thing at this point or eat as is.  They served it with Kimchi or a cucumber salad with a vinegar type sauce..I didn't do that because I was lazy, but would next time because it's good with it.

Keto tuna melt biscuits

I made some of these little biscuits to have around for lunches for work or afternoon hunger pains.  A person on one of my Keto blogs had made them with salmon, but they are pretty versatile so I changed them up to canned tuna with cheddar cheese and a few different seasonings and they came out great.  Here is what I did.

KETO TUNA MELT BISCUITS: (6)

Heat oven to 325 degrees F

Drain one can tuna (I used the water one because that's what I had, Starkist) and tuna to a medium sized bowl.

Add about 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I had mild)

1/4 cup avocado mayo

1/4 cup sour cream

2 eggs

3 Tablespoons fine almond flour

1 tsp dried dill

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 tsp baking powder

small amount of lemon zest (I used about half a lemon)

small shake of sea salt

Mix thoroughly with a fork.  Fill greased muffin tray about halfway full, bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes.  I think they taste better when cooled/room temp because all the flavors come through more.

A 2019 Project. Hats for the Homeless.

A friend from work and I decided we wanted to do something with some of the yarn we have and have fallen "out of love" with.  We decided to use some of our lunch breaks and crochet hats for the homeless and donate them in the Fall to an organization who could distribute them and help keep people warm in our cold Minnesota winters.  Here is how we decided to make them.

I really didn't have a pattern. I just chained 43 with worsted weight 4 ply yarn and an I hook and then just did half double crochets in the back loop only, chaining 2 at each row turn, until it measured 19 inches..tied off leaving a long tail. slipped stitched it into a tube and then used that tail to close up the top, attached a pom pom there and turned up the edge..let me know if you have any questions!  

Here are pictures of my first three hats..hoping this will increase to lots more pictures by this Fall!  She has also made three!  She actually had an afghan that she started some years back and was not liking it, so took it all apart and is using the yarn for her first hats.  They are cute and in fact her boss begged her for one and she gave it to her since her hat was getting frayed and she wanted another one.

Another hat (5/1/19), different pattern.  

Men's brown beanie 5/5/19

Pineapple Bread

When Joe and I went to Hawaii last week we were given a sample of Pineapple Bread at the Delta Sky Club while we waited for our return flight home.  I had never even heard of it before and we both liked it a lot, so I searched online for a recipe and made it this afternoon.  It's supposed to used a lot with ham dinners down south and I can see that it would be really good with ham.  I will make some up next time I cook one.  Here is the recipe..you can also add some coconut to it and/or crushed pecans if desired.  I did add some coconut because I had some and I like it, but the sample we had was just the pineapple and it was great.

PINEAPPLE BREAD:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  (makes 1 loaf, I doubled it because I read it was so good and the can of crushed pineapple I had was enough for two loaves)

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 -8 ounce can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 tsp vanilla

Cream butter, gradually add sugar, beating well (I used my electric mixer).  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixure alternately with pineapple, mixing well.  stir in vanilla.

spoon batter into a greased and floured 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan.  Baked at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes until a wooden toothpick comes out clean.  Cool loaf in pan 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

Benihana Shrimp Sauce, my version

We are having a fondue at Kim's for New Year's Day and I make the sauce for them.  I would call this a shrimp sauce, but it goes on everything in our family!..the rice, the tempura vegetables, and all the meats.  I don't think we could have a fondue without it..it just wouldn't be worth it..LOL.  Anyway, I decided to post the recipe so I wouldn't have to keep digging for it down the line and others could also try it.  Here goes.

Gaile's Version of Benihana Sauce:

in a container with a lid, whisk together:

2 cups real mayonnaise
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon sugar
dash or two of salt
1 Tablespoon of garlic JUICE.  (I always have the minced garlic in a jar in my fridge and use the juice from that)
3-4 teaspoons ketchup
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon pepper
and one 12 oz bottle of Heinz chili sauce.
(optional: you can add a little horseradish if you want more zing-I don't though generally)

put in fridge for several hours or overnight..serve.