Cheeseburger Soup

Our weather finally took a dip to colder weather, but still only 20 below.  It is supposed to get to -30 by Thursday, but that is in the middle of the night.  While we have had an unusually warm winter, -20 is still cold and I crave soup.

I made soup and chicken wings for dinner Sunday while we watched football, soup for me and chicken wings because Dave doesn't think soup is dinner.  But, I have to say that I got TWO compliments on the soup and he ate TWO bowls of soup so this was a total win!  At one point he told me I could can the broth and sell it, high praise from a  soup disinterested human!

So, here is my version of Cheeseburger Soup, I won't can it and sell it, but I do take donations if you are so inclined!

Cheeseburger Soup

1 Tbsp. Avocado oil
1/2 cup onion, diced
3 cloves garlic
1 lb. ground beef
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 (14. oz)  fire roasted-diced tomatoes
4 cups beef broth
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
salt to taste
1 1/2 cups cheese, divided
diced dill pickle, optional but so unusually delicious

In a large pot, heat avocado oil and sauté onion until soft and translucent.  Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, add ground beef and cook until well browned, breaking up large clumps.  Add mustard, tomatoes and beef broth, bring to a boil and reduce to low and simmer for 1 hour.  Add heavy cream, sour cream and 1 cup of cheese, stir until cheese is melted and incorporated well. Taste and add salt, if needed.

Serve, top each bowl with a sprinkle of cheese and some dill pickle.

5 years ago:   Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Dates
7 years ago:   Lighter Fruitcake

December 16, 2019  Sunrise 10:53 am  Sunset 2:39 pm  Temp H -5/ L -8°F

Cheeseburger Casserole

I was hurrying out of the grocery store and rushing to my next errand, trying to get it all done during my lunch break.  I'm deep in thought as I scurry down the row of cars and stop short next to mine.

The driver side door is wide open.  Did I forget to shut the door?  I always lock my door by touching the outside lock button so I'm sure I don't lock my keys in the car.  Did I not shut the door and lock it?

I take two steps closer.

Shit!  Who ever broke into my car is still in the driver's seat.  Do I yell, do I walk up and demand they get out and leave my stuff alone?

The person sitting in the driver's seat has totally white hair, is a woman and about 85 years old.

Did she get confused when she saw I left my door open and sat down because she thought it was her car?  Is she hurt?

At this point I rush to the aid of the poor delusional elder.

Crap, I don't own a Jeep, I own an Escape...that isn't my car.

And it's Monday.

So I made this for dinner.   Bacon-Cheeseburger casserole is quick, easy and doesn't care what kind of car you drive or if you remembered to shut the door.  I just hope Tuesday goes a little smoother.

Lots of bacon is needed because someone (cough..Dave..cough)
keeps eating it off the top

I like mine with avocado and tomato, pass the ketchup.

Cheeseburger Casserole
4 slices bacon, diced
1/2 small onion, diced small
1 lb. ground beef, or moose
2 Tbsp. sugar free ketchup
1 Tbsp. mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. cream cheese
1 cup grated cheddar or colby jack cheese

toppings:
avocado
tomatos
lettuce
red onion, diced

In a medium frying pan, over medium heat, fry bacon until crisp.  Remove from pan to a paper towel lined plate.  Leaving the fat in the pan, add onion and sauté until translucent, 3-5 minutes.  Add ground meat and cook, breaking up any large clumps.  When browned, add garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Add ketchup, mustard and cream cheese.  Stir until well mixed.  Top with grated cheese and either cover with a lid until cheese is melted or place under the broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheese.  Sprinkle bacon bits over top and serve with desired toppings.  Serves 4

1 year ago:    Chocolate-Cocnut No Bake Cookies and the Texting Fiasco
5 years ago:   Grilled Chicken with Mango and Jicama Salad
7 years ago:   Frog on a Lilly pad

April 30, 2019   Sunrise 5:21am  Sunset 10:17pm  Temp. H 66/ L 37°F

Moussaka

This is a new favorite.  I love moussaka.  When I was in college, my group of friends would have a dinner once in a while and choose a country.  We would all pick out dishes from that country and then bring them together to try.  When we chose Greece, I chose moussaka.  I was just learning to cook and moussaka was very ambitious for me.  It worked, but I was exhausted and didn't try it again for years!

This is a Keto recipe and so quick!  I use ground moose and with just Dave and myself home now, I make it in two 8X8 pans so we have dinner, left-overs for lunch and another pan in the freezer for when I'm gone or too lazy busy to cook.  I've made it over and over, and Dave still says he likes it and will eat it again.

I made it during the week Gman and his people were up
Thanksgiving week.  Gman approved.

This dish, with a salad is the perfect winter dinner.  I have a couple pans of this in the freezer for later this month when I'll be recovering from the second reconstruction surgery.  Easy for me and Dave, and a warm delicious dinner.

Skillet Moussaka

Eggplant Layer
1 small eggplant (about 12 ounces)
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper

Meat layer
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup chopped inions
2 cloves garlic, smashed to a paste or minced
1 lemon, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. dried oregano leaves
1 cup flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1.5 lbs. ground lamb, beef, or moose
2 cup finely diced mushrooms
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup tomato sauce

Cheese sauce
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup bone broth (homemade or store bought)
2 large eggs, separated
8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
Pinch of ground nutmeg


Preheat oven to 350˚F.

To prepare the eggplant layer, cut the stem off the eggplant and remove the skin with a vegetable peeler.  Slice the eggplant lengthwise into 1/8 inch thick planks.  Season both sides of the slices with salt and pepper.  Place the eggplant on a greased rimmed baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until soft.  Remove the eggplant from the oven, but leave the oven on if you are baking the moussaka right away.

Meanwhile, make the meat layer.  Heat 1 Tbsp. butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add the onions, garlic, lemon slices, oregano, and parsley.  Cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft, about 3 minutes.  Add the ground meat and mushrooms.  Stir to crumble the meat.  Add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cinnamon stick, then stir in the tomato sauce.  Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, then remove from the heat.

Place 1/2 the meat mixture in one 9 X 13 or two 8X8 pans.  Place a layer of eggplant slices over the meat (dividing evenly if using two pans), top with the remaining meat mixture, top with another layer of eggplant.  Set aside.

Make the cheese sauce.  In a saucepan over low heat, combine the 1/4 cup of butter and the broth.  When the butter is melted, whisk in the egg yolks, feta cheese, and nutmeg and stir just until combined.  Beat the egg whites until very stiff, then fold them into the sauce.  Pour the cheese sauce over the eggplant in the pan.

Place the pan in the oven and bake the moussaka for 30-40 minutes, until the top is golden.  Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. 

3 years ago:   Easy Cassoulet - the Perfect Winter Dinner
5 years ago:   So Long to a Good Friend

January 11, 2018  Sunrise 10:35am  Sunset 3:22pm   Temp H 2/ L -5˚F

Breakfast Chili

I had a check up on Thursday at the New Boob Dr.  I was hoping for a fill up, but the infection isn't gone yet.  I got two antibiotics for 14 days and if this doesn't work, I think we have to take the tissue expander out, heal for 6 months and start over.  I'm praying for the antibiotics working.  Bodies are such wonderful things.

I'm following a Keto diet and practicing intermittent fasting.  Basically it means you have a shorter "eating window"  so instead of eating first thing in the morning, I eat my first meal around 10:30 or 11:00 and my last meal at about 6:00.  So, I am eating breakfast at work now, instead of my car on the way to work.

I got hooked on breakfast chili.  It starts with bacon...

It has to be good if it starts with bacon.  Then add burger and chorizo.  A few veggies and some tomato sauce are added into the mix with some spices.

It makes 12 servings so I have breakfast in the freezer for a couple weeks.  Dave often will grab one of my containers for his lunch and a couple weeks ago I made a batch, saved enough for my breakfasts for the week and sent the rest to my nephew's house when they got home from his knee replacement surgery.

I top it off with an egg I cook in the microwave and some bacon bits and avocado.  Usually I'm full until dinner.

Breakfast Chili
adapted from The 30 day ketogenic cleanse, Maria Emmerich

Find the recipe in this book:


1 year ago:   Drink of the Week - Sex on the Snowbank
3 years ago:  Stuffed Pork Loin
5 years ago:  Using up left-over Halloween Candy, Pretzel Turtles

November 13, 2017  Sunrise 9:21 am  Sunset 3:48 pm  Temp. H 24/ L 4˚F

Breakfast Bake

Mornings have been kind of tough. I used to wake up with a bounce and hop out of bed around 5:00. I've gotten to where I sleep until 6:00 and then drag myself out of bed. With the changes I've made in my diet, I have recovered some, but I am not bounding out of bed, or exercising consistently in the morning yet either. One thing I do to help myself is have breakfast ready so I can just warm it up at home or (if I'm running really late) throw it in my lunch box and eat it once I get to work.

I usually have the same thing for breakfast every morning for a week. I'll fix something on Sunday, portion it out, and have breakfast ready to go all week long. This is one of my favorites, cheese, eggs, taco meat, sour cream and guacamole on top, you just can't go wrong. Dave doesn't eat breakfast, and that is just fine with me because then I don't have to share!

Taco Breakfast Bake


2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 lb. 80% lean ground beef (or moose)
1/2 cup onions
2 Tbsp. Taco Seasoning
1/4 cup tomato sauce
8 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup bone both or beef broth
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack or sharp cheddar cheese
1 oz. cream cheese
1 tsp. finely chopped garlic
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

Optional Toppings:
salsa
sour cream
guacamole

Preheat oven to 350˚F.
In a large oven-safe skillet, heat butter over medium heat.  Add the ground beef, onions, and taco seasoning and cook until the beef is cooked all the way through and the onions are translucent, about 7 minutes.  Add the tomato sauce and stir well to combine.

In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, broth, cheeses, garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper.

Add the egg mixture to the beef mixture and stir to combine.  Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, until the eggs are just slightly set, stirring continuously.

Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 27 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked through in the center.  Remove from the oven and let rest for 3 minutes, then slice and serve.  If desired, garnish with salsa, sour cream and/or guacamole.
makes 6 servings

To prepare for the week, cool and slice into servings.  Put each piece in a microwave safe container and refrigerate.

1 year ago:    Italian Pine Nut and Apricot Cake and the Busy Squirrel
3 years ago:   Baked Oatmeal
5 years ago:  Banana Crunch Muffins and Routines

August 31, 2017     Sunrise 6:29 am Sunset 9:10 pm   Temp. H 68 /L 44 ˚F

End of the Season Yard Cleanup and Quick Jambalaya

Ahh, October.  I love Fall.  The mornings are crisp, the afternoons are perfect for working in the yard and then having a fire after dinner.  And this fall, so far, has been beautiful.

Dave was busy doing yard work over the weekend, and I got out our Halloween decorations.  The Chick and I worked on the inside.

The baby boy helped with the outside.

We had a busy day, so I needed something quick to throw together for dinner, before the evening fire and s'mores.  This was perfect.  

I do need to ALWAYS wear my reading glasses now when I cook. I followed the recipe, we sat down to eat and this was pretty spicy! I don't really like spicy food but the rest of the family liked it.  The next day I sat down to copy the recipe and read 2 teaspoons of cajun spice...I added 2 TABLESPOONS!  Ah, live and learn.

Quick Jambalaya

adapted from Cooking Light, October 2016

1 Tbsp. canola oil

1 onion

3 oz. andouille sausage, finely chopped

8 oz. moose sausage (I had some left over from making meatballs, so I just used it up)

12 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

2 (10 oz.) cans unsalted diced tomatoes and green chilies

2 tsp. salt-free Cajun seasoning, or more to taste

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

2 (8.8 oz. pouches precooked rice (I used one white and one brown)

4 green onions, chopped

1 lemon cut into wedges

Hot sauce, optional

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion and sausage; cook 4 minutes or until onions are tender, stirring occasionally.  Add chicken; cook 4 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

Strain tomatoes in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup liquid.  Add strained tomato mixture, 1/4 cup reserved tomato liquid, Cajun seasoning, and salt to pan, scraping pan with a wooden spoon to loosen browned bits.  Cover and reduce heat to medium, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Meanwhile, warm rice in microwave and spread on platter.  Remove jambalaya from heat, pour over rice.  Top with chopped green onions.  Serve with lemon wedges and hot sauce.  

1 year ago:   Carrot Soup and Ducks in the Yard

2 years ago:  Dark Chocolate Cake with Whipped Ganache

3 years ago:  Cranberry Shortbread

4 years ago:  Chocolate Chip Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

October 4, 2016   Sunrise 8:12 am  Sunset 7:05 pm  Temp. H 39/ L 28 °F

Shotgun Wedding Soup and waiting on the Mouse

One of our trips in Bessie, we had a little mouse scampering back and forth across this little path next to us.  I named him Marvin and while Dave fixed dinner, I sat and tried to get his picture.  It was raining and dreary, so the shutter speed was a little too slow for this quick guy.  

Most of my pictures looked like this:

But I was persistent.  Finally, after about 45 minutes, Dave tried baiting him with a rose hip.  Hoping he would stop long enough to sniff  or eat it and I could catch a picture.  Marvin didn't even stop at one of them.  I did manage to catch part of Marvin...see his tail end in the left hand side?

Oh, the things I do for entertainment.  

Now that it is fall, cooler during the days and freezing some nights, we have soup and sandwich night on Monday.  We watch Monday night football during dinner, the only night we have the t.v. on during dinner. Thursday night football just has to wait until after dinner...that is what a DVR is for.   I made this quick soup I adapted from Ellie Krieger's cookbook Weeknight Wonders.  Use a good chicken stock, I used some homemade from my freezer.  It was perfect with our grilled ham and cheese sandwiches and a side salad.

Shotgun Wedding Soup
adapted from Ellie Krieger

1/2 med. onion
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. moose sausage (her recipe calls for 1/2 lb. ground chicken)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
8 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp. fresh Italian parsley
1/2 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated
2 large eggs
3 cups lightly packed baby spinach

Dice the onion and mince the garlic.  heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and sausage and cook, breaking up the meat as you stir, until is is no longer pink.  Stir in the garlic, salt, and pepper and cook for 1 minute more.

Add the broth, cover and bring to a boil over high heat.  Meanwhile, finely chop the parsley. Place the parsley, cheese and eggs in a medium bowl.  Whisk to combine.  Chop the spinach coarsely and set aside.

Once the soup is boiling, uncover and reduce the heat to medium-low.  Stir the broth in a circular motion, then slowly drizzle in the egg mixture, stirring all the time, to form thin strands.  Stir in the spinach and cook until the spinach is just wilted, about 30 seconds.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 4

1 year ago:    Zucchini Fries
2 years ago:  Canning Tomatoes
3 years ago:  New Lights

Sept. 14     Sunrise 7:10 am  Sunset 8:21 pm   Temp H52/ L 39°F

Pasta with fresh vegetables and a new addition to our neighborhood

Sunday morning I got up to finish the sourdough bread I started Saturday night.  I was measuring the flour and I happened to look out the window, some movement had caught my eye.

This is what I saw, so I ran to my office and grabbed my telephoto lens.  Then I could see this...

Our neighbors had a robin nest under their window and it looks like at least one of the babies has hatched and grown enough to make an outing.  However, he was small enough to still need snacks on his great quest across the street, to the mother robin was back and forth feeding him.

She did see me in the window and wasn't too happy about it, I didn't want to spook her, so I took a quick couple of pictures and backed off.  I didn't want Jr. here to miss any snacks because Momma was doing the stare-down with me.

It lasted a couple of hours, then the sun hit the backside of the shed and the little bird hopped to the other side of the roof.  I don't know how long he stayed there, but it was a beautiful day for an outing.

It was also a beautiful day for dinner outside.  I made this pasta dish with fresh tomatoes, garlic and spinach.  I used moose Italian sausage, and it would be a great recipe to help me use some of the extra ground beef I have.  The recipe came from an Ellie Krieger cookbook under the vegetarian section, but Dave doesn't think it is dinner without some meat.  You could make it with or with-out.

Pasta with grape tomatoes, spinach and garlic
adapted from Ellie Krieger, Weeknight Wonders


1 lb. Italian sausage or ground meat
4 medium cloves garlic
4 cups grape tomatoes
3 cups lightly packed baby spinach
3/4 pound pasta
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese, optional

Put a large pot of water on the stove to boil.  While the water heats, peel and thinly slice the garlic and halve the tomatoes.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Brown the sausage until no pink remains.  Drain any extra fat from the pan.  Add the garlic, stirring frequently, cook until fragrant and softened.  Add the tomatoes to the skillet and cook, stirring once or twice, until the tomatoes are warm and softened but still retain their shape, about 4 minutes.  Coarsely chop the spinach and stir in into the tomatoes.  Remove the skillet from the heat and cover to keep warm until the pasta is ready.  Grate the Parmesan cheese for the top and set aside (if using).
Meanwhile, once the water comes to a boil, add the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package, then drain.  Add the pasta to the skillet along with the salt and pepper and toss to combine.  Serve garnished with the cheese, if desired.
Makes 4 servings

2 years ago:  Friendship Bread and Almond Joy Muffins

June 23, 2014   Sunrise:  2:59 am  Sunset 12:47 am   Temp. H 72/ L 50°F

Taco Soup and 20 lbs. of burger

Some things to give you perspective:
I am the shopper in our house.  I shop for the clothes, groceries, household goods, cleaning supplies...you get the picture.  I also plan all the meals, and prepare most of them, so I know what is in my pantry, fridge, and freezer.  That is just the way the chores fall out in our house, and I'm fine with cooking, if someone else will wash my underwear.

We eat moose.  Dave and his entourage go hunting every September and we almost always have moose in the freezer.  Right now we have about 50 lbs. of  moose burger.  It is good, but I don't cook a lot with burger, so it is about the last of the moose we have from last year.

So, when my husband called and said, "Fred's (our favorite shopping center) has burger on sale for $1.99 a pound.  I have 40 pounds in my cart, how much more should I get?" I was caught off guard!  Our conversation went something like this...

Me -"Um, you know we have 50 lbs. of burger in the freezer?"
Him -"Yes, but this is such a good deal."
Me - "When was the last time you ate something made with burger?"
Him - "Well, beef prices are going up, we should buy this now while it is on sale."
Me - "You know that would give us 90 lbs. of burger in the freezer and moose season is only 3 months away."
Him - (in a very disappointed voice) "You want me to put half back?"
Me - (trying not to say "No, put it all back!" but wanting to compromise) "Yes, I think half would be good."

So now I am the proud owner of a freezer with 70 lbs. of burger.  We will be doing a lot of Friday night burger nights at my house.  We will have tacos once a week for a while.  The Baby Boy doesn't like spaghetti and the Chick doesn't like meatloaf, and keep in mind the kids are dairy free, so I am struggling to figure out how to use 70 lbs. in the 13 weeks before moose season!

It was cold this week, so I made a pot of taco soup.  And to go with it, I made oven fried flautas.  Two recipes that used burger!  I made some flautas with cheese and some without.  

I could use some burger ideas, come over Friday and tell me your burger recipes, and for your trouble, I'll feed you a hamburger.

Taco Soup
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 lb. hamburger
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix (I use this homemade taco seasoning)
DO NOT DRAIN ANY OF THE CANS
1(15 oz.) can black beans
1 (30 oz.) can spicy chili beans
1 (15 oz.) can Mexican tomatoes (tomatoes with green chilies)
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can corn
1 1/2 cups water
Optional toppings:
avocado
sour cream or greek yogurt
tortilla chips
chopped tomatoes
green onions

In a large stockpot, sauté onion in olive oil until soft, about 3 minutes.  Add hamburger and brown completely.  Add the taco seasoning and cook for one minute.  Add all the other ingredients, including the liquid from each can.  Simmer 15 minutes, until warmed through and flavors melt.  Serve and top with your choice of toppings.

1 year ago:   Light Pina Colada and the Wood Chipper
2 years ago: Light Banana Cream Pie and a Secret

June 5, 2014   Sunrise 3:21 am  Sunset 12:20 am   Temp: H 57/ L 49°F

Bacon Burgers

Now that it is sunny and a little warmer (notice I didn't say warm), we grill almost every night.  My plan is to have easy things Dave can grill so I don't have as many dishes to do after dinner and I don't have to do most of the cooking.

We end up eating a lot of burgers, usually on a Friday night because I'm tired by the end of the week.  We have a bit of moose burger left in the freezer so it is easy to pull a package out to thaw and Dave does the rest.

A friend introduced me to something called 50/50.  It is 50% burger and 50% ground bacon.  Yes, you heard me right, ground bacon!  She made meatballs with it at Christmas, and I knew this would be a welcomed addition to our weekly burger night.  I didn't go with 50/50, I just couldn't face all that fat (well, I could, but my pants can't) so I went 75/25.  I ground some bacon, added it to the ground moose, threw in some Montreal Steak seasoning and Dave made the patties.  Now, we won't do this every week, but we will do it often!

Ground Bacon!  My Kitchen Aide grinder makes this so easy.

Bacon Burgers

3 lbs. burger
1 lb. bacon, ground
4 Tbsp. Montreal Steak Seasoning

Mix burger, ground bacon and seasoning together, lightly.  Shape into patties.  Grill!
Extra patties go in the freezer between wax paper for the next time.  Thaw before using.

May 7, 2014   Daylight 17 hrs. 46 min. 18 sec.  Temp. H 52/ L 34°F

Lasagna two ways

The baby boy posted on Facebook that his chick tried to make soup, and then they ordered pizza.  We've all had tries in our kitchen that haven't been the best (unless you haven't then I don't want to hear about it.)

When Dave and I were first married, I made an oh, so delicious dish fishstick casserole.  Yea, really.  It seemed like it had ingredients that all five kids liked, fish sticks, tator tots, cream of something soup, cheese...I made it, served it, and we all ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that night, except Dave.  He chocked down ate two servings so I wouldn't feel bad.  That was 15 years ago and we still talk about the deliciousness of that casserole.

Well, one thing we all could agree on is lasagna.  I don't eat noodles so I make lasagna two ways, one with noodles for Dave and one with zucchini for me.  Everything else is the same, just be sure to salt and let your zucchini release some of it's water, or use a lot less tomato sauce or the zucchini lasagna is very watery.

Lasagna can be made 9million different ways.  This is how I do it and it works for my family.  Add or delete any of the ingredients to suit your family's needs.  I have found that, while my kids won't eat spinach as a side dish, they eat it up in the lasagna!  Win.

Zucchini lasagna, and noodle lasagna.  I make them at the same time.

Lasagna

1-2 medium zucchini, sliced on a mandolin, salted and sit for about 20 min. then rinsed and patted dry

1.5 lbs. burger (I use moose)

1 onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots grated

1 pkg. frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 cup ricotta cheese

2 cups mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

lasagna noodles, boiled about 4 minutes until soft but not cooked through

4 cups good marinara sauce

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

Brown ground meat in skillet with onion, garlic, an carrot.  Drain any fat.

Spray two loaf pans with cooking spray.  Spread about 1/4 cup of sauce in each pan, top with noodles or zucchini, add a layer of meat, about 2 Tbsp. ricotta, in dabs, a layer of spinach, a layer of mozzarella, a layer of parmesan, and a layer of sauce.  Repeat with noodles or zucchini, meat etc. until ingredients are used.  Top with noodles, sauce, mozzarella, and parmesan.

Bake for 20-30 minutes until lasagna is bubbly and cheese on top is nicely browned.

September 13, 2013   Daylight 13 hrs. 14 min. 52 secs.    Temp H 61/ L 39˚F

Pasties

Why is it that my comfort foods are not always the healthiest choices?  When I am tired, cold, overly hungry, sad, celebrating,consoling myself, or rewarding myself I want some good old-fashioned comfort food (wow! that is almost all the time).  My comfort food?  Let's see, I love macaroni and cheese, cherry pie, chocolate cake, mashed potatoes and gravy, fried chicken...do I need to go on?  One of my all-time favorites is pasties.

I guess this is a mid-west thing, or at least a Montana thing.  Both my mom and dad grew up in Montana and this is something I remember my mom making and my grandma making. My mom always makes them (really, now she buys them at the store) when I go to visit. When I really want to comfort myself I make pasties and wash them down with chocolate chip cookies.  Then add a few spoons of Nutella...but I digress.

So, the other day, I was feeling a little sorry for myself because my dear baby brother texted me a picture of his weather forecast (74°F) and I texted him a picture of mine (-9°F).  So I channelled my grandma and made pasties.  I think this is one of those recipes that everyone has their own variation.  Ours is very simple, ground meat, potatoes, onion, salt and pepper, and pie crust.  I even bought the crust because I was really feeling sorry for myself and didn't want to make any.  I have heard some people put carrots in theirs, that must be a Michigan thing, not a Montana thing.  How ever you make it, I hope you enjoy it soon.

Grandma's Pasties

1 lb. ground burger (I use moose)
1 onion, diced or grated
2 med. russet potatoes, diced or grated
salt, pepper to taste
2 pie crusts
1 egg plus 1 Tbsp. water

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Mix burger, grated onion, grated potatoes, and salt and pepper.  Divide meat mixture in half.  Roll out one pie crust in about a 12" circle.  Place half the meat mixture on one half of the pie crust.  Beat egg with water.  Brush egg wash over unfilled side of pastry.  Fold pie crust over meat and close side.  Fold and pinch crust to seal meat in crust.  Cut vents on top of crust and carefully transfer to cookie sheet. Brush top of pastry with egg wash. Repeat with second crust and the rest of the meat mixture.  Bake for 35-45 minutes, until meat is cooked through and pastry is golden brown.

Serve with brown gravy and/or ketchup (my favorite).  Feel better soon.


March 21, 2013     Daylight 12 hours, 25 minutes, 17 seconds     Temp. H 21/ L-2 °F

Moose Sausage Stuffed Zucchini

Yes, zucchini again.  That's what my husband is saying right about not.  I had these two gianormus (yes, that is a real word) zucchinis.  I cut one in half, shredded it and used it for the chocolate zucchini cake and the other half I stuffed for dinner.

I have a friend who stuffs her zucchini with rice, dried apricots, pistachios and herbs, it is wonderful.  But a meal without meat is not a meal, according to my husband.  So I stuff mine with moose sausage, cheese and marinara sauce.  You can stuff your zucchini with anything you want (and if you leave your car unlocked, I'll unload about 17 lbs. of overgrown zucchini).

Sausage Stuffed Zucchini
1 large zucchini, cut in half length-wise and seeds scraped out
1 lb. moose Italian spiced sausage, or Jimmy Dean or your favorite sausage
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, divided
1-2 cups good marinara sauce, depending on preference

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Rinse zucchini, cut in half and scrape out seeds and some pulp to make a good sized well.  Place on foil covered baking sheet.  Season with salt and pepper.

Brown sausage in skillet.  Cook and chop into medium sized crumbles.  Add parmesan, 1/2 cup mozzarella, and up to 2 cups of sauce, stir to combine.

Mound sausage mixture into well in zucchini half.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Top with 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, return to oven until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 3-4 minutes.

Tips:
Some people chop the center of the zucchini and mix it in with the filling.  I don't because I don't like the texture of the seed center.

If your zucchini really rocks, you can cut a thin slice off the bottom to make it more stable.

August 3, 2012     Daylight  17 hours,  52 minutes  8 sec.     Current Temp. 61ºF

Pizza on the grill

I thinks summer is really here.  We are having beautiful sunny days, and then as soon as I walk out of my office, it starts to rain.  We always joked that if you don't like the weather in Fairbanks, wait 15 minutes and it will change.
We've been waiting to try pizza on the grill for a clear night.  We finally gave up and made these pizzas in the rain.  Pizza is one of my favorite foods.  I believe you should be able to live off ice cream and pizza, and for a few years I think I did!
I made the dough, Dave and I shaped it, he did a better job than I did, and then put the crust on the grill.  Cooked the first side, turned it over, added toppings and finished cooking the whole thing.  I really meant to take pictures of the plain crust on the grill, but it was raining and I am made of sugar (I didn't want to melt).

Dave kept the middle burners on and the side burners low and we cooked the pizza over indirect heat.  Can you tell which two are mine (my crusts were thinner and crisp, the way I like.  At least that's my story).  This was easy and fun.  We are going to have a backyard party and have everyone create their own pizzas.  I'll have the dough ready, they can shape their own crust, Dave will cook and then each person can add toppings from a topping bar.  I think it will be fun.  As long as it isn't raining.

Pizza on the Grill

Crust

1 1/2 cup flour plus more for kneading

1 tablespoon yeast

11/2 teaspoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup warm water

3 tablespoons oil

Toppings

pizza sauce, store bought or homemade

cheese

meat and veggie toppings of your choice (living with a meat lover we had moose sausage and pepperoni)

Preheat grill, once heated turn off half the burners.

Combine 1 cup flour, east, sugar and salt in a large bowl.  Add water and oil.  Mix together until well blended.  

Add 1/2 cup flour until soft dough ball forms, it may be slightly sticky.   Add additional flour as needed to form dough ball.  

Kneed on floured surface adding additional flour until a smooth elastic ball is formed (about 4 minutes).    Cut dough into 4 equal pieces (I weighed my dough to get equal amounts).  Shape dough into circles (or odd oblong shapes if you like that).  Place dough on grill over indirect heat and cook until crust is browned nicely and has good grill marks (about 4 minutes depending on the thickness of your crust), turn crusts over using tongs.  Top crusts with pizza sauce, cheese and your choice of toppings.  Cook until crust is browned on bottom and cheese is melted.

Honey bees and lady bugs in the flowering tree in my yard.  It really is summer.

June 18, 2012     Daylight  21 hours, 49 minutes     Temp.  70ºF