Crock Pot Stew

I made Crock Pot Stew today.. I only had a 1/2 pound of beef so I added 3 chicken thighs.. I used about 2 LB of carrots and a pound of potatoes and a pound of frozen mixed veggies. 3 and 1/2 cups of chicken broth, Essence of Emeril original seasoning, onion powder, 2 garlic cloves. I also added 1/2 tsp salt. I had to pick the chicken off the bones and place back in the pot. It turned out very well.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Honestly I can't see why anyone would want to devour anything with that much RED food coloring in it. I would make the same recipe and omit the stupid food coloring.

Cheeseburger Pie

1 LB Ground Beef or Turkey

1 Onion diced or 2 tsp Onion Powder

1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

1 and 1/2 tsp Emeril's Original Seasoning,
or your favorite mixed seasoning

1/4 to 1/2  tsp Salt

1 (15 oz ) can well drained Petite diced Tomatoes (This is not in the original recipe)

1 to 1 and 1/2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese,
or use your favorite

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 1 Cup Milk

1/2 Cup Bisquick

2 Eggs

Brown the ground beef or turkey with the chopped onion and drain well. If you omit the onions add the Onion Powder, garlic powder, any other seasoning you prefer and salt.

Oil spray a 10" glass pie dish or 8 or 9" square baking dish, spread the meat mixture on the bottom of the dish, cover with drained tomatoes and then sprinkle the cheese on top. Mix up the biscuit mix with the eggs and milk and pour over the pie.

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 40 minutes.

NOTE: This recipe is easily doubled if baked in a 9" x 13" glass cake dish. In fact this recipe is half the original recipe I found online.

Oatmeal Bread

I ran out of bread today so I made a batch of my Oatmeal Bread using a sponge I made last night. I love a good piece of homemade bread toasted and dipped into my egg yolks in the morning. I eat a LOT of eggs by the way.

Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce

I made Crock Pot spaghetti sauce today since I knew my husband would be working on an oil painting tomorrow in our kitchen, and needs my counter space.. He's painting someone's cat who passed away a while ago.

Crock Pot Sweet Pork/Venison/Chuck Roast

3 -5 pound Roast of your choice (We prefer pork)

1 package McCormick Puller Pork Seasoning divided in half. (Save the rest for the next roast)

2 Cups Chicken Broth

Potatoes cut in eighths

Carrots cut in chunks

Make up the half the seasoning mix using half the amounts of ketchup, vinegar and brown sugar, mix into the crock pot with the broth.

Peel and cut potatoes in eighths. Peel and cut carrots into large chunks.

Place the veggies in the bottom of the pot., then place the meat on top and press down so it's setting in some of the broth mixture. Let cook on high for about 5-6 hours. Or let cook on high for 2 hours and turn down to low until supper time. Make a gravy with flour and water mixture after removing the meat and veggies from the pot the last half hour on high setting.

NOTE: Right now I'm using a small 2 LB venison roast. The venison burger which came from the same deer tasted kind of "gamey"so I soaked it in vinegar water for 24 hours.

Sponges for Bread

I was all Gung Ho for sourdough bread in the past.  I had a yeast starter I use for rye bread, but the rye never tasted like the store bought Jewish rye bread.. so I decided not to make it anymore. Even my parents prefer store bought! (No way was I putting citric acid in my dough to make it taste sour!) Now I make a SPONGE the night before I make a batch of bread. It does make it chewier which we all love since we toast my bread more often than eat it soft. Here's my sponge recipe:

SPONGE for Bread

2 Cups warm water

2 tsp dried yeast

1 TB Salt

1 TB Sugar or Honey

2-3 Cups Flour.

Mix well with a whisk until smooth, cover with plastic wrap and let ferment overnight.

BREAD for 4-5 Loaves

2-3 Cups slightly hot Water

2-3 Cups Oatmeal or Whole Oats

5 TB Sugar

5 TB Veg. Oil

2 rounded tsp Dry Yeast

2 tsp salt

Bread or Unbleached All Purpose Flour

Mix up the bread ingredients, minus the flour, then add to the Sponge to it. Now add flour a cup at a time until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Now turn out onto the counter and knead in flour until it's no longer as  sticky and looks smooth about 200 1/4 turns . It will be textured from the oatmeal.

Now wash the two large bowls you used and oil spray them. Divide up the dough between the two bowls unless you have  jumbo bowl for the whole batch and let raise a good hour or two in a warm room or the unlit oven with the light on.

Now get out your food scale and measure out 24 ounces for each loaf of bread. Knead out the bubbles and shape into 4 loaves. Place in oil sprayed loaf pans. I make cinnamon rolls with any left over dough. Let rise about an hour or more until 1 inch above the edge of loaf pans before baking at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

NOTE: You can always use warm milk in the recipe, or add mashed potatoes or potato flakes in the beginning. Even add onion and garlic or herbs to the recipe. It's your baby! LOL