Bratwurst & Apples

Mommy Mondays

Don't we all need quick meals, especially when the school year starts? When I don't have the time or desire for the grill, I love pan frying these bratwursts. Most of my kids don't care for the apple/onion topping, but that means there's more for me!

Bratwurst & Apples

Brats

Apple, Diced

Onion, Diced

Garlic or Garlic Powder

Olive Oil

- Place 2 TBS Olive Oil in Pan, heat it up.

- Add brats.

- Add Apples & Onions on top of Brats & Sprinkle with a little garlic.

- Pan Fry each of the 4 sides of the brats, covered, for 5 minutes each.

- Serve on toasted buns or by itself as a dish. I served with baked cabbage slices.

Recipe Chicken Pot Pie

Mommy Mondays

Today I'll share a family favorite recipe, passed along to my by my sister-in-law, Andi, from someone in her family.

Recipe: Chicken Pot Pie

When I made it this month, I cooked split chicken breasts I bought on sale in the crock pot overnight and then shredded them. Next time, I'm going to make two pies. My kids' appetites are getting bigger!

Oh, but I can't fit two in the toaster oven, and we hardly use the oven in the summer. I wonder if I could bake them in the grill.

Ingredients:
Refrigerated pie crusts
1/3 c. butter
1/3 c. chopped onion
1/3 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
2 C. vegetables (I used frozen california medly)
Chopped Carrots and Celery
1/4 t. pepper
1.5 c. chicken broth
2/3 c. milk
3 c. cooked chicken

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425

      1. Melt butter over medium heat.  Saute onion, celery, carrots. 
2. Add flour, salt, pepper and gradually stir in broth and milk.  Whisk until thick and bubbly. 
3.  Add chicken, frozen veggies and remove from heat.  Spoon into crust. 
4. Add top crust and slit.
5.  Bake for 30-40 minutes.  (check after 20-25)

Enjoy! Yum!

Chicken & Squash Skillet

I wanted to use fresh vegetables and herbs from my garden tonight for dinner. My neighbor also shared some of their produce from their garden. Dinner turned out delicious, and I wanted to share it, since I sort of made it up by combining a few recipes.

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Chicken and Squash Skillet

INGREDIENTS

·        1 Cup Brown Rice

·        2 Cups Water

·        1 Can Cream of Celery Soup

·        Chicken, 3 boneless skinless breasts, cut into cubes, or equivalent.

·        2 T Olive Oil

·        Seasoned Salt

·        Salt/Pepper

·        2 tsp Paprika

·        *Fresh Basil, small handful

·        *Chives

·        *Squash/Zucchini, as much as you want. I used one of each

·        Bell Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1.      Boil water for rice. Add Rice, paprika, and soup. Simmer for ½ the time, about 20 minutes, in large skillet.

2.      Meanwhile, in separate skillet, heat oil. Cube chicken, sprinkle with season salt, and add to hot oil. Brown approximately 10 minutes.

3.      Add Chicken to Rice Mixture. Top with chives. Cover and cook 10 minutes.

4.      Add vegetables, basil, and salt/pepper to taste. Simmer covered until rice is done and vegetables are tender.

SALAD:

We served a simple salad w/ *garden lettuce and *cherry tomatoes.

BEVERAGE:

I steeped *mint leaves with *stevia leaves for about 15 minutes and then poured it over ice. Delicious!

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I hope this inspires you! What are you cooking from your gardens?

* Denotes items from our gardens

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Dump Cake Recipe

I made Dump Cake for my daughter's birthday this weekend. It has a terrible name for such a delicious dessert. Here's the easy recipe:

• Dump 1 can of crushed pineapples into a 9x13 pan.
• Spread 1 can of cherry pie filling on top of the pineapple. (Use spoon to plop it around.)
• Pour yellow cake mix evenly on top.
• Cut 2 sticks of butter into 20 pieces and place over the top.
• Bake for 1 hour at 350 and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!

Not Your Ordinary Boiled & Slimy Vegetables

"Do your kids really eat that?"

This is the question I was asked while checking out at the grocery store. The cashier was commenting on the brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and asparagus in my bag.

"Absolutely!" I replied. Then I explained how I cook these and other vegetables to make them delicious.

Toss with some olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic, and then roast at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir one or two times.

They are seriously delicious!

Here are some tips for individual vegetables:

Cauliflower: Cut into bite sized pieces. Roast until slightly browned.
Brussels Sprouts: Trim off stem and remove outer leaves. You can cut in half, but I usually don't.
Asparagus: Snap off asparagus where it's weak.
Potatoes: Cut into thin wedges.

Enjoy!

(PS - I had no idea before writing this that brussels sprouts had the "s" at the end of brussel. Who knew?)

Toliver's Loaf of Bread - minus the snuff box

I love reading. I hate baking. But, in honor of finishing the book Toliver's Secret, the kids and I baked 2 loafs of white bread. I used this recipe.

The dough was so sticky and gooey it was impossible to kneed. I was getting very frustrated until the girls and I started laughing about it. We looked like monsters with slimy hands. I would have taken a picture, but my hands would have stuck to the camera.

We finally got the risen dough into the loaf pans, and the finished product looked beautiful. It tasted ok, but it was chewy and heavy. I wouldn't want to make it again.

So, I need a little help here. What are the secrets to perfect bread? Did I add too much extra flour? If so, then how in the world was I supposed to kneed that sticky, pasty substance? I should add that I don't have a bread maker or fancy mixer.

On a good note, we loved the book. I was almost in tears of relief and excitement at the end myself!

We are learning American History this year by reading literature, with a combination of Beautiful Feet, Truth Quest, and Sonlight suggestions. It has been so much fun! In fact, we are enjoying the Revolutionary War so much and have so many good books to choose from, we might just stay here the rest of the school year.

Have you read anything inspiring lately? And... how do I fix the bread?

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In the mood for an inspirational historical fiction book? Check our Becky's new novel Surrender.

Want a creative way to teach the 23rd Psalm to your children? Becky wrote a devotional titled Duncan's Journey that is now available!

Super-Fast Dinner: For THOSE days...

It's 5:08. The kids will be coming inside soon from the cold snow. My husband will be on his way home. The Toddler will be rousing from his later than usual nap.  I have a pounding, aching, splitting headache that appeared out of nowhere and put me on the couch for a couple of hours.

Dragging myself up, I am thankful for this super easy dinner recipe that will be on my table tonight.

• 1 Polish Sausage
• 2 Cans Green Beans
• 2 Cans Potatoes, sliced

Cut up polish sausage and dump in pot with cans and the liquid.  Simmer 30 minutes.  DONE.

(Do not simmer too long or the sausage will lose all its flavor.)

Does dinner get any easier than that?  I usually double the recipe because my kids all want seconds.  And if I only have whole canned potatoes, I dump the juice in the pot, slice up the potatoes really quick, then throw them in.

It's now 5:15.  From pantry to table by 5:45.  Priceless.

Publish Post

Science with Pancakes

Breakfast & Science Experiments!  That’s my kind of multi-tasking!  I found this recipe on www.allrecipes.com.  It was delicious!!!  The pancakes were incredibly fluffy, and we were able to have a science lesson on fermentation.  We're going to try to make plastic out of milk next!   http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/plasticmilk.html  A few notes about the pancakes:  We tripled the recipe and only had a couple left over.  I also added a splash of vanilla. Fluffy Pancakes

Rated:  5 Stars! Submitted By: kris Photo By: momto2lilbugs Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes Ready In: 25 Minutes Servings: 4

"Tall, fluffy pancakes are delicious served with butter and syrup or top with strawberries and whipped cream for a real treat. "

Ingredients:

3/4 cup milk 2 tablespoons white vinegar 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons white sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 egg 2 tablespoons butter, melted cooking spray

Directions:

1.	Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to "sour".
2.	Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg and butter into "soured" milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone.
3.	Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.

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