Dutch Babies - first attempt

This is the Recipe for Dutch Babies as well as HOW they are SUPPOSED to look! Dutch Babies

I followed all the steps using a nonstick pan/oven safe rather than cast iron. Also not sure if the pan was SUPER hot when I added the batter... I didn't want to burn the butter.
Either on of those things must have messed up my attempt.

That said they are only a half fail - they failed in they didn't, fluff, puff, rise or fall.
They still tasted wonderful!
I will be trying this recipe again - not sure when, but I promise I will post a redo!

Turkey Empanadas - Spanish Eggrolls!

Now I love "Egg Roll" recipes. In fact in my Favorite Recipe tab I am making a tab just for Egg Roll food.

What is an Egg Roll recipe? You ask.
An Egg Roll recipe is where you use leftovers or food on hand in a flexible recipe that changes and adapts to the moment.

While recipes abound for Egg Rolls and good Chinese restaurants stick to the same recipe so as not to lose customers - most people understand that they started by the normal stay at home mama, grandma ect to stretch the budget and reuse leftovers.

What most people don't realize is that EVERY food genre and culture has at least one good "egg roll" recipe.

Last night I made Spanish Empanadas for the first time! They were delicious and yes for the first time I followed a recipe.
Black beans, corn & beef Emanadas
In the end mine didn't really come out the same I changed a few of the cooking methods and substituted one ingredient for another, with ingredients I had on hand.
They were delicious!

First I started with a Empanada Dough recipe or you can buy pre-made.

Then I cooked my ground turkey and spices in one pan while browning the garlic and onion in the other.
While they cooked I shredded a few carrots and pulled out the frozen corn and canned re-fried beans.

 

I poured out the grease from the turkey at least once before adding in the re-fried beans. I added the shredded carrots & corn to the onions and garlic - cooked until soft then added the meat mix  into the larger pan with veggies. 

I also did the veggies mix in the larger pan so that when I moved one to the other the major of the grease would be left behind.

I rolled out ten balls of Emanada dough, rolled them out into 6 inch circles. Fill the insides, wrap, use water to seal the edges, press together with a fork. Coat bottom and top with veg oil. Bake at 425 d for 25-30 mins. Allow to cool on a wire rack for 10 min.

This time I didn't use cheese but I might the next. Good part is that you can use, beans, rice, meat, veggies the possibilities are endless!

In fact all you have to do is look up "Empanadas Recipes" you can find them with any type of meat to fruit pies!

Reduce & Re-Use that's also Good for you!

For several months now I have been getting my milk from our local dairy delivered once a week, fresh to my door step.
Then right before Thanksgiving my best friend bought me the Soda Stream.


With both I get HUGE health benefits as well as amazing amounts of green/eco saving numbers.

Heathwise
For the cola ~ I can make my syrup with Stevia & a slight bit of Agave which is MUCH MUCH better for you and MUCH lower glycemic levels.
For the milk ~ its cold processed instead of pasteurized. The bonus is the FDA and state laws require so many levels of testing and health procedures for "Raw" milk. Safety laws that are NOT applied to pasteurized milk. One article I read called it the difference between live clean milk and the sterilization of dirty milk.
Now not all raw milk is equal. If you have a local trusted reputable dairy I say look into it!
Also with cold processed milk you get the live healthy bacteria that helps your intestine track vs. pasteurized which has been boiled til every bit of bacteria good and bad is dead.

Eco/Green wise
For the Cola ~ I save plastic by not buying it in bottles and cans but reusing the same 3 BPS free bottles over and over and over.
It save's all the gas and electricity to make & transport the bottles and soda.
For the Milk ~ Since they re-use the bottles that save a ton of plastic. Also since its local it saves all the gas and packaging of transporting long distances.
Not to mention supports local business as well as organic & green products.

See - Good for you - Good for the Earth!

Chicken & Dumplings from Storage

Eating from your storage/emergency food may appear daunting at first.
Many waste their storage food instead of making amazing and delicious dinners for the family.

This is made from Potato powdered soup mix
Follow the directions on the box for adding water amounts and cooking times.
Add veggies - I prefer to use frozen or garden fresh if available
Canned chicken
Limited amounts of pepper

Take a package of biscuits
follow mixing instructions
add mix to boiling soup mix, after everything is mixed in, one spoonful at a time.
Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes coating biscuit mix lightly with sauce to insure even cooking.

I topped mine with a little pepper and it was as yummy as any Chicken dumpling dinner I've ever made and so much faster and easier to prep!

Snacks & Insane Foodie Trends

 

Blue Cheese Dressing

Lettuce

Red Onions

Tomatos

Provolone Cheese

Crutons

Tortilla Chips 

Colby Jack Cheese

Olives

Tomatos

Red Onion

Now a blogger that I love who writes Stark. Raving. Mad. Mommy

She wrote a post titled, Not enough Ketchup in the world!

Where she goes OFF on the foodie community for the food trend predictions for this coming year.

I would write it ~ but how she wrote it ~ WAY to funny!

My take on it - I want to see each predictor EAT the foods THEY predicted!

I wouldn't!

EVER!

Soup & Cherry Cola w/ Stevia

 This time I ordered from Prairie Moon I ordered the following flavors

• Root Beer
• Lemon Lime
• Cola
• Cherry 

Now I am brand new to this having only made the Root Beer & Orange Pineapple from P.M Co.

So this was to be a time of trial and error

My first idea was to make a full syrup of Cola and a full syrup of Cherry 

(following the made with stevia instructions w/agave)

mixing them together.

Oh MY GOODNESS!!!

New favorite, new love! 5 stars!

As for the soup

many people don't know how to use food storage food as every day food

Which is a waste - why buy food to store and then have to throw it away every so many years?

Instead every now and then pull it out make a few dinners and then replace

This way you know how to use your food storage plus your not wasting it!

I started with the power base soup flavored "Broccoli & Cheese soup"

Followed the water to powder guidelines

then added in leftover cubed cooked chicken

and about 1-2 cups of mixed frozen veggies (corn, peas, & carrots)

1 cup frozen broccoli

1-2 tsp crushed garlic

a dash of pepper

topped with grated cheese

Yummy!

Winters Breakfast

Waking up to snow (more snow then all winter put together) I was in the mood for something hot and yummy!

I know I haven't posted much lately - I have been so busy lately trying to get the house back into order. Later I will be posting my own mix of soda (combing cherry soda and cola - to make my own stevia cherry cola!)

Breakfast this morning was wheat toast, maple sausage & provolone cheese.
Vanilla coffee & coconut creamer

Treasure the simple moments in life. When you look back over your life it won't be the "big" moments you smile over, but the small ones filled with love.