When I think Halloween I think candy. Maybe it's the joy of remembering a childhood filled with make believe costumes, running from house to house, and most of all the sugar high that I had as a kid that made Halloween my favorite part of Fall. This year I was determined that my two rug rats were going to experience the joy of Halloween. From great costumes to trick-or-treat. They would enjoy the time.
What I didn't realize was how much I chewed off. You might be asking yourself what she saying. You get a costume, a bag, and run crazy right? Yes that's what you do. Only for me a cheap store bought costume wasn't going to cut it. My son and daughter deserved quality. So off I went to the fabric store to get material for them. Boy did that start my headache.
At the store I couldn't find a single costume pattern to satisfy my kids taste or mine. So I resolved to make my own. For my son, a star wars outfit that any Jedi would love. For my daughter, a trick-or-treat fairy made of candy/halloween prints. After trial an error and many many hours my kids and I were satisfied.
Today they wore there homemade costumes at the churches Trunk-or-treat. They had a blast. Hit a huge sugar high. And overall made a memory of a great Halloween. The hours spent was so worth their joy.
- FKB Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Sunday, October 31
Monday, October 25
Bean & Pork Stew Please
Ok here's a radical stew for an adventure.
Prep time is a little intense but the flavor is nice and mellow. Major hint soak beans over night. The texture will be a little better.
Bean & Pork Stew Recipe:
1 package beans (I love 16 bean melody)
1 pork jowl cubed
1 pound pork stew meat
1 onion cubed
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1 clove chopped garlic
Soak beans overnight. Drain, rinse, and add to stock pan. Add water or beef broth for richer taste. Season and Bring to boil. Cube and lightly brown the pork jowl add to boiling beans. Leave grease in pan. Add pork stew meat, onions, and garlic to grease and brown. For added flavor I like to season stew meat with salt and pepper before browning. Add meat, garlic, and even grease to stock pan. Boil stew for 40 minutes.
1 cup cubed carrots
1 cup cubed potatoes
1 cup cubed squash
1 cup cubed zucchini
Added vegetables need more beef broth, but overall taste pretty good. But I'd suggest using kidney or lima beans only. Mixed beans just don't taste right. For added spice I love adding paprika and white pepper.
FKB Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Prep time is a little intense but the flavor is nice and mellow. Major hint soak beans over night. The texture will be a little better.
Bean & Pork Stew Recipe:
1 package beans (I love 16 bean melody)
1 pork jowl cubed
1 pound pork stew meat
1 onion cubed
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1 clove chopped garlic
Soak beans overnight. Drain, rinse, and add to stock pan. Add water or beef broth for richer taste. Season and Bring to boil. Cube and lightly brown the pork jowl add to boiling beans. Leave grease in pan. Add pork stew meat, onions, and garlic to grease and brown. For added flavor I like to season stew meat with salt and pepper before browning. Add meat, garlic, and even grease to stock pan. Boil stew for 40 minutes.
1 cup cubed carrots
1 cup cubed potatoes
1 cup cubed squash
1 cup cubed zucchini
Added vegetables need more beef broth, but overall taste pretty good. But I'd suggest using kidney or lima beans only. Mixed beans just don't taste right. For added spice I love adding paprika and white pepper.
FKB Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Thursday, October 14
Christmas Craft Anyone?
I know it's not even Halloween yet but it's time to start my Christmas crafting. I've started with my Victorian Lace Bulb. This might seam simple but it takes time. It starts with a 40 count triple threaded circle. After that I use a technique called circular netting. Shown below:
-FKB Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
-FKB Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, October 13
My Fall Cookie
If you feel like a cookie monster in need of a fix try my Fall Sugar Cookie. Warning this recipe makes 4 dozen irresistible cookies. Don't eat them all in one setting. They will give you a tummy ache.
Fall Sugar Cookies:
1 cup butter flavored shorting
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
Decorating sugar
Optional 1 tsp orange zest & 1/2 tsp imitation orange or lemon flavoring
Combine eggs and butter till smooth and creamy. Add sugar, vanilla, and orange flavor. Blend till smooth again. In separate bowl shift flour, salt, and soda. Combine with wet mixture. Blend well. Add orange zest. In a bowl combine decorating sugar and plain sugar. Drop I small spoon fool of dough in sugar. Roll around till all sides are covered. Place on lined baking sheet. Bake at 350• for 13 minutes. Cool and eat.
Fall Sugar Cookies:
1 cup butter flavored shorting
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
Decorating sugar
Optional 1 tsp orange zest & 1/2 tsp imitation orange or lemon flavoring
Combine eggs and butter till smooth and creamy. Add sugar, vanilla, and orange flavor. Blend till smooth again. In separate bowl shift flour, salt, and soda. Combine with wet mixture. Blend well. Add orange zest. In a bowl combine decorating sugar and plain sugar. Drop I small spoon fool of dough in sugar. Roll around till all sides are covered. Place on lined baking sheet. Bake at 350• for 13 minutes. Cool and eat.
Saturday, October 9
Submarine Rolls, Anyone
I've been asked by a friend to re-share my wheat/white submarine bread recipe. Start with you bread machine pan and add in order of wet to dry, and salty to sweet.
White/wheat submarines:
1 cup hot milk (I nuke mine for 2 minutes in a big measuring cup since it can bubble over.)
2 tbs butter
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1 cup wheat
2 cups whole grain white flour
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tsp gluten
3 tsp quick rise yeast
Add hot milk, butter, egg to pan. Fold in salt and wheat. Let sit 15 minutes as wheat needs to be moistened or it makes horribly dry bread. You can add honey here if you desire. A few bakers have stated that it helps the wheat taste better. After the rest period gently pour the flour on top insuring all corners of pan are covered. Make a well add gluten and brown sugar. Add yeast to the well. Put bread pan in your machine and select dough cycle. Check your dough in the middle of the mix cycle. It should look like a ball of sticky wet play-dough. If it looks wet add 1tbs of white flour. If to dry add tbs of water. Keep repeating until it looks right. After the machine completes the first rise cycle take the pan out. Invert it over a floured surface. Don't over work it but gently shape it into a 2/3 inch thick log that has a width comparable to the length of the subs you want. With a sharp knife cut of individual loves. Place loves on a bread stone or baking pan with at least an inch between. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise an hour or until double in size. Heat oven to 375• and bake for 17 minutes. If you want soft buttery tops brush with butter.
There you go. My sub recipe. If you bag them in the refrigerator they last for a few days.
- FKB Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
White/wheat submarines:
1 cup hot milk (I nuke mine for 2 minutes in a big measuring cup since it can bubble over.)
2 tbs butter
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1 cup wheat
2 cups whole grain white flour
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tsp gluten
3 tsp quick rise yeast
Add hot milk, butter, egg to pan. Fold in salt and wheat. Let sit 15 minutes as wheat needs to be moistened or it makes horribly dry bread. You can add honey here if you desire. A few bakers have stated that it helps the wheat taste better. After the rest period gently pour the flour on top insuring all corners of pan are covered. Make a well add gluten and brown sugar. Add yeast to the well. Put bread pan in your machine and select dough cycle. Check your dough in the middle of the mix cycle. It should look like a ball of sticky wet play-dough. If it looks wet add 1tbs of white flour. If to dry add tbs of water. Keep repeating until it looks right. After the machine completes the first rise cycle take the pan out. Invert it over a floured surface. Don't over work it but gently shape it into a 2/3 inch thick log that has a width comparable to the length of the subs you want. With a sharp knife cut of individual loves. Place loves on a bread stone or baking pan with at least an inch between. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise an hour or until double in size. Heat oven to 375• and bake for 17 minutes. If you want soft buttery tops brush with butter.
There you go. My sub recipe. If you bag them in the refrigerator they last for a few days.
- FKB Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Monday, October 4
Harty Hambone
Been feeling under the weather thanks to a radical temperature drop. Normaly when I feel icky my solution is to take it easy since my system can't handle a lot. But with kids home on fall break that's a little hard to do. My kids seam to always be hungry. Since I don't want to be contantly cooking today I need a simple solution. So what's is simpler then soup. Thanks to moms generosity I have a hambone to throw into a pot. So here is my recipe for Hambone soup.
Hambone Soup:
1 Hambone or Hamhock
1/2 cut diced ham
1 bag 16 bean mix
1 can pitete or crushed tomatos
1/2 tsp galic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Start by soaking beans for 8 to 12 hours. Drain and rinse. Dump into stock pot with hambone or hamhock, seasoning, and fill with water. Bring to boil then reduce heat to a gentle simmer until beans are nice and tender. Add tomatoes and simmer for another 30 minutes.
Now what's soup without bread. Not just any bread but cornbread.
Cornbread Recipe
1 egg
1 1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
2 cups cornmeal
Mix wet ingredients. Add cornmeal and mix well. Pour into oiled pan or cast iron skillet. Bake at 450 for 25 minutes.
- FKB Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Hambone Soup:
1 Hambone or Hamhock
1/2 cut diced ham
1 bag 16 bean mix
1 can pitete or crushed tomatos
1/2 tsp galic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Start by soaking beans for 8 to 12 hours. Drain and rinse. Dump into stock pot with hambone or hamhock, seasoning, and fill with water. Bring to boil then reduce heat to a gentle simmer until beans are nice and tender. Add tomatoes and simmer for another 30 minutes.
Now what's soup without bread. Not just any bread but cornbread.
Cornbread Recipe
1 egg
1 1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
2 cups cornmeal
Mix wet ingredients. Add cornmeal and mix well. Pour into oiled pan or cast iron skillet. Bake at 450 for 25 minutes.
- FKB Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)