Tin Foil Dinners

This is traditionally a camping dinner, but it works out in the oven too! We have a lot of hamburger patties, left from grilling season, so I thought I'd use up four of them! And I'm adding this meal here so I don't forget how I assembled it.

First I put out two sheets of foil, criss-crossing incase of leaks.
I sprinkled some dehydrated onion and laid down the hamburger patty.
I added a few drops of Worcestershire sauce and fresh black pepper to the patties.
I peeled and sliced 3 potatoes and split them between the 4 dinners.
Then I dolloped some cream of mushroom soup for moisture and flavor.
I peeled and cut 5 carrots and split those between the meals too!
Then I wrapped it all up and stuck it in the oven on 400* for an hour.
That was all- easy and filling!

before cooking...

 and after!

The best part was that the kids loooved it! haha!

 

*My husband noted that the hamburger patty probably didn't need the soup, but if you were to do a chicken breast instead, it would definitely need it.

Easy Sugar Cookies

Oh look- a post I forgot about.... Oh well, you could do it for St Patricks's Day or Easter instead! haha...
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Today we needed a quick treat that could be shared. It would also be good if it was something that could be fun for the kids. I thought a cake mix sugar cookie would be fun and used THIS recipe to get it started.

Since Valentines is this week, and I had a cherry chip cake mix, I thought that was perfect! Then we just whipped up some pink frosting, and added some candies and sprinkles!

evening light stinks...sorry!

We kept some to eat, and we shared the rest with a family who needed their day brightened. Yeay for quick, yummy treats!

Pineapple Green Smoothie: plus tips!

Probably more green in color than in actual nutrition, but this is my current favorite. Very, very favorite.

This particular smoothie is this list, and measurements are approximate!

• chunked fresh pineapple (3/4 cup)
• spinach (1 cup)
• avocado (1 Tbsp)
• fresh ginger (very thin slice)
• coconut oil (1 Tbsp)
• ground almonds (1 Tbsp)
• vanilla yogurt (1/4 cup)
• orange juice concentrate (1/4 cup)
• milk (3/4 cup)

When I first put the smoothie kits together, I started by eyeballing what looked "right" in the blender itself, then dumping all that into a baggie. But now I'm just shoving handfuls into the bags and calling it good. We've learned a few tips since THIS POST.
So I do most of grocery shopping on (or as close as possible) to pay day. I write out a dinner menu, I know what we need for lunches (we're very boring lunch people) and breakfasts usually take care of themselves. Right now, for our smoothies, I'm buying the big container of baby spinach from Costco, and this bag of berries shown below, which is also from Costco. I've been getting a fresh pineapple from wherever it's cheapest, and a couple avocados too. I get a knob of fresh ginger root, which we peel and slice very thinly. We also still have frozen strawberries and peaches. The number of kits I make depends on how far the spinach goes- when I'm out of spinach, I'm done making kits!

We were putting 6-8 whole almonds in the kits, but grinding up the almonds first, in a little food processor or food chopper helps them come out completely smooth. My husband drinks his with a straw and doesn't like the 1/3 whole almond getting stuck... and drinking is easier than chewing, lol... So now I just add a heaping tablespoon of ground up almonds to each kit!

Putting a spoonful of coconut oil in between the spinach leaves guarantees it makes it into each smoothie. I forgot about it often enough that this just makes it easier.

The avocados have been chopped up and I put maybe a tablespoon, maybe more, into each smoothie kit. There is NO avocado taste, it just makes them all a little greener in color and a little creamier. YUM.

I buy either plain or vanilla yogurt for these smoothies. My original recipe was for an Orange Julius, which called for vanilla extract. Sometimes I'll go that route, but I've learned that I do better if I have protein with my breakfast. My morning protein of choice is either peanut butter on toast, or sausage, so I've decided that yogurt is the healthiest route, haha.

The ginger root we peel with a potato peeler, and then slice as thinly as possible. It gives each smoothie a bit of brightness. Its not overpowering at all, but when we leave it out they seem rather plain. Which is funny to me... And any left over ginger is grated or cut up and put into my water for the next few days! Apparently it has a slimming effect- I just like that it flavors my water naturally and that encourages me to drink it!

Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches

Last Sunday's dinner came from here.
My husband (and son!) made buns using the same bread recipe as you find here but this time split into 4oz balls, which made 11 buns, that were about 4 inches in diameter.

Then, he followed the recipe for the meat, other than adding about a Tbsp of red wine vinegar and a Tbsp of Worcestershire sauce.

We ate while the buns were still warm, piling on the meat, a slice of provolone cheese and a side dish of cooked mixed vegetables! It was a yummy meal!

The only changes we would make is let the buns cool, and probably toast them so the meat au jus didn't soak thru quite so quickly.

Harvey Family Bread Recipe

Plain Old Eatin Bread
Makes two medium sized loaves (3"x7" or 5"x9" loaf pans)

3 Cups White Bread Flour
2 Cup Whole Wheat Flour (stone ground from the store is good, home ground in your own wheat grinder or Blendtec blender is better. Home ground is also WAY cheaper than buying stone ground whole wheat flour from the store)
2 Cups warm water (about 110 degrees)
1 tbsp. yeast (instant dry)
1/4 cup sugar
3 tsp salt
1/2 cup oil (I use olive oil)
3 tbsp. powered milk
1 tbsp. dough enhancer
1/4 cup gluten
4 tbsp. honey

Start by getting the water into a 4 cup measuring cup. Add the sugar and yeast and whisk to combine. Set a timer for 10 mins and let the yeast get bubbly/foamy. If using a bread maker, put all of the rest of ingredient into the bread maker and set it to the dough only setting. When the timer goes off, add the water to the breadmaker and let it go though it's mixing and kneading cycle. At the end of the mixing/kneading cycle, spray the top of the dough ball with oil so it won't dry out as it goes though the rise cycle.

If using a regular mixer with a dough hook, put in all of the dry ingredient first, mix to combine for a little bit until they are all incorporated together, then add the oil, honey, and yeast/water last. Turn on the mixer and let it go until the dough forms a smooth ball. It should look like a smooth ball that is only slightly sticky after about 10 to 15 minutes of kneading on the medium speed. Once the kneading is done, put the dough in a really good size glass or plastic punch bowl. Put in a about 2 tbsp. of oil and turn the dough ball over in the oil to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in a 200 degree oven to rise. When you put the bowl in turn off the heat and leave the door closed. Let the dough rise til doubled in size. Should take about 40 to 60 minutes.

Near the end of the rise cycle, take out two loaf pans and spray with oil. When the dough is done rising, punch down and remove from breadmaker or bowl and knead gently on a clean work surface to redistribute the bubbles in the dough. You can flour the work surface if you like, but I have found it unnecessary. Turn on your oven on (or back on) to 200 degrees and get 4 cups of water boiling in microwave safe container in your microwave. Put an empty 8 x 11 casserole dish in the oven on the lowest rack and let it heat up with the oven.

Divide the dough in half. If you have a kitchen scale, each half of the dough should weigh about 12 to 16 ounces each. Form each half of the dough in a loaf looking log and put into each of the oiled loaf pans. If the oven is at temp, put both pans on the middle rack of the oven and pour the boiling water into the empty casserole dish. Close the oven door, TURN OFF THE OVEN, and let the bread proof for 20 minutes for 3x7 loaf pans or 45 minutes for 5x9 loaf pans. (Note: Don't spray the loaves with oil. The crust forms much better if the top of the bread dries out a bit)

At the end of the proofing time, pull the bread out, set on the counter, cover with a clean dish towel and let rise for another 20 minutes on the counter covered with a clean dish towel. Feel free to slash the top of the bread. I like to do three diagonal slashes across the top or one long slash down the middle. You don't have to slash, but if you do, be sure that your cut is no more than 1/2 inch deep.

Heat your oven to 400 degrees for non convection or the equivalent for convection. Leave the pan of water in the oven and let it heat up too. After the final 20 minute rise is done, put the bread in the oven for 12 minutes, turn and cook for another 13 minutes. The crust should be a dark caramel brown when it is done and smell amazing. At the end of the second cook time, take the bread out of the oven and remove from the bread pans immediately. Place them on cooling racks and let cool for about 60 to 90 minutes. Each loaf on the top will seem very hard, but the crust will soften as the bread cools and is bagged up. Bag up and put in the freezer (they freeze fantastically) or keep on the counter. I wouldn't recommended putting them in the fridge as it will dry the loaves out and make them go stale faster. I would also recommend not slicing them until you are ready to eat them. Each loaf should make about 13 1/2 inch slices.

One final note. I have noticed that while a lot of store bought bread will mold if left on the counter too long, I have not had any bread made from this recipe mold ever. It will also take a couple of weeks as least before the bread actually starts to go stale. In our house, it doesn't of course last that long.