Primal Meatlaof

This is from The Son of Grok's great website. I adapted it to our family size and preferences.

Sauce:
6 oz tomato paste
1 ½ teaspoon garlic salt
1 small green bell pepper, finely diced

Loaf:
3 lb ground beef
½ of a green bell pepper finely diced
½ of a red bell pepper finely diced
½ of an onion finely diced
3 eggs
6 oz tomato paste
12 slices of bacon chopped
1 Tbsp garlic salt
1 Tbsp black pepper
1 Tbsp salt
Chunks of Swiss or cheddar cheese to mix throughout (optional)

Preheat oven to 375. Mix all the "loaf" ingredients in a bowl. Form into desired loaf shape. I like to make hamburger patties and cook them on a grill.

Mix all the sauce ingredients. Spread sauce on top of loaves. Bake loaves 45-60 minutes. When done, add more sauce and serve.

Ham and Navy Bean Soup

Perfect for cold, rainy days.

Ham and Navy Bean Soup

2 pounds dried navy beans
4 quarts chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh minced parsley
4 bay leaves
1 tsp pepper
1/4 of an onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 ham steak, cubed

Prepare beans by placing in a large pot, covering with water and bringing it to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, then turn off heat. Cover and let stand for one hour. Drain and rinse beans. Do not reserve liquid.

Return beans to the pot. Add broth, parsley, bay leaves and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until beans and veggies are tender. Discard bay leaves before serving.

Guacamole

I found this recipe over at "I Am Hungry, What's For Dinner?". It's a new treat to The Crew. Some like it, some will take a while to appreciate it.

Guacamole

3 large avocados
large handful of chopped cilantro
juice of one lime
1 tomato, chopped
hot sauce to taste or cayenne pepper
salt to taste

Mash together. Allow flavors time to blend before serving.

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

4 1/2 cup flour
2 1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp EACH cinnamon and baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt

Combine in a bowl and set aside.

3 eggs1 cup oil OR applesauce
3/4 cup milk
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp vanilla

Mix well. Add dry ingredients and mix till moistened.

Fold in:
3 cups shredded zucchini
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Basic Homemade Flour Tortillas

Basic Homemade Flour Tortillas

4 cups flour
2 tsp salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup oil

Sift flour and salt together. Add water and oil, stirring well till combined. Knead until smooth. Divide into 16 pieces, cover and let rest 10 minutes. Roll out thin or use a tortilla press. Cook on a hot skillet 30-60 seconds on each side.

Sweet Potato Breakfast Bread

This sounds interesting.....

Sweet Potato Bread

1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cups oat flour
1/4 cup milled flax seed
1 Tbsp wheat germ
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Combine all dry ingredients in bowl. Set aside

1 egg
2 cups cooked, cooled, mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup applesauce
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Combine all wet ingredients except chocolate chips.
Add dry to wet and combine just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips.

Bake at 325; Muffins 12-15 minutes, loaf 55-60 minutes.

PB&J Smoothie

PB&J Smoothie

1 cup raw milk

2 heaping cup of berries

6 Tbsp. natural peanut butter

2 teaspoon of honey

1 banana (optional)

6-10 ice cubes

Blend well and enjoy!

Homemade Breakfast Sausage Spice Mix

I made and froze 10 pounds of pork sausage using this mix.

Homemade Sausage Spice Mix

Use 3 Tbsp per pound of ground meat. Mix well and let seasoned meat sit 15 minutes to an hour before cooking.

1 1/2 tsp salt
3 1/2 tsp paprika
2/3 tsp garlic powder
1/3 tsp fennel
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp sage
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Zucchini Beef Soup

This is a lunch recipe. If I were making it for dinner, I would double or triple it.

Zucchini Beef Soup

1 pound stew meat
1 Tbsp oil
6 cups water
1 can tomato sauce
chopped onion (to taste)
1 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups zucchini

Brown meat in oil. Add next six ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 2 hours. Add zucchini. Cook for 15-18 minutes.

Ceddar Pepper Crisps

Cheddar Pepper Crisps

1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 tsp EACH baking soda, sugar and salt
1/2 cup cold butter
1 1/2 cup (6 oz) sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup cold water
2 Tbsp vinegar
coarse ground pepper

Combine first five ingredients. Cut in butter, till crumbly. Stir in cheese. Sprinkle with water ad vinegar. Toss with fork till a ball forms.

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

Divide into 6 portions, On a lightly floured board, roll out into an 8" circle. Cut into eight wedges and place on a lightly greased pan. Sprinkle with pepper; lightly press into dough.

Bake at 375 for 10-14 minutes.Cool on wire racks. Store in a airtight jar. Makes 4 dozen crackers.

Homemade Yeast Doughnuts

I adapted this recipe from one found at allrecipes.com. I haven't tried it yet, but hope to this coming weekend. I got doughnut/biscuit cutters in my stocking and am looking forward to trying them out!

Homemade Yeast Doughnuts

1 cup warm milk
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup butter
4cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon active dry yeast
oil for frying (tallow, lard or peanut oil is best)

Combine all ingredients in your mixer bowl with dough hook attached. After combined, knead for five minutes. Let rise until doubled, about an hour. Turn out onto a floured board. Cut dough into 32 pieces. Cover with a damp towel and let rest 20 minutes.

Stretch each piece into a round 1/4" thick. Cut out a hole. Let doughnuts rise for 30-40 minutes.

Heat oil to 350 in a thick skillet or a deep fryer. Fry doughnuts in oil till they are golden brown and float. This takes about 3 minutes. Flip and fry other side. Remove and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture or glaze with a powdered sugar glaze.

Classic Chewy Snickerdoodles

These are so quick to make!

Classic Chewy Snickerdoodles

2 cups butter
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
5 1/2 cups flour
4 tsp cream of tarter
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

cinnamon-sugar mixture

Heat oven to 350.

Mix butter, sugar and eggs in bowl.

Combine flour, cream of tarter, baking soda and salt in another bowl.

Blend dry ingredients into the wet. Chill dough 10-15 minutes.

Roll into 1" balls and cover in cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 10 minutes. Cool.

Canned Beef Stew With Vegetables

This is the classic recipe from the Ball Blue Book.

Yield is 7 quarts or 14 pints

Canned Beef Stew With Vegetables

4-5 pounds beef stew meat, cubed into 1 1/2" cubes
1 Tbsp oil
3 quarts cubed and peeled potatoes (about 12 medium)
2 quarts sliced carrots (about 16)
3 cups chopped celery (about 5 stalks)
3 cups chopped onions (about 4 small)
1 1/2 Tbsp salt
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp pepper

Sear meat in oil. Combine meat, veggies and seasonings in pot. Cover with boiling water. Bring stew to a boil. Ladle into hot jars, leaving 1" headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process pints for 75 minutes and quarts 90 minutes at 10 pounds pressure.

Italian Pizza Dough

This is my adaptation of the delectable "Tammy's Italian Cheese Bread" recipe. It's so good! Make sure to try the Cheese Bread when having spaghetti.

Italian Pizza Dough

10 cups bread flour (will not work with AP flour)
4 tsp salt
4 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp yeast
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
4 cups warm water
1/4 cup olive oil

In your mixer bowl with dough hook, combine first 6 ingredients, mix well. Add liquid ingredients and, once dough is combined, allow to knead 4-5 minutes. Let rest, covered, for 20 minutes (can be skipped if in a great hurry). Form into pizzas. Top as desired. This makes three large, thin pizzas or two thick ones.

2010 Canning Inventory

With the year wrapped up, I can post all that I canned this year. Keeping track helps me know what I need to make more of and what I can skip in 2011.

11 quarts strawberry-lemonade concentrate
28 pints strawberry jam
9 pints strawberry-blueberry jam
10 pints pizza sauce
5 pints banana-strawberry jam
9 pints spiced peach jam
6 pints vanilla peach jam
10 pints peach plum jam
5 pints peach strawberry jam
14 pints zucchini salsa
6 pints hot El-Pato sauce
12 pints apricot-strawberry jam
9 quarts picante sauce
12 pints picante sauce
18 quarts mexican tomato sauce
5 quarts apple pear sauce
27 quarts applesauce
37 quarts pickles
8 pints lemon juice
10 half-pints lemon juice
21 quarts apple pie filling
5 quarts pinto beans
9 quarts turkey meat and broth

I canned many more beans in 2009. I found that I was using them almost as fast as I was canning them, though, so I forced myself to stop and get in the habit of cooking beans on a regular basis. In 2011, I plan to get about 20 quarts on the shelf and leave them there for needful meals, not for convenience. I also need to make more meals-in-a-jar. We depleted them when Polly was hospitalized last year. I have chili canning as I type this, for my first entry on the 2011 canning inventory. Several soups are on my to-do list for the coming weeks.

I *miss* having canned green beans. I was not able to make a bulk purchase at the farmer's market at all last year. Spring can't come fast enough! We do have a small number of strawberry based jams left, but they are almost gone. I used our last bag of frozen berries in smoothies last month. I should increase the strawberry jams by a batch or two.

Buckeye Candy

This is going on my Christmas dessert table. Yum! I found it at Plain Pam's Blog.

Buckeye Candy

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
6 ounces semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
2 tablespoons coconut oil

Directions
1.Line a baking sheet with waxed paper; set aside.
2.In a medium bowl, mix peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and confectioners' sugar with hands to form a smooth stiff dough. Shape into balls using 2 teaspoons of dough for each ball. Place on prepared pan, and refrigerate.
3.Melt coconut oil and chocolate together in a metal bowl over a pan of lightly simmering water. Stir occasionally until smooth, and remove from heat.
4.Remove balls from refrigerator. Insert a wooden toothpick into a ball, and dip into melted chocolate. Return to wax paper, chocolate side down, and remove toothpick. Repeat with remaining balls. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set.

Apple Farina Pudding

Apple Farina Pudding

Pour the left-over breakfast porridge into a 8x8 and stand it aside. When cooled, cut this into thin slices, cover the bottom of a 9x 13 baking-dish with these slices, and cover these with sliced apples, and so continue until you have the ingredients used, having the last layer apples. Beat an egg, without separating, until light, add a cup of milk and a teaspoon of salt, then stir in a cup of flour. When smooth pour this over the apples and bake in a quick oven a half hour or so.

Jackie Clay's Canned Beef or Venison Stew

This is from Jackie Clay's blog. She's the very best source of canning wisdom.
Beef (or venison) Stew

5 pounds stew meat
1 Tbsp cooking oil
3 quarts cubed potatoes
2 quarts sliced or cut carrots
3 cups chopped celery
3 cups chopped onions
1 quart or more tomato sauce or stewed tomatoes (optional; may use water)
1½ Tbsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
Cut meat into 1-inch cubes; brown in oil. Combine meat, vegetables, and seasonings in large stockpot and cover with tomato sauce, tomatoes, or water and bring to a boil. Do not cook. Ladle hot stew into hot jars, leaving 1 inch of headroom. Remove any air bubbles. Wipe jar rim clean, put hot, previously simmered lid on jar and screw down ring firmly tight. Process pints for 75 minutes and quarts for 90 minutes at 10 pounds pressure.

*Note to self, thicken this after opening and reheating. Use arrowroot, flour or cornstarch.

Oat Dinner Rolls

I found these at Enola Gay's blog Paratus Familia.

Oat Dinner Rolls

5 cups water (divided)
2 cups oats, freshly rolled, if possible
1 1/3 cup brown sugar
6 Tbsp butter
3 tsp salt
1/4 cup yeast
10-12 cups flour

Boil 4 cups of water. Stir in oats and simmer. Add sugar, butter, salt and rest of water. Cool.

Stir in yeast - let sponge.

Add flour, 1 cup at a time. Put dough in lightly greased bowl. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place. Punch down, let rise until almost double. Punch down again. Shape into rolls. Let rise until almost double.

Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Harvest Cookies

I found these at Enola Gay's blog Paratus Familia. They sound SO good!

Harvest Cookies

1 cup butter
3 cups packed brown sugar
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2 eggs
2 cups chopped peeled apples
2 cups chopped walnuts
1/2 cup milk (or apple juice)
2 C all-purpose Flour

Vanilla Glaze:
3 cups confectioners' Sugar
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
5 Tbsp milk

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar, baking soda, salt, spices and egg. Stir in apples, nuts, milk and half of the flour; mix well. Blend in remaining flour. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes. Remove to wire racks. Combine glaze ingredients and spread over cookies while warm. Yield: about 6 dozen.