Pepperoni Potatoes

 I found this recipe in a Taste of Home magazine a few years ago and my family just loved this, often making it for breakfast. If you like texture, this will be quite satisfying with the red bell peppers and corn niblets.

I think I am going to try using Olive oil instead of the butter next time, and I will always use more seasonings!  Flambo!!

Pepperoni Potatoes

3 tbl. Butter
2 tbl. Flour
2 cups milk
1 tsp salt
½ tsp dried thyme (I prefer more)
¼ tsp dried basil (I prefer more)
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 28-32 oz. bag frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed (cubed)
¼ c. chopped sweet red pepper
1 can corn, drained
Mozzarella cheese, shredded, to taste
27 slices pepperoni, quartered (more or less. we of course use this:

 

 

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in the seasonings.

In a greased 13x9x2 inch baking dish, layer the potatoes, red pepper and corn. Top with the white sauce, mozzarella cheese to taste and pepperoni. Bake, uncovered at 375° for 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through.

Link for Un-Soda

My sister, Spike, has a new blog, ”Divine She Cooks.“  I am passing along the link for her post on making Un-Soda that looks like something I want to try.

Un-Soda 

Be sure to use your favorite glass.  It doesn’t have to be pink.

Flambo!!

Cucumber Salsa

Too busy eating to say anything.  Make this and you’ll understand why..Flambo!!




Cucumber Salsa

3 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 medium-sized SWEET onion a.k.a Vidalia, chopped
1/2 Jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (if you want lots of heat, add the whole pepper)
1 ~heaping~ TBL chopped garlic
Zest of fresh lime,careful to only lightly zest the green--the white is bitter (optional)
Juice of 1 fresh lime
1 TBL cilantro, or less if desired (I use dried in a jar)
Sea Salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in your favorite pink serving bowl and serve with tortilla chips or as a topping in sandwiches or as a topping in fajitas or on a salad…or…Flambo!

Milk-free 7-Layer Dip

 I was shopping with my mother (having taken my re-usable shopping bag with me—the pink one, of course) and decided I needed to make my children cry by making 7-layer dip. I was not successful at drawing tears.

We have milk allergies in our household so we have to do without sour cream, cheese and don’t get me started about store bought mixes.  Okay, I’ll start~Taco seasoning packets give me a headache. We substitute taco meat for the taco mixed sour cream layer. Sometimes I add a layer of salsa, but I forgot today. So, here is our version of 7-Layer Dip. Flambo!

Oh, yeah…look at that.  Can’t even see the plate….

7-Layer Dip

1/2 pound ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
4-oz can tomato sauce
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
splash of tabasco
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 15-oz-ish can refried beans
1/3 cup salsa
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 cup Guacamole

Chopped lettuce, desired amount

1 tomato, chopped, color of choice

1/4 cup chopped onion

Black olives, sliced or chopped
(we used chopped today)

In a small skillet (I use cast iron) brown your ground beef. Add onion and cook until onion is tender. Add tomato sauce and seasonings.  Simmer until taco meat blend is cooked through and not runny. (I can’t think of the right word today….Flambo!)

Meanwhile, in another pot, pour your refried beans, salsa, and seasonings. Mix well and heat.

Now we can start building our 7-Layers.

1. On a favorite large plate, preferably pink, spread the Refried Bean mixture. 
2. Next layer,using your favorite pink spatula, spread the Guacamole on the bean layer
3. Next layer, sprinkle the taco meat on the Guacamole layer.
4. Next layer, sprinkle the chopped lettuce
5. Next layer, sprinkle the tomatoes, (we used yellow today)
6. Next layer, sprinkle the chopped onion.
7. Next layer, black olives

Serve with Tortilla chips, or Pita chips, or bread, or vegetables….Just make sure you enjoy the flavors.

You can add more layers of anything as you desire, of course, you just can’t call it 7-layer dip anymore.  Flambo!

Chocolate Cake?! I Think NOT

So my Chocolate Cake was more like….a crumbly, Chocolate flavored Plaster of Paris.  It probably would have been better suited to make a sculpture of Louis Armstrong blowing on his trumpet instead of trying to eat it. Satchmo!!! 

Here is what makes great Chocolate Plaster of Paris:

3/4 cup butter flavored crisco
3 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground Allspice
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups Almond milk

My thanks to Better Homes and Gardens cook book for this recipe.  I shall remember where to turn when I want to sculpt the Jazz greats.  Maybe we’ll do this for a homeschool unit. Hmmm….

We shall try again. FLAMBO!!

Bean Pot

This is a staple in our household. We’ll make this when we can’t think of anything else to do. The kids really like it and some serve it up with French Fried Onions on top

Bean Pot

1 LB ground meat (your preference We like to use Maple sausage)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can Rotel, or equivalent store brand
1– 20 oz can Baked beans , (we use Bush’s Vegetarian)
1– 15.5 oz can Kidney beans, not drained
1- 15.5 oz can Pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1-15.5oz can Red beans, drained and rinsed
1-15.5 oz can Butter beans, drained and rinsed
2 TBS. spicy brown mustard
2 TBS. Barbecue sauce
2 TBS brown sugar

In a skillet, brown ground meat and onion till cooked through, and onion is tender.

Add all ingredients to a large pot, being mindful of which beans to drain and which do not get drained. Simmer for about 1-½ hours, stirring occasionally.

Can be cooked in a crock-pot.

Looking for Chocolate Cake

I am looking for a really good chocolate cake recipe. My former steply-ug-mother made a fabulous chocolate cake she called Mississippi Mud. Thus far in my search I can only find it with marshmallows and that was not what she made. It had like....Allspice and Cinnamon in it also, I think. searching...searching....maybe get my Flambo on, shout~No Fear! ~ and just experiment!!  Flambo!!