It's getting chillier outside & Ronny & I tend to eat late at night (when he comes in from work). He bought the meat on his way home & everything else I needed was already in the kitchen. This is an easy recipe to work with. It just takes a lot of time. Serve this with cornbread & milk, if desired.
Red Beans & Rice
Ingredients
1 lb dry kidney beans
2 c cured ham, chopped (or three large, thick slices)
1 link Andouille sausage, thickly sliced
2 T Cajun seasoning
2 T salt
1 T pepper
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
2 c rice
4 c water
water for boiling beans
Directions
Pour beans into colander (strainer), rinse, then remove to stock pot. Add water until beans are covered by approximately one inch. Boil out three-quarters of water & add Cajun seasoning, salt, pepper, & onion. Stir. Add water & continue boiling until half of water is gone. Stir. Add ham & sausage; continue boiling. Want more liquid? Just add water & stir til warm.
In medium pot, pour water over rice. Bring to a boil. Cover & simmer until water has almost completely cooked out. Top with 2 T margarine. Serve with red beans.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Ronny's Favorite Deviled Eggs & a Pink-y Promise
It's almost impossible to not notice all the PINK that pops out in October. Pink is, after all, more of a spring color than an autumn hue. Just about everyone knows that the pink ribbon is for Breast Cancer Awareness. That said...
My darlin' Ronny is out there right now, wearing a pink hat, a pink t-shirt, & running a 5k with his unit from the Army National Guard. This makes me very proud for 2 reasons. First of all, he HATES the color pink...absolutely CAN NOT stand it. Second, he's running for awareness of something that has claimed lives, bodies, & minds of so many women in my family...& so many more around the world. Last November, I had decided to participate this year, but with the complications of this pregnancy, there's no way I can. Instead, my husband & daughter have stepped up to the plate this year & BOTH walked/ran an event. I am speechless with emotion when I think about that.
In honor of their giving spirits & in thanks for what they & all the participants are giving & doing, here is a pink food... one that, believe it or not, is Ronny's favorite.
Ronny's Favorite Deviled Eggs
6 - 8 large eggs
2 T mayonnaise
1 tsp mustard
2 tsp Heinz 57
1/16 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp Tony Cachere's or other Cajun seasoning
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 T dill relish
1 1/2 T sweet relish
pinch cayenne to garnish
Directions
Boil eggs 15-20 minutes. Immediately drop into ice water & allow to sit 2 minutes. Peel & cut into halves, lengthwise. Set aside egg whites. In a medium bowl, mash yolks & mix in all other ingredients except for cayenne pepper. Fill egg whites, garnish with cayenne pepper, & chill until ready to serve.
My darlin' Ronny is out there right now, wearing a pink hat, a pink t-shirt, & running a 5k with his unit from the Army National Guard. This makes me very proud for 2 reasons. First of all, he HATES the color pink...absolutely CAN NOT stand it. Second, he's running for awareness of something that has claimed lives, bodies, & minds of so many women in my family...& so many more around the world. Last November, I had decided to participate this year, but with the complications of this pregnancy, there's no way I can. Instead, my husband & daughter have stepped up to the plate this year & BOTH walked/ran an event. I am speechless with emotion when I think about that.
In honor of their giving spirits & in thanks for what they & all the participants are giving & doing, here is a pink food... one that, believe it or not, is Ronny's favorite.
Ronny's Favorite Deviled Eggs
6 - 8 large eggs
2 T mayonnaise
1 tsp mustard
2 tsp Heinz 57
1/16 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp Tony Cachere's or other Cajun seasoning
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 T dill relish
1 1/2 T sweet relish
pinch cayenne to garnish
Directions
Boil eggs 15-20 minutes. Immediately drop into ice water & allow to sit 2 minutes. Peel & cut into halves, lengthwise. Set aside egg whites. In a medium bowl, mash yolks & mix in all other ingredients except for cayenne pepper. Fill egg whites, garnish with cayenne pepper, & chill until ready to serve.
Easy Pie Crust
Easy Pie Crust
4 c all-purpose flour
1 3/4 c shortening (also known as lard, Crisco, etc.)
3 T sugar
2 tsp salt (again, I used sea salt)
1 egg
1/2 c + 1 tsp cold water
Directions
In a cup or small bowl, beat egg into cold water. Chill. In a large bowl, cut together dry ingredients & shortening until crumbly. Stir in egg-water & blend thoroughly. Turn out onto LIGHTLY floured surface. Knead for desired consistency. Roll out dough to pan size.
*This quick & easy-to-make recipe will make a whole pie (bottom & top crust), unless you are using an extremely large baking dish. Good for deep dish pies, also.
*This is the pie crust recipe used in Poor Ol' Kayla's Chicken Pot Pie & other recipes that can be found on this site.
4 c all-purpose flour
1 3/4 c shortening (also known as lard, Crisco, etc.)
3 T sugar
2 tsp salt (again, I used sea salt)
1 egg
1/2 c + 1 tsp cold water
Directions
In a cup or small bowl, beat egg into cold water. Chill. In a large bowl, cut together dry ingredients & shortening until crumbly. Stir in egg-water & blend thoroughly. Turn out onto LIGHTLY floured surface. Knead for desired consistency. Roll out dough to pan size.
*This quick & easy-to-make recipe will make a whole pie (bottom & top crust), unless you are using an extremely large baking dish. Good for deep dish pies, also.
*This is the pie crust recipe used in Poor Ol' Kayla's Chicken Pot Pie & other recipes that can be found on this site.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Poor Ol' Kayla's Chicken Pot Pie
There's a joke behind the title of this recipe. The following is the story behind it, as told in my status on facebook last night:
"So I planned a great supper: chicken pot pie (which I've never made before, but decided to throw together), yeast rolls & sweet tea. WELLLLL...I managed to put together the whole pot pie MINUS THE CHICKEN, get it into the oven, & start to walk out of the kitchen before realizing what I'd done. Took the crust off (in pieces, of course), added chicken, put it back in the oven. Took a look into the fridge, drank almost all of the tea I made today while I was cooking...gotta make more. Ronny says, "Wow you're on a ROLL tonight." . . . CRAP! I FORGOT TO MAKE THE YEAST ROLLS!
Pregnancy: 100+
Me: 0
♥ 4/1 ♥"
Poor Ol' Kayla's Chicken Pot Pie
3-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
3 T margarine
2 cans mixed vegetables
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can green beans
1 can cream of chicken
1 1/2 c milk
2 T onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt (I used sea salt)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 T Cajun or Italian seasoning (I used Cajun; this is Louisiana, y'all.)
2 chicken bouillion cubes
Directions
Melt margarine in skillet while cutting chicken into small chunks. Cook chicken with 1 T onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, until golden brown on outside & white in center. Place in oven. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
In 9"x13" baking pan, mix cream of chicken, milk, remaining onion & garlic powders, salt, pepper, Cajun/Italian seasoning, & bouillion cubes until well-blended. Stir in vegetables & chicken, coating thoroughly. Place in oven. Turn up oven heat to 375 degrees F & let temp rise while you put together the...
Pie Crust
4 c all-purpose flour
1 3/4 c shortening (also known as lard, Crisco, etc.)
3 T sugar
2 tsp salt (again, I used sea salt)
1 egg
1/2 c + 1 tsp cold water
Directions
In a cup or small bowl, beat egg into cold water. Chill. In a large bowl, cut together dry ingredients & shortening until crumbly. Stir in egg-water & blend thoroughly. Carefully remove pan from oven. Turn dough out onto LIGHTLY floured surface, knead (if needed...ha ha ha) for desired consistency, & roll out to cover vegetable mixture in the pan. Dough should be thick & you may have a good deal left over. Have cookie cutters? Cut shapes & add them to the top of the pie! Return the pan to the oven & bake 30-40 minutes or until pie crust is dark golden brown. Serve warm... with sweet tea & yeast rolls, if you remembered to make 'em. :-)
"So I planned a great supper: chicken pot pie (which I've never made before, but decided to throw together), yeast rolls & sweet tea. WELLLLL...I managed to put together the whole pot pie MINUS THE CHICKEN, get it into the oven, & start to walk out of the kitchen before realizing what I'd done. Took the crust off (in pieces, of course), added chicken, put it back in the oven. Took a look into the fridge, drank almost all of the tea I made today while I was cooking...gotta make more. Ronny says, "Wow you're on a ROLL tonight." . . . CRAP! I FORGOT TO MAKE THE YEAST ROLLS!
Pregnancy: 100+
Me: 0
♥ 4/1 ♥"
Poor Ol' Kayla's Chicken Pot Pie
3-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
3 T margarine
2 cans mixed vegetables
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can green beans
1 can cream of chicken
1 1/2 c milk
2 T onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt (I used sea salt)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 T Cajun or Italian seasoning (I used Cajun; this is Louisiana, y'all.)
2 chicken bouillion cubes
Directions
Melt margarine in skillet while cutting chicken into small chunks. Cook chicken with 1 T onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, until golden brown on outside & white in center. Place in oven. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
In 9"x13" baking pan, mix cream of chicken, milk, remaining onion & garlic powders, salt, pepper, Cajun/Italian seasoning, & bouillion cubes until well-blended. Stir in vegetables & chicken, coating thoroughly. Place in oven. Turn up oven heat to 375 degrees F & let temp rise while you put together the...
Pie Crust
4 c all-purpose flour
1 3/4 c shortening (also known as lard, Crisco, etc.)
3 T sugar
2 tsp salt (again, I used sea salt)
1 egg
1/2 c + 1 tsp cold water
Directions
In a cup or small bowl, beat egg into cold water. Chill. In a large bowl, cut together dry ingredients & shortening until crumbly. Stir in egg-water & blend thoroughly. Carefully remove pan from oven. Turn dough out onto LIGHTLY floured surface, knead (if needed...ha ha ha) for desired consistency, & roll out to cover vegetable mixture in the pan. Dough should be thick & you may have a good deal left over. Have cookie cutters? Cut shapes & add them to the top of the pie! Return the pan to the oven & bake 30-40 minutes or until pie crust is dark golden brown. Serve warm... with sweet tea & yeast rolls, if you remembered to make 'em. :-)
Tips & Tricks to Saving Your Wallet & Your Stomach
Sometimes, I just can't help myself. I see that bag of Oreo cookies on the shelf & I grab it. It's almost $3.00 for a pack of chocolate sandwich cookies that will last - at most - 2 days in our house. It's okay to splurge every now & then... here's how you can afford to do that.
In the Kitchen
I've done away with many kitchen "gadgets." Of course, it's a little ridiculous to unplug my refrigerator & oven/stove as often as they are used. I have, however, started taking note of other appliances that drain energy just a little bit at the time. I keep my coffee pot & toaster unplugged until I need to use them. This isn't hard to do, since the cords aren't very long in the first place. A few months ago, Ronny offered to buy me an electric can opener. "NO!" I practically shouted in the middle of WalMart. I laughed at myself & then explained why. An electric can opener saves you less than one minute per can opened, but is an item that either a) remains plugged in all of the time, therefore wasting money or b) requires batteries, therefore wasting money. If my hand-held can opener saves me even $1 per month, I think it's worth it. That's almost half of what I pay for my Oreo cookies! Trust me, I know how psycho I sound right now, but this is also PRACTICE for saving money & cutting back.
If I can mix pudding, cake batter, & things of the sort by hand instead of using my hand-held mixer, I usually do. There are some occasions when I'm in a hurry & need the extra time or I'm too tired to move my arm that many times (pregnancy takes a lot out of a girl), & so I fall back on my mixer. Thankfully, that isn't too often. I save just that much more electricity & then I don't have the trouble of cleaning two beaters instead of one whisk or wrapping the cord & putting the hand-held mixer away.
Aside from that, I don't even OWN a dish washer, so there is no wasted water/electricity when doing the kitchen clean-up routine. Ronny & I wash dishes by hand, taking turns & sometimes making that a chore for our children (who are both within two years of the age of 5 - so, no...you're 12 year old is not too young to learn) to run some water, add some dish soap, & remove the food from his/her dishes. I don't allow the kids to wash when I've used raw meat or eggs. I am very much aware of kitchen sanitation & cleanliness, am teaching them, but I really don't want to experience having a sick child because she put her fingers into her mouth after handling a dish that held or came into contact with raw chicken. If you're worried about your children breaking something, let them wash plastic plates/bowls/cups, utensils (NOT KNIVES or anything you deem too sharp or harmful to little hands), mixing bowls, cooled pots/pans, & measuring cups/spoons. My daughter is the youngest of my two children & she occasionally washes some of the glass/ceramic/stainless steel dishes. She hasn't broken any yet, because I've made her aware of the dangers of it. She is very careful. My son is two years older than she, but washes only plastic items. (In my experience, boys tend to be more aggressive.) Washing our dishes by hand is teaching our children the importance of cleaning up behind themselves. When there is a sink full of dishes, they know it's because someone didn't do their share of the work. Sometimes, I expect them to do most of the dishes. The participate in this about three times per month. The rest of the time, dishes are done by Ronny or myself. As our children grow, I will give them more responsibility in this area. This isn't only a lesson in cleanliness; it's a lesson in self-discipline.
In the Store
Those Oreo cookies are only one of my weaknesses & the generic brands just don't taste as good. That's okay. There are so many other items that taste great in the generic/store brands that I don't mind purchasing them. Store brands aren't always cheaper, though. If you coupon (which is becoming more & more popular in the USA), you'll find that you can save BIG BUCKS with just a little effort. It'll do you some good to sit down one night a week & take a look at the grocery store SALE papers, too. I receive three separate sales papers each week. I make three lists (sometimes on one piece of paper) & categorize the cheapest brands/items under the store where it's being offered. Afterward, I make a list of all the staple items that were not covered in the sales papers (like milk, bread, eggs, cheese, margarine, sugar - these are always the first six items on my list if they haven't been spotted in the sales paper). After shopping at one store, I keep my receipt. Anything that was not on sale is added to the price list I keep at home. My staple items don't drop in price very much or very often, so I want to know which store has what & for how much. Milk, eggs, & cheese are cheaper at one, whereas bread, sugar, & rice are cheaper at another. This saves about $5 everytime I go shopping. So check this out... by saving $1 (or more) on electricity because I unplugged my appliances & used manual helpers & $5 because I tracked down the cheapest prices on my staples, I can now afford either 2 packages of my cookies OR 12 boxes of macaroni & cheese (generic brand, which tastes just as good) at one of these stores. It pays to shop around.
My challenge to you is to figure out a few ways you can save money each month. Make this a habit & you'll find that you can afford MORE for your money. It may not be everything you want, but it will be everything you need.
Matthew 6:26
Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are?
In the Kitchen
I've done away with many kitchen "gadgets." Of course, it's a little ridiculous to unplug my refrigerator & oven/stove as often as they are used. I have, however, started taking note of other appliances that drain energy just a little bit at the time. I keep my coffee pot & toaster unplugged until I need to use them. This isn't hard to do, since the cords aren't very long in the first place. A few months ago, Ronny offered to buy me an electric can opener. "NO!" I practically shouted in the middle of WalMart. I laughed at myself & then explained why. An electric can opener saves you less than one minute per can opened, but is an item that either a) remains plugged in all of the time, therefore wasting money or b) requires batteries, therefore wasting money. If my hand-held can opener saves me even $1 per month, I think it's worth it. That's almost half of what I pay for my Oreo cookies! Trust me, I know how psycho I sound right now, but this is also PRACTICE for saving money & cutting back.
If I can mix pudding, cake batter, & things of the sort by hand instead of using my hand-held mixer, I usually do. There are some occasions when I'm in a hurry & need the extra time or I'm too tired to move my arm that many times (pregnancy takes a lot out of a girl), & so I fall back on my mixer. Thankfully, that isn't too often. I save just that much more electricity & then I don't have the trouble of cleaning two beaters instead of one whisk or wrapping the cord & putting the hand-held mixer away.
Aside from that, I don't even OWN a dish washer, so there is no wasted water/electricity when doing the kitchen clean-up routine. Ronny & I wash dishes by hand, taking turns & sometimes making that a chore for our children (who are both within two years of the age of 5 - so, no...you're 12 year old is not too young to learn) to run some water, add some dish soap, & remove the food from his/her dishes. I don't allow the kids to wash when I've used raw meat or eggs. I am very much aware of kitchen sanitation & cleanliness, am teaching them, but I really don't want to experience having a sick child because she put her fingers into her mouth after handling a dish that held or came into contact with raw chicken. If you're worried about your children breaking something, let them wash plastic plates/bowls/cups, utensils (NOT KNIVES or anything you deem too sharp or harmful to little hands), mixing bowls, cooled pots/pans, & measuring cups/spoons. My daughter is the youngest of my two children & she occasionally washes some of the glass/ceramic/stainless steel dishes. She hasn't broken any yet, because I've made her aware of the dangers of it. She is very careful. My son is two years older than she, but washes only plastic items. (In my experience, boys tend to be more aggressive.) Washing our dishes by hand is teaching our children the importance of cleaning up behind themselves. When there is a sink full of dishes, they know it's because someone didn't do their share of the work. Sometimes, I expect them to do most of the dishes. The participate in this about three times per month. The rest of the time, dishes are done by Ronny or myself. As our children grow, I will give them more responsibility in this area. This isn't only a lesson in cleanliness; it's a lesson in self-discipline.
In the Store
Those Oreo cookies are only one of my weaknesses & the generic brands just don't taste as good. That's okay. There are so many other items that taste great in the generic/store brands that I don't mind purchasing them. Store brands aren't always cheaper, though. If you coupon (which is becoming more & more popular in the USA), you'll find that you can save BIG BUCKS with just a little effort. It'll do you some good to sit down one night a week & take a look at the grocery store SALE papers, too. I receive three separate sales papers each week. I make three lists (sometimes on one piece of paper) & categorize the cheapest brands/items under the store where it's being offered. Afterward, I make a list of all the staple items that were not covered in the sales papers (like milk, bread, eggs, cheese, margarine, sugar - these are always the first six items on my list if they haven't been spotted in the sales paper). After shopping at one store, I keep my receipt. Anything that was not on sale is added to the price list I keep at home. My staple items don't drop in price very much or very often, so I want to know which store has what & for how much. Milk, eggs, & cheese are cheaper at one, whereas bread, sugar, & rice are cheaper at another. This saves about $5 everytime I go shopping. So check this out... by saving $1 (or more) on electricity because I unplugged my appliances & used manual helpers & $5 because I tracked down the cheapest prices on my staples, I can now afford either 2 packages of my cookies OR 12 boxes of macaroni & cheese (generic brand, which tastes just as good) at one of these stores. It pays to shop around.
My challenge to you is to figure out a few ways you can save money each month. Make this a habit & you'll find that you can afford MORE for your money. It may not be everything you want, but it will be everything you need.
Matthew 6:26
Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are?
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Army Mac
I grew up on this stuff. Mom came up with this one, I believe, & my brother & I have always loved it. It's been one of the fallback meals in my house & probably the one most eaten. For us, it never gets old. Every now & then, I add a little something extra to pump up the flavor, but even as it's basic self, it's SO GOOD. This is a filling meal & this recipe will feed a family of 3 to 5. Easily doubled.
Army Mac
2 boxes macaroni & cheese
1 can hot tamales (Hormel brand beef tamales are great!)
6 slices cheese singles
8 c (2 qt) water
1/4 c margarine
1/4 c milk
Directions
In water, boil macaroni for 10 minutes. Unwrap tamales & place them in a medium bowl. Mash well & add tamale juice. Microwave until warm. Set aside.
Drain macaroni well. Stir in margarine until melted. Pour in milk & cheese packets from macaroni boxes, cheese slices, & warmed tamales. Mix well until cheese has melted & cheese mix has blended well. Serve warm.
Kayla's Notes
If you have trouble finding the tamales, follow this link to the Hormel website & fill in the information to find closest location to you where products are sold. http://www.hormelfoods.com/brands/productLocator/default.aspx
To save on milk, which gets expensive, I often cut it down to about 1/8 cup & it works just as well. Milk is needed to make the cheese packets mix in without clumping.
Army Mac
2 boxes macaroni & cheese
1 can hot tamales (Hormel brand beef tamales are great!)
6 slices cheese singles
8 c (2 qt) water
1/4 c margarine
1/4 c milk
Directions
In water, boil macaroni for 10 minutes. Unwrap tamales & place them in a medium bowl. Mash well & add tamale juice. Microwave until warm. Set aside.
Drain macaroni well. Stir in margarine until melted. Pour in milk & cheese packets from macaroni boxes, cheese slices, & warmed tamales. Mix well until cheese has melted & cheese mix has blended well. Serve warm.
Kayla's Notes
If you have trouble finding the tamales, follow this link to the Hormel website & fill in the information to find closest location to you where products are sold. http://www.hormelfoods.com/brands/productLocator/default.aspx
To save on milk, which gets expensive, I often cut it down to about 1/8 cup & it works just as well. Milk is needed to make the cheese packets mix in without clumping.
...But Not For Long
When I thought of doing this months ago, I should have. I am now in the last several weeks of pregnancy, but it will be one that I remember not only for the sleepless nights, loss of bladder control, morning sickness, & headaches. I hope to remember it for the moments I see my hard-working man's beaming smile when our son moves my belly against his face, the wiggles & kicks that I feel more & more frequently, the way I look forward to holding this precious little boy...
I also hope to remember it for the recipes created, cooked, & consumed in that time. I have been more creative in my cooking skills & as a result, Ronny & I have laughed & learned, really living & loving in the kitchen. It has been one of the strongest points of our relationship & we somehow have always managed to pull through & find something to eat, even when there wasn't much food in the house. It was during the times that stretched between paychecks that helped us to stretch ourselves & learn more about the cost of feeding our family. It was during those times that we became a truly creative team & with the grace of God kept our bellies satisfied.
I thank God for the blessings that He has shown me.
I hope that these recipes, stories, & scriptures will also help someone else out there. If I never meet you, if I never see you, I pray that God uses this to bless you in some way.
James 1: 2-4
2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
I also hope to remember it for the recipes created, cooked, & consumed in that time. I have been more creative in my cooking skills & as a result, Ronny & I have laughed & learned, really living & loving in the kitchen. It has been one of the strongest points of our relationship & we somehow have always managed to pull through & find something to eat, even when there wasn't much food in the house. It was during the times that stretched between paychecks that helped us to stretch ourselves & learn more about the cost of feeding our family. It was during those times that we became a truly creative team & with the grace of God kept our bellies satisfied.
I thank God for the blessings that He has shown me.
I hope that these recipes, stories, & scriptures will also help someone else out there. If I never meet you, if I never see you, I pray that God uses this to bless you in some way.
James 1: 2-4
2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)