Tuesday, October 9, 2012

My 5 favorite recipes for fall 

(FB offer coupon special event)


Fall is my all time favorite season!! I love to break out the cinnamon candles, pumpkins and crock pot! I am also obsessed with cooking things that fill my house with that warm "fall like" smell and comfort!

So here are my favorite (5) fall recipes (FB offer coupon special event) This event does expire 10/31/12 and is only view-able 50 times per coupon ticket. So print or write it down... these will not be posted for a LOOONG time if ever!  xoxo MDG

1) Pumpkin spiced cake -bundt pan edition-

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
  • 3 cups biscuit/baking mix
  • GLAZE:
  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  • In a bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in pumpkin; mix well. Gradually add baking mix until combined. Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan.
  • Bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (I like to use a butter knife too cause the toothpick sometimes doesn't always work) Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack. Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over cooled cake. Its sooooo yummy!!! ***I also added chocolate chips (semi sweet) to it before and it was AMAZING!!!

2) Easy chilli from scratch

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced, or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 15 or 28 oz can of tomatoes
  • 6 oz can tomato paste
  • 4 cups cooked pinto or kidney beans(see note below)
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon dry parsley (optional)

Directions:
Get out a big pot, four quarts or bigger. Plop the ground beef and the chopped onion into the bottom of the pot and start frying it over medium heat. Break it up into small chunks as you cook it. When it is all the way brown and grey, with not a speck of pink left, drain off the fat. Open up the canned tomatoes and tomato paste. Add their contents to the big pot on the stove. Also add about 2 or three cups of water for simmering. Add the beans(canned or home cooked), chili powder, salt and pepper (and parsley if you like). Stir it all up and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat so that the chili merely simmers, and allow it to cook, covered or not, for about an hour. It will be edible in 20 minutes, but tastes better after longer simmering.
To serve, you can ladle this over bowls of hot rice, or you can serve it in soup bowls with big wedges of cornbread dripping with margarine. Either way, it’s amazing!!
NOTE: I usually cook up some dry beans in the morning to put in the chili for dinner. To do this measure up about 1-1/2 cups of pinto beans or kidney beans, or a combination. Put them in a big pot on the stove with plenty of water and bring them to a boil. Allow them to boil for a minute or two. Turn off the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and let them sit for at least an hour. After that you simmer them for about an hour or two, watching that they don’t run out of water. When they are tender, they are done.
If you decide to use canned beans, use at least two 15 oz cans, better to use 3 or 4 though. I’ve used pinto and kidney beans most often, but have substituted black beans, northern beans, pork’n'beans, and others as necessary.  AND DON'T FORGET THE CORNBREAD AND CHEDDAR CHEESE!!!

3) Easy Apple pie pockets

2 Pillsbury refrigerator pie crusts
1 cup apples, peeled, cored and chopped (I have done this without peeling the apples and it was just fine!)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
grated lemon peel (optional)
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch nutmeg

Directions:
Add all ingredients (But dough of course) in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, or until apples are tender. Remove from heat. Let filling cool 15 minutes.
Remove pie crust from refrigerator 15 minutes before use.
Place one crust on a work surface. Slice dough, using a sharp paring knife or pizza cutter, straight down the middle, to make two half circles.
Place 2-3 tablespoons filling onto one side of the half circle. Brush the edges of the pie crust lightly with water.
Fold down to make a pocket; crimp and seal. This makes a quarter circle pocket. Repeat with remaining half circle, then with the second pie crust. This will make four large quarter pockets.
Fry the pie pockets in deep oil at 365°F or bake on a foil lined baking sheet at 375°F for 15-20 minutes or until browned.
Drizzle with confectioners' icing while still warm: (Mix a few tablespoons of confectioners' sugar with several drops of milk and vanilla until mixture is of a drizzling consistency).

4) Super simple Pot Roast -Crock pot-


3 lb. chuck roast
1/2 can beef broth
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 or 2 cloves garlic
1 medium onion, diced
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 bay leaf
dash of salt and pepper

Directions:
Wash chuck roast. Season generously with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Coat with flour.
Place floured roast into oiled skillet and brown lightly on both sides.
While browning roast, add diced onions to skillet.
Transfer roast and onions to greased crock-pot. Toss in whole garlic cloves and bay leaf.
Pour in 1/2 can beef broth over roast and add salt and pepper.
Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. So good!

5) STEW! -Crock pot-


5-7 lb. chuck roast
6-8 oz. frozen corn
6-8 oz. frozen peas
12-16 oz. carrot slices
1 can French cut green beans, drained
1 29 oz. can whole/diced canned potatoes
1 14.5 can Delmonte diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano
1 large white onion or 1/2 pkg. of pearl onions, finely chopped
1 beef stew seasoning packet
beef bouillon cubes (1 per 1 c. water added)
garlic salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
4-6 c. warm water

Directions:
Slice off excess fat from chuck and cut into bite size pieces. Add all ingredients into Crock-Pot. Add more or less ingredients to size desired. Set Crock-Pot to high and cook until vegetables are tender and meat is cooked through. (usally 6-8 hours) If you want your stew a little thicker, you can add a little flour as needed.

Friday, March 30, 2012

For the love of Vinegar! (Day 2)

Fresh Flowers in the home


Who doesn't love fresh flowers in the home? I am addicted to having them in every room as much as I can. Call me CrAzY but, A clean house with fresh flowers and some white wine chiliin in the fridge on a beautiful day is enough to send my happy meter right off the charts!!!I just love that kinda stuff!!

If you are like me and keep fresh flowers in your house vinegar will help your beautiful flowers stay alive and fresher longer!! Just add 2Tbs of vinegar and 1Tbs of sugar to your vase with fresh water (make sure to trim you ends every time you add fresh water) and that alone will keep them happy and alive much longer!!

If you have any great tips for getting flowers to last longer email me your secrets!! 

Fresh Flowers and love, 
 MDG

Thursday, March 29, 2012

For the love of Vinegar! (Day 1)


Like I mentioned I am in love with Vinegar and all the amazing things it can do!! After doing tons of research I found a lot of amazing things that I can use vinegar for in my own home everyday! Also, at $3.00 for almost 2 gallons you cant believe the amount of money you will save!!
So, I will only be posting/ writing on things I have tried personally and will give you my report on how well it works!! I hope you enjoy this as much as I am testing all these nifty little tricks! I'm sure by the time I am done you will have found at least 2 reasons to keep a little vinegar in your home!!

Before I get started with my first "new use" for vinegar, here are some facts about vinegar you may not know...
  • Vinegar has been used for 10,000 years. It just might be the world's oldest ingredient.
  • The main uses for white distilled vinegar are cooking/food preparation and cleaning/disinfecting.
  • Pearls melt in white distilled vinegar.
  • Pantyhose last longer when rinsed with water containing 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar.
  • Vinegar is a natural disinfectant.
  • Vinegar can be used to treat illnesses.
  • Vinegar is a non-toxic replacement to many house hold uses.

For the love of Vinegar (Day 1) lets go...

As mot of you know, I'm pregnant... My skin is stretching and stretching along with winter weather my skin was dry and itchy!! I am talking so dry and itchy that no lotion not even the fancy crap I got at Nordstrom gave me and my skin any relief.
I stumbled upon a article about dry skin and this is what triggered me to my new Vinegar madness!! Any-who, this article suggested that 3/4 of a cup of white distilled vinegar (normal vinegar) in a bath would sooth and relieve dry skin. 
It sounded kinda gross to me and the first thing I thought of was, "So they want me to sit in a giant douche?" But, to be honest, I was willing to try it! To my surprise the bath water didn't smell like vinegar AT ALL!! It was diluted perfectly nor did I smell like it when I got out!! I wouldn't of even been able to notice it was in there if I hadn't put it in myself! After my bath it was business as usual. I didn't apply any lotion after my bath, so I could see how my skin would feel once it was completely dry. Well, I was impressed! Not only was I Impressed I was kinda shocked! My skin felt great!! No dry, itchy, tight pulling skin for me. My skin felt like I had put on some amazing non greasy lotion! I now add this to every bath that I take (about every night) and I am hooked!! 
**side note: We had gone swimming over the weekend in a pool that either was just chlorinated or had 87x to much chlorine in it and by the time we had gotten home my poor daughters skin was so itchy and was driving her crazy!! She was in pain. I quickly stuck her in the bath, rinsed her off and then filled the tub and added 1/4 cup of vinegar (cause she uses less water then me) It seemed to have done the trick and took that little nugget of her chlorine induced pain! 

If you try this or have tried this let me know! I would love to hear from you!!
 and
 check back tomorrow for another "For the love of Vinegar" trick!! 
I love you for reading!! 
xoxo MDG

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Peanut butter Dog Treats!


 What you will need:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon of applesauce
1 tablespoon of Olive Oil
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 cup of milk
 and Bacon bits to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together. Place dough on wax paper with a little flour dusted on surface. Roll or press dough out to about 1/4” inch thick. Use a small bone cookie cutter (if you have or can even find one) to cut out cookies.( i just used skull and cross bones cutter from Halloween) Roll out leftover scraps and cut out as many as possible. Put cut out cookies on baking sheet. Bake for 14-16 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and when cool transfer into a air tight container.

Your Dog's will LOVE you forever! Mine are addicted to these treats!! They are so easy to make and so inexpensive (Have you seen the price of dog treats these days?!) Did I mention my house smelled AMAZING!! Just like real cookies and if you know anything about me.... A yummy smelling house is one of my favorite things in the world!!! 

I hope your mutt enjoys these treats and you have just as much fun as we did making them!!

I love you for reading!!! 
xoxo MDG