A Variation on Tacos

For the record, I made this for dinner tonight.

I burnt the hamburger while helping my daughter google primary sources of those who were aboard the Mayflower.

Then I dropped a glass bottle of jalepeno peppers while getting the cheese out of the fridge.

Then I got the whole blasted thing together and couldn't find the camera for your viewing pleasure.

Then I typed it all up and forgot to post it. So much for a post a day.

Move over Pioneer Woman. I am obviously stiff competition.

It still got devoured, by the way. I left to pick up daughter number two and came home to a pan that had been scraped clean. Just sayin', burnt and all.

My mom gave me this recipe several years ago. It's one of the few recipes that ALL of my kids eat without complaint, which puts it right up there in the solid gold department as far as I am concerned.

This is another recipe in the 30 Days of Family Friendly Recipes series. To see the rest, click here.

This one is pretty simple, can be made up ahead of time and baked just before dinner, and can easily be augmented to feed extra bodies that happen to stop by.

It's called Chili Stack - maybe because taco seasoning is made with chili powder? I contemplated changing the name to Taco Stack, but really, I couldn't do that to my kids. Chili Stack is family.

Chili Stack

2 lb hamburger

1/2 c onion, chopped fine (or 4 T dehydrated onion - I usually cheat and use dehydrated)

2/3 c taco seasoning (about 3 pkgs)

4 c water

8-16 oz shredded cheese 

8-10 flour tortillas

Brown hamburger and onion and drain grease. Add water and taco seasoning and simmer 10 minutes. Layer meat, cheese, tortilla, six times in a deep casserole dish. Top with meat and cheese. Pour any leftover sauce over the top. The sauce is juicy and soaks into the tortillas.

If you double the recipe, you can use a 9x13 pan. I often use extra tortillas and spread the meat and cheese a little thinner.

Cover and bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Let set for 5 minutes for juice to soak in. Cut in squares to serve.

Swedish Pancakes - American Style

This is part of my 30 Days of Family Favorite Recipes challenge. To see the rest, clicky here.

This is probably THE most requested breakfast meal in our home. If it's a birthday, this is what they want on their day. If we have company, this is what they want to make to show off.

Image source

The kids love these and tend to eat several, so I taught them how to make them. Makes them appreciate the work that goes into them, you know? These are fast for a small family, so don't let me scare you.

Swedish pancakes are basically a crepe, and we fill them, usually, with butter and powdered sugar that melt into deliciousness. Sometimes we'll use syrup instead, but powdered sugar is the regular go-to topping. Fresh strawberries are good if they're in season and we didn't eat them all the day before, or fresh peaches as pictured above. Not likely, but it COULD happen.

The trick to these is in the wrist and a good, non-stick pan.

Eventually I'll add pictures to this, but for now, use your imagination.

Swedish Pancakes

Ingredients:
4 eggs
2 c milk
2 c flour
1/8 c sugar
butter
powdered sugar

Beat together eggs, milk, flour, and sugar until batter is smooth. It will be thin. If you have a blender, it'll do a great job. You want it as smooth as possible because all your little lumps will show up when you pour the batter out.

Heat a large, non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add a small amount of butter to the pan to coat. Pour a 3-4 inch circle of batter in the center of the pan, remove from heat, and tilt the pan in a circular motion to make the batter spread out to cover the bottom of the pan. Batter should be 1/8 -1/16 of an inch thick.

When edges appear lightly brown, flip and cook on the other side. These babies cook pretty fast, which is a good thing because kids eat them prety fast.

Remove from pan and top with a sliver of butter, then roll up or fold in half. At this point, I usually have a cookie sheet in the warm oven and I stockpile pancakes so everyone can eat at once. Just as easy to feed each person in rounds, serving up another hot one as it is done.

Now this is the important part. Open these guys up and sprinkle the powdered sugar inside. Not outside. It looks pretty outside, but the deliciousness is the butter/sugar melty center. Eat with a fork, or if you're like us, pick it up burrito style and have at it.

30 Days of Family Favorite Recipes

I missed day one and two. I'm going to cheat from the start and post those later today.

For now though, the goal is to post a one of my family's favorite recipes each day for the month of September.

This is a challenge for me as

1) It's hard for everyone to agree 100% on a favorite ~ I have a child that doesn't like melted cheese and another that doesn't like chocolate. Excuse me? They won't have a say here. Six against one. Majority rules.

2) I don't think I've ever done anything for 31 days straight. Not even make my bed. Maybe I should add bed making to my goals instead.

Just as a heads up, we're pretty basic around here. You won't find the fancy stuff that takes hours to make and minutes to devour. If I want to impress someone, that's another story, but we're talking efficiency now, and as a single mom with a busy schedule, efficiency rules the day and the dinner table.

All of the recipes in this series are ones that we have made many, many times. They are tried and true. The kids have given them the thumbs up review.

We gravitate towards foods that are fast, easy, use everyday ingredients that I have on hand, and use minimal prepackaged mixes. I like to cook from scratch because I know what's in my food that way and yeah, it's cheaper.

This morning I posted a recipe for homemade ice cream. I can't think of a better way to start.

I'll be adding to this list as I go along, but to give you an idea of what we consider favorites:

Jeanette's Basic Ice Cream
Swedish Pancakes
Ultimate Grilled Cheese - Basic with a twist that makes it great
Idaho Baked Potato Soup - From one of my Idaho sisters-in-law
Brown Sugar Sausage-Bacon Appetizers - Oh. My. Gosh.
Party Punch
Tortilla Stew
Sloppy Joes
Sweet and Sour Salad - I don't care what the kids say. This is fantastic!
Stafford Breakfast
Chili Stack
Pizza
Chicken Dressing Casserole
Chicken Poppy Casserole
Hot Chicken Salad - another mother-in-law recipe - yumm
Navajo Tacos and Fry Bread - Courtesy of my sister-in-law - my kids love it!
Chicken Roll Ups - A mother-in-law recipe, which means it's delicious
Sweet and Sour Chicken - Reminds me of Panda's orange chicken
Chili - Make a bunch and freeze it for later
Biscuits Supreme - A definite must have recipe
Basic Muffins and Favorite Variations - A breakfast favorite
Flour Tortillas - All the kids help make these - simple and great
Pumpkin Streusel Bread - A favorite for fall
Braden's Famous Focaccia - My son has been making this since he was eight and it's great
One Hour Cinnamon Rolls - Yep, start to finish in an hour
Puffy French Toast - You know those crispy, puffy french toast sticks you can get at restaurants?
Waffles - light and crisp and perfect
Super Simple Smoothies
Oatmeal Cake
A Recipe for Disaster

...and a little space for last minute picks...

If you have a family favorite, feel free to share! ~ Erin

The Best Ever Homemade Ice Cream

In honor of Labor Day and many, many family parties with  homemade ice cream...the day just wouldn't be the same without it.

This is the first in my attempt to post a recipe a day of our family's favorite recipes. To see the rest, clicky here. For the record, this is a work in progress until the end of the month. =]

My husband was one of eight kids, seven of whom were boys. When we all lived close together, family get-togethers were a blast. OK, yes, I muttered at the time, but our kids loved hanging out with their cousins, and of course, there was the food...  

When it came to family parties, we were all assigned to bring something. Most of us daughters-in-law got assigned homemade ice cream to go along with whatever else we brought, but no one could compete with my mother-in-law when it came to the ice cream. 

image source

Believe me. I tried. 

One time, in desperation, I bought a couple cartons of Breyer's Mint Chocolate Chip (my favorite brand because it tastes homemade), plopped it in a bowl, used the mixer to soften it up, then stuck it in the ice cream maker and called it mine. 

I did get rave reviews at that family party, but couldn't keep a straight face when asked for the recipe. I confessed and got a couple of high-fives from my sisters-in-law. My kids still tease me about it.

This is my mother-in-law's recipe and she is famous for it. It's pretty much a given for Labor Day, Memorial Day, family birthdays, etc.

She has a basic base and then adds what she wants to it. A few of the favorite alterations are below. 

Jeanette's Basic Ice Cream

4 eggs

4-1/2 t vanilla

1/2 t salt

2-1/4 c sugar

4 c whipping cream

4 c half and half

1 c milk

Beat eggs ‘til slightly thickened. Add vanilla and salt. Slowly add sugar and beat til mixed. Mix in whipping cream and 2 c half and half. Pour into one gallon ice cream container and add remaining half and half. Add milk to fill line. 

Freeze according to ice cream maker instructions.

For our favorite variations, add the following to the base as directed:

Cookies and Cream:

1 sm pkg Oreo cookies - 2/3 broken and 1/3 finely smashed/crushed. 
To be fair, my mother-in-law scrapes the filling off the this last third before crushing, but I can never bring myself to do that.

When mostly frozen, after about 10-15 minutes, add cookies. Letting it set up a bit keeps everything from settling on the bottom.

Toasted Almond

1/2 c Nestle Quik

1/4-1/2 t almond extract

1-1/4 c toasted almonds 

For toasted almonds, heat oven to 350. Place almonds on a cookie sheet. Stir after 10 minutes. Cook for 3-5 minutes longer. Watch carefully as once they start to brown, they go from toasty to burnt quickly. Cool before adding to ice cream. These are soft when warm, but as they cool, they get crunchy.

Chocolate Chip:

1/2 c grated dark chocolate

1/2 c grated milk chocolate

I like to add peppermint extract, but I couldn't tell you how much. Maybe I'll experiment today. =]

For Chocolate/Chocolate Chip, add 1/2 c Nestle Quik as well.

Lift up Your Head, Princess...Finding the Fun in Adversity

How true. I don't know who said this originally, but I loved the thought. We need to remember who we are, for we are daughters of a King.

Along that general theme, I stumbled across the picture below awhile ago, and it's stuck with me. The quote is from President Uchtdorf and the sweet graphic can be found at Holy Handouts.

I lost my husband to cancer eight years ago and was left to raise six children on my own. I can remember sitting down one night after a very ordinary day was done and feeling so frustrated. I pulled out my journal and started to write. Woe is me. Oh, the troubles I had faced!

"I am feeling very stressed. The house is such a mess. We have piles in every room and tools everywhere. Kids keep getting out of bed and it is after 10:00PM. I started school today but missed half of the first class. We are out of bread. Boys missed the bus again. Emily wet her pants at school (kindergarten - just sayin' for her sake, lol). Kate called home in tears. Courtney doesn't know her times tables...The bank closed too early. Braden has a health "sex" class that I need to preview materials for right now. I don't have time. I have a test tomorrow and only made one out of the four hours of class today. I just want to cry. I am not up to this and sometimes feel like I just can't do it."

I think I did cry that night. The next night brought a different journal entry. I listed the things that had gone wrong in the month since my husband had died, and followed by...well, I'll get to that.

"Since Rick died, our oven died, the computer quit working, the dishwasher broke, and now my dryer's not working. Also, one of the circuit breakers blew out, the A/C isn't working, a window broke, I ran into an angle iron trailer parked on our street and cut open the side of our car, and the phone quit working."

Not bad for a month, eh? And it was just the tip of the iceberg. The fun part, though, came after my sob story, because that's when I thought back to all of the things I had LEARNED. I started writing, and the amazingness of it overwhelmed me.

I learned how:
To install a ceiling fan (yep, it broke, too)
To wire a light fixture
To pull and replace a circuit breaker
To take the front off a dryer and look for a heating element
To remove an oven (the wires melted inside the wall so the whole thing had to go)
To remove cabinets/counter/tile (went with the lovely oven fiasco)
To install baseboards and doors (we were in the middle of a project when my husband died)
To ask for help (probably the hardest lesson)
To program the heater (it's a man's job, you know)
To test a phone line (in an attic full of yucky spiders)
To repair a phone line in said attic
To find the humor is a frustrating situation (the car vs the trailer, but that's another story)
To grout tile
....and the list went on...

Two pages! I filled two whole pages with lessons and blessings that came from those trials. This was a turning point for me. Oh, the difference it made to look for the blessings and lessons! What a blessing in and of itself to have written them down!

I've heard of gratitude journals before, but this was my first experience with the healing and comfort that they can bring. Now when things are difficult, I can look back and remember that the times I struggle are often the times I grow the most. I believe I really did become stronger, wiser, and more joyful because of those trials.

We all have our trials and adversities. It's how we chose to look at them that is important. The lessons and blessings are there for us if we chose to see them.

If you like inspirational quotes, I've got a bunch on Pinterest. They'll make you smile.  ~ Erin

Top 20 Apple Recipes This Fall

I love fall. I love the cooler weather and the leaves turning on the trees. I love the fact that I can BAKE without heating us out of house and home. And the smell of freshly baked goodies....!!! Last time I got on a kick, it was for pumpkin. If you're a pumpkin fan like I am, you can check out my posts here and here.

I kind of got on a food frenzy the other day, as I contemplated the change in seasons. Thought I'd share some of the favorites that I came across. Enjoy!

****UPDATE**** 

I just opened an Etsy shop called ThisOnesMineDesigns, and I am so excited! My kids and I make ceramic buttons and badge reels.

Just to keep in the spirit of the post, these are my country apple buttons. I'd love it if you popped over and took a look around, and clicked the "favorite" button on the top right part of the page if you like them.

If you want to come back here and give me some honest feedback, I'd absolutely love that as well. =]

Back to apple recipe wonderfulness...

I have an apple thing. They look so fresh and country and wholesome. And just like my kindergarten teacher wrote in my very first report card, "when they're good, they're really, really good, and when they're bad, they're horrid." Maybe that's why I like 'em.

Make sure you get some good ones! Sweet, juicy, crisp. I love Fuji for all around use, and Granny Smith for baking and canning.

Image from Yankee New England

Once upon a time I purchased a bin of apples, yep, one of those huge boxes, and made applesauce and apple pie filling to my heart's content. If you have access to something like this but don't want them all, consider splitting a bin with friends.

If you decide to go it alone, the apples last pretty well on the back porch in cooler weather if you don't want to process all of them. Just pick up some apple boxes from the grocery store to keep them in and be sure to sort out any bad ones before storage.

A recipe for Homemade Canned Apple Pie Filling an be found at Skip to my Lou. I've canned lots of apple pie filling and it is a wonderful thing to have on hand for a last minute baking splurge. There's a recipe for cobbler on the same page that looks delish.

If you're really ambitious, it makes beautiful gifts at Christmas time. Just make sure you give it to someone who appreciates the difference between a can from the store and the real deal. =]

Along those ambitious lines is something I've never tried but have always wanted to attempt. Apple Butter. I've made apricot butter before, which was intense and one of the best jam type things I've ever made. It seems like it took hours of stirring over a boiling pot, but it was worth it. Really. I imagine this would be wonderful. The cool part? This Apple Butter is made in the crock pot. The recipe is at Changing My Destiny.

These sweet-tart apple cookies are fully of soft, melty caramel. It uses an instant apple cider mix rather than real apples, but ohhh, doesn't it look divine? You can find the recipe for Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies at Scrambled Henfruit. 

These babies look fantastic. Little mini apple fritters. Because sometimes you want the taste without the whole 10,000 calories, you know? Check out Seemingly Greek for the recipe. This young lady has a fun story about how she ended up in Greece. =]

If you want some serious volume, check out this Apple Fritter Bread found at Flour Me with Love. The dough gets rolled out thin, then covered with apple-y-cinnamon-y goodness, cut in squares, then stacked together in a loaf pan to bake. The result? Bread that comes apart in layers. My apple fritter loving son was begging for this one. =]

Kind of along those lines is this beauty. The dough is made, then wrapped around little bundles of apple filling. Oh. My. The Apple Cinnamon Pull-Apart Loaf recipe can be found at Cooking with Chopin.

This. Oh, yes. This is my kind of breakfast! Apple Cider Buttermilk Pancakes with Apple Caramel Syrup. Aren't you just dying to make breakfast right now? And breakfast for dinner is always good, right? The recipe is at Cherry Tea Cakes.

To be fair, here's a recipe for Apple Pie Oatmeal. I am not a fan of oatmeal for the most part, but I think this recipe could change that. Who could pass up the taste of pie for breakfast? And healthy pie at that! Family Feedbag has the recipe.

These muffins are low fat and low cal. Just thought I'd sneak 'em in here. I love hot muffins on a cold morning and the crumbly top should add a touch of the sweetness I crave. I haven't tried these yet, but I will. Muffins are a mainstay here. The recipe is from Fitness.

Are these gorgeous or what! Apple chips are one of my favorites. I think I'd use Fuji instead of Red Delicious, just because I like the sweet/tart favor better, but you've got to admit that the red contrast here makes them as fun to look at as I'm sure they are to eat. Vittles and Bits has the recipe and beautiful photo..

Apple Enchiladas? Flour tortillas stuffed with apple pie filling and covered with a syrupy sauce, then baked 'til golden? A definite yes. My kids are all for this one because, well, they're a BIG treat, you know? And what an easy and fun way to do it. The recipe is at Cornfed Mama.

Bite Sized Apple Pies are a fast and easy treat since they use refrigerated pie crust. If you're a stickler, you can make your own. I absolutely love pie crust baked with cinnamon and sugar sprinkled over the top. Add the apples and mmmm.... Cookin up North has the recipe.

Another quickie, Upside-Down Cinnamon Apple Coffee Cake uses canned cinnamon rolls for a base. She had me at cinnamon rolls. The recipe can be found at Lady Behind the Curtain.

This baby is like a quick and easy version of apple pie. Can you see it now, served up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream? And did I mention easy? With six kids, desserts go fast here, so quick, easy, and delicious are the prerequisites. Annie's Eats has the recipe for Apple Crumble Bars.

And if you want to get fancy, Apple Pie in a Jar......from Our Best Bites. You could use your home canned apple pie filling for these. I love how these are decorated. Wouldn't these be neat for gifts or dessert at a party? Can you imagine a table lined with your choice of apple, or cherry, or peach, or apricot...

Apple Cider Caramels??? Mmmmm...yes, please. I have a thing for taffies and caramels. I think it goes back to years of wearing braces and feeling deprived. I think, as an adult, I should make up for that deprivation.   Bourbonnatrix Bakes has this recipe, and no, there isn't any bourbon in them. =P

This is a baked apple, filled with vanilla ice cream, then drizzled with caramel sauce. I'm thinking it would make a fun Family Home Evening treat. Can you just smell those apples baking? The recipe calls for brandy in the sauce, but another liquid could easily be substituted. Time for a Little Something has the recipe.

This one is special. I'm thinking Thanksgiving, maybe, because my sister always makes something spectacular and I'm the just get it done girl. LOL. Candy Apple Pie...a graham cracker crust filled with cheesecake and apple pie filling, then topped with whipped cream, caramel, and pecans. I already have that Thanksgiving feeling of being unable to eat another bite. Clicky here, at Doughmesstic, for the recipe.

And to go with all of that deliciousness, wassail. I love wassail. It makes me smile. A hot cup, a good book, a warm fire, a rainy day, and life is at its best. Gathered Round Our Table has a recipes for wassail and spiced cider. I've made a couple, and the pineapple juice in the wassail makes all the difference. Don't skimp or substitute on it. They're worth writing down and tucking away.

Just to get you started, and to give you a bit of energy while you bake up a storm, try this Toffee Apple Dip. It's cream cheese blended with brown sugar and Heath Toffee Bits. Everybody I know who has tried it has absolutely loved it. When I make it, I add a little splash of vanilla, and I like to serve it with sliced Granny Smith apples since their tart flavor balances out the sweet. You can find this recipe at Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Unfortunately, I don't have a link for this picture, and no it's not a recipe, just a bonus. If you know where it comes from, let me know and I'll post the link.

I love how these were used for candles, though. If I made them, I'd bust out the drill with a bit that was votive size and bore the hole just deep enough to insert the candle. If you don't have a drill, then a paring knife would do the trick, with a little skill. =]

Get some apples and have fun!

Friday Night Date Idea

It's Friday night. When my husband was alive, that meant movie night. Usually it consisted of the kids going to bed early and the Big Guy, he was 6'6", and I watching a video on the couch. I usually ended up getting a really great shoulder massage out of it, so it worked for me. We had our together time, but with six kids, a dating night out wasn't always the easiest option.

One of my all time favorite dates was the night we bought a big bag of M&M's and sat outside our town's tiny airport and watched the planes land. A little chocolate, a little cuddling, quiet time to just talk without a TV in sight...after 15 years of marriage, that date still stands out.

I wish we had done more.

I think now that he's gone, I wish that the most.

So with that said, what have I learned? Time together is precious. Dates don't have to be expensive to be fun. Dates don't even have to be away from the house, though the mental break is nice. Dates, quality times, are often the quiet moments talking and learning about each other...whether you're in the "new" dating stage or after years of marriage.

I found a cute blog list of 30 Things to talk about. One topic a day...for 30 days. Here are a few of the questions:
1.   List 20 random things about yourself.
2.   Describe 3 legitimate fears and how they became fears.
16. What are your 5 greatest accomplishments?
30. What are 10 things you would hope to be remembered for?

Maybe a fun idea to start on a Friday night date?