Spinach Quiche (crustless)

Quiche is a favorite in our home.  My personal favorite rendition would have to be my mothers Mexican Style Quiche!  I will have to post that one soon!  But we are not fans of quiche's with a crust.  It is too dry for our liking.  So since we like quiche we decided to try out a new one.  This is oh so yummy and with the dark leafy greens it is good for you too!

What kind of quiche do you like?? If you have a favorite please let me know and I will post it so we can all try it out!

Spinach Quiche

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 5 eggs, beaten
• 3 cups shredded Muenster cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9 inch pie pan.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft. Stir in spinach and continue cooking until excess moisture has evaporated.
3. In a large bowl, combine eggs, cheese, salt and pepper. Add spinach mixture and stir to blend. Scoop into prepared pie pan.
4. Bake in preheated oven until eggs have set, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Pepper Steaks

Slow Cooker Pepper Steaks

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into 2 inch strips
• garlic powder to taste
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cube beef bouillon
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 large green bell peppers, roughly chopped
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, with liquid
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Sprinkle strips of sirloin with garlic powder to taste. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil and brown the seasoned beef strips. Transfer to a slow cooker.
2. Mix bouillon cube with hot water until dissolved, then mix in cornstarch until dissolved. Pour into the slow cooker with meat. Stir in onion, green peppers, stewed tomatoes, soy sauce, sugar, and salt.
3. Cover, and cook on High for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

Orange Spiced French Toast

Whenever we have the Elder's over I try to do something a little different.  I remember as a missionary all the yummy dinners I got for the 3 months I was off the square, but sometimes I really just wanted a good breakfast that wasn't cold cereal (even though I could eat that for any meal).  Usually, there was just not enough time to make a gourmet breakfast.  So often we will make them breakfast for dinner!!

So last week we made french toast with a little twist, orange spiced french toast!  It was a huge hit! Needless to say we topped it off with some fabulous Buttermilk syrup 

Ingredients:
2 large eggs
1 cup half & half or heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 teaspoon grated orange peel (optional) 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional, but highly recommended!!!)
8 slices raisin or cinnamon bread, halved diagonally

Directions:

In large bowl, using wire whisk, beat eggs, half & half, sugar, orange juice, orange peel, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg until blended. Dip bread in egg mixture.

Cook on griddle or frying pan and enjoy!

Even Eden likes it!

I am a proud mother.  Even Eden liked Coldstone.  Those little tester spoons they give you are just her size.

Another Guilty Pleasure

Anyone who knows me well, knows that this place...

is a little bit of heaven on earth for me!!!

I mean look at all these beautiful creations!!!!

 Further more, for those who know me well, you know that my absolute favorite is Birthday Cake Remix. In one word... AAAAAAAAAAAAmazing!

Colby always gives me a hard time when we go out to places and I get the same thing.  He sometimes forces me to try something new.  Well, here is my theory.  When I find something I REALLY like, I stick with it.  Especially because we go so very little that when I do go I want my favorite!  Why spend that money on a new flavor that I am not sure how I will feel about it than use the money on something I know will be good and not take the chance of spending money on something I don't like when I know I would have been happy with my favorite!  Sorry, I need to calm down.

Well, I have seen the light.  I went out on a limb and found another creating that tickled my fancy!

We went last week with one of our coupons we get in our email from them, hello - coupons and free ice cream on your birthday, not passing that one up. 

 But we went in and I saw.... Cinnamon Bun Batter Ice cream!!!  Well, again, I am obsessed with cinnamon and I'm always stocked!  I just had to try it. So I got the Cinnamon Bun Batter and added Apple pie filling to it.  Oh.....MY.....GOODNESS!! Heaven!!!

So what is your favorite Coldstone creation??? I am curious and maybe you can persuade me to try a new flavor, but I am pretty stingy.

Homemade Oreos!!!

One of my guilty pleasures!! We all have one right??? Well, oreo's are one of mine.  But if they are store bought I can only do the double stuff kind.  Oh soooo yummmy!!! (and so easy)

1 box of Devils food cake mix

3/4 C oil (you could use applesauce as a healthier substitute)

2 eggs

350' 8-10 minutes

Frosting (i don't have an official recipe, I just do it as I go - sorry)

couple handfuls of powdered sugar

1/2 stick of butter softened

about a cap full of vanilla

enough milk to make it the right consistency

I just taste it and add more of whatever till I like it!  That is what is so great about cooking you make it just how you like it!

Fun one that the kids will love!!!

This recipe is a fun little favorite in our house and you can add lots of different things to it to your liking.  This recipe is courtesy of Jan from the Burton Family Favorites cookbook.

Barbecups

3/4 lb Ground beef/turkey (i do 1 lb)

1 T minced onion (I use real onion)

3/4 C Grated cheddar cheese

1/2 C Barbecue sauce

1 T brown Sugar

1 Can refrigerated biscuits (can use any kind)

Brown meat, drain.  Add Barbecue sauce, onion, and brown sugar.  Separate biscuit dough into 12 biscuits.  Place one in each of the 12 ungreased muffin cups.  Press dough up sides to edge of cup (I roll out each biscuit with a rolling pin to make it easier to put in each cup).  Spoon meat into cups.  Sprinkle with cheese and bake @ 400 for 10-12 minutes

Again with this recipe you can do anything, add more BBQ sauce, more onions, add olives or peppers.  Anything!  So play around with it and enjoy!

Baked Omelet Roll - Taste of Home

A quick yummy breakfast alternative!

6 eggs

1 C milk

1/2 C flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 C shredded cheddar cheese (see step 2)

1) Place eggs and milk in blender (use can also use a large bowl with a whisk or hand mixer).  Add the flour, salt and pepper; cover and process until smooth.  Pour into a greased 13x9in pan.  Bake @ 450 for 20 minutes or until eggs are set.

2) Sprinkle with: cheese, ham, onions, peppers, bacon, tomatoes etc.  We like to put all kinds of stuff inside, just experiment!  Toll up omelet in pan starting with the short side.  Place on platter and cut in slices.

This is soo simple and quick!  Enjoy and let me know what you tried in it!

Buttermilk Syrup

Wow!  I have got a lot of requests for this recipe so I thought I had better get it up quick.  

I love making everything homemade, in fact, I give people a hard time when they "cheat."  ie making things from a box or evening buying them.  All the fun for me it to create something from scratch!  So I make all our syrups whether it is maple or buttermilk or even blueberry!  So here is one of my absolute favorite recipe that I have discovered everyone loves and they usually keep a ready supply of it.

BUTTERMILK SYRUP

(see note on buttermilk* before beginning)

2 T        Cornstarch

1 1/2 C  Sugar

3/4 C     Buttermilk*

1/2 C     Butter

1 tsp      Bak. Soda

2 tsp      Vanilla

Combine: Cornstarch, sugar, buttermilk, butter and baking soda in a large pot on medium high heat.  (with the reaction of the liquids and the cornstarch this really bubbles up and WILL over flow, so use a big pot to save the mess).  Stir until and the ingredients are mixed well.  Boil for 7 minutes.  (you will not need to have a roiling boil, it will basically just simmer and that is enough)  remove from heat and add vanilla.  Store any leftovers in the fridge and just reheat later!!!

*Buttermilk: to make 1 C of buttermilk you put 1 T of lemon juice or vinegar (i've never used the vinegar)    in a 1 C liquid measuring cup then add enough milk to make 1 C.  Since this is 3/4 C don't use a full Tablespoon of lemon juice (just shy of a full T). I have found that the longer you let the butter milk sit the creamier the syrup, I let it sit for about 30 min, but it doesn't have to sit at all.

PUFF PANCAKES (GERMAN PANCAKES)

6   eggs

2 T  sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 C flour

1 C milk

Preheat oven to 400.  Take a 13x9 pan and put 3 T of Butter in the pan and stick in oven while it is preheating (you may want to spray the pan too, it tends to stick).

Combine all ingredients in blender or large bowl and beat well.  

Once butter is melted and oven is preheated pour batter into pan.

Bake for 12-15 till you see mountains with golden peaks.  Unfortunately they will fall when you remove it from the oven.

Can serve will all kinds of things.  WE like: sour cream, brown sugar, bananas and then buttermilk syrup.

  

This syrup is great on so many different things!!!  Try it out and let me know!!!    

I hope you like it as much as we do!!

Sweet Potato Burritos!

I love sweet potatoes!!! So I thought I would try this out!!

 Got this recipe from my favorite recipe site, allrecipes.com, but of course I made some changes.

First major change, I cut the recipe in half and it made 5 big burritto's.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups canned kidney beans, drained
• 2 cups water
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 4 teaspoons prepared mustard
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
• 12 (10 inch) flour tortillas, warmed
• 8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Heat oil in a medium skillet, and saute onion and garlic until soft. Stir in beans, and mash. Gradually stir in water, and heat until warm. Remove from heat, and stir in the chili powder, cumin, mustard, cayenne pepper and soy sauce.
3. Divide bean mixture and mashed sweet potatoes evenly between the warm flour tortillas. Top with cheese. Fold up tortillas burrito style, and place on a baking sheet.
4. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven, and serve.

* I didn't have: cumin, chili powder or soy sauce. So I put in more cayenne and taco seasoning.  Also I didn't use all the water (1C) and the consistency was perfect because I didn't drain the beans.  

This was a very yummy recipe and we decided it was a keeper!

Try it out and let me know!

Something New!

A while back I had a friend of mine trying to get me to do a food blog and post all of my "supposedly good" recipes.  So I finally caved and thought I would do it.  Anyone who knows me well, knows that I love to spend my time in the kitchen!  I absolutely love cooking!!!  It is my therapy, my getaway.  However, in order for me to get really into it I have to have a decent work area.  So unfortunately I haven't been able to do some really awesome things because I live in an apartment and have the most unconventional kitchen.  In fact it actually discourages me from cooking.  Sad, I know :( 

So someday I will have the most amazing workable kitchen!

  

I graduated with a degree in Family Consumer Science Education.  Let me guess what you are thinking, "Huh?  Family..wha..."  In other words, Home Ec, but they changed the name years ago.  Anyway, so I teach the fun classes: cooking, food science, Nutrition, interior design, sewing, adult living, child care/parenting, preschool, home, family & money management, and fashion.  I know, it is quite the load, huh?!  But just because I teach all those subjects doesn't mean I am an expert in each one either.  But I love learning and each day I continue to study in each of those areas.  

So this blog is going to be dedicated to all my fun little recipes and things that I like to create.  I really don't like following recipes.  I usually do my own thing, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.  

So here we go!!