Poll Results...

Thanks for voting! We will try to share some good dessert/snack ideas next :) Check out the new poll for Summer (to the left), and feel free to suggest your own recipe ideas!

Aunt Randi's Brisket- Crockpot Style

Let me start by saying that I love a good piece of brisket. No matter where I've tried it and who has made it, I've always enjoyed eating it. So I decided about a month ago that it was time to make it myself. My Aunt Randi's brisket is, in my book, the best, so I asked her how she makes it and she gladly shared the recipe. Here's what she said:

"My brisket recipe is very simple. I place the meat in a covered roasting pan. I chop up lots of onions and garlic- I usually put everything in my food processor, but keep the consistency chunky. I add lots of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and paprika.

I cover the piece of meat about 2/3 way with water, cover and cook at 425 degrees for about 3 hours. I continually baste. The last 45 minutes to an hour, I take off the cover so that the meat browns and the gravy thickens a bit.

If you want to cut up some peeled potatoes, they are delicious to add to the pot- season them a bit. Put them in about one hour before you plan on turning off the oven. They brown up really nice when the cover is taken off.

Yum, Yum enjoy! F.Y.I.- some people add Lipton onion soup mix to the brisket instead of the onions, garlic and seasoning.

Love you, Aunt Randi"

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So the changes I made for the crockpot were as follows:
I put in the meat (it was big, so I had to fold it over itself a bit, but it got smaller as it cooked), covered it almost all of the way with the water, added all the other goodies, and cooked it all on high for 4 hours. Then I added the potatoes and put the crockpot on low for 1 hour. Making it in the crockpot, we got a LOT of delicious beef gravy, some of which we used when we ate the brisket, and some of which I froze (and still have) for a future recipe. Also, since there was a little bit of brisket sticking out the top for awhile while cooking, I did get a baster (I didn't have one, so I decided it was time) and used it every half hour or so. Oh, brisket also has a lot of fat. At the end of cooking, I pulled the meat out of the crockpot and onto my cutting board and trimmed the fat off. Some people would keep it and use it for something else, but I was grossed out by it, so I just threw it away. If you'd like, you can see it on the cutting board in the picture (lovely, right?)

For the potatoes:
I cut up about a dozen fingerling potatoes, shook them up with some vegetable oil, salt, paprika and garlic powder, and submerged them in the crockpot. They were so moist and flavorful at the end and the perfect complement to an already delicious meal.

Thanks, Aunt Randi for sharing the recipe! Can't wait to make this again :)

Tupperware Note: Storing leftovers is always a job in itself. The easiest thing to do is have some different-sized containers on hand and ready to not only store, but also heat up and serve your meals again at a later time. We have a couple Tupperware Vent N' Serve containers (currently being made in this pretty blue color) with a silicone valve that opens for splatter-free, safe and easy microwaving. They can go from refrigerator to freezer to microwave, to room temp, to dishwasher and back again- and if they ever crack, break, peel or chip, I can get them replaced for you for free! But best of all, right now they're on sale- check out this link to view and order individual Vent N' Serve containers for as little as $13 each, or order the complete set and save... time, space, taste, waste, and money, because you'll get $200 worth of Tupperware products for only $139. Don't need 9+ Vent N' Serve containers? Go in on it with a friend or family member! These are honestly the Tupperware pieces that we use the most. Check them out, then order online or let me know you're interested and I'll help you get them in time for Summer!

Pancakes

Got up this morning with pancakes on our minds, only to find that we didn't have any mix. I was bummed and thinking about making something else, but Kyle thought to look up a recipe online and see if we could make them from scratch..and that's just what we did! So here it is...

2 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. (we used a little less) salt
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
1 egg
3 Tbsp. oil
and a little vanilla
**plus chocolate chips, of course!

...and they were delicious! Score one for the home team, no more pancake mix for us! This made over a dozen good size pancakes, and I even made a few with different things inside- nuts and coconut today, although if I had been thinking ahead, I could have thawed out some berries we have in the freezer (for our favorite spring/summertime treat, smoothies) and put them in. Oh well, maybe next time! Until then!

Asparagus!

Jason and I love asparagus. I typically chop it up and stir fry it with any seasonings we have on hand or roast it in the oven with some olive oil. It's great! This weekend I was in the mood for something different and found a recipe for Asparagus Herb Lasagna! I didn't have the time to make lasagna (haha), but used the recipe I found to create a similar recipe-- it's more like Asparagus Herb Zitti :)

(Ingredients can be adjusted for how many people you'd like to feed, also depending on if the recipe is a side dish or main course, these proportions made about 4 main dish servings)

1/2 box of pasta (we used penne) cooked al dente
1 lb of asparagus (chopped into 1 inch pieces)
2 links of Italian sausage sliced (completely optional, just threw it in because we had it)
2 cloves chopped garlic
olive oil
6 sliced scallions
Any other herbs you have on hand/like (we used some basil, oregano, and parsley)

Put a few tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan and add in scallions and garlic. Once that gets sizzling add in chopped asparagus, sausage (if you're using it), and herbs. Stir fry until asparagus is getting tender and all the flavors are combined (maybe 10 minutes). Toss with cooked pasta and put in a oven safe dish.

Place aside and now for the sauce!

2 Tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of flour
2 cups of milk
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

In a saucepan heat up olive oil and than add in the 2 tablespoons of flour, stir and let the flour 'cook' for a minute or two. Add in milk and stir until mixture begins to simmer. Lower heat so it stays at a simmer and keep stirring until the sauce begins to thicken up. Once sauce starts to thicken add in Parmesan cheese and stir for about 5 more minutes. Pour sauce over pasta/asparagus mixture and mix so everything gets a coating of sauce. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees covered for 20 minutes and then 10 more minutes uncovered. Enjoy!

Saladstravaganza!

Most of the time, when I go to the usual meat-based mealtime restaurants and ask for something vegetarian, I'm pointed to the one item on the menu without meat - the iceberg lettuce salad. I've spent most of my life hating salad and excluding meat from my diet hasn't done much to change this. However, this year I'm challenging myself to really jump on the salad bandwagon. They're such a versatile way to incorporate a large helping of fruit and vegetables into any diet. The hard part is getting creative.

In an effort to motivate myself, I've been growing "salad bowls" on my back stoop complete with a red leaf lettuce, mescalin, and baby spinach mix. Tonight, I harvested and washed a bowl of greens and made the following Mediterranean-inspired salad:

Ingredients
3-4 cups loose greens
1/3 cup red seedless grapes
3 tbsp halved sun-dried tomatoes
2 tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese
3 marinated artichoke hearts
a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar
a sprinkle of olive oil

Toss and chow down.

Due to the ease of assembly and the delicious results, I see many more salad-laden nights to come! I totally intend to dig in to these recipes next. What are your favorite salad creations?

Jack's All-Purpose BBQ Glaze

½ cup Jack Daniel's® Tennessee Whiskey
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup ketchup
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Makes about 2 cups. We served with grilled chicken.

Cinco de Enchaladas!!!!

Really they are good anytime, but I just made them for a cinco de mayo party and I guess they were too good because we had no leftovers :( But I'm happy everyone enjoyed them :)

Start with:
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 onion chopped
1 green onion chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 can of tomato sauce
1 can black beans
1 packet taco seasoning

First cook the meat, onions, and peppers in a skillet until the vegis get soft, add in remaining ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes. Let cool so that you can comfortably handle the mixture.

You'll also need:
1 can enchilada sauce
1 cup salsa
8 (or so) flour tortillas (if you have less just stuff more filling into each one)
1 cup chopped Velveeta (you can use any cheese, but Velveeta really makes the dish!)

Coat a 9 x 13 (or so) oven pan with about 1/2 the can of enchilada sauce. Place about 1/2 cup of filling into each tortilla and roll up, place in pan seam side down. Top with salsa, remaining enchilada sauce, and cheese. Bake in 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. yummmm! I served this with Spanish rice, southwest salad, chips with salsa, guac, and queso, margaritas, and chocolate covered strawberries.

Sorry, no picture because I think it's very hard to make enchiladas look good in a picture, but I promise they are delicious! :)