Weekend Ketchup

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Our's was pretty simple this year, which was a nice change. Usually, we eat lunch at 12 with my family then drive an hour to eat again with Graham's mom's family. This year my parents and brother came over for breakfast and Graham's family came over for dinner! It was VERY nice to be at home ALL DAY! Especially, since I needed to rest up for BLACK FRIDAY!

Every year the girls in my family get up bright and early and shop. Usually, its me and my cousin lacey in my car and my mom, my cousin Rachel, aunt Susie, and Aunt Wendy in another car. This year was no different, we met at the gas station (to get coffee ofcourse) at 4:00 am, then headed out. I never make a list of WHAT I NEED I just go and buy what I see. I figure if I make a list I will be mad when I can't get it. I did pretty good this year, I finished up Addie's Christmas and got a few little things for Graham. It's always a blast hanging out with my family and really my best friends! I love that we live so close, grew up together, and still love each other enough to hang out. They are Wonderful ladies and I love you all very much!!

Okay so for Thanksgiving I made a few different things, pumpkin pancakes, apple cider syrup for breakfast. And for dinner I made sweet potato casserole, fried corn, PW chocolate cake (YUMMY),and homemade bread. My brother-in-law, Sam, bought a turkey fryer and fried a turkey, OH MY GOODNESS it was awesome! My mother-in-law made the rest of the sides.



Fried Corn:
This is my FAVORITE dish but it used to be such a pain to make until I got this beauty!

It's called a Kernal cutter and it's from Pampered chef! If you ever cut corn off the cob YOU NEED THIS PRODUCT! It's amazing!

(If you are interested in buying one and don't know a Pampered Chef consultant leave me and message and I will give you my personal PC consultants name and number!)

Anyways, since I got this little magic weapon I have been making corn ALL the time. Here is my recipe for fried corn:

about 1 cob of corn per person

sugar

salt

milk

butter

Cut the corn off the cob and into a big skillet. Drop in some butter (probably a teaspoon per cob??) and some salt and cook for alittle while. Stirring alot. add some sugar (a pinch here and there) and some milk (maybe 1/8 cup per cob??). just keep cooking and adding ingredients until it taste perfect to you.

Sorry about that, Fried corn is REALLY just one of those things you never make the same twice and you have to play with to get it perfect.

My Susie Homemaker day!

About once a week I am a REAL homemaker. I have the house spic and span, A good dinner on the table, dessert finishing while we eat (that way we can eat it hot), the laundry done and put up, Addie bathed, and me clean, makeup, hair done and something besides sweats on, ALL BEFORE GRAHAM GETS HOME. Like I said, this really only happens about once a week. Most of the time ONE of those things are left undone. Yesterday was my "Susie Homemaker" day. I spent the entire morning cleaning and organizing EVERy room in my house. I did all the laundry, even washed our sheets and all the curtains in the house, and by 4 I started dinner. Oh MY! Graham came in to his clean house, clean little girl (in a dress and bow ofcourse), a clean and made up wife (in a dress and HIGH heels too!) and the smell of a yummy dinner on the table. He was Happy to say the least.
I used a recipe from The Pioneer Woman Cooks altering just alittle for my own taste and WOW WEEEE! It was PERFECT! AND, I MADE THE GRAVY AND IT TASTED LIKE GRAVY!! (Another time I will share my HORRIFING experiences with TRYING to make Gravy)
Anyways, here is the altered recipe:

Country Fried Steak:
3 lbs cube steak
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk, plus 2 cups for the gravy
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus about 1/3 cup for the gravy
2 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp paprika (SHE USES 3/4 TSP, BUT WE REALLY LIKE PAPRIKA)
1/8 ish tsp of cayenne pepper (she uses 1/4 tsp but we can't handle that, she also says to use more if you want)
1 1/2 tsp pepper
3 tsp salt
1/2 cup canola or veggie oil

In one bowl mix the eggs and milk witha fork. In another bowl mix the flour, and spices stiring until combined.
Salt and pepper both sides of the meat.
Dip the meat into the egg mix, then the flour, coating well. Repeat this process with the same piece of meat then set on a plate for frying. Repeat with all your pieces of meat.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. When the oil is HOTT fry 3 pieces of meat at a time. Cook on one side until the edges start to look golden brown, about 2 1/2 mins. Turn over and cook for 2 or 3 mins, until the other side is golden. Remove to a paper towellined plate and keep warm. Repeast until all the meat is cooked.

GRAVY: (I know that work scares me to DEATH too! But here are PW exact directions, you can do it!)

After frying all the meat, pour off the grease into a heatproof bowl. Without cleaning the pan, return it to the stove over medium-low heat. add about 1/4 cup grease back to the pan. Allow the grease to heat up.

Sprinkle 1/3 cup flour evenly over the grease.

Using a whisk, mix the flour with the grease, creating a golden brown paste. This is known as a roux and you want the roux to attain a deep rich color. If the paste seems more oily than pasty, sprinkle in another tbl of flour. whisk again and check consistency.
after a couple of minutes the paste will start to turn golden brown. That's when its ready.

Whisking constantly, pour in 2 cups of milk

whisk to combine, then let the gravy come to a slow boil. the gravy will thicken gradually, but if it seems too thick at first, add splashes of milk as needed, whisking to combine. As you cook and thicken the gravy, be prepared to splash in more milk if it becomes overly thick. the total cooking process should take 5 to 10 minutes. Generously season with salt and pepper, tasting to ensure that it's seasoned adequately.

I served this wil mashed potatoes and green beans! Oh yeah and some homemade busicuts!!

WEEKEND KETCHUP

So here is my excuse for my lack of posting on Friday (NOTE: I do NOT plan to post on the weekends, that is time with my family. So Monday's we will play Weekend KETCHUP!)

YES! I am one of those 20 something Edward crazed fans! Thursday night I dropped Addie off at Dottie's (Graham's mother) to spend the night (she is off ever Friday). Then I headed to see this movie with my BF Heather and her friends from work. WE HAD A BLAST! We met there at 7:30, at 8:00 they let us into the theater to watch Twlight (we had bought $5 tickets earlier in the day) and then we watched New Moon at 12:01. The girls bought like 2 bags full of Chili's and snuck it into the theater, I've never been so nervous! They just threw a blanket over it and walked right past all the manager guys! CRAZY!!

I have to say that New Moon was REALLY good! I thought it went right along with the book. There was only one scene I remember that wasn't in the book. Overall, it was GREAT. I DO have to say this, to all of you that see these movies and don't read the books, you are MISSING OUT. These books are 400-800 pages long, there is NO way they can get everything into a 2 hour movie. SO GO READ THE BOOKS! You'll thank me I promise!

I don't want to leave you hanging in the kitchen SO here is a wonderful, quick-and-easy dinner recipes!

Brandy's Chicken Casserole

3-5 chicken Breasts, boiled and cut into chunks

2 cans Cream of chicken soup

1 (16oz) sour cream

1/8 to 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper (BE CAREFUL, ALITTLE GOES A LONG WAY!)

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

2 tsp parsley (dried or fresh)

ritz crackers

butter

poppy seeds

Mix everything together BUT the crackers, butter and poppy seeds. Pour into a greased baking dish. (at this point you can freeze it for later use!) Crushed the crackers on top to make a crust, sprinkle with poppy seeds, and melt butter and pour over top. Place in a 350 oven for about 30 mins!

Random Baking Knowledge

So the holidays are upon us and we will all be baking SOMETHING within the next month. I think I will share some of my RANDOM BAKING KNOWLEDGE.

First of all, do you LOVE LOVE LOVE cookies when they are all moist and chewy? I know I do! Actually that is about the only way I will eat them, chewy! The trick to making all cookies types chewy is to use Brown Sugar. Just split the sugar in the recipe to half brown and half white. If you use all brown sugar the cookies will turn out flat and greasy. You may also use half DARK brown sugar and HALF light brown sugar.

I have also heard, but never tried, when making peanut butter or chocolate chip cookies you can add 1/4 cup more of flour than the recipe calls for. This should make them chewy also! Try that one out and let me know!

Now I have made cheesecakes for SEVERAL years, and I always get asked, 'How do you get the crust so perfect?' Well, I really have only shared this with maybe 3 or 4 people IN MY LIFE!

Oh well, ya'll can keep a secret......right??

When baking a cheesecake, store bought crust or homemade crust, place the pan into another pan that is filled with water. I usually use a cake pan or if I am using my spring form pan (a homemade crust) I use a roasting pan. Just fill it with water halfway over the pie pan. The water will boil while cooking and it will cook the pie crust evenly! This works with anything you are using a crust for, IE pies.

Brandy's cheesecake crust:

1 1/2 cups of gingersnaps (finely crushed)

5 to 6 tablespoons of melted butter

1 HEAPING tablespoon of sugar

Mix the gingersnaps and sugar together, blending well. Use the butter to press into pie pan or spring form pan.

(NOTE: IF MAKING APPLE PIE OR APPLE CHEESECAKE ADD 1 TSP CINNAMON)

I have tried SEVERAL pumpkin cheesecakes and this one is my favorite. I took a recipe from cook.com and altered it to my perfection.

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE:

Crust from above (or you can use a premade one)

FILLING:

3 8oz packages of cream cheese (softened)

1 cup of sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup of pumpkin (1 can will work)

3 eggs

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

Combine cheese,sugar and vanilla, mixing until smooth. Add pumpkin, eggs and spices until creamy. Bake at 350 for 60 to 70 mins or until the top is SLIGHTLY darker.

NOTE: if you are using premade pie crusts this recipe will make about 3 of them! Or 1 THICK cheesecake in a spring form pan.

I top this with REAL whipped cream (use whipping cream and follow instructions on the box)

OR you can top with APPLE CIDER SYRUP.

Stay tuned for the Apple Cider Syrup TOMORROW!

HAPPY BAKING!!!

Welcome

I am just a born and raised southern girl from Tennessee. After college I married my high school sweetheart, Graham and a year and a half later we had our beautiful little girl Addie. Graham is an Engineer and I am currently a stay-at-home mommie. Although I NEVER thought I would EVEr be a SHM I love every minute of it! I play with my daughter (who will be 2 in February), clean the house, do laundry, sew, cook, and do crafty stuff. I LOVE it and wouldn't have it any other way. I thank God every day for allowing me to have this life. I also thank Graham for working so hard to make it possible.
This blog came from MANY facebook comments asking me to share my recipes and other tips of being domestic. Still, I don't think of myself as domestic, a good cook, crafty or any of the other things people have called me, I just think of myself as a mommie and wife. I feel that since I do get to stay at home with my daughter my contribution to the family is to keep the house clean (which I have to admit is not my strong point), have a well balanced dinner on the table when Graham gets home from work, the laundry caught up (for the most part) and keep Addie and Graham as happy as I can. Never in my wildest dream would I have thought I would be doing this job or for that matter, love it. I always wanted to be a business woman, and throughout college I decided I wanted to move to NYC and work for the New York Stock Exchange. Finance and business were my passions for as long as I remember. But Now my passion is Addie and Graham!
Over the past 3 years I have been married, and had my own kitchen, I have really loved cooking and baking. I LOVE experimenting with new things, and we have had our share of BAD dinners but Graham always ate it and gave suggestions as to what he thought would make it better. The last few months I have decided that I want to write a cookbook. This will take awhile, probably a few YEARS but this blog is going to help me get my thoughts together. So Please if you try the recipes PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know what you think! Good or Bad (just be nice about the bad,lol). I will be adding some recipes I have got from other sources and will let you know which ones those are. So please become a follower and lets get to cooking!!


Oreo Truffles:

1 package of oreo cookies
1 8oz package of cream cheese
1 box of white chocolate bark

1. Finely crush a few oreos in a plastic bag and set aside for later. (if you have a food processor or a magic bullet they work great!)
2. Crush the remaining cookies and then stir in the SOFTENED cream cheese. (use the back of a spoon to help mash them)
3. Roll this mixture into small balls (about 1 inch) and place on wax papered baking sheet.
4. Melt the chocolate as the box says. Dip the balls into the chocolate and tap off the extra (pick them up with a toothpick this works the best). Set them back on the wax paper to dry. You can now sprinkle the tops with the cookies you crushed first.
5. Once they are dry, refrigerate.

These can be made with all kinds of cookies but my family likes oreos the best. I have also tried this with cake mix. You just bake the cake as normal, the crumble the cake into a bowl. Add ICING or CREAM CHEESE and roll the mix into balls, dip in melted chocolate and refrigerate!