Baked Chimichangas

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
8 oz. Pepperjack cheese, shredded
1/2 pkg. taco seasoning
1 lb. cooked meat (shredded chicken or loose, browned ground beef is what I have used)
6-8 flour tortillas
vegetable spray
shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese
green onions
sour cream or guacamole
salsa

• Stir together cream cheese, Pepperjack cheese, and seasoning.
• Fold in meat.
• Divide among flour tortillas.
• tuck in sides of tortillas and roll up each one.
• Cover a cookie sheet with foil and spray generously with vegetable cooking spray.
• Lay, seam side down, onto the foil-lined baking sheet.
• Spray tops of tortillas with vegetable cooking spray.
• Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
• Turn chimichangas over and bake an additional 15 minutes.
• Serve topped with cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, green onions, sour cream, and salsa.

Country White Bread

1 cup warm milk (110-115 degrees)
1 1/2 Tablespoons butter
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 cups bread flour
1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Here are the directions EXACTLY as they come from the book that accompanies the bread machine:

• Measure and add liquid ingredients to the bread pan.
• Measure and add dry ingredients (except yeast) to the bread pan.
• Use your finger to form a well (hole) in the flour where you will pour the yeast.  Yeast must NEVER come into contact with a liquid when you are adding ingredients.  Measure the yeast and carefully pour it into the well.
• Snap the baking pan into the bread maker and close the lid.
• Press "Select" button to choose the Basic setting
• Press the "Crust Color" button to choose light medium or dark crust.
• Press the "Start/Stop" button.

Here is how I actually made the bread:

• Looked up the recipe for Country White Bread in the book that goes with the Oster bread machine your daughter gave you because you want to try to do this right the first time.

 

• Scrap that idea because you also want to use the Kefir your sister gave you to make the bread sort of be like a sour dough bread.

 

Isn't that little snowman jar topper cute?

• Strain the Kefir grains from the Kefir your sister gave you. 

 

I don't think you are supposed to use a metal strainer but that is all I have and the Kefir seems to be holding up well in spite of my inadequacy.

• The Kefir grains feels like a little rubbery, pellet-like thingy.

 

Sitting on top of my stubby little finger is one of the Kefir grains.  (I cannot be satisfied to simply mash the curd stuff through the strainer with the spatula, I have to reach into it and feel around and grab the grains out with my fingers.)

• Put all the Kefir grains in a pint jar and fill it till it is about 2/3 full with milk.  Return the cute little topper and rubber band to the top of the jar and set it aside on the counter.

 

• Stir the remaining liquid (looks sort of like mushy curds and whey) till it is a buttermilky looking sort of stuff.
• Pour one cup of the strained liquid from your Kefir into the bread pan.
• Add 1 1/2 Tablespoon softened (room temperature) butter.
• Add one beaten egg that has been allowed to come to room temperature.

 

I just dumped all this in around the little stirring arm there in the middle.  I so, so wanted to stir it all together, but I decided this first time I would sort-of follow the instructions...

• Dump in 4 cups bread flour.
• Carefully measure 1 Tablespoon sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons (because you looked at your hand-dandy conversion chart on the fridge when you realized you didn't have a half Tablespoon measuring spoon and learned that 3 teaspoons equal a Tablespoon and did the math) sugar and dump it atop the flour.
• Carefully measure and add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.
• Use your finger (I washed my hands good after I finished handling the Kefir...and before I handled it, too!  I really did!) to make a well in the flour.
• Carefully measure and add 2 teaspoons active dry yeast.  Then, realize that there is only a smidge left in the packet you opened and dump that in, too.
• Get so involved in carefully measuring (because you hardly ever do that) and forget to take photos.
• Snap the baking pan into the bread maker and close the lid.
• Press the Select button and choose the Basic setting.
• Press the Crust Color button and choose light crust.
• Press the Start/Stop button and watch through the little window on top as everything begins to stir around.
• Get a cup of coffee and begin to straighten up the kitchen where you have spilled flour, Kefir, etc.
• Hear a horrible noise that sounds like the bread machine is getting ready to launch the bread pan into outer space and rush over to see what is wrong. 
• Realize that the bread pan must be pushed down pretty forcefully to be 'snapped into place' and push it down into place so it will stop being jostled all over the bread machine.
• Finish up the kitchen clean-up, put a load of clothes in the washer, make the bed, etc. for about a half hour before you wonder what is going on with the bread and stroll in to check it out.
• Look into the bread pan and think, "My goodness that looks awfully dry..." 
• Look in the book to see what should be happening and notice the chart that says the dough is kneaded for the second time and decide to add some more milk...and some more...and give it a stir with your rubber spatula...and add some more milk till the dough looks...well, like a dough ball.  (Sure wish I had taken photos!)
• Leave the machine alone for a while.  (After all, the whole process takes three hours!)
• Get a pot holder and remove the bread pan immediately when the machine beeps at the end of the three hours.
• Dump the loaf of bread out onto a plate.
• Use a table knife to remove the mixing/kneading paddle from the loaf of bread.

 

• Curse and drop the paddle onto the counter because you should have realized that something metal or ceramic or whatever it is made of is going to but ultra hot and burn your hand!
• Briefly let the directions of the book which say let the bread rest for fifteen minutes flitter across your brain.

 

• Slice a piece off and taste the bread!

Note:  The bread is quite dense and has a sourdough sort of flavor.  I like the color of the sides of the crust, but the top is not quite as brown as I would like.  It is done and tastes OK.  It just isn't as aesthetically pleasing as I'd like.  Next time I will not use quite as much flour and add a wee bit more milk (even more than I splashed in during the kneading step).  All-in-all it was a fun experience and I'm looking forward to trying out more with this handy-dandy machine!

P.S.  Does anybody know why sometimes Blogger won't let me change the size of my photos?  I am frustrated with this and have tried several times to enlarge the photos in this post!

Hot Pockets

My daughter-in-law, Jessica, was sharing a story about how her parents are surviving their house remodel/add-on with no kitchen and heating up foods like Hot Pockets for dinner.  Now, I know that there are times when we all wish we had no kitchen so we wouldn't have to cook or clean it and could just eat out or something like that.  However, in reality, I don't think any of us really, really wants to be without a kitchen at all.  Yet, her mention of Hot Pockets flung a craving on me today.  Rather than make a dash to the store, though, I decided to try to concoct one of my own.  Here is what I came up with:

Ingredients:
1 package refrigerated Crescent Rolls - when you start with this as a base, what wouldn't be easy and good?
1 pound leftover pork loin - rubbed with a secret concoction of McCormick's Grill Mates Smokehouse Maple and Mesquite seasonings and marinated overnight in a secret concoction of Johnny's Sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, Soy Sauce, and Lemon Juice

mushrooms - an ingredient that I think makes most any main dish wonderful and Mike says I add to everything and...maybe I do

grated cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese - You know I grew up on a dairy farm and how can you go wrong by adding cheese?

• First, unroll the roll dough and butt two of the triangles together at the base end.
• Top with some roasted pork loin that wouldn't slice when your husband tried to slice it for his birthday party company (various family members) and wound up just pulling apart like pulled pork bar-b-que. 
• Add a layer of the mushrooms and sprinkle with some of the cheese.

• Fold the pointy ends of the dough over the filling and bake in a 350 degrees oven for about ten minutes.
• Sprinkle with a bit more cheese and serve up with some home-made pickles, some Goldfish crackers you steal from the stash for the grands, and a glass of cranberry juice.

Yum!

P.S.  It also looks delish on a pretty blue-and-white plate gifted to you by said daughter-in-law's mother, Karen.  Thanks, Karen! 

Kosher-Style Dill Pickle Spears

Ingredients:

10 pounds cucumbers
1/4 cup mixed pickling spices
2-3 bunches fresh or dried dill
1 1/2 cups canning salt
2 cups vinegar
2 gallons water
6 cloves garlic (optional)
Bay leaves
6-8 cloves of garlic
6-8 hot, red peppers
Mustard seed

Preparation Steps:

I basically had two sized of cucumbers and for these pickles.  I used the larger ones.  I decided to quarter them, slicing them into spears.

• Wash and drain the cucumbers.  Quarter them, slicing them into spears
• Place half of pickling spices and a layer of dill into the bottom of a clean pickling container.  (I used a clean five-gallon bucket.)

• Add cucumbers to within top of pickling container.
• Combine, salt, vinegar, and water; ladle over cucumbers.
• Place a layer of dill and remaining pickling spices over the top. 
• Add garlic, if desired.
• Weight cucumbers under the brine.

• Store container in a cool place.
• Let cucumbers ferment until well flavored with dill and clear throughout.  Pickles should be ready to can in about two to three weeks.

• Remove pickles from brine and rinse.

• Strain the brine; bring to a boil in a large saucepot.

• Pack pickles into hot, sterile jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace.
• Add one bay leaf, one clove garlic, one piece hot red pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed to each jar.

• Get out your new plastic, collapsible funnel that you got on clearance at the grocery store and place it in one of the jars.  Ladle the hot brine into each jar leaving 1/4-inch headspace.

• Adjust two-piece caps.  (I'm not pleased that the brine in these jars is a little milky looking.  Wonder if that is how it is supposed to look?) 

• Process fifteen minutes in a boiling water canner.

• Allow to ferment in jars for two to three weeks.
• Hope they turn out to be tasty!

Breaded Okra

Ingredients

fresh okra

corn meal and flour from your fancy labeled tubs

buttermilk

Steps to prepare:

• Put some CDs into the stereo and turn it up really loud so you can dance around to the music and feel happy while you do this.  Today I picked from the sexy men singers category and listened to folks like Conway, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Trace Atkins, Marvin Gaye, Boys To Men and, of course, the most sexy - George Strait.   (Yes, I still use my old school stereo because I can turn it up really loud and not have to have those iPod ear buds hurting my ears and falling out when I dance around the kitchen.  Has anybody solved this problem with the iPod ear buds?)

• With a sharp knife cut the ends off the okra and discard.  Then, cut the okra into bite-sized pieces.

• Pour just enough buttermilk into bowl to coat the okra slices.  (I'm still amazed that I could do this and make a picture of it at the same time!)

• Combine about one cup of cornmeal and three tablespoons of flour in a gallon plastic zipper bag.  (I usually sneak and add some salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning into the mix as well.)  I forgot to take a photo of this step so just envision this part.

• Get out your favorite old spoon with slots (that came with the Fry Baby you used in college more than 20 more than 30 ahem... many years ago) and gently stir the okra to coat it thoroughly. 

• Then, begin lifting and draining it and place it into the plastic bag holding a combination of flour and cornmeal.  (I usually shake this around a bit and then add spoonful after spoonful and shake a little between each addition.)

• Close the zipper bag tightly (or you will have a dusty, gritty kitchen where the ceiling fan blows the cornmeal/flour mix around).  Shake bag vigorously like the little girl did in the Shake-n-Bake commercials and say, "And I hay-elped."  (Don't tell me you don't know what I'm talking about because it will make me feel depressed that I am so old and you are young and spry.)

• Take out the grungy old cookie sheets that you almost threw away when you married and moved into your husband's house because they looked so terrible but he talked you into keeping them because they would be good for something.  Line these cookie sheets (that you are thankful you have) with a sheet of wax paper.

• Wash your favorite, old, slotted spoon and dry it well because it is the only one like it that you have and it works perfectly for this step.  Use it to carefully lift the okra out of the bag and place on the wax paper in a single layer. 

I took two shots of this because somehow on my fancy inexpensive camera the settings got changed while I was trying to do all these things and take photos at the same time.  The one above is with a flash and the one below has no flash.  Which one do you think looks more appealing?

• Or you could just use your hand and get your pretty wedding ring all gritty and grungy.

• Place the pan of breaded okra in the freezer for at least 24 hours until it freezes through.  Then, put the frozen okra into freezer bags and label them so you will know exactly what it is and when you froze it and won't have to stand there wondering in a couple of months which bags are the older ones that you should cook first.

• When the weather gets cold and you want to be reminded of these sweltering, stifling, arid days of summer, simply open a bag of this delicacy and (get your hubby to) drop the delicious nuggets into his deep fryer.  You also could fill a skillet with vegetable oil and heat it to very hot and fry it till it is golden brown.  Then, using your favorite, multi-purpose, slotted spoon lift the okra out and place it into a bowl lined with paper towels to absorb the excess grease.  Serve hot and enjoy this southern treat!

P.S. If you have some squash that is a bit too mature and you tried to tell your husband to throw it away but he said it would be good battered and fried, you could slice up the smaller parts of it and bread it and freeze it the same way and it will be delicious prepared just like the okra!

sliced squash pieces

buttermilk coated squash

squash layered on wax paper/cookie sheet ready to freeze

Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
2 bags of four cheese tortellini
1 bag of bowtie pasta
1 can of niblet corn
1 can sliced black olives
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 jar of artichoke hearts, drained
1 can of asparagus, drained and chopped
1 jar of roasted red peppers, rinsed and drained
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 green onions, chopped
Italian salad dressing

• Boil, rinse, and drain pastas.
• Add other ingredients except for dressing and toss gently to mix.
• Pour enough salad dressing to suit your taste and toss gently.  I use about a cup of the dressing.
• Chill for an hour or so and serve cold.

This recipe is one I got from my sister, Brenda and her daughters, Megan, Rebecca, and Madalyn.  I don't know who of them first prepared this for one of our family gatherings but I can tell you that I absolutely love it and have had hoards of complements every time I have taken it to a pot luck.  Mike's son and daughter-in-law always have a bash celebrating The Fourth.  Since it has been beyond sultry and closer to hot-as-Hades this week, I mixed this up to take to the bash.  It makes quite a big large huge gigantor quantity, so you will want to make it when you know there will be a crowd!

Note:  I have left out ingredients at times when the cupboard was not fully stocked by the household grocery shopper (me) and in the salad pictured I had no olives or asparagus.  So, this salad wasn't quite as yummy as it could have been but it was gobbled up and ooohs and aahhs abounded just the same!

Sweet Pickle Relish

This is a recipe I found in the Ball Blue Book guide to preserving.  My copy looks like this:

It is full of wonderful recipes and you could get your own copy HERE.  Someday maybe I can try out and sample all the recipes I want!

1 quart chopped cucumbers (about 4 medium)
2 cups chopped onions (about 2 medium)
1 cup chopped sweet, green pepper (about 1 medium)
1 cup chopped sweet, red pepper (about 1 medium)
1/4 cup salt
3 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon celery seed
1 tablespoon mustard seed
2 cups cider vinegar

• First, wash and sort your cucumbers.  I saved the larger of the two sizes I had to make Kosher Dill Pickles.  (That recipe will follow when I have finished that project up!)

• Next, wash peppers and onions.

• Chop cucumbers.  I used my Pampered Chef food chopper but next time I'll probably use a food processor because I will double the recipe and that is a LOT of hand chopping.

•  Chop peppers and onions.

• Combine chopped cucumbers, onions, and peppers in a large bowl.  Sprinkle with salt and cover with cold water.  Let stand 2 hours.

• The mix will bubble and start to stink emit a strong smell become quite fragrant.
• After 2 hours, drain.  Rinse and drain thoroughly.  (I put the chopped stuff into an old, thin, clean pillow case and squeezed all the liquid out to drain this thoroughly.)

Celery Seed

Mustard Seed

Just wanted to show off my pretty new measuring spoons I got for Mother's Day.

Thanks Corey, Bridgette, Lillie, and Lydia!

• Combine sugar, spices, and vinegar in a large sauce pan.
• Bring to a boil.
• Add drained vegetables and simmer 10 minutes.

• Pack relish into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
• Remove air bubbles by sliding a wooden or plastic spoon down the side of the jar.
• Attach two-piece caps.
• Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

The Ball Blue Book suggests that one allow pickled foods to sit in jars for a couple of weeks to fully ferment.  I'm not sure I can wait that long!