prep 20 min. ready 40 min. serves 6 Valentine’s Day is also my wife’s birthday! I love her! So I get the double whammy. I made her heart-shaped valentine sugar cookies again this year. I can’t believe how fast time has flown. …
Prep 10 min Ready 40 min. Servings 2 I can’t believe that Christmas will be here in just two days. Where has the time gone? This has been by far the craziest year ever. It sure does not feel like Christmas with NO …
Prep 20 min
Ready 1 hr. 15 min.
Servings 8
It has been one of those November days – rain, rain, and more rain and lots of wind. We just had a flicker in our power and all the electronic devices are now going to have to be reset. Our clocks are all flashing and my computer crashed. Thank goodness I had a surge protector set up. The sun is not out, and it is just plain gloomy.
Yesterday, after a relaxing hike with my wife and our dog Fritz, I made a loaf of artisan bread. Today I made a large pot of red chili. It is now officially chili season, and it seems like the perfect day to make a fire, read a book or watch a movie and have a bowl of chili or two and some homemade bread.
We love any variety of chili, and this is my go-to recipe. I think I could make it my sleep. I make it on the cheap purchasing everything except the meat at Aldi. I like their private label brands and have found that their stewed tomatoes and chili beans are of very good quality. I find you can save a lot of money on staples there. I started going for their German chocolate years ago and now have purchased all kinds of things from this small but interesting store. Give it a try if you have not ever shopped there. It is not for everybody, but I do like it.
Ingredients
• 1 1/2 lb. fresh ground beef
• 5 garlic cloves smashed (minced)
• 3 medium yellow onions
• 3 stalks celery (cut to small half-moon shapes)
• 1/2 tsp. A1 (or equivalent steak sauce)
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/8 tsp. fresh ground pepper
• 1/8 tsp. ground sea salt
• 3 Tbs. chili powder
• 2 17.5-oz. cans chili beans
• 2 28-oz. cans diced tomatoes
• 1 6-oz. can tomato paste
• 4 Tbs. jalapeño peppers (I used jalapeño peppers from a jar.)
Directions
1. Cook ground beef over medium heat until lightly brown in a large pan (I used a 3 qt. Dutch oven) about 7 min. Add garlic, onion, chili powder, pepper flakes, chili powder, pepper, and salt. Stir together and cook until onions are soft – an additional 5 min. Add celery and a half cup of water.
2. Open all cans of chili beans and crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and add to meat. (The jalapeno peppers are optional.) Stir together over medium heat to boil then lower the heat to low and simmer for 1 hr.
3. Serve in bowls and add sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, and chives if desired.
At this point, I typically add red onion, shredded cheddar, and Tabasco sauce to spice it up a little bit more! I skipped the sour cream this time. Enjoy!
Cook ground beef over medium heat until lightly brown in a large pan (I used a 3 qt. Dutch oven) about 7 min. Add garlic, onion and chili powder, pepper flakes, chili powder, pepper, and salt. Stir together and cook (until onions are soft) an additional 5 min. Add celery and a half cup of water.
Open all cans of chili beans and crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and add to meat. (The jalapeno peppers are optional.) Stir together over medium heat to boil then lower the heat to low and simmer for 1 hr.
Serve in bowls and add sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, and chives if desired.
I typically add red onion, shredded cheddar, and Tabasco sauce to spice it up a little bit more! I skipped the sour cream this time. Enjoy!
Prep: 15 min Ready: 1.5 hours Servings 2-4 I would say since COVID has started, this has been my favorite recipe to date to make. I have made this recipe at least five or six times, and every time I make it …
Wow, it has been some time since I have posted on my cooking blog. I have still been cooking a lot and will post some of the recipes I have made recently. With COVID still spreading, it has been pretty crazy. My …
Prep: 15 min
Ready: 1 hour
Servings 4-6
I have been making a lot of desserts this summer due to COVID. No, this is not a baking blog, but it feels like it since the last two posts have been fruit crisp desserts. They are almost identical except for the fruit. I posted this peach crisp because it is so good. You have to try it! Having access to some awesome peaches from a local farmers’ fruit stand helps. They have some of the best peaches, and this is the beginning of the peach season. Red Haven peaches are now available so we have been taking advantage of the situation. This is our second peach crisp in a week. My diet is going to start soon. When peaches start to appear, summer is winding down. Wow! What a summer. The weather has been perfect here in Michigan, and we have spent a lot of time outside. I hate to see summer end.
I made this crisp in my favorite pan. A 10.5″ French copper Mauviel round pan. I love this pan because it is so versatile. You can use it on the stove, and then place it directly into the oven. It is the perfect size for my wife and me. I have been collecting copper cooking pans for years and love to cook with them as well as take pictures with them. Mauviel has used several of my photos on their Instagram page. Possibly one of these days they will send me a jam pan – which I want:).
Ingredients
• 6 peaches (peeled, pitted, and sliced)
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
•1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Wash peaches in a colander and pat dry.
3. Slice peaches place them in a greased 8”x 8”x 2” square pan.
(I have also used a 10” copper round pan, a glass square dish, and square aluminum pans – so whatever suits your fancy.)
4. Sprinkle with almond extract. Mix together the brown sugar, sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, and salt, and butter. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the peaches.
5. Bake 45 min. until the topping is medium brown.
6. Serve immediately, or cool and cover in the fridge. I like to add a little French vanilla ice cream.
This peach crisp recipe is easy to make and delicious
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Wash peaches in a colander and pat dry.
Slice peaches place them in a greased 8”x 8”x 2” square pan.
(I have also used a 10” copper round pan, a glass square dish, and square aluminum pans – so whatever suits your fancy.)
Sprinkle with almond extract. Mix together the brown sugar, sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, and salt, and butter. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the peaches.
Bake 45 min. until the topping is medium brown.
Serve immediately, or cool and cover in the fridge. I like to add a little French vanilla ice cream.
Prep: 10 min Ready: 45 min Servings 4-6 With blueberry season in full swing, it’s time to support local farms and enjoy this beautiful time of the year. We live in an area in West Michigan which is known for having some …
Prep: 10 min Ready: 15 min Servings 2-4 I can’t believe how fast this summer is going! The weeks are just flying by! We have been busy and have been doing a little traveling but not too far – mostly stay-cations …
Prep: 10 min
Ready: 55 min
Servings 4-6
Wow, I can’t believe how the time has flown by! It is almost July. With COVID-19 still lingering, it is at least nice to get outside to get some fresh air. It is also strawberry season which is one of my favorite times of the year. Now is the time to purchase them and support local farms. There is nothing like a freshly picked Michigan strawberry. They are slightly smaller and dark red in the middle – not white like the store-bought strawberries. I always make a trip or two to my favorite strawberry farm to either pick them or to purchase a flat. This year there is no You-Pick due to the COVID virus but you can still purchase them at the roadside. You can make so many different wonderful things with them!
This strawberry pie was a delicious treat. I am looking forward to making strawberry freezer jam and strawberry shortcake. I’m going to freeze some berries for a nice treat when the snow flies.
The local farm I like to visit is Morse Brothers’ Farm. The Morse family has been farming strawberries for generations. Their strawberries are the best I have ever had, and I have been buying from them for over twenty years. The Morse family is a hard-working farming family. They are determined to continue bringing the best local fruit to your table. They are located at 2925 6 Mile Road NW Grand Rapids, MI and can be reached by phone at 616-784-4776. Call ahead to make sure they are open and that they have berries. Their berries are so good that they sell out quickly! Farming is hard work. The owners may be working in the fields or delayed by weather, but I guarantee you will love their berries and enjoy meeting this farming family. Buy local! Support Michigan farmers!
Ingredients
• 2 (9 in. unbaked pie crusts) or dough from scratch
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups fresh strawberries, cut in half
• 2 Tbs. butter
• 1 Tbs. lemon juice
• 1 Tbs. Turbinado cane sugar for the topping
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In a colander wash and clean berries removing the tops and cut in half.
3. Roll out your homemade pie dough or place your boxed dough into a 9-inch pie dish.
4. In a medium-size bowl mix together sugar and flour. Add the berries and lightly mix together. Pour the strawberry filling into the pie dishes. Sprinkle with lemon juice and dot with butter.
5. Cover with top crust. Cut slits into the top and crimp edges. I made a lattice pattern.
6. Bake for 35- 45 minutes, or until the crust is slightly browned.
7. Sprinkle the cane sugar over the top and let cool.
Serve with freshly made whipped cream or French vanilla ice cream.
Enjoy this wonderful pie with family and friends.
Easy to make strawberry pie.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
In a colander wash and clean berries removing the tops and cut in half.
Roll out your homemade pie dough or place your boxed dough into a 9-inch pie dish
In a medium-size bowl mix together sugar and flour. Add the berries and lightly mix together. Pour the strawberry filling into the pie dishes. Sprinkle with lemon juice and dot with butter.
Cover with top crust. Cut slits into the top and crimp edges. I made a lattice pattern.
Bake for 35- 45 minutes, or until the crust is slightly browned.
Sprinkle the cane sugar over the top and let cool.
Serve with freshly made whipped cream or French vanilla ice cream.
Enjoy this wonderful pie with family and friends.
Prep: 10 min Ready: 30 min Servings 4-6 We are starting to use up quite a lot of the food we have had in the house and have almost emptied our pantry. We are still trying to avoid the grocery store as …