July 9, 2011

Today was the first day Roy and I got to spend together, alone, without working on a certain deadline project, in a very long time.  We made a trip to WalMart first thing for some supplies.  Then we pulled weeds, hoe'd the garden.  I grilled a couple of burgers for us for lunch. 

We were given some onions by our wonderful neighbor.  Not the big slicing onions, but smaller ones.  Not pearl...although I'd like to have some pearl onions.  So I dug those up last night.  So today I got a brine started for them and they are in the brine now...gonna be pickled onions!  They need to sit in the brine for 24 hours. 

I also made a starter for some bread.  It has to sit for 3 to 5 days and then you can add to it and then make some bread.  I'm looking forward to that next weekend.  I'll let you know how that turns out! 

I made a big batch of potato salad.  I love dill and the salty taste of it, so I made a dill potato salad.  I'm waiting for it to chill and then I'm gonna dig in. 

DILL POTATO SALAD

Boil potatoes until tender but still some firm.  Add a small amount of onion (I also add garlic for us).  Cut up a hard boiled egg (or two) and add to the drained potatoes. 

In a separate bowl mix 1/2 cup of sour cream and 1/2 cup of mayonnaise, 2 tsp of fresh dill, 1 tsp parsley, 2 T of dijon mustard, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper.  Stir well.  Pour over potato mixture and toss gently.  I also add some chopped up dill pickle. 

YUMMY! 

I also made a dozen eggs into deviled eggs, so I have 24 deviled eggs to eat! 

Tomorrow our daughter and granddaughters will be here for lunch.  Son is going to his "in-laws" so they won't be here for us to spoil the new granddaughter....darn it!!!!  For lunch we will be having smothered "steak", baked potatoes, pickled okra, broccoli and cauliflower, homemade buttermilk biscuits with honey butter.  Can't decide on a dessert yet.  I'll post it later. 

SMOTHERED "STEAK"

I'm gonna post how I make it!  I'm going to use up our premade hamburger patties that we got for our 4th of July cookout...usually I just make up hamburger patties from our ground beef.  Anyway....

brown the hamburger patties on both sides in a heavy skillet.  Saute onion slices in butter.  Place the hamburger patties in a greased casserole dish.  Top with the sauted onions.  In the skillet that you browned your hamburger patties in, add more oil or butter if needed, and add about a tablespoon of flour.  When all the oil is absorbed by the flour, add a can of cream of mushroom soup (undiluted) and 1/4 to 1/2 soup can of milk (I use cream if I have it available...I've also used evaporated milk...and also regular milk, but we prefer CREAM)  Cook over medium/low heat.  when all is mixed well and slightly thickened pour over hamburger patties in casserole dish.  (I've also used my homemade brown gravy mix...which is really good too and hubby prefers it that way)  Bake in oven at 325 for about an hour or burgers are cooked all the way through!  Gosh...now I'm hungry and not sure I can wait until tomorrow! 

I'll also make homemade buttermilk biscuits. 

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 Tbls sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2/3 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Grease two 8 inch cake pans.  Put the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar and sugar in a bowl.  Cut the shortening into the flour with two knives or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add the mil all at once and stir just until the dough forms a ball around the fork.  Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and knead 14 times.  Pat until 1/2 inch thick.  Cut into rounds with a 2 inch cutter.  Place touching each other in the cake pans and bake for 15-20 minutes.  (I make these too when we are having fish....I add 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese before kneading it and proceed as directed) 

Then I'm going to serve honey butter.  All I do is use softened butter and add honey....just keep tasting a dab until it meets my tastes.  sometimes I add a sprinkle of cinnamon too.  This I keep in a bowl in the fridge.  So yummy. 

There you have it.  Some more recipes/how-to's.  Hope you like them! 

I'll let you know what I decide on for dessert and maybe even post the recipe for that! 

Until then

Deb

July 2, 2011

This week has been so hectic.  #1  We became grandparents for the 4th time on Monday.  An adorable baby girl!!!!   Kaisley Nicole Wassemiller weighing in at 8 lbs 4 oz.  Our son, Levi, is her daddy!  she is so adorable.  I'm so happy to have her in our family.  Mommy, Daddy and baby are doing great! 

#2 got in about 8 hours overtime at work, because we have had some extra cases come up! 

#3 had a 7 year old granddaughter's birthday on Thursday.  Rilynn I cannot believe you are 7 already!  What a beautiful young lady you have grown into and sweet!!!!  you are so sweet and thoughtful and grandma and grandpa love you bigger than the universe. 

Today we worked in our yard.  Getting a shade put up over our patio.  Roy is working on that.  I'm pulling weeds, watering the garden, transplanting flowers, catching up on laundry, drying dill.  I fixed us some burritos for dinner.  I've hung out some laundry on the clothes line too.  I haven't done laundry for a couple of weeks, so it has really piled up!  Now I need to wash bedding and towels and my laundry will be done.  That'll be done tomorrow, hopefully! 

I'm thinking of making some sour dough starter for some bread!  I love to make bread, in case you couldn't tell.  I wish I could eat it, but it just won't go down, so I like making it for others.  I will share the recipe for it all later. 

We are off to the farm shortly, to pick up the shade and to see his brothers and sister.  We will be having a 4th of July BBQ like usual.    This year we are going to serve burgers and brats.  Also Homemade Ice Cream!   Several different flavors. 

Well, we are off for now.  More later.