German Pancakes

Happy Wednesday Morning!

This is a simple go to breakfast of ours. Trent is always making this for us. So I thought I would share.
This tastes great with syrup or berries or even just powdered sugar.

German Pancakes

1 heaping cup of flour
1 cup of milk
6 eggs
1/4 cup (1/2 a stick) butter or margarine

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Put flour,milk,and eggs into a blender and blend until smooth.

Melt the butter and pour into an 8x8 baking dish.

Pour batter mix over the top of the butter.

Bake 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until it begins brown and puff up. It puffs up and looks different every time so it is fun for the little ones to watch too :)

We usually do this recipe in a 9x13 pan but we tried it in the 8x8 and it gave us a more thicker result which we love a lot more, but either way it will work.

*This recipe can easily be cut in half*

Enjoy!

We're Back!!!

We've been busy! 

Trent spent the last few weeks getting ready for competition, competition and re grouping from competition. 

Haha it is kind of a process.

Just wanted so show you what fun we had :)

 Prepping the meat:

The presentation is important also when it comes time to send it to the judges.

(pretty brisket huh?)

 His ribs were wonderful

 And his pork

 Over all this Stud of mine took 4th place chicken! 

He played up there with the big boys and did pretty well.

Just wanted you to see how much fun we have been having!

Strawberry Cream Cake

Love, love, love this cake! We make this all the time, yes I say this about everything but I only post things that we love. 

You take a white box cake mix and bake according to directions.

When it comes out of the oven use a fork and poke holes in the top, be sure not to poke through the bottom.

Let it cool for a minute

Pour your strawberry jello mix over the top and cool completely.

 Mix your cream topping and spread over the top. I like to let it sit in the fridge for a little bit to set up before we eat.

Doesn't it look delicious?

Strawberry Cream Cake

1 white or strawberry cake mix

1 small package of strawberry jello

1 cup hot water

1/2 cup cold water

1 8oz container of cool whip

1 small package of vanilla pudding

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp strawberry extract

Mix cake according to directions. Pour into 9x13 pan and bake according to directions. After removing the cake from the oven, poke holes in the cake 1 inch a part using a fork. Mix jello with 1 cup hot water and 1/2 cup cold water. Pour evenly over slightly cooled cake. 

Let cake cool completely.

For topping: mix: cool whip, pudding, milk, vanilla and strawberry extract. Beat until completely mixed spread evenly over the cake.

Let it set in refrigerator.

*Try this in orange, use an orange or yellow cake mix, orange jello, and orange extract.*

Printable Version

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Slow Cooker Cafe Rio Pork

Hello! I'm so excited to share this recipe. Cafe Rio is one of our favorite dinners, The best part of this recipe is it is a crock pot recipe (awesome right?)

Do you remember that pork loin from this post? We use one of the thirds that we froze for this recipe so that meat goes really far.

It is so simple put your pork roast or loin in the crock pot with about a half cup of water. Cook on low for about 6 hours until it falls apart. Shred and drain the drippings put in back in the cooker with the sugars and sauces cook low for another 2 hours. 

 That's it!

We love the  tomatillo cilantro ranch dressing to go beside it. We put this on tortillas or salad. We especially love  making nachos with the left overs the next day.

Hope you enjoy!

Slow cooker Cafe Rio Pork 

6lb boneless pork roast (or loin)

2 cans ElPato, mexican tomato sauce

1 cup brown sugar

4, 8oz cans tomato sauce

Place pork in slow cooker with 1/2 cup water. Cook low for 6 hours until it falls apart.

Take the pork out and shred with 2 forks, drain the drippings and place pork back in to pot.

Add the rest of the ingredients stir well. 

Cook low 2 more hours.

*I always half this recipe for the 3 of us and it works great*

(adapted from 365 days of slow cooking)



Cafe Rio Tomatillo Ranch Dressing
1 packet dry buttermilk ranch dressing mix
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup mayonnaise
2-3 tomatillos, peeled
1 tsp crushed garlic
3/4 of a bunch of cilantro
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Juice of 1 lime

Put in all in a blender until smooth and refrigerate.

*If you don't have buttermilk put a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice in the measuring cup and fill the rest with milk*
*Did you know that most of the flavor of cilantro is in their stems. Be sure to use them. Take the bunch and cut just a little off the ends to trim off the dirt and use the rest stems and all.*  

Printable Version

New England Clam Chowder

If there is anything I do right and cook right it is my clam chowder recipe. It is requested all the time, we eat it all year round. I know soups can be intimidating to some people and before I started culinary school making soup from scratch was my worst nightmare. Once I actually did it there was nothing hard about it and you'll think so too.

With a recipe like this I always pull out my ingredients and pre measure before I start cooking so I can grab something as soon as I need it with out worrying about it. In culinary terms this is called mise en place, I would recommend doing that with this recipe.

You're going to need: chicken stock, potatoes, butter, bacon, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaves, flour, clams, half and half, heavy cream, thyme, salt and pepper.

(This is just the run down, there are more detailed instructions in the recipe below.)

Boil your potatoes in clam juice or chicken broth. While they are cooking get your soup going.

In a large pot brown your bacon. Once that is done take the bacon out of the pan and set aside leaving the grease in the bottom of the pan.

Throw your onion, celery and garlic in the pan. Saute them in the bacon grease use your spoon to get the bacon stuff on the bottom of the pan there is a ton of flavor in that. If it gets to dry before the vegetables are done cooking you can add a tablespoon of butter. 

Once your veggies are soft, add your butter and melt it down. Add your flour, this is where you need to watch. You are going to create a rue. Stir the flour and butter constantly about 2 minutes, do not let it brown. While you're stirring that, whisk in your chick broth and clam juice. Once that is heated stir in the rest of your ingredients

Add the heavy cream 15 minutes before serving. 

This is a awesome recipe and I know you will love it.

It is prefect for cold winter nights, or in our case hot summer nights. Hope you like it!

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New England Clam Chowder

46 ounces can clam juice, or chicken stock. 

4 lbs russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2" cube

1/2 cup PLUS 2 Tbsp butter.

12 slices bacon, raw and chopped

6 cups onion, diced

3 cups celery, diced

8 cloves garlic, minced

4 bay leaves

1 cup PLUS 2 Tbsp all purpose flour

2 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock

4-5 cans chopped clams, drained and juices reserved  (I buy 6.5 oz cans)

4 cups half and half

2 cups heavy cream

2 tsp thyme leaf

Salt and pepper 

Bring 46 ounces clam juice or chicken stock and potatoes to a boil in a large sauce pan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes.

Remove from heat.

While potatoes are cooking, cook bacon in a heavy large pot over medium heat until it begins to brown, about 8 minutes. Remove bacon pieces and drain on a paper towel.

Add to bacon fat, onions,celery, and garlic. Saute until they soften about 10 minutes. Add some butter if needed to moisten the vegetables during saute.

Add butter and melt, stirring. Gradually stir in flour. Cook 2-5 minutes to create a rue, do not allow flour to brown.

Gradually whisk in reserved clam juice and chicken stock.  Whisk until smooth and bubbly.

Add potato mixture (broth and all), clams, half and half, bacon pieces, thyme and bay leaves. Simmer chowder 20-30 minutes to blend flavors, stirring frequently. 

Add heavy cream 15 minutes before serving. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve hot and enjoy.

*This recipe is a full batch and will make about 2 gallons. I always half it and it's prefect for dinner and lunch the next day.

*This is one of those things that taste even better the day after so it makes great left overs.

*You can adjust the clams to your liking. We use 4- 6.5 ounce cans for half a batch because we love clams but you can add more or less, what ever you like.

Printable Version

Grandmas White Bread

This is my Grandmas bread recipe which she gave to my mom. Growing up my mom always made this and it makes your house smell so good.

My hubby doesn't as for much but there are 2 things that he insists on. My moms bread and my moms cinnamon rolls (no pressure there right?) So needless to say the cinnamon rolls will be posted soon too. There is nothing better than warm bread just out of the oven with some fresh jam right?

Lets get started then.

The ingredients are your basics, scalded milk, shortening, honey (or sugar), salt, yeast, flour, and instant potatoes. I know the potatoes aren't exactly basic but they are what makes this recipe as good as it is.

Start by scalding your milk. Just put it in the microwave for 2-3 minutes you want it super hot. Pour that into your mixing bowl with the shortnening, honey and salt and cool to luke warm. You don't want it to hot or it will kill the yeast.

Once cooled add the yeast and instant potatoes. Beat in 4 cups of flour then add 3-4 cups more.

You want it soft but not sticking to the bowl. Knead in the flour until it is all mixed in.

Cover and let it rest about 10 minutes, then knead it again just a little longer.

Cover and let it rise until double in size.

 Split the dough and put into sprayed loaf pans

Let it rise until double.

Bake 375 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Take out of pans and brush with butter.

Don't they look delicious. 

I hope you enjoy this as much as my family does.

Here is one secret. A few of us in our family love bread and milk and this is the bread to do it with. Break up a slice of bread into a bowl pour some milk over it and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar or nutmeg. It is so good. My husband and brother in law think it's weird, and it might be, but it is oh so good.

Grandmas White Bread 

2 cups scalded milk

3-4 Tbsp shortening

3 Tbsp honey  (or sugar)

1 Tbsp salt.

4 Tbsp instant potatoes

1/2 - 3/4 Tbsp yeast

Add shortening,sugar,and salt to scaled milk and cool to luke warm

Add yeast and instant potatoes.

Beat in 4 cups of flour then add 3-4 cups more.

Cover and let rest 10-15 minutes. Knead and let rise until double.

Split dough and put into loaf pans. Let rise until double in size.

Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Take out of pans and brush with butter.

Eat and enjoy because you did a great job!

Printable Version

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Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

This is the first smoker recipe so we hope you like it.

 For those of you who haven't seen a lot of meat smokers it's such a cool thing. 

The idea of smoking meat is low and slow. The smoker is hot but only about 250 degrees.

 It is run by dry heat which is wood only that circulates through the smoker and cooks while infusing the meat with the flavor of the wood you are using. Trent used cherry wood on this recipe but you can also use apple, mesquite, apricot, what ever goes well with the meat.

You can do this same recipe in your oven. Cook it at 300 degrees for about 4 hours or until the meat temperature reaches about 180 degrees. Be sure to check it often so it doesn't over cook and get dry. 

Trent competes with this guy, stacks he calls it (it has 3 smoke stacks) He built the smoker and trailer from the ground up. It's pretty cool. 

The first thing you need to do is light the fire in the fire box and get it hot.

For the meat we use a pork loin. We buy a large one and cut it into thirds and use one for dinner and freeze the other 2 for dinners later in the month.

There are a lot of pictures coming up because I want you to see how he cuts the pork. You want it to lay flat so when he cuts it it almost seems as if he is unrolling it.

Make your first slice on the side toward the bottom.

 As you slice keep opening it up further and further

You'll start to to notice it seems to unroll.

You can also just cut it through the center just not all the way through so it lays flat and pound it out with a meat mallet.

The filling is very basic but oh so good.

A box of stove top stuffing, told you it's basic. It's a perfect base it has the perfect texture and all the spices you need. Cook your stuffing according to the box directions. When it is done cooking spread it out evenly on the pork loin.

We put chopped bacon, onions and mushrooms on top of that. You can use any filling you like though. Spinach would be great or even carrots and celery.

 Roll it right back up and smile because you made it through the hard part.

 Now for the wrapping. Bacon, Bacon and more bacon. He likes to do a basket weave because it keeps the bacon in place along the pork. 

Take 4 strips of bacon and lay over it.

pull up the first and third piece of bacon and lay another piece of bacon horizontally across. Lay the pieces back over the top.

Continue that all the way around. Remember we are only doing this along the top you don't need to wrap it around the bottom. You don't want it come unrolled.

Now we take that beautiful meat and put it in the smoker.

From here it is all about temperatures. When the pork hits about 150 degrees we foil it and put it back in the smoker until the temperature hits about 180 degrees.

                                     

By foiling it it keeps all the juice in instead of losing all the flavor in the smoker. 

Do you see the juice in the bottom of the plate? That is wonderful

When you are ready to eat cut a nice slice and all that work will be worth it!

That is our first smoker recipe (which can be done in the oven too)

Hope you like it!