Barley Stew

Barley Stew

You may think I live on only sugar, but I also like to cook regular food almost as much as I like to bake. The Fall weather is the perfect time to start making all of the soups and stews it was too hot to make this summer.This is really called Beef Barley Stew, but we rarely eat meat so this is how I prepare it. I will give you the recipe with the beef and you can add it if you want. I prefer it with the beef myself. Of course it comes together much more quickly if you leave the beef out. The allspice may seem to be an odd addition, but it really adds something unique to this stew. I was very afraid the first time I tried it and even my boys liked it. We have been eating this for years.  I can't remember where I got this recipe from. I tried looking on -line but I haven't found it yet.

Beef Barley Stew:

2 tablespoons of oil
1 pound of well trimmed, boneless beef chuck, cut into chunks
2 medium onions, diced
3 medium carrots, grated or diced
3 ribs of celery, diced
2 1/2 cups beef broth ( I use vegetable broth)
1 can of diced tomatoes (14.5 ounces-undrained)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon of salt
3/4 cup quick pearl barley

If using beef- heat oil in a large pan and brown the beef on 2 sides. Remove the meat from the pan. Add the vegetables to the pan and cook 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the rest of the ingredients except the barley and the meat. Bring to a boil and add meat. Reduce the heat and cover and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in the barley and cover and cook at least 15 more minutes. Add more water if the soup is too thick. If you make this without the meat, just start by sauteing the vegetables in the oil.

This makes great leftovers.

Enjoy!

Chewy Cocoa Brownies

Chewy Cocoa Brownies

The recipe for these brownies and the frosting came from a Nestle Toll House cocoa container. I prefer chewy brownies to cakey ones. If I want cakey, I will eat cake. They come together pretty fast.

Chewy Cocoa Brownies with Chocolate Lover's Frosting From: Nestle

Brownies:
1 2/3 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons of water
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/3 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix sugar, butter, and water. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl and then add to the wet mixture. Spread into a greased 9 x 13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 18-25 minutes (a tooth pick will come out slightly sticky). Cool in pan.

Frosting:
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
2/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup butter, softened
5-6 tablespoons of milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla

With mixer, beat 1 cup of the powdered sugar, the cocoa, butter and vanilla together. Slowly add the milk and the rest of the sugar, beating until smooth. Spread immediately over cooled brownies.

Enjoy!

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

I made these last weekend, when we had friends over for dinner. Their 6 year old can't have gluten and I wanted a dessert for him. He likes them and so do I. I halved the recipe and I still had about 3 dozen good sized cookies.

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies   From: Scrambled Hen Fruit Blog
18 oz of crunchy peanut butter
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix ingredients and scoop into teaspoon sized balls. Bake at 350 degrees on parchment lined cookie sheets 8-10 minutes. Don't over cook if you want them to stay soft and chewy. Allow to cool on the pan at least 5 minutes or you will have a crumbled mess. Not that I had this happen to me or anything!

Enjoy!

Beer Bread

Beer Bread

I don't like beer, but I sure like this beer bread! You can vary the flavor with the type of beer that you use. My husband prefers dark beers. My neighbor traded me a couple of bottles of Screaming Pumpkin Ale so that I could make a loaf for each of us.

 Beer Bread     From: Cookie Madness Blog (under: Fat Tire Beer Bread)

3 cups of sifted flour
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup sugar
1  12 oz bottle of beer
3 tablespoons of melted butter (Anna uses 5 tbsp and the original uses 8)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix the dry ingredients together. Add beer and stir until combined. Pour batter into a loaf pan that has been buttered. Pour the melted butter over the top. Bake for one hour, cool and then slice.

Enjoy!

Caramel Apple Pie

I made this pie about 6 years ago for the first time. I made it for a school pioneer day at my sons' grade school. I think instead of a cake walk, there was a pie walk. I gave 2 of these pies and when I won a turn at the pie walk, I picked our pie out so we could try it. My husband and oldest liked it immediately. My youngest just started liking apple pie in the last year or 2. I said something about this recipe and he was ready for me to make it for him. I think this recipe came from a Gooseberry Patch cookbook, but I didn't always write my sources down with my recipes. I will try to find the source. It is as tasty as it sounds.

Caramel Apple Pie

1 pastry for a single pie crust
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons of flour
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 cups of thinly sliced, peeled cooking apples ( I prefer Granny Smith)

Topping: 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup quick cooking oats, 1/2 cup butter (Mix altogether until it resembles coarse crumbs)

Add after baking: 1/2 cup chopped pecans and 1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping

Directions: Roll out the pie crust and place in a pie pan. Mix together the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the apples and toss to coat. Pour into the crust. Sprinkle with the Topping.  Put a pie crust ring or foil around the exposed crust. Bake at 375 degrees for for 25 minutes. Remove the ring and bake 25 to 30 minutes more. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the pecans and drizzle with the caramel topping. Allow to cool some.

ENJOY

Blueberry Muffins

I love these muffins and I have been making them for years. My youngest requests them often and I try to make them when he has friends overnight. Unfortunately, the last time I made them for just that reason, I forgot to put the blueberries in. Talk about a dumb blond moment! They were still good with the help of the streusel topping and because my husband cut a divot out of the tops of some and added some blackberry jam. I often use wild frozen blueberries for this (when I remember them!) but frozen raspberries are also good.  This recipe comes from the Betty Crocker's Cookbook, copyright 2000. I have had this book a least 10 years. My sister G got it for her birthday from our Mom. I told her she could tell our Mom that I would love that for my birthday present. Well, a few months later it was mine. This is one of those cookbooks I would buy for a person moving out on there own. There are tons of great recipes and they are not difficult.

Blueberry Muffins
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I use canola)
1 large egg
2 cups of flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries

Streusel: 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons of butter.
(mix the dry ingredients with the butter to make a course meal)

Preheat the oven for 400 degrees and grease 12 muffin cups with shortening. Mix the milk, oil and egg with a whisk in a large bowl. Mix the dry ingredients separately and then add to the wet ingredients stirring just until moistened. Add the blueberries. Pour batter into the muffin cups and sprinkle with the streusel. Bake 20-25 minutes.

ENJOY

My Mother's Banana Bread

I found this recipe in my hometown's newspaper, the first year I was married. I was just really learning about cooking for a family and was just starting to become interested in baking as much as I could. So this is not actually my Mom's banana bread, but it is really good and everyone here gets mad if I try to use a new banana bread recipe. It's very moist and freezes well. I always make it without nuts, but I prefer nuts in it for myself. The guys don't. Picky, Picky!


My Mother's Banana Bread


1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups of sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (the darker the better)
2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup sour milk or buttermilk
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)


Directions: Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs, beating well for 1 minute after each addition. Stir in the mashed bananas. Mix the dry ingredients separately and alternate adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients with the sour milk, starting and ending with the flour. I do flour, milk, flour, milk, flour. Stir in the nuts. Pour into a greased 8 or 9 inch loaf pan and bake 60-75 minutes at 350 degrees. I check this around 45 minutes and then just lay a piece of foil on top of the bread ( no need to secure) to keep the top from getting too brown. I check to see if this is done by sticking a butter knife right in the middle. A few crumbs mights stick but there should not be any real wetness in the middle. Allow to cool and than slice.


ENJOY