Caprese Salad with Mozzarella Skulls

 

• Pearl mozzarella balls
• Mozzarella balls
• Tomatoes of choice; cherry tomatoes and cocktail tomatoes
• Balsamic glaze
• Fresh basil
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Balsamic vinegar
• Skull Molds: https://liketk.it/4k9Oy
• 
  

• Add your pearl mozzarella cheese to mini silicone molds and press in. Do the same thing for the regular mozzarella balls, but adding to the larger silicone skull molds and press in. Add to a baking dish and bake on 350 F for 8 minutes or until they are melted enough to form into the molds. Once they are done let the skulls cool for 5 minutes and refrigerate for 5-10 minutes.
• And now comes the fun part, putting it all together. Start by adding your chopped tomatoes and your skull cheese’s. Then drizzle with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, balsamic glaze, salt and pepper to taste, and fresh basil. I just drizzled everything on top. And the balsamic glaze formed into the eyes of the skulls, which made it extra spooky. But you can also just go in and add drops of balsamic glaze to each one. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Mummy Garlic Bread

 

• 16 oz. frozen garlic bread  keep frozen
• ▢10 sticks cheese mozzarella cheese sticks
• ▢4 black olives sliced into 1/4th inch rounds

• Preheat the oven according to garlic bread package directions. 
• Open the frozen loaf and place the open side up on a baking sheet. Slice each loaf in half. 
• Bake bread according to package directions.
• While bread is baking, slice cheese sticks into thin strips, about 1/8" thick and of varying sizes. Set cheese aside. 
• Once the bread is done baking, add cheese in a mummy like pattern on each loaf of bread, making sure to make space for the eyes. 
• Return to the oven and broil for 2-4 minutes on high, carefully watching that cheese doesn't burn.
• Remove from oven, top with olive eyes, and serve Halloween Bread immediately. 

Spooky Spaghetti and Eyeballs

 

• 1 lb. frozen meatballs
• 8 ounces sliced provolone cheese
• ▢2.25 ounces canned sliced black olives
• ▢16 ounces dried spaghetti
• ▢16 ounces marinara

• Bake the meatballs according to package directions.
• Meanwhile, cut the sliced provolone into 1-inch circles. A small cookie cutter works best for this.
• Remove the meatballs from the oven, and place one circle of provolone atop each meatball to create the whites of the eyeballs.
• Place one slice of black olive atop each provolone circle to create the irises/pupils of the eyes.
• Return the meatballs to the oven for 2-3 minutes or until the provolone has just slightly melted, then remove them from the oven again and set aside.
• While the meatballs are cooking, boil the spaghetti in a pot on the stove according to the package instructions.
• Heat the marinara sauce in the pot and stir in the spaghetti once warmed through.
• Use tongs to scoop out a serving of spaghetti onto each plate and nestle the meatballs over the top.

Basic Marinara Sauce

 2 Tab. olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tea. red pepper flakes

1 Tab. tomato paste

32 oz. crushed tomatoes

1 tea.+ Italian seasoning

salt

pepper

Add olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. When the pepper snaps and the garlic sizzles, add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the crushed tomatoes. Season as desired.

To this basic marinara, you can add cooked ground beef, onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, etc.

Crockpot Steel Cut Oatmeal

 

1 cup steel cut oats
6 cups water

Add steel cut oats and water to a 3qt crockpot on LOW before you go to bed. Ready in the morning (cooks about 8 hours).
Add your favorite oatmeal toppings.

OR,
1.5 cups steel cut oatmeal
1 15- oz. can full fat coconut milk
4.5 cups milk any kind will work
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
optional: 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Pinch of salt

• First, spray your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Then, place all ingredients in slow cooker and stir.
  Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 2-4 hours. If possible, stir every few hours to prevent sticking.
  Top with a pinch of cinnamon and your favorite toppings.
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Hot Cocoa Cream of Wheat

 Makes 2 servings

2 cups water

1/2 cup cream of wheat

1/4 tea. salt

1/4 cup milk

1 Tab. butter

4 Tab. hot cocoa mix

mini marshmallows

Bring water to a boil and stir in salt and cream of wheat. Turn down heat and cook until reaches desired consistency.

Turn off heat and add milk, butter and hot cocoa mix. Stir to combine and scoop into bowls. Garnish with marshmallow.

Breakfast Nachos

 

2 servings

5 eggs, scrambled

1/2 cup cheese, shredded

1 1/2 cups tortilla chips

Any toppings you would like:

• avocados
• tomatoes
• salsa
• cilantro
• sour cream
• beans

Cornmeal Mush

 

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup cold tap water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups hot tap water

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine the cornmeal and cold tap water.
2. Meanwhile, in a 2 quart pan, combine the salt and hot water. Bring it to a boil over high heat.
3. While the water is heating, add the cornmeal mixed with the cold water. Combining the cornmeal with cool water before adding it to the boiling water keeps the cornmeal from lumping up when it hits the hot water.
4. When the water and cornmeal boil, reduce the heat to low.
5. Allow the mush to simmer for about 10 minutes, or until it is nicely thickened.

Breakfast Muffins

Basic Muffin Recipe

3 cups flour

1 cup sugar

4 tea Baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup margarine, butter, shortening or oil

2 eggs

1 cup milk

Mix dry ingredients. Add in wet ingredients. Stir until flour is moistened and ingredients blended. The batter will be lumpy. Fill lined or well greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake 400F 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

You may add in all sort of things such as blueberries (fold in 2 cups at the last minute), maple (substitute 1 cup maple syrup for the milk) or any other desired flavorings and additions.

How to Make an Omelette

 For each omelette:

• 2 large eggs

• Pinch salt

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• 2 tablespoons grated cheese, any kind

• Desired fillings
  

• 2 tablespoons chopped herbs of your choice, optional

1. Prep the eggs:

   Crack the eggs into a bowl. Add a small pinch of salt and beat the eggs with a fork until they are well combined.
2. Melt the butter:

   In an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, melt the butter.
3. Add the eggs and cook the omelette:

   Add the eggs to the skillet and cook without stirring until the edges begin to set. With a silicone spatula, push the edges toward the center of the pan and tilt the pan so the uncooked eggs move to the edge.

   Repeat until the eggs are somewhat set but still a little soft in the center, about 6 minutes.

4. Fill the omelette:

   Place the cheese, other desired fillings, and herbs in a line down the center of the omelette and cook for about 1 minute longer, or until the eggs are mostly set but still a little soft in the center.

5. Fold and plate the omelette:

   Slide the spatula around one side of the omelette at the edge to loosen it. Slip it under the eggs, and use it to carefully fold the omelette in half. Slide the spatula under the folded omelette to loosen it from the pan. Tilt the pan over a plate and use the spatula to nudge it onto the plate.

Brenda's Roast Beef

  DINNER/REGULAR/GFCF

Brenda's Roast Beef and Gravy

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 3 lb. Beef Roast
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 Tab. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tab. Corn starch
• 2 tea. Gravy Magic
• Salt
• Pepper

Cooking Instructions

1. Brown roast beef on both sides in a pot that you can use both on the top of the stove and in the oven.
2. Salt and pepper to taste.
3. Pour broth into pan and Worcestershire sauce on roast.
4. Cover, and put in over at 350F for 1 hour.
5. Take roast out of pan and let rest on a cutting board as you make the gravy.
6. Add a little cold water to the cornstarch to make a slurry.
7. Add to the juices in the p an. Put pan back on the stove top on medium heat and whisk until gravy is the desired consistency.
8. Add Gravy Master and additional salt and pepper to taste.
9. Take off burner and set aside.
10. Slice beef into as thin slices as you can. 
11. Add back to the pan with gravy.
12. Serve with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable.

Saint Patrick's Day Instant Pot Corned Beef

 SAINT PATRICK'S DAY

Instant Pot Corned Beef

Makes 8 servings

PREP 20minutes mins
COOK 1hour hr., 36minutes mins
NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE 10minutes mins
TOTAL 2 hours hrs., 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 3 pound corned beef
• ▢4 cups beef broth
• ▢12 ounces stout beer 
• ▢1 large onion quartered
• ▢4 cloves garlic
• ▢2 bay leaves
• ▢1 pound small red potatoes halved 
• ▢4 large carrots peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• ▢1 small head green cabbage cut into 6 wedges with core removed
• 
  

Cooking Instructions

1. Cook meat: Put the corned beef, beef broth, stout, onion, garlic, and bay leaves into the pressure cooking pot. Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and set the timer for 90 minutes. Once done, allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, and then do a quick pressure release to release any remaining pressure.
2. Set aside roast: Remove the roast from the pressure cooking pot and transfer to a plate. Loosely cover the corned beef with aluminum foil until ready to serve. Scoop all of the solids out of the pot and discard, leaving only the broth.
3. Cook potatoes: Add the potatoes to the cooking pot, cover, lock lid in place, and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. Instant release pressure so you can open the lid, add the carrots and cabbage, and then cook on high pressure for 1-2 minutes (depends on how soft you like your carrots). Quick release pressure when done.
4. To serve, arrange the cabbage, potatoes, and carrots on a platter. Slice the corned beef against the grain and add to the platter. Ladle the cooking liquid into a gravy boat and serve alongside the meal.

Christmas Eve Seven Fishes Stew

source

The advantage of this savory brew is that it will welcome virtually any kind of shellfish or fish you find at the market. Squid, scallops, and chunks of firm white fish such as monkfish, halibut, bass, or whatever is fresh and local can be used instead of, or in addition to, the options below.*

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large fennel bulb, stalks and fronds removed, thinly sliced
I onion, chopped
3 large shallots, chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
3 large garlic cloves, minced
¾ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes, plus more to taste

1/4 cup tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
5 cups fish stock
1 bay leaf
1 pound manila clams, scrubbed
1 pound mussels, scrubbed, debearded
1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 pounds assorted firm-fleshed fish fillets such as halibut or salmon, cut into 2-inch chunks

Heat the oil in a very large pot over medium heat. Add the fennel, onion, shallots, and salt and saute until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and 3/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and sauté 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Add tomatoes with their juices, wine, fish stock and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the flavors blend, about 30 minutes.

Add the clams and mussels to the cooking liquid. Cover and cook until the clams and mussels begin to open, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and fish. Simmer gently until the fish and shrimp are just cooked through, and the clams are completely open, stirring gently, about 5 minutes longer (discard any clams and mussels that do not open). Season the soup, to taste, with more salt and red pepper flakes.

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

Traditional Irish Soda Bread

 

4 cups flour
2 cups buttermilk (or milked soured with 2 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar)
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1½ teaspoons salt

Preheat oven to 400 F. If you are using a baking stone, place on center rack to heat with oven.
If you do not have buttermilk and you will need to sour milk, add two tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice to just under two cups of milk and allow to sit for five minutes, while you prepare the dry ingredients.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt (and sugar if you want to sweeten your bread)
Form a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in 1¾ cup of buttermilk or soured milk. (You may not need all two cups of milk, depending on your flour.)
Stir in buttermilk with a fork or spoon to create a sticky dough.
When the dough comes together, turn dough onto a floured surface and knead lightly - about three or four times.
Form a large ball and cut into two halves if you prefer smaller loaves.
Shape the loaves into round balls, slightly flattening the tops.
With a sharp knife, cut a deep cross into the top of your loaves.
Place loaf or loaves on parchment lined baking sheet, or heated baking stone, or place large loaf in an oiled cast-iron pot or skillet.
Brush with buttermilk (and melted butter if you prefer.)
For a more traditional baking method, cover your cast iron pot or baking dish with a lid (another pan can serve as a lid to simulate the bastible pot) for the first 30 minutes and then remove for the last 15 minutes of baking time.
If you are making two smaller loaves, you will want to reduce your total baking time to about 35 minutes.
If you are not using a lid or foil for the first part of baking, after 25 or 30 minutes, check if your bread is getting two brown. You will probably want to tent with aluminum foil at that point.
Bread is ready when the center X looks baked through and a toothpick comes out clean. As well, you can tap the bottom of the loaf and it should sound hollow.
Cover with a tea towel, moistened with sprinkles of water, and allow to cool for at least ten minutes before breaking into your loaves.
Serve warm with salted butter and honey or whatever else your heart desires.

source: 5 Minutes for Mom

Deviled Eggs

 

12 eggs, hard boiled
6 Tab. Mayonnaise
1 Tab. Pickle juice or vinegar
1 Tab. Yellow mustard
1 tea. Pepper
2 tea. Salt
Paprika for garnish

Slice hard-boiled eggs in half lengthwise.  Carefully scoop out yolks. Place whites on a plate and se aside. Mash yolks with a fork until no large lumps are left. Add rest of the ingredients, except Paprika and mix until blended. Spoon into the whites halves.  Sprinkle with Paprika.

Crockpot Mashed Potatoes

 

in crockpot in upper left corner

5 lbs. Potatoes, golden, red or Russet, diced (You can peel or leave peels on -however you like them.)
1 cup water
1 cup margarine or butter
1 Tab. Salt
3/4 tea. Black Pepper
1 cup Almond Milk or regular milk, warmed

Put all ingredients except the milk in the Crockpot and cook on high 4 hours.

Add warmed milk to crockpot. Mash potatoes with an electric mixer until smooth. Do not remove water from crockpot before mixing. Put crockpot on warm or low setting to keep warm while serving.

Source: Flavorite

Crockpot Candied Sweet Potatoes

6-7 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tea. Vanilla extract
1 tea. Cinnamon
1/2 tea. Nutmeg
1 tea. Salt
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 cups mini marshmallows

Chopped candied pecans, optional
Spray the inside of the slow cooker. Place sliced sweet potatoes in slow cooker. Wisk together the rest of the ingredients, except the marshmallows and optional pecans. Pour over sweet potatoes. Cook on low 4-6 hours or on high 2-3 hours. Mash sweet potatoes with a hand mixer until smooth right in the Crockpot. Start on low to avoid potatoes coming out of the crockpot. Sprinkle Marshmallows on top. If your crockpot has a removable crock that is oven safe, remove crock and move to an oven on low broil setting. Keeping a close eye on the oven, broil until marshmallows are golden brown and toasty. Move back to the Crockpot base set on warm to serve. Sprinkle with candied Pecan pieces,  if desired, before serving.

Source: modified from recipe at Six Sisters Stuff

Cream of Brussels Sprout Soup

  This recipe comes from Twelve Months of Monastery Soups.

2 Tab. Butter

1 pound Brussels Sprouts, sliced into quarters

1 pound potatoes, peeled and diced

2 leeks or onions, sliced

3 garlic cloves

8 cups of water

salt and pepper to taste

1 bay leaf

2 cups of milk or cream

Melt the butter in a saucepan and saute the Brussels Sprouts, potatoes, onions and garlic for 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously. Add the water and seasonings and cook slowly over low-medium heat for 40-45 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaf. Add milk and stir well. Blend the soup in a blender and serve hot.

If desired, cook separately some Brussels sprouts sliced into quarters to be used as a garnish on top of the soup.

Holiday Cookie Box

Basic Dough
6 2/3 sticks butter
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 room temperature extra large egg whites
6 1/2 cups All purpose flour
3 tsp Vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

Mix with mixer, adding the flour a little at a time. Divide in 5 equal portions. Roll out all but the piped Vanilla Cookies between two sheets of parchment paper and put in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Piped Vanilla Cookies
Leave dough as is and pipe onto cookie sheet. Sprinkle with holiday sprinkles.

Linzer Cookies
1/2 cups almond flour
4 Tab. All purpose flour
1/2 tea. Almond extract
Jam of your choice

Cut out as circles. Cut a small cut-out, such as a little star, out of the center of half of them to show off the jam in the middle. Bake all of them. Assemble.

Spice Cookies
2 3/4 powdered Ginger
3 tsp. Cinnamon
1-2 tea. Cocoa powder
4 Tab. All purpose flour

Cut out into a shape and bake.

Sugar Cookies
5 Tab. All purpose flour
1/2 tea. Vanilla
Food Coloring
Chocolate Buttercream  the Filling for the Center:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-2 Tablespoons heavy cream
Cut out as circles, or whatever shape you want. Top half with filling and assemble.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate chips at 15-second intervals, stirring between intervals, until chips are completely melted. Set aside and allow to cool slightly (about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally).
Cream room temperature butter with an electric mixer. Stir in slightly cooled chocolate and beat well.
Gradually add sugar, scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl occasionally.
Sprinkle in salt and vanilla extract, stir well.
Gradually add heavy cream, increase speed to high and beat for 1 minute, pausing halfway through to scrape down sides of the bowl.
Spread or pipe chocolate frosting onto the bottom of one completely cooled cookie. Sandwich with another cooled cookie and repeat until all cookies have been filled.

Chocolate Sugar
7 1/2 Tab. Cocoa Powder
1 Tab. Powdered Sugar
2 Tab. All purpose flour
Melted Chocolate for the center.

Cut out as any shape you want and drip or drizzle chocolate over the top.


Source with Video:  https://youtu.be/blKCLBWudZ0