Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts
I tried it, and now I like it!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
I don't know what it is about Yo Gabba, but they seriously have a song that can apply to almost all aspects of life. Here I am minding my own business and then something is said or done that pops one of their little tunes into my brain. Brainwashed I tell ya!
As a homemaker for the past several years I have been trying to broaden my scope of recipes. Cooking is not something I fully enjoy doing. I don't mind doing it, but it seems like a lot of effort. I think between cooking and cleaning I honestly get more enjoyment out of cleaning. However, with that being said, I am still pretty good at cooking, I just don't want to do it. It's one of those things I have forced myself to keep after in hopes of one day truly enjoying it... maybe. The good thing is my husband likes just about everything I make and has full confidence in my ability to recreate recipes from meals we have tried. He is also willing to try anything and is not incredibly picky.
If I choose to cook I usually opt for the easy way out. A few ingredients, one pot dishes, crock pot options, etc. Last year my cousin Jennifer turned me on to this blog, A Year of Slow Cooking, and it has shown me many easy options to just throw in the pot and forget about. A few weeks ago she made a post stating, "stop, look no further. Hands down best Brussels Sprout recipe in the world!" Brussels Sprouts?! Ok, so I've only tried them once as a kid and I thought they tasted the way feet smell. But to their defense I used to be an incredibly picky eater so despite my previous experience with them and their bad reputation I decided the recipe looked easy enough to give it a try.
What you'll need:
1 lb brussels sprouts
1 tbs of Dijon Mustard
3 tbs of butter
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 c water
The Directions.
Use a 2-quart slow cooker. Wash and trim the ends off of each Brussels sprout, and cut in half. Toss into the cooker. Add butter, mustard, salt, pepper, and water. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, or on high for 2 to 3. Stir well to distribute the sauce before serving. The sprouts on the edge get brown and bit crispy on the outer edge. This is a good, and not something to worry about!
I cooked them, and they are amazing. In fact, they are going on the Thanksgiving menu! John loved them too, which this was his first time for trying Brussels sprouts. I encourage everyone to give them another chance, they could turn out to be a new family favorite! I had no idea I liked them, and am a little sad that I've been missing out on them my whole life.
Simple and Deliscious!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Family Recipes
I am going to share two of my favorite recipes that are super easy to prepare, easy on the bank account, and always a hit for our family and guests. Both use similar ingredients which is why I will post them together. The first one I have made several different times usually on New Year's Eve or a big football game day. It is a brisket recipe that was originally given to us by my Aunt Jamie, who will always be in my heart and both as a mom and an Aunt I think of her often hoping that I can be as incredible as her.
Ingredients:
The second recipe is just as simple, for a slow roasted whole chicken. I have made many versions of roasted chicken before, and I think this is my favorite. I cooked this one tonight, because I had the stuff left over from the brisket and a whole chicken in my freezer. If I had to add anything to it I might consider stuffing it with limes or some sort of citrus, but it was awesome as is.
Ingredients:
In a dutch oven pour half a bottle of beer and place your whole chicken. Rub olive oil over the skin and sprinkle soup mix. Cover and bake at 350 for 2-3 hours, uncover and bake for another 10-15 minutes to let skin crisp.
Ok so I didn't actually take these pics, I didn't think to do that because I didn't realize I would be blogging about them until after I ate a plate of this tasty chicken. These pics were actually found on the web, and they were the closest in appearance to what mine turned out like... my chicken was a little more golden than this one because I took the lid off to let it crisp a little. Both of these recipes were so tender and fragrant, and required little effort on my part, which I love as a busy Mommy who's husband works late nights, so I thought I'd share.
Ingredients:
- Brisket
- 1 Beer
- 1 packet of Lipton's Onion Soup Mix
- 1 jar of Hunt's Chili Sauce( I had no idea what this was until I made this recipe, it looks just like a bottle of Ketchup and is found in the same aisle of the grocery store as ketchup, but is usually kept near the Tabasco products)
The second recipe is just as simple, for a slow roasted whole chicken. I have made many versions of roasted chicken before, and I think this is my favorite. I cooked this one tonight, because I had the stuff left over from the brisket and a whole chicken in my freezer. If I had to add anything to it I might consider stuffing it with limes or some sort of citrus, but it was awesome as is.
Ingredients:
- Chicken
- 1/2 Beer
- 1 packet of Lipton's Onion Soup Mix
- Olive Oil
In a dutch oven pour half a bottle of beer and place your whole chicken. Rub olive oil over the skin and sprinkle soup mix. Cover and bake at 350 for 2-3 hours, uncover and bake for another 10-15 minutes to let skin crisp.
Ok so I didn't actually take these pics, I didn't think to do that because I didn't realize I would be blogging about them until after I ate a plate of this tasty chicken. These pics were actually found on the web, and they were the closest in appearance to what mine turned out like... my chicken was a little more golden than this one because I took the lid off to let it crisp a little. Both of these recipes were so tender and fragrant, and required little effort on my part, which I love as a busy Mommy who's husband works late nights, so I thought I'd share.
