Cooking in Chaos

I love to cook and amid the chaos of our lives, I actually spend a lot of time in the kitchen making meals for my family and for when we are working cattle.

Almost Ready!

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Next week I travel to become certified in acidified food processing. My recipe will be tested and I will be approved to selly jalapeños. 

I am so excited for this venture to begin. I am looking forward to traveling to farmer’s markets all over Wyoming to peddle my wares! Lol

My labels arrived and my sample jars are ready. I have had a few testers give me their feedback and so far so good. They are sweet with a perfect amount of kick. Just enough to know its a jalapeño, but not enough to hurt. 

It is also funny that my labels are chalkboard inspired. When I taught I had so many chalkboards. Why teach if you don’t get to use chalk? So my labels are perfect. 

  

 

New Venture Coming Soon!

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I started canning jalapeños for myself and family a couple of years ago. With pushing from my family I am on my way to being able to sell them. I know, I need another venture right?

Well they are the best jalapeños ever! I swear! They are sweet with a little kick. They are so addicting. I have made a few runs in the past few months and have perfected the recipe. So I hopefully am ready. They love are amazing on Nachos!

  

In case your wondering, those are not my nachos. I hate guacamole. My husband however would inhale it. 

I am heading to an acidified processing class in Jackson Hole in a couple of weeks. (I know it was either Jackson or Powell and I went with Jackson. Wouldn’t you?). Then they will send in my jalapeños with my instructions and testing results and hopefully I will be approved. 

I made up some sample jars for selling. These will be my first ones. I can’t wait. 

  

I finally settled on some labels and a name. I think it will work.  

 

Well that Backfired!

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Yesterday I had this crazy idea that I knew would be so funny. I put lots of green dye in the milk. I know funny right!

You should have seen my son’s face when he went to pour a cup! Priceless!!

Well a few hours later it was not so priceless. I fixed dinner of fried pork chops, mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn. Yep, I realized my error when it came time to make the gravy! What was I thinking!!

Sometimes I really need to think things through a little better.

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It’s what I dreamed about!

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I woke up the other day with a craving for this soup inside a delicious bread bowl. Luckily for me the local grocery store carries fresh made bread bowls, and I found a recipe for the soup.  Within minutes, yes minutes I had mouth watering soup steaming inside a delicious bread bowl.

My picky eater son would not touch the soup. However he would dip the bread into my soup and eat that.  Weird!!

This was perfect on a snowy blowy morning.  I think it will freeze well to be enjoyed many times through the winter.

 

Broccoli Cheese Soup

  • Servings: 6-8
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

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1/2 cup butter

1/2 small onion, finely chopped

1-2 pkgs (16 ounces each) frozen chopped broccoli

7 cups of hot water mixed with Watkins Chicken soup base or 4 cans of chicken broth

1 pound (1 box) of processed cheese, cubed. (I used 1.5 boxes)

1-2 cups heavy cream

1 tbsp garlic powder

1/2 cup cornstarch

1 cup water

salt and pepper to taste

 

1. Melt butter in a large soup pan. Toss in onions and sauté until tender.  Stir in the broccoli (depending on how much broccoli you want add 1 or 2 bags)  and cover with the chicken broth.  Simmer until the broccoli is tender, about 15 minutes.

2.  Reduce heat, and stir in the cubed cheese. Stir until completely melted. Paying careful attention that it is not sticking to the bottom of the pan.

3.  Add the cream. Stir to combine.  Next mix the cornstarch and the water. Add to the soup mixture.  Stir to incorporate. Stir often until thickened to your liking.  Add the garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste.

4. Pour into bread bowls.  Enjoy

 

 

 

 

Coconut Heaven

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My daughter asked for a coconut cake for her birthday. I was so dreading making the traditional two layer cake topped with mounds of coconut. It is just such a heavy cake.

Although it is delicious and one of my favorites, it is a big cake. To be honest, it just doesn’t get eaten. My family will take a slice maybe two, then that is it. It will lay to rot away.

So I went searching for something new. I found this glorious little cake. It is so rich and wonderful. I waited for it to be nice and cold the next morning. However my family dove in as soon as it was cool enough for me to frost.

It is basically a poke cake, but it is turned up a notch. If you love coconut, this is the cake for you!

Note: You will notice a little yellow spot on the picture of the cake. That is from a dripping birthday candle.

Coconut Dream Cake

1 box white cake mix
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 can cream of coconut
1 large tub of Cool-whip topping
Sweetened flaked coconut

1. Bake cake in a 9×13 pan according to pkg directions.

2. In a small saucepan combine sweetened condensed milk and the cream of coconut. Don’t boil, just warm throughly and stir until combined.

3. Take cake out of the oven when a toothpick comes out clean. Poke holes over the cake. Pour the coconut mixture over the warm cake slowly. Sprinkle with a little bit of coconut.

4. Let cook completely. Too with cool whip and sprinkle with additional coconut. Place in the fridge to chill.

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The Perfect Anytime Ham!

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My Aunt Jo makes the most amazing ham. We have had the privilege of eating her delicacy since we were little. At every major holiday she would make this monster of a ham. When she would arrive with that ham, we would all peak into the kitchen to see if we could get a little bite.  Her ham on my mom’s rolls! Oh it takes my breath away!! The rolls melt in your mouth and then that warm, sweet ham. Oh my goodness, you are truly missing out.

It is amazing. I absolutely love it.  It is wonderful the first day, amazing the 2nd on leftover rolls, and positively decadent in ham and potato soup.  However you decide to use up the few leftovers you will have, you first must make it.  You will not be disappointed.

We happend to be at the grocery store yesterday and picked up a nice spiral sliced ham. I cooked it with Aunt Jo’s recipe today for lunch.  We were not disappointed. It is mouthwatering!!

Christmas Cranberry and Pineapple Ham

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  • 12 lb. ham, uncooked
  • whole cloves
  • 2 ½ cups brown sugar, packed and divided
  • 1 ⅓ cups cranberry juice cocktail
  • ½ cup honey
  • ¼ cup cider vinegar
  • 2 ½ tbsp. all-purpose flour, divided
  • 3 tbsp. prepared mustard
  • 1 can pineapple slices
  • maraschino cherry, halved
1.Remove the skin from the ham; place fat side up. Score fat in a diamond design and stud with cloves. Place ham fat side up on rack in a shallow roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer, making certain end of the thermometer does not touch fat or bone. Bake at 350 degrees for 3.5 – 4 hours
2.Combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, cranberry juice, honey, cider vinegar, flour, and mustard in a saucepan Mix well. Bring to a boil and com one minute. Coat exposed portions of ham with remaining brown sugar. Place pineapple rings on ham securing with toothpicks. Leave tip exposed for cherry halves. Pour hot cranberry sauce over the ham, bake an additional 30 minutes or until thermometer reaches 160 degrees. Let rest before slicing.

Another Morning of Candy Making

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I finished up the peanut butter balls. I love peanut butter balls with rice krispies in them.  I just do.  My family not so much.  Which left more than plenty for me to eat.

I will tell you that for the dipping chocolate I used the leftover chocolate from the coconut balls. I made so much that I had more than plenty do handle both the coconut balls and the PB balls and still have to throw out a little.

Enjoy!!

Crunchy Peanut Butter Balls

  • Servings: 20-40 depending on size
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  • 2 cups creamy peanut butter

  • 1/2 cup butter

  • 4 cups confectioners’ sugar

  • 3 cups crisp rice cereal
  • favorite chocolate dipping recipe
  1. Melt peanut butter and butter in saucepan, over low heat. In large bowl, mix crispy rice cereal and confectioners’ sugar well. Pour melted peanut butter and butter over cereal and sugar and blend together thoroughly.
  2. Put into the fridge overnight.
  3. Scoop with a small cookie scoop and roll into balls. Using a toothpick dip them into your favorite chocolate dipping recipe.
  4. Place in mini muffin wrappers and top with sprinkles to hide the hole the toothpick leaves.
  5. These can be frozen.

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Peanut Butter Balls These turned out so good. I can’t wait to make them again.

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Who’s Ready for Coconut Balls?

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If you have never eaten one of my Mom’s coconut balls.  Well you have not lived.  Well you may have lived, but you are missing out on one of the best holiday treats ever! i mean ever!! These are one of the best things that could possibly be made during Christmas.

My family will hurt each other over the last or first of these candies. They are that good.  I know that I am late getting this recipe on here, but go ahead and make them now. They freeze amazingly well. Make a batch, freeze them, and then slowly devour them one by one over the next few months. You will thank me. Your hips well they may not thank me, but your tastebuds will relish every single bite!!

Mom's Outstanding Coconut Balls

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  • 1 bag powdered sugar
  • 2 sticks butter, softened
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  • 7 ounces coconut
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 pound chopped pecans
  • 1 ½ large packages chocolate chips-semi sweet
  • 1 block block of parafin-candy wax
1.Melt butter and pour into a mixer. Add 1/2 bag of the sugar. Add milk and rest of the sugar. Add nuts, coconut, and vanilla. Mix well. Refrigerate overnight.
2.In a double broiler melt chocolate chips and wax. Shape nut mixture into balls. Using a fork or toothpick dip into the chocolate mixture and place on waxed papers. Store in the fridge in an airtight container.

Note:

original recipe calls for 2 boxes of powdered sugar. Each box is 3 3/4 cups or 16 oz. Also one block of wax will melt and you will need a lot of chips to make it not so runny. I used one block, but I also used one large bag of semi sweet and 1 large bag of dark chocolate.  Loved the dark chocolate with the coconut.

Also this makes a lot. I mean a lot. When you bring it out of the fridge they will be cold and stiff and roll into nice balls that will not be melted by the warm chocolate. As the mix comes to room temperature it will become harder to dip. I place them back into the fridge and go back later or the next day to finish. I added sprinkles to the tops so that the toothpick hole was hidden.  Much easier than drizzling with chocolate.

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Amazingly Soft PB Cookies

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I am not a peanut butter cookie fan. However I found this recipe and decided I was going to give it a try. What could it hurt? My family lately loves cookies and I have been trying to keep my cookie jar full. That in itself can be a hard task when cow work seems to be happening daily. The guys love a snack of cookies or brownies when we take a break doing cow work.

Anyway, I found this recipe and I adapted it a little bit to make it fit my needs. It turned out to be a wonderful little cookie. It is a peanut butter dough that you roll in sugar and bake it until they just crack on top. This leaves a very soft cookie on the inside but kind of an outer shell. You must give this recipe a try.

Peanut Butter Cookies

  • Servings: 24-28 small cookies
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1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
4 tbsp butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Granulated sugar for coating

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Mix peanut butter and butter in a mixing bowl, add brown sugar and beat until well combined. Mix in eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla. Beat until creamy

3. Add the baking powder and salt. Beat until just blended. Then add the flour in small increments. Mix just until combined.

4. Put the granulated sugar in a small ball. Using a small ice cream scoop or cookie scoop, skip out one portion of cookie dough. Role in your hand to make a ball, and then roll it in the granulated sugar. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Place cookies 2 inches apart.

5. Bake for approximately 8 to 10 minutes or just until the edges are browned and the tops begin to crack. DO NOT OVER COOK! Let cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes, then move to a cookie rack.

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Summertime Supper

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When summertime finally creeps its way into my world. I try to think of easy and fun things to cook. When the temperatures rise it is very hard to think of cooking a huge meal that not only heats up the house but weighs on your stomach.

I have found that this simple meal is refreshing and light. When the kids head to Tennessee to stay with my parents. I get to take a vacation from the heavy cooking and my husband and I can eat a very light meal. The kids would never touch tomatoes and it works perfect for us. Settle down with this light meal and a glass of wine. Perfect for any summertime evening dreaming of the return of fall and winter!

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Bruschetta

  • Servings: 3-4
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

1 loaf of french bread, sliced into 6-8 slices 1/2 inch thick

olive oil

2 medium tomatoes

6-8 basil leaves or dehydrated basil

fresh mozzarella

Salt and pepper

  • Chop the tomatoes and basil into small pieces.  Drizzle with olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.
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  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Slice the french bread about 1/2 inch thick and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Place spoonfuls of the tomato mixture onto each piece of bread. Top with sliced mozzarella.
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  • Bake until cheese is melted and heated through.
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  • Serve immediately.

Enjoy!