Happy Father's Day!

While my little family is all still asleep on this beautiful Sunday morning, I wanted to wish everyone a very happy Father's Day!

This is my favorite picture of my little family. 

It was taken on the night we brought Grace home from the hospital. 

We were so worried that our spoiled puppy wouldn't like the baby.  We worried for nothing.  Remmy is wonderful with Grace.  They are buddies! 

Crunchy Tuna Salad with Egg

When I was a kid, I hated Tuna Salad.  I really, really hated it.  It wasn't the tuna itself that I didn't like, it was the chunks of onions that my mom added to it!  I remember asking my mom to just take the tuna out of the can and put it on some bread for me.  She did that occasionally.  But most of the time I was stuck with the chunks! 

Now, as an adult, I love to add not only onions, but also celery and carrots.  Mmmm!  I love all the crunchy veggies mixed with my tuna!  I also add hard boiled eggs to my tuna.  All those added items really makes a hearty sandwich and helps to stretch a can of tuna! 

 I make it pretty much the same way each time except I don't measure.  Here's a rough idea of how I made it tonight (you can adjust the add-ins according to your tastes): 

Crunchy Tuna Salad

Ingredients:

• 3 cans Albacor Tuna packed in water (drained)
• 3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
• 1/4 cup onion, diced
• 1/4 cup celery, diced
• 1/4 cup carrot, diced
• 1/4 Hellmann's Mayonnaise
• pepper, to taste (optional)

Directions:  

• Place eggs and tuna in a mixing bowl and mash with a fork to separate the tuna chunks a bit. 
• Add vegetables, stir until well mixed. 
• Stir in the mayo. 
• Add pepper (optional)

Notes: 

• Crisp-cooked bacon or the bacon sold in the salad dressing aisle is also a good addition to this salad. 
• I like to serve this on toast, crackers, or in a wrap with some lettuce.  

I used to get tuna salad similar to this from a deli in Philly on my lunch break.  The deli changed owners and the new owners had a different type of tuna salad.  While this is a similar salad, I was never able to duplicate the deli's salad.  That's okay, I like this one too! 

It's so much cheaper to make this tuna salad than it was to buy a single serving at the deli every day.  And it's a great way to use up some fresh vegetables.  I try to plan tuna salad whenever I buy celery for a recipe since we never seem to be able to use up the celery before it turns to mush in the veggie bin. 

I'll be linking this recipe to the following blog carnivals: 

• Make it From Scratch
• Frugal Friday

Homemade Barbecue Sauce

Last week, I made some barbecue chicken breasts in the oven. Grace loves chicken so I like to keep it made and in the fridge for her. It makes it easy for me on nights when she can't eat what we're eating.


We usually use store bought barbecue sauce but we ran out a couple weeks ago. The store was sold out of our favorite brand (Famous Dave's Sweet & Zesty) and I didn't care for the brand that Joe bought instead. It had way too much smoke flavor for my taste. 

I checked out my Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book (it's seen better days) and found a basic recipe. I was happy that I had all of the ingredients needed. As always, I adapted this recipe to suit our tastes and added or switched some of the ingredients.

Easy Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients:

1 C. ketchup
1/4 C. apple cider vinegar
1/2 C. water
1 1/2 T. brown sugar
1 T. Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
1 T. brown mustard
3 T. finely diced onion
1 T. finely diced celery
1/4 tsp. celery seed
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 oz. liquid smoke
several dashes of Tabasco Chipotle Pepper Sauce
ground black pepper to taste

Method:

In a small sauce pot, stir together all ingredients. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring often. After sauce comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer (uncovered) until sauce is thick, stirring often.


A couple of years ago, I never would have made my own barbecue sauce.  I wouldn't have even thought to do it.  I'm so happy that I made this sauce, it was so easy and so much cheaper than the store bought sauces.   I think we'll be sticking with this sauce for more daily use and save our favorites store bought brand as a treat. 
I'll be linking to the following blogs this week: 

• Homemaker Monday
• Motivate Me Monday
• Tasty Tuesday
• Tuesdays at the Table
• Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
• Kitchen Tip Tuesday
• Works For Me Wednesday
• Make It From Scratch
• Food On Friday
• Frugal Friday

Easier Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

I've been wanting to post more kitchen tips and other kitchen related topics to this blog but I've been focusing on recipes.  Since I haven't tried any new recipes lately, I thought I'd post this tip for easy grilled cheese sandwiches.

I  hate spreading butter onto bread.  Mainly because I always forget to take the butter out to soften and trying to spread the cold and hard butter on the bread tears the bread.  Sure I could soften it in the microwave, but I usually end up with an entire stick of MELTED butter.

For grilled cheese, I make it the way my Mom always made it for us.   With mayonnaise instead of butter.  It wasn't until I was in my late teens that I realized that most people used butter for their grilled cheese sandwiches. 

You've got to try it!  Instead of spreading butter onto the slices of bread, try some mayo!  I guess the oils in the mayo keeps the bread from sticking to the pan.  It still gets nice and golden brown too, just like a "regular" grilled cheese sandwich.  Joe even thinks that the mayo makes it taste creamier than the traditional way. 

Here's another tip:  For best results, use regular mayonnaise.  Don't use lite mayo or miracle whip.  The grilled cheese tends to stick when using those types. 

********Be sure to check out my other blog for a giveaway to celebrate it's 100th post!********



I'll be linking to:

• Kitchen Tip Tuesday  
• Works For Me Wednesday
• Food on Fridays

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day! 

This photo is from my FIRST Mother's Day.

Grace is so tiny in this picture. 

Just 8 days old. 

Sigh.

I cannot believe that it's been a year already! 

I'm looking forward to a quiet day with my 2 favorite people (and my favorite puppy).  We may possibly run an errand or two, but for the most part, a nice quiet day....we need it!  

~~~~~~~ 

My other blog:  Under the Big Oak Tree is getting very close to it's

100th post!  

Soon, I'll be announcing a giveaway to celebrate! 

Check back this week for more details!   

Ham and Cabbage Skillet

I'm not a huge fan of the traditional boiled ham and cabbage St. Patrick's Day dinner.  I also don't like Corned Beef and Cabbage.  Honestly, I am Irish!  :) 

When I eat ham, I tend to only enjoy it if it's a spiral cut ham from either Heavenly Ham or Honey Baked Ham.  Or if it's in the form of deli meat.  Even then, I'm picky about it. 

I will, however, eat ham steak.  And I do enjoy that!  MMmmm! 

In the past, Joe and I never really did anything to "celebrate" St. Patrick's Day.  Well, besides wearing a green shirt to avoid pinching! 

Now that we have Grace, I want to celebrate all the special occasions in little ways.  You know, heart-shaped pancakes on Valentine's Day and stuff like that. 

Grace is still too young to even realize that it's a special occasion and she's just starting on table food, so this year was "practice".   We were out yesterday during dinner, so I put off making our St. Patty's Day dinner until tonight.  I really enjoyed it and think it will be a keeper.  Not only for St. Patty's Day but as another way to serve ham steak throughout the year. 

Ham and Cabbage Skillet

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbs. butter
• 3 potatoes, scrubbed and diced
• 2 cups onion, chopped
• 2 cups carrot, chopped
• 4 cups cabbage, chopped
• 1/2 cup water
• Mrs. Dash, paprika, black pepper,  to taste
• 1 lb. ham steak, diced 

Method:

• Boil potatoes in a pot until tender, drain.
• In a skillet, melt butter and cook onions and carrots until onions just begin to become translucent. 
• Add cabbage and cook for about 2 minutes.
• Stir in water.  This will help the cabbage cook and also deglaze the pan. 
• Cook until vegetables are tender.
• Season to your liking and combine well. 
• Add diced ham, heat through.  
• Mix in the drained potatoes.  You may want to add another Tbs. of butter. 
• Cook a few minutes more. 

If you happen to make the traditional boiled ham dinner.  This would be a great way to serve the leftovers.  Just drain the juices, add to a hot skillet with melted butter and saute until slightly browned.  

Twice Baked Potatoes

Usually when I cook, I find a recipe I think we will like and then switch some of the ingredients around.  Sometimes I make changes to exclude an ingredient that I don't like (i.e. mushrooms) or I make a change because I think the recipe could be improved if something was added (like peppers and onions) or I make a change simply because I don't have a specific ingredient and I don't feel like waiting until I go shopping to make the recipe. 

When I make twice baked potatoes, I follow the recipe as it is written.  Every time.  (except I leave out the green onion.) 

Twice Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 8 baking potatoes*, scrubbed
• 2 sticks butter, sliced
• 1 cup bacon bits**
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 tsp. Lawry's Seasoned Salt
• 1 cup cheddar jack cheese, shredded
• black pepper
• additional cheddar jack for garnish

Method:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
• Bake potatoes on cookie sheet for 1 hour, 15 minutes
• Place sliced butter, bacon bits, sour cream and Lawry's Seasoned Salt in a large mixing bowl. 
• When potatoes are done baking, remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. 
• Turn oven down to 350 degrees.
• Hold potato with a clean dish towel or pot holder and cut in half (lengthwise).
• Scrape out the potato pulp into the bowl with the other ingredients, being careful to leave a little still attached to the skin.  Also, being careful to not tear the skin. 
• Place the skins on a cookie sheet. 
• Mash the potatoes and other ingredients with a hand masher (not the electric mixer) to the texture you like.  I like them a bit lumpy. 
• Add the shredded cheese and mix together until ingredients are well blended. 
• Stuff the potatoes. 
• Top with additional cheese. 
• Bake on cookie sheet for 15-20 minutes. 

*I prefer to use the huge potatoes from Costco, but the more normal sized baking potatoes from the grocery store work great, too. 

**Don't use the hard, crunchy kind of bacon bits.  Use the soft kind by Oscar Meyer or similar.  This can usually be found in the salad dressing/crouton aisle or in the canned tuna/chicken/Spam aisle. 

This recipe can be found on The Pioneer Woman Cooks! blog along with a great, step-by-step picture tutorial!