Pan Gravy

2 TB meat drippings (fat)
2 TB flour
1 C liquid (meat juice and broth)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

In saucepan, heat the fat.  Stir in flour.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat.  Stir in liquid.  Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir 1 minute.  Stir in salt and pepper.

This is a very easy way to create gravy that isn't lumpy.  Make sure the flour is incorporated completely into the fat before adding the liquid.  To give it a little extra flavor brown the flour in the fat before stirring in the liquid.

To make a cream gravy, substitute whole milk or cream for the meat juice or broth.  A basic cream gravy can be used in some many different ways.  It is a versatile item that every good cook needs to know how to make.

Love Always,
Mommy

Teriyaki Marinade

1 envelope Italian Salad Dressing Mix (1/4 C)
1/4 C cider vinegar
1/4 C oil
1/4 C soy sauce
2 TB honey

To Double:
1/2 C Italian Salad Dressing Mix
1/2 C vinegar
1/2 C oil
1/2 C soy sauce
1/4 C honey

Combine ingredients in a gallon size ziplock bag.  Mix well.  Add 1 1b of chicken, beef, or veggies.  Marinate at least 1 hour.  Do not marinate meat and veggies together.  Discard marinade after use.

Putting chicken in this marinade in the morning and letting it sit in the refrigerator all day is an easy way to get some dinner prep completed ahead of time.  The marinated chicken fries up deliciously.  I usually fry it in some oil and a little bit of the marinade.  Occasionally I have made a batch of the marinade to warm up and serve over the chicken and some rice.  It makes the chicken "black" and Daniel loves "burnt chicken".  :)
Love Always, 
Mommy

Cilantro Lime Sauce

Mommy created recipe

2 limes
1/2 C butter
1 tsp salt
2 TB (or more) fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Juice the limes.  Add chopped cilantro to taste.  Allow cilantro to soak in lime juice for awhile.  Add salt and butter.  Serve over rice or noodles.  Might be good on chicken or beef as well.

Mommy created this last night and it was so yummy!  We had this over rice and shredded beef tacos (street tacos) and it was delicious!  We are having it again for lunch today as requested by you children.  :)


If making this as a rice dish I would add this sauce to app. 4-5 C. of cooked rice.  Mommy just served it on the side so everyone could add it to their rice to taste.  Joshua is allergic to lime so I didn't want to mix it into all the rice.
Love Always,
Mommy

Raspberry Vinaigrette

3/4 C. olive oil
1/4 C. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. sea salt
2 TB raw honey
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 C. fresh or frozen red raspberries
1/4 C. water

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend to desired consistency is reached.  Store remaining dressing in fridge for up to 2 weeks.

We tried this dressing a couple weeks ago for the first time.  It is amazing!  Wow!  It goes very well on a spinach salad.  Yippee!
Love Always,
Mommy

Freezer Jam

Jevonne Humphrey


3 lbs. strawberries
2 C. sugar
7 TB Instant pectin


Puree strawberries in the blender.  Combine pectin and sugar in a bowl.  Pour in 4 3/4 C. strawberry puree and mix for 3 minutes.  Pour into desired containers and let stand for 30 minutes.  Store in fridge for 3-4 weeks or freezer for a very long time!


Hannah and Mommy made this last fall and it was so yummy!  We put it on toast, stir it into yogurt, or eat it on bagels with cream cheese.  So delicious!  I bet it would be awesome on pancakes too.
Jevonne is a gal Mommy went to elementary school with.  Mommy and Jevonne got reacquainted on Facebook in 2011 and she shared this recipe with us.
Love Always,
Mommy

Apple Butter

http://moneysavingmom.com/2011/10/homemade-apple-butter-recipe-plus-free-printable-labels.html

• 6 pounds medium apples 
• 2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups raw or brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3-4 teaspoons cinnamon

Peel, core, and slice apples in fourths. Put them in the crockpot with the vanilla and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir every few hours. Once apples are very, very tender, mash with a potato masher and stir in sugar and spices. Cook on low for another 5-6 hours, stirring occasionally.

Cool and pour into jars or an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for several weeks or freezer for a long time.

We made this in the Fall of 2011.  It was yummy.  We like to stir it into yogurt or put it on bagels with cream cheese.  The house smells so yummy while this is cooking!

Love Always,

Mommy 

Alfredo Sauce

Homestead Cooking cookbook

1/4 C. butter
2 C. raw cream
1 C. Romano or Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Melt the butter in a saucepan.  Stir in the rest of the ingredients.  HEat until steaming, stirring occasionally.  Don't let it boil or it will curdle.  Use immediately.

This sauce does not warm up well in the microwave.

This is Daddy's favorite Alfredo sauce.  In the spring and summer we can get the raw cream from Nors dairy and it makes the best Alfredo sauce.  The cream from the store just doesn't taste the same.  Mommy has tried several different Alfredo recipes but none of them have turned out well until we tried this one.  
Love Always,
Mommy

Pizza Dough

A Wilkes Team and Team Southerland Creation- The Wilkes Team gave us the dough recipe; Team Southerland added the spices.

6 C. flour, divided
1/4 C. sugar
4 1/2 tsp. yeast
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 TB oregano
2 C. warm water, warmed to 120-130 degrees
1/4 C. oil

In the Bosch mixer, combine 2 C. flour, sugar, yeast, and all the spices.  Blend well.

Gradually add the oil and water to the mixture.  Blend at low speed until moistened, then beat for 2 minutes at medium speed.  Ass 3-4 C. more flour until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.  Add more flour if necessary.

Knead on Speed 2 for 7 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic.

Divide dough into two even balls.  Roll out into a circle, place on baking stone, and prick crust with a fork.

Bake crust @ 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until crust is just beginning to brown.  DON'T overbake!  Add sauce and toppings and bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until toppings are hot and cheese is melted.
 
TO FREEZE:
Prebake crust according to directions.  Allow crust to cool completely.  Wrap in plastic wrap then wrap in foil.  To bake from freezer: unwrap crust and assemble pizza.  Allow crust to defrost before baking at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until top pins are hot and cheese is melted.

Yield: 2 pizzas

This is awesome pizza!  I love having the crust in the freezer to pull out to make this yummy dinner.  We have a pizza sauce we like to make, add hamburger fried up and seasoned with garlic salt, pepperoni, and mozzarella cheese.  That is so good eating!
Love Always,
Mommy

Pizza Sauce

3 cans (6 oz.) tomato paste
2 1/4 C. water
2/3 C. parmesan cheese
3 tsp. dried minced garlic, rejuvinated
2 tsp. honey
2 1/4 tsp. onion powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. oregano
3/4 tsp. oregano
3/4 tsp. marjoram
3/4 tsp. basil
3/4 tsp. black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Turn off heat and let stand 20-30 minutes stirring occasionally.

Yield- enough sauce for 2 pizzas

I found this on the allrecipes website.  This is really yummy on our homemade pizza crust.  It isn't hard and tastes so good.  Homemade pizza is the best!
Love Always,
Mommy

Spaghetti Sauce

My friend Sheri at Graham Family Ministries has a winner with this recipe!

• Pasta of your choice
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 4 8-oz. cans tomato sauce (can use diced tomatoes or mixture of both to equal 1 quart)
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon organic sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon ground sage

In a large pot, bring water to a boil and cook pasta of your choice according to package directions.

To make sauce: In a large saucepan, brown ground beef, drain.  Add the tomato sauce and spices and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Serve sauce mixed into pasta or serve noodles and sauce separately.

Serve with Parmesan cheese and/or cheddar cheese on top.


Mommy finally found a homemade spaghetti sauce I am happy about.  I have tried several and they have all been okay, but not great.  This one is super yummy!  Daniel and Ezra especially like this.  I am so glad that Sheri shared this recipe on her blog.  
Love Always,
Mommy

Ranch Dressing and Dip

Laura at Heavenly Homemakers
Healthy Homemade Salad Dressings

5 TB dried minced onions,  blended in food processor
7 tsp parsley flakes
4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp garlic powder

Mix together and store in an air tight container.

For dressing: Mix 2 TB dry mix with 1 C mayonnaise and 1 C buttermilk or sour cream. (I use buttermilk.)
For dip: Mix 1 TB dry mix with 2 C sour cream or kreme fresh.

Mix up a few hours before serving, so the flavors all blend nicely.

I am noticing a trend as I choose which recipe to add next.  Laura at Heavenly Homemakers shows up quite often!  :)  She has some super recipes that our family really enjoys!  This ranch mix is FANTASTIC!!!  Hannah, Daniel, and Ezra love to eat this with carrots and celery.  Especially celery!  What a great way to add some veggies to our diet.  Hannah has specifically asked that this recipe be added to her cookbook so here you go Sweetie!

Love Always,
Mommy