Fourth of July Wreath

This was a fun project that my sister-in-law made with all of the hand-prints of our family.
What you need:
4th of July themed paper (Red, White & Blue)
scissors
rubber cement
paper for tracing
pencil
circle wreath cut out of cardboard
How it is done:
1. Trace hands of all the member of your family (When you trace you make a pattern you only have to trace wiggly hands once!). Cut out each pattern.
2. Place and trace pattern onto different themed papers. Cut out each hand.
3. Place and glue hands around the cardboard wreath with rubber cement. 
You could do this for any holiday and it is a fun way to let the little ones in on the festivities!

25 minute Pan Fried Potatoes

This is a super simple recipe that I found in a magazine a while back and I use it all the time (especially when I am too lazy to use a mandolin for oven fries or it is too hot to turn on the oven!) It has a great combination of soft and crispy potatoey-ness!
Pan Fried Potatoes
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil (Less if you desire)
1 teaspoon of Seasoning of choice. The potatoes above have garlic powder, but you could use season salt, onion powder, smoked paprika, thyme. You can even combine (another one of our favorites is garlic and smoked paprika)...be creative!
Salt and Pepper to taste

Boil a large pot of salted water. Add potatoes and boil in salted water for 5 minutes; drain well.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add parboiled potatoes and Saute for 5 minutes without stirring. Stir and cook another 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown.
Season with desired seasoning combination, salt and pepper. Serve warm.
Makes 4 servings

Easy Farmhouse Chicken Chowder

This recipe was fabulous! I adapted it from a Cooks Country Recipe (again!) and it was a hit at our house! go ahead and wipe the drool off your laptop or computer desk...it is really as delicious as it seems!

Easy Farmhouse Chicken Chowder
adapted from "Farmhouse Chicken Chowder" in the April/May 2011 Cook's Country Magazine

6 slices bacon, chopped
6 scallions, white parts chopped fine and green parts
2 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
1 celery rib, cliced thin
salt & pepper
6 tablespoons flour
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 cups cooked and shredded chicken breast (I boiled mine first, then shredded it)
1 cup half and half

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel lined plate. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot. Cook scallion whites, carrots, celery and 1/2 teaspoon salt in bacon fat until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes.
Stir in broth and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add chicken and half and half. Simmer for about 2 minutes until the chicken is heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with bacon and scallion greens and serve!

Oven "Fries"

I don't own a frier...and I really don't like French Fries! But I LOVE these fries that are cooked in the oven and seasoned by me! I got this recipe from the Weight Watcher cookbook and I have used it for fries ever since...so not only are they good, they are kind of good for you!
Oven "Fries"
1 1/4 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch strips (I have a mandolin, but I have cut them with a knife before too)
3/4 teaspoon sea salt (kosher is good too!)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
(sometimes I add 1/2 teaspoon garlic, shallot, or onion powder)

Place your baking sheet in the oven and preheat oven to 450*.
In a large bowl, combine potatoes, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and the sugar into a bowl with cold water to cover. Soak 15 minutes; drain and blot dry with a towel or paper towels.
In another large bowl combine oil and paprika (and other desired spices). Toss in the potatoes being sure to cover potatoes in oil and seasonings.
Place the seasoned potatoes on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake, turning the potatoes over as they brown (I usually turn them at 20min.,30 min. and 40 min. time), until cooked through (about45 minutes). Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon sea salt.

Per serving (1/4 of the potatoes): 159 cal, 3 g fat, 3 g fiber, 2 g protein, WW points: 3 (not the new way of calculating though)

Quick Sunday Sauce

What do you do with all of that extra roast from the Lazy Cook's Pot Roast?! You make Quick Sunday Gravy! This sauce was to die for and took that pot roast to another realm!

Easy Sunday Sauce 
adapted from Cook's Country February/March 2011 
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground Italian sausage, out of casing (I use sweet, but hot would be yummy too!)
2 medium onions, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste (I freeze the rest)
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup beef (or chicken) broth
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 cups shredded leftover chuck roast meat
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound of cooked pasta (I prefer penne rigate, or some other tubular pasta)

Heat oil in Dutch oven (or large pot) over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until browned. Drain.
Cook onions in sausage fat over medium heat until see through. Add tomato paste, garlic, sugar and spices. Cook until tomato paste begins to darken, 1 to 2 minutes. Add broth, scraping up all of the brown bits and simmer until reduced to about 2 tablespoons, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, roast, reserved sausage, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until slightly thickened (at least 20 minutes...this is when I start to cook the pasta). Season with salt and pepper and serve over pasta.
 

Lazy Cook's Pot Roast

Have I told you how much I LOVE Cook's Country? This is a Cook's Illustrated Magazine that has some fabulous recipes all with full color pictures and NO adds! I buy the book at the years end (it is my scheduled Christmas present from Jason each year!). I have 5 years now and I continue to use the recipes and helpful hints found in the book! Here is where you can order yours! You can even get digital copies or get a subscription to their website...I am sure they are both cheaper than the book, but I LOVE to have the actual books!
**You will need an 18 in side roll of heavy duty aluminum foil.
What should you do with all of those delicious leftovers? Well make Easy Sunday Gravy with pasta!

Chuck Roast In Foil
adapted from Cook's Country February/March 2011 magazine
RUB:
3 tablespoons cornstarch
4 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon celery seed

CHUCK ROAST:
1 (4 pound) boneless beef chuck-eye roast
2 onions, peeled and quartered
6 small red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons soy sauce 


1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300*.
2. Combine rub ingredients in a small bowl.
3. Pat roast dry with paper towels. Separate roast into 2 pieces along natural seam and trim fat to 1/4 inch thickness (I just shaved most of mine off). Tie with kitchen twine around each roast at 1 inch intervals. (I totally forgot the twine...it still turned out amazing!)
4. Crisscross two 30 by 18 inch sheets of heavy duty tin foil inside a large roasting pan (I have a rather small one, but it still worked!) Place vegetables and bay leaves in the center of the foil and drizzle with the soy sauce. Set roasts on top of vegetables. Rub roasts all over with rub. Fold opposite corners of foil toward each other and crimp edges tightly to seal. Transfer pan to oven and cook until meat is completely tender (about 4 1/2 hours).
5. Remove roasts from foil pouch and place on carving board. Tent meat with foil and let rest for 20 minutes. Discard onions and bay leaves. Using clotted spoon, place carrots and potatoes on serving platter. Strain the contents of roasting pan though a fine mesh strainer into a fat separator.  Let liquid settle then pour the defatted pan juices into serving bowl. 
6. Remove kitchen twine from roasts. Slice roasts thinly against the grain and transfer to platter with vegetables. Pour 1/2 cup pan juices over meat. Serve with remaining pan juices.

Next time I will try this recipe in the crock pot and see how it goes!
 

"Fried" Zucchini

I LOVE zucchini and cannot wait until my plant explode with them during the summer! This is an easy and delicious way to use up all of those zucchini!

"Fried" Zucchini
4 zucchini, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
basil (I used dried, but fresh is great too!)
salt
2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced zucchini and heat for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook for another 3 minutes or until the vegetables are crisp, but tender.
Remove from heat and stir in basil, salt and Parmesan cheese.
Makes 4 servings, 3/4 cups each.