Three Envelope Roast

 Ingredients:
3 pound beef roast such as chuck roast
1 envelope of dry Italian salad dressing mix
1 envelope of dry ranch salad dressing mix
1 envelope of dry brown gravy mix
2 cups water

Instructions :
Put the water in a measuring cup that is larger then the amount of water you are using. Now add and mix all three envelopes to the water. Mix until blended completely.
Brown the roast (if desired). Add the meat to your cooker. Pour the water, salad dressing mixture over the roast. In the slow cooker cook it on high for about 4 hours on low about 8 hours.

Healing Salve for Minor Scrapes and Burns

Healing Salve for Minor Scrapes and Burns

• 1/2 c. coconut oil (or olive oil)
• 1/2 c. grapeseed oil (or olive oil)
• 1/2 c. healing herbs of your choice (chamomile, calendula, comfrey, lavender, plantain leaves)
• 4 Tbsp. beeswax
• 2 tsp. honey
• 15 drops lavender essential oil (optional)

Infuse the oils and herbs over low heat on a double boiler for 30 minutes, stirring often. Strain the herbs from the oil. Place the oil back into the top of the double boiler and add beeswax, stirring until completely melted. Pour the mixture into a sterile container and add essential oil (if desired), stirring well. Then stir in the honey, and continue to stir the salve mixture every few minutes until it’s set up – making sure the honey is completely incorporated.
This should keep in a cool, dark place for up to a year. Apply to minor scrapes and burns a few times a day until healed.

White Chocolate Lemon Truffles

1 cup white chocolate

5 Tbsp. unsalted butter

3 Tbsp. heavy cream

pinch salt

1 tsp. lemon extract

icing sugar, for dusting

Melt chocolate, butter and cream over a double boiler or in a microwave. Stir until smooth.

Stir in salt and extract. Allow to cool slightly before covering with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm enough to handle.

With a melon baller or small spoon scoop out mixture and form into 1 inch balls. Toss with icing sugar to coat.

Store covered in the fridge for up to one week. Freeze for longer storage.

Skillet Chicken With Tomato Cream Sauce

This is a flavorful dish to serve with spaghetti or similar pasta. This makes a tasty everyday meal for the family.

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup dry white wine or more chicken broth
• 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese, about 2 ounces
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 8 ounces angel hair pasta or linguine or spaghetti, cooked and drained

Preparation:

For sauce, saute the chopped onion in olive oil until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Stir in 1/2 cup chicken broth, wine, basil, and parsley. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cream, Parmesan cheese, and tomato sauce. Continue cooking until the sauce is hot and cheese has melted.Wash chicken and pat dry. Place between sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound until uniform in thickness. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; coat with the flour. In a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat, cook the chicken in 2 tablespoons of olive oil for about 3 minutes on each side, or until browned. Add 1/2 cup of chicken broth, cover, and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Add tomato cream sauce, cover, and cook for 4 to 6 minutes longer, until chicken is cooked through. Serve with hot cooked pasta.
Serves 4.

Pizza Puffs

1-1/4 cups water
1/3 cup shortening
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour ( I use low carb flour)
4 eggs
3/4 cup finely chopped pepperoni (3 oz.)
3/4 cup finely shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese (3 oz.)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 jar pizza sauce

Preparation:
Grease 2 large baking sheets and set aside. In a large saucepan combine water and shortening. Bring to a boil. Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously. Cook and stir until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat. Cool for 10 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in pepperoni, cheese, parsley, garlic powder, and pepper.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. Bake at 450°F for 15 to 17 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve with pizza sauce for dipping

Homemade Heavy Duty Floor Cleaner

ONLY use this and it leaves floor spotless. 
1 cup white vinegar, 1 tablespoon liquid dish soap, cup baking soda, 2 gallons tap water, (very warm.) It leaves everything smelling amazing.
 

Mexican Stuffed Shells

Yield: 16 shells

Ingredients
...
1 pound ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 package low-sodium taco seasoning
4 ounces cream cheese
16 jumbo pasta shells
1 1/2 cups salsa
1 cup taco sauce
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup Monterrey jack cheese
For toppings:
3 green onions
Sour cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.
In a pan brown the ground beef; add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions. Add cream cheese, cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Stir together and mix well. Set aside and cool completely.
While ground beef is cooking, cook the pasta shells according to package directions; drain. Set shells out individually on cutting board or baking sheet so that they don’t stick together.
Pour salsa on bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Stuff each shell with 1-2 tablespoons of the meat mixture. Place shells in 9×13 pan open side up. Evenly cover shells with taco sauce. Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, add shredded cheese and bake for 10-15 more minutes with the foil removed. Top with green onions or olives if desired. Serve with sour cream and/or more salsa

Cracker Barrel Chicken n' Dumplings

 Ingredients
2 cups Flour
½ teaspoons Baking Powder
1 pinch Salt
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 cup Buttermilk, a bit less than a full cup (you can use regular milk if needed)
2 quarts Chicken Broth
3 cups Cooked Chicken

A bowl of chicken and dumplings. A glass of sweet tea. It’s a meal any Kentuckian would be proud to fix and danged happy to sit down to. And it’s not hard to make. Come on, I’ll show you how.

Preparation Instructions:

 In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork or pastry blender. Stir in the milk, mixing with a fork until the dough forms a ball.

Heavily flour a work surface. You’ll need a rolling pin and something to cut the dumplings with. I like to use a pizza cutter. I also like to use a small spatula to lift the dumplings off the cutting surface.

Roll the dough out thin with a heavily floured rolling pin. Dip your cutter in flour and cut the dumplings in squares about 2″x2″. It’s okay for them not to be exact. Just eye ball it. Some will be bigger, some smaller, some shaped funny.

Use the floured spatula to put them on a heavily floured plate. Just keep flouring between the layers of dumplings.

To cook them, bring the broth to a boil. Drop the dumplings in one at a time, stirring while you add them. The extra flour on them will help thicken the broth. Cook them for about 15-20 minutes or until they not doughy tasting. Add the cooked chicken to the pot and you’re done!

Note: My chicken and dumplings has potatoes, carrots, onion and celery in it.

Caramel

Unopened can of condensed milk + 8 hours on low (completely submerged in water...) in the crock pot + cool down in the fridge = Caramel!

Crescent Burgers

1 lb. hamburger meat
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
couple drop of Worcestershire sauce
1 1oz. pkg. dry onion soup mix (28g) I think is the one they are talking about.
1 roll of crescent rolls
1 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 350*

Brown and drain hamburger. In medium bowl mix hamburger and rest of ingredients (reserve 1/4 cup cheese for tops). Add a HEAPING spoonful of meat mixture to large end of unrolled crescent roll. Roll up and seal edges as best you can. Sprinkle reserved cheese on top and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

DIY 'Vintage' Wine Crate Coffee Table

~ 4 Wooden Crates ~ I already had one on hand from Michael's so I bought 3 more. Using their 40% coupon for each crate they came to just over $7 each. (I'd love to make a table with actual vintage wine crates) Crates are 12.5"W x 18"L x 9.5"H.
~ Two 1x2x6 ~ I used Pine but it shouldn't matter
~ 4 Casters ~  I already had these on hand but this is one thing I would change. I thought about trying to rust these a little but I actually wanted the functionality to be able to un/lock the wheels and I was afraid intentionally rusting them would cause some problems. So next time I'll look for casters that are all black or have a rustic look.

Optional Materials:
~ Images (not necessary if you use a real wine crate) - I found one on The Graphics Fairy and a few others online
~ Mod Podge ~ Matte Finish
~ Stain ~ Vinegar, steel wool and brewed tea {See my Stain Tutorial for more options}
~ A variety of screws, nails, L brackets, and bolts
~ Satin Polyurethane

Final Dimensions: 27"W x 27"D x 17"H
Total Cost: $7 (x4 crates), $8 worth of wood for the frame and $7 per caster = $64
*price does not include screws, nails, stain or finish.

Source/Tutorial: http://diy-vintage-chic.blogspot.com/2012/05/vintage-wine-crate-coffee-table.html

Easy Caramel Sauce

Easy Caramel Sauce

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar and water. Cook, whisking constantly over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add butter and vanilla; cook 3 minutes, or until thickened, whisking constantly.

 

This would be fantastic on the Apple Angel Food Dessert I posted earlier or as a warm sauce for ice cream.  Enjoy

Apple (or any fruit filling) Angel Food Dessert

You're going to just DIE over this recipe!...
2 SIMPLE ingredients: 1- 21oz can of apple (or fruit of your choice) pie filling and 1 box of angel food cake mix........that's it! NOTE: you MUST use the ONE-STEP (the kind that only requires water) cake mix for this to work....but DO NOT add the water!
Mix the 2 ingredients together (the dry packet of cake mix and the undrained can of fruit/filling) pour in a greased 9x13 pan or dish and bake for about 20 minutes at 350 (or according to baking directions on the box).
People....it can't get ANY easier than this! A dollop or 3 of ice cream finishes it off perfectly or make an easy caramel sauce. I'll find the recipe and post it here.

KFC Coleslaw

KFC coleslaw is one of my all-time favorite foods, After doing some research I found this recipe and I have made it in the past and it is absolutely delicious! It tastes exactly like the stuff KFC makes!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
8 cups finely chopped cabbage (approx. 1 head)
1/4 cup shredded carrot (1 medium carrot)
2 tablespoons minced onion


Directions:
* Be sure cabbage and carrots are chopped into very fine pieces (a little bigger than rice)
* Combine the mayonnaise, sugar, milk, buttermilk, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper in large bowl. Beat until smooth
* Add cabbage, carrots, and onions. Mix well.
* Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, if you let it sit over night it's even better.

Chorizo Stuffed Poblano Peppers

 

Chorizo Stuffed Poblano Peppers

These chorizo-stuffed poblanos spread across a gamut of flavors and textures—fresh, tangy, creamy, spicy, cheesy, meaty, earthy, and more—to make one insanely delicious dish.

 

      

• Prep Time: 30 Minutes
• Cook Time: 30 Minutes
• Total Time: 1 Hour
• Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, minced
• 4 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 2/3 pound raw Mexican chorizo, removed from casings
• 1 1/2 cups cooked white rice
• 2 medium roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/3 cup Mexican crema, or sour cream
• 1/4 cup grated cotija cheese
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 large poblano peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
• 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

Procedure

1. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add in onion and saute until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in chorizo, breaking sausage into small pieces with a wooden spoon, and cook until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
2. Add rice, tomatoes, crema, cilantro, and cotija cheese to bowl with meat mixture and mix until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Spoon mixture into cavities of split poblanos and top with pepper jack cheese.
4. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange the coals on one side of the charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Place poblanos on cool side of grill, cover, and cook until cheese has melted and poblanos have softened, about 20-30 minutes. Remove from grill and serve.

Salsa Chicken

2 lbs. (32 oz.) chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
1 cup salsa, homemade or purchased
1 cup petite diced canned tomatoes (choose low-sodium)
2 tbsp. taco seasoning
1 cup onions, diced fine
1/2 cup celery diced fine
1/2 cup carrots, shredded
3 tbsp. sour cream, reduced fat
 Cheddar cheese
green onions

 Place the chicken in a slow cooker. Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the meat then layer the vegetables and salsa on top. Pour a half cup water over the mixture, set on low and cook for 6-8 hours. The meat is cooked when it shreds or reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. When ready to serve, break up the chicken with two forks then stir in the sour cream. Top with cheese and cook until melted. Garnish with green onions.

 Makes eight 1 cup servings.

 Nutrition Info: Calories: 164.9; Fat: 2.5g; Carbohydrates: 7.3g; Protein: 27.6g

Egg Freshness Guide

7UP Biscuits

Bisquick, sour cream, 7up and butter!.... These are excellent!!!! So easy and soooo good! Will be making these from now on! Recipe is hard to find so here it is...:

7 Up Biscuits

4 cups Bisquick
1 cup sour cream
1 cup 7-up
1/2 cup melted butter

Mix bisquick, sour cream and 7 up. Melt butter in bottom of cookie sheet pan, and put shaped biscuits in, then Bake at 425 until golden

Peanut Butter Bread

This recipe comes from one of my FB friends. It was one of his mother's recipes and I can't wait to try it.


2 C flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/3 c. sugar
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 1/2 c. milk
bake at 350degrees for 50 min or until done in the middle.

Homemade Floor Cleaner

1 c water,
1 c vinegar,
1c alcohol,
2-3 drops dishwashing soap

HOMEMADE MOSQUITO TRAP

HOMEMADE MOSQUITO TRAP:
Items needed:
1 cup of water
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 gram of yeast
1 2-liter bottle

HOW:
1. Cut the plastic bottle in half.
2. Mix brown sugar with hot water. Let cool. When cold, pour in the bottom half of the bottle.
3. Add the yeast. No need to mix. It creates carbon dioxide, which attracts mosquitoes.
4. Place the funnel part, upside down, into the other half of the bottle, taping them together if desired.
5. Wrap the bottle with something black, leaving the top uncovered, and place it outside in an area away from your normal gathering area. (Mosquitoes are also drawn to the color black.)

The many uses for Hydrogen Peroxide

HYDROGEN PEROXIDE MAGIC!

Ever since I started using Hydrogen Peroxide to get rid of armpit stains, to clean cookie sheets, as a miracle cleaner in my kitchen ...and bathroom, and to make my own “oxi clean”…I ALWAYS have at least one bottle of the stuff under my kitchen sink, under my bathroom sink, AND in the laundry room. This stuff is amazingly versatile!

But it wasn’t until recently, after doing some IN DEPTH research on the subject, that I came to realize what a “miracle substance” hydrogen peroxide really is! It’s safe, it’s readily available, it’s cheap, and best of all, it WORKS! It works for a LOT of stuff!

Hydrogen peroxide should really be called oxygen water, since it is basically the same chemical make up as water but with an extra oxygen atom (H2O2). Because of this it breaks down quickly and harmlessly into oxygen and water.

Some other interesting facts about hydrogen peroxide:

It is found in all living material.
Your white blood cells naturally produce hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to fight bacteria and infections.
Fruit and vegetables naturally produce hydrogen peroxide. This is one of the reasons why it is so healthy to eat fresh fruit and vegetables.
It is found in massive dosages in the mother’s first milk, called colostrum, and is transferred to the baby to boost their immune system.
It is found in rain water because some of the H20 in the atmosphere receives an additional oxygen atom from the ozone (O3) and this H2O2 makes plants grow faster.
Next to Apple Cider Vinegar, hydrogen peroxide ranks up there as one of the best household remedies.

Besides the obvious (cleansing wounds), did you know that it is probably the best remedy to dissolve ear wax? Brighten dingy floors? Add natural highlights to your hair? Improve your plants root systems? The list goes on and on!

There are SO many uses for this stuff that I’ve started replacing the cap on the hydrogen peroxide bottle with a sprayer because it’s easier and faster to use that way.

I have compiled a rather impressive list of uses for 3% hydrogen peroxide that I hope will have you as thrilled and bewildered as I was!

Wash vegetables and fruits with hydrogen peroxide to remove dirt and pesticides. Add 1/4 cup of H2O2 to a sink of cold water. After washing, rinse thoroughly with cool water.

In the dishwasher, add 2 oz. to your regular detergent for a sanitizing boost. Also, beef up your regular dish soap by adding roughly 2 ounces of 3% H2O2 to the bottle.

Use hydrogen peroxide as a mouthwash to freshen breath. It kills the bacteria that causes halitosis. Use a 50/50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water.

Use baking soda and hydrogen peroxide to make a paste for brushing teeth. Helps with early stages of gingivitis as it kills bacteria. Mixed with salt and baking soda, hydrogen peroxide works as a whitening toothpaste.

Soak your toothbrush in hydrogen peroxide between uses to keep it clean and prevent the transfer of germs. This is particularly helpful when you or someone in your family has a cold or the flu.

Clean your cutting board and countertop. Let everything bubble for a few minutes, then scrub and rinse clean. (I’ve been using it for this a LOT lately!)

Wipe out your refrigerator and dishwasher. Because it’s non-toxic, it’s great for cleaning places that store food and dishes.

Clean your sponges. Soak them for 10 minutes in a 50/50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and warm water in a shallow dish. Rinse the sponges thoroughly afterward.

Remove baked-on crud from pots and pans. Combine hydrogen peroxide with enough baking soda to make a paste, then rub onto the dirty pan and let it sit for a while. Come back later with a scrubby sponge and some warm water, and the baked-on stains will lift right off.

Whiten bathtub grout. First dry the tub thoroughly, then spray it liberally with hydrogen peroxide. Let it sit — it may bubble slightly — for a little while, then come back and scrub the grout with an old toothbrush. You may have to repeat the process a few times.

Clean the toilet bowl. Pour half a cup of hydrogen peroxide into the toilet bowl, let stand for 20 minutes, then scrub clean.

Remove stains from clothing, curtains, and tablecloths. Hydrogen peroxide can be used as a pre-treater for stains — just soak the stain for a little while in 3% hydrogen peroxide before tossing into the laundry. You can also add a cup of peroxide to a regular load of whites to boost brightness. It’s a green alternative to bleach, and works just as well.

Brighten dingy floors. Combine half a cup of hydrogen peroxide with one gallon of hot water, then go to town on your flooring. Because it’s so mild, it’s safe for any floor type, and there’s no need to rinse.

Clean kids’ toys and play areas. Hydrogen peroxide is a safe cleaner to use around kids, or anyone with respiratory problems, because it’s not a lung irritant. Spray toys, toy boxes, doorknobs, and anything else your kids touch on a regular basis.

Help out your plants. To ward off fungus, add a little hydrogen peroxide to your spray bottle the next time you’re spritzing plants.

Add natural highlights to your hair. Dilute the hydrogen peroxide so the solution is 50% peroxide and 50% water. Spray the solution on wet hair to create subtle, natural highlights.

According to alternative therapy practitioners, adding half a bottle of hydrogen peroxide to a warm bath can help detoxify the body. Some are skeptical of this claim, but a bath is always a nice way to relax and the addition of hydrogen peroxide will leave you – and the tub – squeaky clean!

Spray a solution of 1/2 cup water and 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide on leftover salad, drain, cover and refrigerate. This will prevent wilting and better preserve your salad.

Sanitize your kids’ lunch boxes/bags.

Dab hydrogen peroxide on pimples or acne to help clear skin.

Hydrogen peroxide helps to sprout seeds for new plantings. Use a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution once a day and spritz the seed every time you re-moisten. You can also use a mixture of 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 32 parts water to improve your plants’ root system.

Remove yellowing from lace curtains or tablecloths. Fill a sink with cold water and a 2 cups of 3% hydrogen peroxide. Soak for at least an hour, rinse in cold water and air dry.

Use it to remove ear wax. Use a solution of 3% with olive or almond oil. Add a couple drops of oil first then H2O2. After a few minutes, tilt head to remove solution and wax.

Helps with foot fungus. Spray a 50/50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water on them (especially the toes) every night and let dry. Or try soaking your feet in a peroxide solution to help soften calluses and corns, and disinfect minor cuts.

Spray down the shower with hydrogen peroxide to kill bacteria and viruses.

Use 1 pint of 3% hydrogen peroxide to a gallon of water to clean humidifiers and steamers.

Wash shower curtains with hydrogen peroxide to remove mildew and soap scum. Place curtains in machine with a bath towel and your regular detergent. Add 1 cup full strength 3% hydrogen peroxide to the rinse cycle.

Use for towels that have become musty smelling. 1/2 cup Peroxide and 1/2 cup vinegar let stand for 15 minutes wash as normal. Gets rid of the smell.

Use hydrogen peroxide to control fungi present in aquariums. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt your fish. Use sparingly for this purpose.

De-skunking solution. Combine 1 quart 3% H2O2, 1/4 cup baking soda, 1 teaspoon Dawn dish detergent, 2 quarts warm water.