The Legend of Thousand Hills Farm

Menu Share Thursday

Well, Thursday is usually Mexican night, but Mike wanted stroganoff, so stroganoff it was! 

To make the stroganoff, I take steak ~ pretty much any cut of steak (I usually get whatever cut is on sale, if I'm not taking it out of the freezer - this is a great way to stretch meat), and cut it into bite size pieces.  In my dutch oven, I brown the meat in a little oil, with diced garlic.  After the meat has browned, I make it into gravy with flour and milk.  I add enough liquid that I can cook noodles in it.  We like Country Pasta noodles, which are very similar to homemade.  While the noodles are cooking in the gravy, I either boil potatoes or cook rice to eat with the stroganoff.

I had some fruit left over from the other night, so we also had that with our stroganoff.  So, that was our menu for tonight.  I may make some cookies later, since it's still fairly early.

Recipe Share Friday

We had a wonderful time on New Year's Day, and one of the things that we had to drink was mulled cider.  YUM!!  I got this recipe from Recipezaar, a favorite place of mine when I'm looking for something new to make.  This recipe is designed for a crock pot, but I just put a big enamelware pot on the stove and let it cook all evening.  I did adjust the spices some, because I did 2 gallons of cider, but I don't have measurements to share, because I just added 'til it tastes right!  So, here is a wonderful mulled cider recipe ~ try it on a cold, snowy day.

Mom's Mulled Cider for the Crock Pot by HeatherFeather

1-2 med. oranges

1-2 med. red apples

2 cinnamon sticks

   whole cloves for poking into fruit

2 lemons (I only used one)

1 dash ground cinnamon (optional)

1 dash ground cloves (optional) ~ I omitted this, not too big on cloves!

1 dash nutmeg (optional)

1 gallon good quality cider (or more) ~ I used Treetop from the grocery and it was fine.

1/4 cup brown sugar, to taste

*Set a med or large crock pot to HIGH heat.

*Fill crock pot with cider- leaving room for the apple and orange to float around.

*If you have extra cider use it for replenishing later.

*Wash oranges and apples and dry off.  Poke cloves into the flesh of the orange and apple ~ as many as you like.

*Set the clove-studded fruit into the crock pot.  Add cinnamon sticks and some brown sugar to taste.

*Using a veg. peeler, cut off two long strips of lemon rind from one of the lemons, being careful not to get any of the white pith.

*Drop these into the cider pot and save the rest of the partially zested lemon for another use.  Slice the remaining lemon into thin slices and drop 4-5 slices into the cider pot.  (I forgot this part).

*Cover crock pot and let mixture come to almost a boil (this may take up to an hour, depending greatly upon the size of your crock pot).  Once it is almost boiling, sprinkle with a very light dash of each ground spice to taste (don't add too much or it will be gritty).

*Turn the heat down to LOW and allow cider to cook at least another hour before serving.  Leave the crock on LOW and ladle out mugfuls.

*Keep replenishing more cider as the crockpot empties.  You WILL NOT need to add more spices, etc., as long as you still have 1/4 of the original mulled cider left in the crock.  No need to bring to a boil again, just pour in the new cider and continue to heat on low.

*The last dregs of the cider will be very heavily spiced - you may just want to disgard the remaining 1/4 of the liquid when you're done replenishing for the day.

Enjoy!

Recipe Share Friday

Since yesterday was Thanksgiving, I thought I would share one of my holiday "must haves".  It's Deviled Eggs.  My Deviled Eggs are not fancy, but they always get raves, and my Dad *insists* on my bringing them for every holiday dinner.

Deviled Eggs

Hard boil eggs, with a little salt in the water (This will make them easier to peel.  Also, don't use fresh eggs, as they don't peel very well!)

After hard boiling, and cooling them down, peel, and cut in half lengthwise.  Put yolks in a med. size bowl.  After all your eggs are cut and the yolks are set aside, add Miracle Whip (to the yolks).  I don't have a measured amount I use, I go by consistency and taste.  I add a couple of large (serving size) spoonfuls, to begin with (for about 18 eggs), and then keep going until I have smooth filling.  If I still have lumps, I'll add a bit more MW.  I always use an electric beater, to get nice, smooth Deviled filling.

After the filling is ready, I put it into a pastry bag, and pipe it into the eggs (looks prettier that way!).  Finish off with a sprinkling of Paprika.  Then, watch them disappear!

Enjoy!

Recipe Share Friday

Recipe Share Friday

Here's another YUMMY fall dessert!  I originally found this in one of those super little recipe magazines, but when I couldn't locate it recently, I went to RecipeZaar, and there it was!

Glazed Harvest Apple Cake

Cake

3 Cups finely chopped peeled apples

1 box yellow cake mix

1 (3 1/2 oz) box instant vanilla pudding

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 C oil

1/2 C water

4 eggs

Glaze

1 1/4 C firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 C butter, cut into chunks

1/4 C apple juice

 1. Heat oven to 350*.

 2.  Grease and flour 12 cup bundt pan.

  3.  In large bowl, combine all cake ingredients; beat at low speed until moistened.  Beat 2 minutes at high speed.

 4.  Pour into prepared pan.  Bake for 40-55 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

 5.  Cool in pan 15 minutes.  While cake is cooling, combine all glaze ingredients in med. saucepan.

 6.  Cook over med-high heat until mixture starts to boil, stirring occasionally.  Boil 1 minute. 

 7.  Reserve 1/4 cup glaze, keep warm.  With cake still in pan, pour remaining glaze over warm cake, between cake and edges of pan so glaze runs down sides of cake.  Let stand 15 minutes.

 8.  Invert onto serving plate and remove pan.  Slowly pour reserved 1/4 C of glaze over top of cake.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

 9.  Serve warm or cool.  May be served with whipped cream or cinnamon flavored ice cream.

Enjoy!  This is another that is quickly becoming a favorite around here.

Recipe Share Friday

This has quickly become one of the favorites around here.

Roast Meat Sandwiches

Take a roast ~ pork, beef, venison ~ place it in a roaster or dutch oven ~ I ususally use the dutch oven for our family, however if we're having company, I pull out the roaster!  I slice an onion, add some diced garlic, soy sauce (sorry, no measurements, I just pour it in!), and a little water.  I then put the cover on and let it cook at about 350* or 375* for several hours.  I have done this with a frozen roast, and I just let it cook most of the day.  Do check on it periodically, and make sure that it's not too dry. 

Once the roast is cooked to falling apart status, you take it out and pull the meat apart.  The onions will be cooked to a point, where they will pretty much dissolve once you start stirring the meat.  Put all the pulled meat back into the dutch oven, and then either add your choice of BBQ sauce, or you can make a gravy on it with cornstarch and water.  If you choose the gravy, don't make it soupy, just make enough that it's nice and moist.

While the meat is cooking, I make hoagie rolls.  I use my

French Bread Recipe~this recipe came from my dear friend, Tiffani

4 C warm water

3 T sugar

2 T yeast

2 T salt

11 C flour (sifted)

*Dissolve yeast in water, with sugar.  Add 1/2 of flour and salt, begin mixing.  I also add oil, but it's not measured, I just pour it in.   Pour about a count of 2 or 3, and that should be plenty.  Add the rest of the flour and knead until smooth. (You may have to adjust the amount of flour, you want the dough pulling clean off the sides of your bowl). 

*Put into greased bowl, let rise until double.  Punch down, let rise again.

*For hoagie rolls, divide into 16 equal parts, and shape into oval loaves.  Cut a couple of diagonal slits into the top of each roll.  Let rise until double.  Bake @ 425* for 10 min. then turn down your oven to 375* and bake for another 10 min.  Loaves should have a hollow sound when thumped ~ then they are done! ~ ~ For french bread, you'll just divide the dough into 3 parts, but follow the rest of the directions the same ~ EXCEPT after turning down the oven you will bake for about 20 minutes instead of just 10.

To serve, we slice the hoagies lengthwise, and pile on the meat.  These are also great with Pepper Jack cheese.  Our friends also eat Pepperochinis (sp) on them.  Warning!!  These are filling!  I usually can't eat a whole one (I share with the baby).  The boys often will get two down, but I've had company go away complaining that I fed them too much food!  LOL  I guess that's a *good* complaint for a hostess to deal with?

Recipe Share Friday

Deciding to do something new, that I can hopefully stay consistent with; I have decided to implement sharing a recipe every Friday.  This one is for a great fall dessert.  We have had this several times, and it is a favorite!  The flavors work really well together, and I hope that you will enjoy it as well.  I got it from one of those little recipe magazines ~ Land O Lakes, I think, but I'm not sure.  It was a fall baking themed one, and I just got it a month or two ago.  I tripled this for mud football, and it tripled quite nicely.  I always double it.  If you use large pears, it doesn't take quite as many.

Pear Gingerbread Cobbler

1/3 C sugar
1 T cornstarch
6 C 1/2" slices of peeled pears (5 med.) ~ NOTE: When I tripled this, I
just used 9 large pears in an 11x15?
3 T water
1 T lemon juice
Gingerbread Topping (below)

1. Heat oven to 375*. Mix sugar and cornstarch in large bowl. Add pears; toss
to coat. Gently stir in water and lemon juice. Spread in ungreased rectangular
baking dish, 11x7x11/2".

2. Bake 15 - 20 minutes or until mixture is bubbly around edges.

3. Meanwhile, make Gingerbread Topping. Drop tablespoonfuls of topping onto
hot pear mixture.

4. Bake 15 - 20 minutes longer or until toothpick inserted in topping comes out
clean and pear mixture is bubbly in center. Cool 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Gingerbread Topping

1 C all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice (I've just been using Nutmeg)
3 T packed brown sugar
1/4 C butter, melted
1/4 C molasses
1 egg, slightly beaten

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and brown sugar in med.
bowl. stir in remaining ingredients just until mixed.


We have served this warm with whipped cream. Yummy!