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Recipes

The Perfect Carrot Cake Recipe For Your Family’s Easter

by Grandma Penny April 11, 2019

If you’re going to have dessert at your family Easter celebration, why not make it carrot cake? It’s the Easter Bunny’s favorite, and it’s a cake that both kids and adults will love. There are so many different ways you can make carrot cake, but this recipe is definitely my favorite.

The cake is nice and moist, and the cream cheese frosting is rich and delicious. If you’re feeling ambitious, why not try decorating your cake with some frosting carrots or Easter eggs? You can also make your life easier by whipping up this cake the day before Easter–it’ll still taste great on day two.

Check out this simple recipe that your family will be sure to love down to the very last bite!

Once you have the cake completely cool, whip up this simple frosting recipe and spread on the cake layers.

Easter Recipes Seasonal

Make Mornings Special With A Peaches and Cream Brunch Casserole

by Grandma Penny April 1, 2019

written by Grandma Penny

Eggs, pancakes, French toast–do you ever feel like you’re rotating between the same tired old brunch options? Those traditional breakfast dishes are okay, but every now and then I like to mix it up with a delicious brunch casserole. One of my favorite brunch casserole recipes is this heavenly peaches and cream strata. It’s perfect for holiday mornings, birthday breakfasts, and any other day deserving of something special.

Consider this casserole a better version of typical French toast. It uses stale bread so you don’t have to throw away those uneaten loaves, and the peaches and cream cheese make a refreshingly sweet combination. I prefer to use fresh peaches, but if you can’t get your hands on any quality fruit, a large can of peaches in syrup will also work.

peaches and cream brunch casserole

Brunch casseroles are a favorite in my family not only because they’re so delicious, but also because they’re easy to make and can be made the night before. When I’m planning a special morning, I make this casserole ahead of time, store it in the refrigerator overnight, and then bake it in the morning so I can serve it hot. It’s great because I don’t have to run around trying to get everything done before my morning coffee.

Easter Food Recipes

Fun And Festive Easter Bread For Your Family Gathering

by Grandma Penny March 28, 2019

written by Grandma Penny

Easter is one of only a few times a year when entire families get the chance to sit down together and enjoy a delicious meal. Whether your family sticks to tradition by serving baked ham or has a different go-to Easter meal, this festive Easter bread will make the perfect addition to your buffet table. It looks almost too pretty to eat, but trust me, it’s so tasty you won’t want to miss a bite.

My Easter bread recipe is a family favorite. I make it every year, and every year there’s nothing but crumbs left on the plate. This bread is soft and sweet, and our tradition is to have it for Easter breakfast. I make sure I put in enough colored eggs so everyone can have one. It would also go well with baked ham if you want to save your festive-looking bread for your main Easter meal.

Easter bread

One of the best things about this recipe is that you don’t need to be a bread-making professional to get it right. The trickiest part will be braiding the bread into a long log and then curling it into a round pie plate. But even if your braid isn’t quite even, the dyed raw eggs will help cover up any mistakes and attract everyone’s attention. Besides, it tastes so good, no one will mind if your braid is a little lopsided.

Here’s my recipe for this fun Easter bread.

Easter Food Recipes Seasonal

5 Recipes To Use Up That Leftover Easter Ham

by Grandma Penny March 28, 2019

written by Grandma Penny

We always serve the traditional baked ham for Easter. It smells good, it tastes good, and it reminds us of all the family holidays from our past. But then there is the problem of what to do with the bone and all the scraps? The first thing I recommend to do with your leftover Easter ham is make stock.

How to Make Basic Ham Stock

First, you’ll want to trim any big chunks of meat off the bone and reserve those scraps for the following recipes. Next, add the ham bone to your largest pot and cover with water. (A crock pot would be ideal, but I’ve yet to find one big enough for my massive ham bones.) Add parsley, thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns, and cover with water about 1″ above the top of the bone. Slowly simmer, uncovered, for about 3-4 hours.

When you’re done simmering, strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve and into a large bowl. And that’s it—easy as pie. Now you have stock from which to make your favorite smoky delicious split pea soup, white bean soup, and/or to simmer with your collards. You can keep the stock in the fridge for a few days or freeze for a few months.

After you make your ham stock, try out these ideas on how to use your Easter leftovers to feed your family.

1. Split Pea Soup With Ham

Split pea is a very simple soup. It freezes well and is very welcome after a few weeks of chicken dinners. Just add the “Holy Trinity of Soup” (celery, carrots and onions) to your basic ham stock. Next you’ll need to add the leftover diced ham and spices, stir occasionally, and then simmer until it’s a delicious soup.

2. White Bean and Ham Bone Soup

This soup is rich, filling, comforting and can feed a large family on a small budget. You can simplify this recipe by using canned beans, but it’s much cheaper, has far less sodium, and has a better texture when you use the dry beans. It’s a great way to use up your leftover Easter ham.

3. Southern Style Collards

These collard greens may take a few hours to simmer, but they only require a few minutes of hands-on cooking time. And they can be made ahead and reheat beautifully—in fact, they taste even better on the second or third day.

4. Spinach Dip With Ham

This spinach dip recipe is great for regular snacking, and you can also make it for parties or as an appetizer for a nice dinner. It’ll use up your leftover Easter ham so you don’t need to throw anything away. Pair it with homemade crostini for a really delicious combination that will leave everyone satisfied.

5. Sunday Morning Denver Strata

Everyone in my family loves a Denver omelet, but there’s no way I can whip up omelets fast enough so we can all eat at the same time. The same goes for toast. By the time I make four servings of toast, the first slices are cold. There is just too much running around to enjoy the meal. This beautiful and delicious take on the Denver omelet can be made the night before and refrigerated until you are ready to bake. Then you can all sit down and enjoy a hot, fresh breakfast without all the jumping around.

Food Recipes

Do You Know The Key To Making The Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich?

by Grandma Penny March 23, 2019

written by Grandma Penny

The grilled cheese sandwich is celebrated as both a kid-pleasing lunch and even a quick dinner for nights when you’re in a pinch for time. We love it because it’s easy to make, and our kids love it because it’s simply delicious. It’s a basic concept–just bread and cheese–but if you want, you can turn your ordinary grilled cheese sandwich into a culinary masterpiece.

You might think the cheese is the most important part, it’s called a grilled “cheese” after all, but it’s the bread that will make or break your sandwich. The best grilled cheese sandwiches are crispy, crusty, and a little crunchy. That means you need your bread to be–get this–less than fresh. Stale bread is actually the best kind of bread you can use for a grilled cheese. It gives the sandwich that extra kick of great taste and texture.

perfect grilled cheese

I only make my grilled cheeses with slightly stale bread, and you can definitely tell the difference. Another tip for making the perfect grilled cheese sandwich is to get creative. Who said a grilled cheese sandwich needs to be boring? I love experimenting with my sandwiches and end up creating some really delicious combinations.

Just like pizza, everyone has their favorite add in to grilled cheese. This list seems just as inexhaustible as the list of potential pizza toppings. Not to mention, adding ingredients to your grilled cheese is a great way to get rid of those little leftovers. My favorite is smoked Gouda with some spinach and cooked bacon.

Things I’ve added to my grilled cheese as of late:

cooked bacon
Andouille sausage
prosciutto
scraps of ham left from Easter dinner
tomato slices
spinach, cooked and raw
mushrooms
lobster leftover from Valentine’s dinner
olives
pepperoni
ground beef taco filling
every kind of sweet or hot pepper
chicken fajitas
black bean burger
ravioli

Pick ingredients you have lying around the kitchen, and test them out to see what works! It’s great way to repurpose meals and many of these will taste even better on their second go thanks to the magic of grilled cheese sandwiches.

perfect grilled cheese

Food Recipes

Impress Your Guests With This Homemade Tuscan White Bean Dip Recipe

by Grandma Penny March 23, 2019

written by Grandma Penny

If you want to really impress your family and party guests, Tuscan white bean dip is the way to do it. You can use it as an appetizer before you serve your main meal or bring it to a potluck for a classier version of chips and dip.

The recipe is so simple it’ll only take a few minutes to make. You’ll need a food processor to get a nice and even consistency, and it might take more water or bread crumbs to get the exact consistency you’re looking for.

One of the reasons Tuscan white bean dip is such a success is that it can be paired with almost any kind of cracker, chip, or bread. My favorite way to serve this dip is with homemade crostini. I make my crostini using stale bread, and it’s always a hit. You can find my recipe for homemade crostini here.

Food Food Hacks Recipes

Give New Life To Your Stale Bread With These Tasty Recipes

by Grandma Penny March 23, 2019

written by Grandma Penny

Unless you are still buying the store bread that has been chemically induced into immortality, you have old stale bread from time to time. Realizing your once-delicious bread is now hard and crusty can be disappointing, but that’s no reason to throw it away.

Believe it or not, stale bread is a valuable ingredient in many recipes. You can recycle your old bread to make croutons, bread crumbs, bread pudding, stuffing, and so much more.

The key to reusing stale bread is knowing not all types of bread are good for all recipes. An old apricot Danish, for example, won’t make good croutons or breadcrumbs, but it will make delicious bread pudding. You could even turn it into a stuffing for a pork roast, chicken, or turkey.

Instead of giving a sigh of resignation every time I open the bread box to find stale loaves, I start thinking of all the ways I can use my stale bread by transforming it into recipes my family will love.

Here are a few of my favorite ways to turn stale bread into a delicious, recycled dish.

Italian or French Loaves

Bread Crumbs

These crusty loaves make the perfect bread crumbs. All you have to do is tear the leftover baguettes into small pieces and let them get really dry. When there is no longer any moisture, run the bread pieces through the food processor until they are a fine powder.

You can leave them plain or add a little garlic powder, oregano, and dried basil for tasty Italian bread crumbs that pair perfect in a Ceasar salad. These homemade bread crumbs will also come in handy when making homemade meatballs or meatloaf.

uses for stale bread

For the best results, soak the breadcrumbs in milk before adding them to the rest of your recipe. Trust me, this little step will make all the difference.

The list of ways you can use bread crumbs is endless, but I especially love using my stale bread crumbs as topping for my mac and cheese, cheese casserole, or any other pasta casserole as it adds a nice crunchy finish. To help the topping brown, add a dash of paprika to the crumbs. When I make a baked mostaccioli, I add some grated Romano cheese to the crumbs for an extra tasty topping.

Bruschetta and Crostini

Italian and French loaves are also great for making bruschetta or crostini. Thinly slice the loaves before they get too hard and dry them in a low oven set to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. They can be plain to compliment a spicy bruschetta, or you can season them if you wish. For the crostini, I usually toss the dry slices with a little olive oil, oregano, and garlic powder before putting them on a baking sheet. I bake them for 10 minutes in a low oven (same degree setting as mentioned above). Then they are the perfect scoop for Tuscan white bean dip.

Sliced Whole Wheat

Croutons

Finding a few slices of stale whole wheat bread in your kitchen is the perfect excuse to get creative with your salads. I love whole wheat croutons, and there’s no reason to buy them in bags from the store. You can make your own, and it’ll only take a few minutes. And the best part is they simply taste better, too!

Ideally, you want to start with bread that is stale but still able to be sliced. Slice the bread into cubes, and if you need to, let them dry even more. Once they’re completely dry, toss them with fresh or dried herbs and a drizzle of olive oil. These herbed croutons are perfect for salads and even soups.

homemade croutons

Egg Bread or Challah

There are countless recipes out there for egg bread or challah. If you’re not familiar, this bread is made with eggs and usually braided onto a loaf or coiled into a round. Sometimes it’s topped with sesame or poppy seeds, and some people love their challah with raisins. It’s typically a spongy bread, but it can also be crusty on the outside.

French Toast, Grilled Cheese, and More

Egg bread is so delicious it rarely lasts long enough to go stale, but in case you ever find yourself with a half-eaten loaf a few days old, don’t worry. There’s no need to waste that bread by throwing it away. Stale egg bread or challah is perfect for several recipes.

For breakfast, you can turn it into french toast or stuffed french toast. Come lunch time, that stale bread will be the prime ingredient in your Monte Cristo sandwiches, grilled cheeses, or paninis.

perfect grilled cheese

Danish or Croissants

You might consider a danish or a croissant to be more pastry than bread, but they all belong in the same family. And as part of the bread family, they have potential to grow stale. If you’re storing your danishes or croissants at room temperature, you only have about two days to enjoy them in their full glory. After that, you’ll get to turn that stale bread into a brand new dish.

Bread Pudding and Stuffing

One of my favorite ways to use old croissants is to make bread pudding. My family also loves it when I whip up a French toast casserole for brunch. And the best part? They can never tell that delicious casserole is made from recycled ingredients. If you don’t have much of a sweet tooth (lucky you!), try making a stuffing for a thick cut pork chop or a pork roast instead.

Rye Bread

Rye bread is one of the healthiest bread options out there. It’s great if you’re looking to lose weight but still want to eat bread, and research says it can even fight diabetes and asthma. If you don’t eat all your rye bread before it goes stale, you can still reap those health benefits. All you need to do is get a little creative.

Stuffing

Crusty rye bread is an excellent choice for stuffing (we’ve got a delicious twist on the traditional one for you to try right here). One of my go-to rye bread recipes is apple sage stuffing that I use with pork roast. I also have a great recipe for pineapple stuffing to give the perfect amount of sweet to pair nicely with your baked ham.

rye stuffing

Strata

If you’re looking for something new to make, why not round out your buffet supper with a savory rye strata? One of my favorite types of strata is spinach, mushroom, and smoked Gouda cheese. There are endless combinations of vegetables and meats for a strata. Consider using your old rye cubes with chunks of ham, pineapple, collards, and Swiss cheese.

Other rye strata combos that I have tried are:

Bacon, onion, tomato with cheddar
Corned beef, Swiss and cabbage or sauerkraut
Mushrooms and tomatoes with rosemary and thyme

Stratas are great because they allow you to be truly creative in the kitchen. You can follow a recipe, but feel free to customize based on what you (and your picky little eaters!) like best.

Repurposing stale bread into your recipes is not only a great choice for your cooking, but it’s also economical and eco-friendly. It’ll save you money you would otherwise spend on store-bought croutons, bread crumbs, etc, and you won’t be wasting the packaging and energy that goes into making those store-bought products. It’s a win-win situation no matter what you make from it.

Family Recipes Food Recipes

This Homemade Rye Stuffing Is Perfect For Pot Roast

by Grandma Penny March 23, 2019

written by Grandma Penny

When most people think of stuffing, they instantly think, “Thanksgiving!” Sure, it’s true that stuffing is synonymous with turkey day, but you don’t need to save this yummy side dish for that one day.

Stuffing goes great with a long list of meat entrees. I love to make it with my pork roast, and rye stuffing in particular is a family favorite in my home.

rye stuffing

Using rye bread for stuffing gives the dish a good earthy taste, and it’s generally a healthier option than using plain old white bread. There are several different kinds of rye bread out there, but choosing between the European style of rye or the American style isn’t as important as choosing between fresh bread and stale bread.

Stale bread is always the better choice when it comes to making stuffing. You want your bread to be as dry as possible to give your stuffing that perfect texture that sends people for seconds.

This golden rule is perfect for when you have a loaf of bread going stale in the bread box and not enough time (or willing eaters) to use it all up before it’s no longer good for your favorite sandwiches.

Instead of throwing it away and wasting the rest of that day old bread, you can recycle your stale rye bread and make a delicious rye stuffing to go perfectly with a pot roast or even ham.

Food Recipes

10 Popular Asian Takeout Dishes You Can Make At Home

by Bee March 19, 2019

written by Bee

Many of us order these popular takeout dishes because not only are they satisfying and delicious, we’ve convinced ourselves that they’re impossible to make at home with the same mouth-watering outcome.

But the truth is, these popular Asian takeout dishes on this list are not only easy to make, but you’ll be amazed at just how good they taste. Next time you’re thinking of ordering your favorite Asian takeout, reference this list and head to the store and make it yourself.

We promise it’ll taste just as good–if not better! You won’t have to worry about tipping your delivery driver, and you’ll probably even get an honorary kiss for being a wonderful cook.

1. Chicken Teriyaki

This delicious recipe is so easy to make that once you’ve mastered it, you’ll never order the takeout version again!

As far as the famous teriyaki sauce flavor that makes our mouths water, you can do some with only three simple ingredients:

Japanese soy sauce. I like low sodium soy sauce for the sauce. It’s important you buy a good quality Japanese soy sauce
Mirin or Japanese sweet rice wine
Sugar

To make the sauce, mix all the ingredients together and simmer it on low heat until the sauce becomes slightly sticky, just like the picture above.

Click here for the full recipe of this popular Asian takeout dish.

2. Chow Mein

These Chinese noodles are a staple in Chinese cuisine, and a favorite Asian dish of choice for many people. You too can make these at home, and they’ll turn out just as scrumptious as those ones from your local Chinese restaurant that you frequent.

What is in Chow Mein exactly?

Chow Mein calls for the following ingredients:

Protein – you can use pork, chicken, beef, shrimp and other seafood such as squid, scallop. You can also use a combination of the protein.
Vegetables – bean sprouts, napa cabbage, cabbage, carrots and scallions. You want to have at least a couple of vegetables in the recipe.
Sauce – a combination of oyster sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce and sugar.

For the full Chow Mein recipe, click here.

3. Crab Rangoon

I don’t think I can say this enough: i.love.crab.rangoon. This recipe we have for you is the best and easiest crab Rangoon recipe you’ll ever make, prepared with cream cheese, crab and wonton wrapper. These cream cheese wontons are fail-proof and proven to be much better than your ordinary Chinese takeout joints.

Link to full crab rangoon recipe here.

4. Hot and Sour Soup

This satisfying traditional Chinese soup is a popular pick for many. We have a simple recipe that is literally the best you’ve ever tasted, and it only takes 15 minutes to make. You can’t beat that!

What exactly is in hot and sour soup? Well, I’ve wondered the same thing before, and is it turns out, it’s just the expert combination of a handful of tasty ingredients that give this famous soup the taste we all crave…

Chicken or vegetable stock.
Tofu.
Eggs.
mushrooms.
There are two seasonings that bring out the iconic flavors of hot and sour soup: soy sauce and vinegar.
If you like it spicy, you can add some dried chili flakes or chili oil into the soup.

For the full hot and sour soup recipe, click here.

5. Kung Pao Chicken

Chicken, peanuts, and pops of spicy chili peppers give this popular Asian takeout dish the flavors that make our tummies eager for a taste. This easy homemade recipe is healthy, low in calories and much better than takeout. So you’ll satisfy your spicy Asian craving while keeping your waistline in mind, everyone wins!

What is Kung Pao Chicken?

Kung Pao Chicken is from the Sichuan province in China. The Chinese name is 宫保鸡丁 (gong bao ji ding) but some restaurants spell it as Gong Bao Chicken or Kung Po Chicken.

For the full Kung Pao Chicken recipe, click here.

Family Recipes Food

6 Kid-Friendly Casseroles The Whole Family Will Love

by Modi Ramos March 5, 2019

written by Modi Ramos

When it comes to dinner, I’m not always motivated to whip up a fancy meal that requires lots of brain power. I am usually good at planning ahead when it comes to dinner, but sometimes, casseroles are a great way to get the family fed and not have to spend hours doing it.

We’ve put together a quick list of 6 yummy casseroles the whole family will love to get dinner on the table in no time. (You know, so you can hit that wine time sooner!)

1. Easy Peasy Pizza Casserole

Um, who doesn’t love pizza? That was a trick question, but still, this is the best of both worlds by combining common pizza ingredients with satisfying spiral noodles. Check out the easy recipe below:

Easy-Peasy Pizza Casserole Recipe

Ingredients:

16 oz bag of spiral noodles, cooked
1 1/2 pounds of beef, browned and crumbled
24 oz spaghetti sauce
7 oz bag of pepperoni slices
3 cups of mozzarella cheese

Cooking Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the cooked noodles, browned and crumbled ground beef, spaghetti sauce, pepperoni slices, and half the mozzarella cheese.

2. Once mixed, place in a 9 x 13 in dish.

3. Cover with the remaining mozzarella cheese.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

(Easy pizza casserole recipes courtesy of MidwesternMom.com.)

2. King Ranch Chicken Casserole

I live in Texas, and this casserole is a staple in many homes here. (Heck, you can even find “King Ranch Sauce” at most local grocery stores in the state!) The King Ranch is actually the largest privately owned ranch in Texas, and this casserole with Tex-Mex flair is sure to please the whole family. (Although you might want to leave the bell peppers to one side should your littles not be a fan of them.)

It’s an easy casserole recipe that requires very little guesswork and combines some tasty ingredients you may not have considered to put together before testing it out. See the recipe below (set for 5 servings).

Ingredients:

1 tablespoons Butter
0.25 cup Bell Peppers any color, chopped
0.25 cup Onion chopped
5.38 ounces Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
5.38 ounces Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
7.25 ounces Diced Tomatoes and Chilies undrained (traditionally Rotel is what is used – nut you can stick with plain diced tomatoes if you feel your kids wouldn’t be a fan of those chilies.)
1 cups Chicken Breast cooked, and chopped
3 12-inch Flour Tortillas cut into bite-size pieces
1.5 cups Cheddar Cheese shredded

Cooking Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.

2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

3. Add peppers and onions and cook for 2-3 minutes or until they begin to soften.

4. Add Cream of Mushroom soup, Cream of Chicken soup, diced tomatoes & chilies, and chicken to the peppers and onions and mix together.

5. Spray 13 x 9 inch casserole dish with cooking spray.

6. Add 1/3 of tortilla strips to bottom of the dish, followed by 1/3 of the chicken and soup mixture, and 1 cup of cheese. Repeat this two more times, ending in cheese.

7. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Allow 15 minutes to cool before serving.

(King Ranch chicken casserole courtesy of HomeMadeInterest.com.)

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