Saturday, April 30, 2016

Whole Wheat Biscuits and Gravy

The nite before, I can mix the biscuit ingredients, roll out the biscuits and leave in the fridge.  Also brown the meat and/or make the gravy, then just reheat it in the morning.
BISCUITS
100 Days of Real Food

  • 2 cups whole wheat flour (I used King Arthur’s white whole wheat organic flour) or whole-wheat pastry flour
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (or coconut oil)
  • 1 cup milk (any kind)
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. In a medium sized bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well with whisk or fork.
  2. Cut the ½ stick butter into little pea sized pieces and then mix the pieces into the flour mixture.
  3. Using a fork, try to mash the butter pieces as you mix it together with the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs. It is okay if the outcome just looks like the same pea sized pieces of butter covered with flour.
  4. Then pour in the milk and mix it all together. Knead the dough with your hands 8 to 10 times and then turn out onto a counter or cutting board.
  5. Pat it out flat with your hands until the dough is a somewhat even ¾-inch thickness (sprinkle with a little flour if necessary).
  6. Turn a drinking glass upside down and cut out biscuit rounds. I have also used shaped cookie cutters (like a heart or star) if you have little ones helping you!
  7. Then put them on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 10 – 12 minutes or until lightly browned. 
    Enjoy!
for each of my girls to make their own biscuits in their own individual small bowl- #1 recipe makes 2 biscuits and #2 Makes about 4 biscuits
#1       #2
1/2c    1c whole wheat flour
1t        2t baking powder
dash   1/4t salt
1T       2T cold  butter
1/4c    1/2c milk


Gravy
  • finely chopped onion
  • 1 pound Breakfast Sausage
  • 1 can (16 Oz.) Canned Biscuits or homemade biscuits
  • 2 Tablespoons Flour
  • 1 cup Milk
  • Salt
  • Pepper
I do like a finely chopped onion to saute while the meat is cooking, it adds so much flavor. Slice the breakfast sausage and place in a warm pan. Cook the sausage according to the instruction (thoroughly cooked inside). Remove them to a paper towel to drain.

Place your biscuits into the oven to cook according to the instructions on the can. 

Pour grease out of the skillet/pan you used for the sausage, adding back in only what you want to use to make the gravy. For one to two people, use about 2 to 3 tbsp. of grease. Over low to medium-low heat, add about 2 tbsp of flour to the grease and whisk immediately. If you add in a little more grease so it’s smooth and stirrable. You want to find a good balance between the flour and the grease.

Once you find it, just keep stirring with the whisk and allow the mixture to brown for a few minutes. As you whisk, scrape in the anything from the bottom of the pan as you go.

After 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly, pour in about a cup of milk. IF the mixture is dry, lumpy or pasty, add in more milk – again, drawing a balanced mixture. Add salt to taste. Let the gravy warm up over low heat, stirring occasionally. Cut prepared biscuits in half pour gravy atop them

Monday, April 25, 2016

Mickel Potato & Egg Scramble

Feeds 4-5

1 large baked potato (can use frozen hashbrowns)
1 onion chopped
garlic cloves or garlic powder
4 eggs scrambled
Oil
Spinach and/or broccoli chopped
1/2 can of black olives sliced
leftover meat (I did sliced deli meat, but you can use any leftover meat, like shredded beef/chicken or chunks of chicken, ham)
dash of cayenne
salt and pepper and/or season salt
2 Tomatoes chopped (could use salsa, I used a tomato that was soft, I didn't want it in a salad)
1 avocado

Saute onion in oil for 10+ min.  Then add chopped baked potato, let cook for 10 min and get browned. Push potatoes and onions to side of pan and cook eggs on open side. When eggs are cooked combine/mix potatoes, onions, and eggs. Add seasonings, olives, spinach,  and leftover meat cook for a few minutes. Right before you eat add tomatoes and avocado.

You could put all this inside a burrito for breakfast and can freeze for future breakfasts.

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Roxie's Bran Muffins




1c         1/2 cup raisins
2                1 egg
2                1 ripe banana, mashed (didn't have it so
1/3c  plain yogurt)
2/3c         1/3 c honey
4T             2 tablespoons melted butter (or coconut oil or 2 Tbsp of applesauce instead of butter) 
1&3/4c    3/4 cup milk
3c             1 1/2 cups bran cereal (such as Kellogg's All-Bran® Original Cereal, leftover smashed cereal)
2c             1 cup whole wheat flour
1t              1/2t baking powder
2t              1 teaspoon baking soda
2t              1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2                1 apple, cored and shredded/ or chopped (I did 2 handfulls of dehydrated apples, rehydrate in liquid mixture)
optional- substitute 1/3 ground oat and flax for 1/3 of the flour

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups, or line with paper cupcake liners.

Beat the egg with milk in a bowl, banana/yogurt, flax, honey, butter/oil, and mix in the bran cereal. Let the mixture stand until the cereal absorbs the liquid, about 10minutes. Gently mix in the plumped raisins, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and , shredded apple and stir a few times to mix.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, and bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

4/24/16 this time I put everything in a bowl and let it sit in fridge overnite. It was super duper thick batter, but it still tasted good.

Friday, April 22, 2016

Breakfast

Taking notes from jan ririe about breakfast

1. Protein packed over nite oats  My fitness pal
   a.  make with juice to make it sweet instead of using sugar
   b. additions- diced apple, cinnamon
2. smoothies- with any nut butter or protein powder and coconut oil
3. pancakes- 2c whole wheat flour, 2c milk, 2 eggs, baking soda, 2 large spoonfulls of flaxseed and two large spoonfuls of applesauce/yogurt. Top with bananas, peanut or any nut butter,  berries, jam, syrup
4. Waffles- 1 3/4c flour, 1 3/4c milk, 2 large spoonfulls of flaxseed and two large spoonfuls of applesauce/yogurt, 1/4c oil
5. Toast topped with egg over easy, then spinach and avocado slices
6.  Different types of muffins-
   a. either make the muffin mixture the night before and let it sit in the fridge
   b. Or the nite b4 mix the dry ingredients and put the wet ingredients in separate containers, then in morning mix together and cook
7. Cherrios with peaches is a favorite.

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Dandelion Kill

Weekend Gardener


To tackle a dandelion they said, "So what you have to do is keep killing the top growth back until the plant's taproot has run out of energy and dies. So essentially you have to wear it down. "

1.  Pull out new dandelions with the dandelion weeder, its best to get them when they are two weeks old or younger
2. If some root is left, spray with vinegar.  The best strength is at least 20% to 25% acidity, your household vinegar has only 5% to 10% acidity and is not strong enough for the job.

Dandelion mixture- Organic weed killer
   Apparently it will kill whatever you put it on.

4/23/16 I used a kitchen knife and cut into the taproot (as deep as I could) at a diagonal in the dirt, then poured some regular white vinegar on the root. The vinegar did kill the grass around the dandelion too.

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Garlic Cilantro Lime Rice

Food Network

1 tablespoon canola oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups white bastmati rice
2-3t chicken boullion
2 3/4c water
Juice of 3 limes and zest of 2 limes (hold back juice of 1 lime for garnish)
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the rice and salt. Cook over a low heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly to make sure the rice doesn't burn. Add 2 cups of the broth and the juice and zest of 2 limes and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the rice is done. Add more liquid as needed. The rice shouldn't be sticky.
Just before serving, stir through the juice of 1 lime and lots of chopped cilantro.

Goes well with Blackened fish tacos

BLACKENED FISH TACOS WITH AVOCADO-CILANTRO SAUCE

Host The Toast
For the Blackened Fish:
  • 1.5 lbs rainbow trout fillets
  • 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon brown sugar
  • pepper
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 12 corn tortillas

For the Slaw:
  • ½ red cabbage, sliced thin
  • ¼ green cabbage, sliced thin
  • ½ medium-sized onion, diced
  • ½ cup cilantro
  • Juice of 1 lime

For the Avocado-Cilantro Sauce:
  • ½ cup sour cream/plain yogurt/mayo
  • 1 ripe avocado, pitted and skinned
  • ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 jalapeno, chopped and seeded
  • Salt, to taste
DIRECTIONS
  1. Heat oven at 450 
  2. In a small bowl, combine the smoked paprika, garlic powder, dried oregano, onion powder, cumin, salt, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper. Sprinkle the mixture over  fillets, and then rub the seasonings in.
  3. Combine all of the Avocado-Cilantro Sauce ingredients in a bowl. Mix well.
  4. Combine all of the Slaw ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
  5.  Line bottom of cookie pan with aluminum foil and spray, Put fish on. Put dabs of butter or coconut oil on top of seasoning mixture. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the outside is blackened and the fish flakes apart easily.
  6. Remove the fish from the heat, and if desired, warm the corn tortillas in skillet with oil over medium heat, cooking for about 30 seconds on each side.
  7. I squeeze the rest of the lime on the cooked fish and serve
  8. (the original author said) Break up the tilapia into 2-3" pieces. Stack the tortillas in twos. Distribute the fish evenly between the 6 sets of tortillas, and top with Slaw and Avocado-Cilantro Sauce. Serve.

Monday, April 18, 2016

Broccoli Salad

Food.

55 cups broccoli florets, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
cup sunflower seeds ( I like to toast the seeds on the stove top for 5min)
3cup dried sweetened cranberries

DRESSING
 1/2 cup mayonnaise and 1/2c plain yogurt
1cup sugar
tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1teaspoon salt
1teaspoon pepper

  1. Combine all salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well.
  2. Combine dressing ingredients in a small mixing bowl.
  3. Mix until thoroughly combined using a fork or wire whisk.
  4. Add dressing to salad and mix well.
  5. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Coconut Cream Poke Cake

Country Cook

1 (18 oz) box of white cake mix
all ingredients to make the cake (eggs, oil, milk)
1 can of sweetened condensed and/or cream of coconut
1 (8oz) whipped cream (made vanilla pudding for the top instead of whip cream)
1 (8 oz) sweetened coconut

Mix and cook the white cake mix, as the box describes.

When the cake is still warm i mixed half sweetened condensed milk and coconut milk  (b/c that is all I had of each).

Poke holes in the warm cake and pour the condensed and coconut milk. Let it cool in freezer or fridge.
Toast the coconut on the stove top 5 min till light brown or in oven (350 for 5-10min).

After the cake is cooled- Mix the vanilla pudding with milk and pour on top of the cake.

Friday, April 15, 2016

Hiking

Natural Swimming areas in UT

Good ideas,books, and quotes

Jana-What you resist, persists.
       -Judge a day by what you sow not what you reap.

Molly- Breaking Nite, Liz Murray

Lauren- Nobody don't love nobody, Stacey Bess


Thursday, April 14, 2016

Bulk chicken

Two ways to prepare bulk chicken-

1. From Marci Barker I cooked about 6 chicken breasts at the same time with 2 different types of store bought chicken seasonings, olive oil, and if desired lemon juice.  Heat oven 350.  Pour lemon juice and oil on breasts then add the seasonings to both sides.  Cook 20 min, check them and then flip, cook 5-10 more min.  Wait for chicken to cool down.  Cut the chicken in different ways- Cube one chicken breast, next one slice, and next one shred.  Put chicken in separate quart bags and each chicken can be  used in a different recipe depending on how it was cut and seasoned. Fajitas, soups, chilis, over pasta

2. I bought a few pounds of  boneless/skinless chicken (thighs, drumsticks, even a whole chicken could work too) and separated the chicken into 1 quart (could use gallon) baggies. In each bag I put a different sauce that was in my fridge (teriyaki, Caesar dressing, premade marinade, italian dressing).
Then label each bag. then freeze.

Defrost chicken, either roast for 20 minutes around 450 degrees or grill or cut up breasts and saute on stove top.

Then on my monthly dinner recipe calendar I write down each marinade baggy so I'll use each one in a timely manner.

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Roasted Garlic Cauliflower or broccoli

All Recipes



  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease a large casserole dish.
  2. Place the olive oil and garlic in a large resealable bag. Add cauliflower, and shake to mix. Pour into the prepared casserole dish, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Bake for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through. Top with Parmesan cheese and parsley, and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, until golden brown.

Monday, April 11, 2016

Tortilla taco options

Tortilla cups

Cut a tortilla in half and fold the straight edges together and press in the muffin tin. Bake 375, 10min then add taco meat, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado or guacamole


Hard Shells
Bake Tortillas Into Hard Taco Shells on Your Oven Rack

Starfish Taco
See how to make this recipe

Other options with baking tortillas on top of mason jars and bowls
How to Make Tortilla Bowls & Cups in a variety of sizes. Detailed photos make this easy method foolproof. TheYummyLife.com

Mini tacos method #5
How to Make Tortilla Bowls & Cups in a variety of sizes. Detailed photos make this easy method foolproof. TheYummyLife.com
cut tortilla into 4 pie sections then put into pie tin

Fishing and Lakes

Utah Divison of Wildlife Andy Adams- how to get there and what fish you'll catch

Adams Community Fishery Review in Layton, UT

June 6, 2016 free fish day