It's Getting to Be That Time Again!

Dinner from the Bishops' Storehouse

Although we are no longer receiving blessings from the Bishops' Storehouse, I often find recipes that would work good for what's available there. This is one we tried recently that was really good, and the ingredients are available. It is easily halved if you need to, as this makes a LOT! (In fact, the picture below is indeed half of the recipe!)

We served it with a green salad and garlic bread. Very good! Hope you try it and enjoy it!

HAMBURGER GOULASH

·         2 onions, chopped

·         2 pounds lean ground beef

·         2 cloves garlic, minced

·         3 cups water

·         1 jar tomato based pasta sauce (approx. 26 oz.)

·         2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

·         2 bay leaves

·         black pepper to taste

·         2 cups macaroni noodles, uncooked

1.      Cook ground beef, onion and garlic over medium high heat until no pink remains. Drain any fat.

2.      Add water, pasta sauce, diced tomatoes, bay leaves and pepper. Allow to come to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes.

3.      Add in the in the macaroni, cover and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally until pasta is tender (about 20-25 minutes).

4.      Discard bay leaves and serve.

Irish Soda Bread

I am proud to be Irish and celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a happy heart. One of our favorite parts of our celebration is Irish Soda bread. This year, instead of buying it from the grocery store, I made it myself, and it came out fantastic! As my husband said, we've been wasting our money buying those.

This is sooo simple and fantastic. I used raisins instead of currants, and got all the ingredients from the Bishop's storehouse, except for the buttermilk. The recipe is from Ina Garten, a cook on television, and I suggest you try it sometime.

Irish Soda Bread

Ina Garten

• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for currants
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 3/4 cups cold buttermilk, shaken
• 1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1 cup dried currants (I used raisins)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper (I used a silicone mat which worked terrific.)

Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour.

With a fork, lightly beat the buttermilk, egg, and orange zest together in a measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Combine the currants with 1 tablespoon of flour and mix into the dough. It will be very wet.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf. Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into the top of the bread with a serrated knife. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. When you tap the loaf, it will have a hollow sound.

Cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Dinner from the Bishops' Storehouse

Here’s another terrific meal to make for your family using ingredients from the Bishops’ Storehouse. This is a good meal to make in the fall/winter, and today is cold (15°) and snowing so it’s a good choice. Plus the house smells amazing when these are baking.

I got this recipe from my mother, and for some reason I think it’s an old depression era meal, but I’m not certain.

Applesauce Meatballs are very moist and soft, so you need to be careful as you’re browning them.

To finish the meal, I’m serving it with baked potatoes with sour cream, and cottage cheese/pear salads. For dessert I made homemade peanut butter cookies. Everything from the storehouse! I cannot tell you how grateful I am for the blessing of this food in our lives. With my husband out of work for two years, this has literally saved us.

I hope this helps you if you are looking for a good meal to serve your family. Enjoy!

Applesauce Meatballs

Mix together lightly:

1 lb ground beef

½ cup dry bread crumbs (you could probably use cracker crumbs or crushed cornflakes)

1 egg

2 Tablespoons grated onion

½ cup applesauce (unsweetened)

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Form into 2” balls.  Brown in frying pan with a little shortening.  Place in baking dish. (I use a 13x9 pan as I usually double the recipe.)

Mix together: ¼ cup catsup and ¼ cup water.  Pour over meatballs.  Cover.  Bake at 350º for one hour.  Serve hot.

Yup! It was good!

I Needed This Today

My New Year's Resolution

Thoughtful Thursday

Hot Artichoke Dip

Is there anything better than dipping a slice of French bread into a bubbling, cheesy, gooey artichoke dip? Probably, but this stuff is pretty doggone good! 

I got this recipe over 20 years ago from a good friend and it's been a staple around the holidays for my family since. Such a simple recipe, but one that makes family and friends come back for more.

HOT ARTICHOKE DIP

3 cans artichokes cut up

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

5 cloves of garlic, crushed

Preheat oven to 350º.

Combine all ingredients and put in 9”x9” casserole.  Bake for 45 minutes.  Serve with cut up French bread.

A Christmas Tradition

We always have a big spread for Christmas morning: gorilla bread, lefse, and smoked salmon with bagels and cream cheese. I always smoke the salmon myself using our stove top smoker. It's so easy, and so stinkin' good!

If you'd like to try it yourself, here's the recipe. Just follow the instructions according to the smoker you are using.

SMOKED SALMON

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup kosher salt

1/3 cup soy sauce

5 1/3 cups water

2 pounds salmon

Mix first four ingredients.  Add salmon; make sure it’s submerged in liquid.

Marinate 6 to 8 hours.  Smoke until dry.

If using stovetop smoker, ½ hour on stove top, then 1 hour in oven at 250º.