Strawberry Compote

I make this sauce when I make plain cheesecake.  It is SO good over cheesecake and ice cream and pancakes.  Heck, it's almost good enough to drink LOL

4 Cups strawberries, diced up
1 tsp Vanilla
1/3 - 1/2 cup Sugar
1 tsp Cornstarch
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
A pinch of Salt

1. Prepare The Strawberries. Start by slicing or dicing the strawberries.
2. Combine Strawberries & Sugar. Add the strawberries to a medium saucepan along with the sugar. 
3. Make Slurry. In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, cornstarch, vanilla, and salt. Whisk together until completely smooth, then add this cornstarch slurry to the strawberries and sugar. 
4. Bring To A Boil. Stir the mixture with a flexible spatula over medium heat until it begins to boil. 
5. Stir To Thicken. Keep stirring. Reduce the heat and simmer on the stove for 4-5 minutes, or until the berries have softened somewhat and the sauce has thickened. (Remember it will thicken more as it cools)
6. Cool. Let the strawberry topping cool, then transfer the finished sauce to an airtight container or glass jar. Chill in the refrigerator until cold.
7. Serve & Store. Store strawberry topping in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. You can freeze this strawberry topping in an airtight freezer bag for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge before using (the texture will soften slightly upon thawing). Enjoy this strawberry topping with waffles, ice cream, cheesecake, strawberry shortcake, pound cake, yogurt, and more!

 

Biscuits

Let me tell you I have tried and tried to make biscuits for YEARS!!! They started out like hockey pucks LOL. But with lots of practice and a family that loves to try them, I have finally gotten some that are pretty darn good.  They aren't Hardee's good but they are pretty good.  Here ya go!

2 cups self-rising flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

3 Tbsp Butter

4 Tbsp Crisco, butter-flavored

3/4 - 1 cup buttermilk or whole milk

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.  Cut in the butter and shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the milk and stir together with a spoon. DO NOT DUMP the milk in all at once.  Start with about 1/2 cup and gradually add until the dough is wet.  Turn out onto a generously floured surface.  DO NOT KNEAD.

Roll or pat out your dough to about 1 inch thick.  Cut out biscuits.  I used a 2-inch biscuit cutter so they would be a bigger biscuit to use for breakfast sandwiches.  Spray a baking sheet lightly with cooking spray. Place biscuits touching each other on the baking sheet.  Brush tops with additional buttermilk.  Bake in preheated 425 degrees oven for about 15-20 minutes until brown on top.  Makes between 8-10 biscuits.  

I personally do not use buttermilk.  I use either whole milk or 2% milk and they are still delicious.  

Carrot Cake

Tim's favorite dessert is Carrot Cake so I had to figure out a way to make it and not be such a big pan.  We love it but DON'T need such a huge pan.  So if you are looking for a cake recipe that doesn't make a large batch then this is it!!

Ingredients:

2 Eggs, at room temperature

3/4 cup oil

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1/2 cup White Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

1 cup Flour

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 tsp Salt

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

Frosting:

8 oz Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature

1 stick of butter softened to room temperature

1 tsp Vanilla

3-1/2 cups Powdered Sugar

Pinch of salt

*Milk if needed

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 8" x 8" pan and set aside. 
• Peel and grate carrots, and set aside. I use a food processor to grate mine fast but you can use a box grater as well. Note: Use freshly grated carrots. Store-bought pre-grated carrots are too dry.
• In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, sugars, and vanilla extract by hand with a large whisk.
• In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until blended with a wooden spoon.
• Fold in the carrots and spoon into the cake pan.
• Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool before frosting.  
• Make the Frosting: Beat butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Slowly mix in powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla extract until smooth. *You can add milk if it is too thick. 
• Frost the Cake with the frosting. If desired, add chopped pecans to the frosting.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Making Bacon

We started making our own bacon when we saw Fareway had Pork Belly's on sale.  So with the help of some friends we gathered recipes, did lots of reading, and decided to jump in.  Our first batch was good but we want to make it awesome, so we are trying again.  Putting this here so we don't forget how much of what we used.  Will report back in a few days.

Ingredients:

• 3 Lbs Pork Belly
• 1/4 cup Kosher Salt
• 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
• 3/4 tsp Curing Salt

CURE THE BACON

Rub the cure all over your pork belly.  Vacuum seal your bag and put it into a pan just in case any juices get out.  If you don't have a vacuum sealer just put it into a large ziplock bag.  Write the date on it, that way you know when you started your cure.  Flip the pork belly every day to be sure that it bastes evenly in the liquid that exudes from it. There will be quite a lot of liquid. Do this for 7-10 days. 

Oreo Fluff

If you have lived in the Midwest, you definitely have heard of Oreo Fluff.  Our Hy-Vee makes the best but it has gotten so darn expensive.  So I played around with a few recipes and have come up with one that I think is pretty close.  Let me know if you try it and what you think! 

Ingredients:

• 1 3.4 oz package of instant white chocolate pudding
• 1 cup milk
• 8 oz Cream Cheese
• 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
• 8 oz container Cool Whip
• 1 tsp vanilla
• A row and a half of Oreos (measure with your heart)

Wisk the pudding and the milk together, until combined.  Add cream cheese and powdered sugar and stir until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and then fold in cool whip. Add Oreos and mix well.  

We use regular Oreo but it would be good with mint or even peanut butter.  

Cheesy Potatoes

 We have always used the tried and true cheesy potatoes, but they were always so greasy.  Melissa found a new recipe and believes this one is so much better and less greasy.  

• 30 oz shredded hashbrowns
• 12 oz Top the Tater
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup of milk
• Salt and Pepper 
• Seasoning of your choice (Season with your heart)
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 8 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Mix all together and put into a  9 x 13 dish.  Bake for 90 minutes.  Enjoy!  

Breakfast Morning Bake

 I love a good breakfast bake.  Especially when you have company over and you can make up ahead of time.  Then in the morning when everyone gets up all you have to do is put it in the oven.  Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb breakfast sausage, cooked and drained
• 20 oz shredded hashbrowns, thawed
• 1/4 cup onion finely chopped
• 2 cups shredded cheese, split
• 8 eggs
• 1-1/3 cups milk
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp dry mustard

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (if baking immediately). Grease a 9×13 inch pan or a 3qt baking dish or spray with cooking spray.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Brown the sausage, breaking it up with a spoon, until no pink remains.  Drain Fat.
3. In a bowl, add the hashbrowns, onion, and 1 cup cheese.  Gently mix the ingredients and spread evenly into your baking dish, that has been sprayed. 
4. Spread sausage over hashbrowns.
5. In a large bowl mix eggs, milk, salt, pepper, mustard, 1 cup cheese, and seasonings: whisk until combined.
6. Pour the egg mixture over the hashbrowns mixture.
7. Cover the dish with foil and refrigerate overnight if desired, or bake immediately.
8. Bake covered for 40 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes until it is set in the center.
9. Let rest for at least 10-15 minutes so it has time to set up.

*You can substitute any kind of meat.  I love it with ham or bacon too.

*You can also add green peppers, red peppers, mushrooms, heck any of your favorite vegetables if you would like.

*I just use a full bag of hashbrowns.  Some may be 20 oz, some maybe 26oz.  If you use more hashbrowns than 26 oz, I would add an extra egg so it doesn't get dry.