Sunset

Beautiful picture to the end of a perfect day.

This was taken at the end of our street at the Niagara River and Canada across it.  Photo credit to my niece, Britt for taking the picture while Chase held up the sun!

Such a peaceful place to watch a sunset

 

Sunny Cold day on the Farm

Even with the brisk temperatures it’s still beautiful to be outside if only for a little while!

Beefaroni

This is way better than hamburger helper and so easy to make.  Definitely a favorite of the boy’s in this house!

1 lb ground beef

2 TBSP minced garlic

one medium onion diced fine

2 TBSP garlic infused oil or olive oil

1 jar/can or 3 cups homemade spaghetti sauce

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 lb your choice of pasta

 

I boil ground beef before I brown it but you don’t have to.

 

Brown the ground beef and onions in the oil. When done add the 2 TBSP minced garlic.

 

Add the sauce and right on top of that add the heavy cream. Mix and heat through.

 

Cook the pasta and serve the sauce on top with some grated cheese and fresh basil leaves.

So easy to make!!  Great with ground venison and ground turkey as well!

Good Ole Days

I keep this vintage milk bottle holder on our porch.  It makes me happy to see it, even in the deep snow.

There’s something about this that brings me back to a place in time that I wish to have been a part of.

Chicken and Dumplings

This is such a classic dish in my mind.  I remember watching an old boyfriend’s grandmother make this and then asking her a ton of questions writing it all down so I could make it myself.

Here is how I make ours:

Boil a pound of chicken tenders/breasts for about 25 minutes (or until cooked through) in about 8 cups of water.

Remove the chicken when cooked and add 2 chicken bouillon cubes, 1/4 cup each finely chopped onion, celery and carrots and boil approximately 10 minutes until veggies are soft.

In a saucepan brown 1/4 cup of flour stirring constantly (this was one of the tricks his grandmother did).  Remove from heat and place in a glass bowl with 1 TBSP cornstarch.  Mix well.  Add about 1 cup of the hot chicken stock and stir the mixture until smooth.  Add to the chicken/veggie stock and bring to a boil whisking until it starts to thicken (approx. 2-3 minutes).  Add the chopped chicken into the pot and 4 TBSP. heavy cream.

Make the dumplings using 1 1/2 cups of flour, 1 TBSP baking powder and 1 TBSP cornmeal into a bowl and mixing well.  In a small bowl add 3/4 cup milk and 1 egg.  Mix well and combine with the flour mixture mixing just until combined.

Drop teaspoonful dumpling mixture into simmering chicken stock, cover and cook for 3 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon and repeat until all dumplings are cooked.  Serve the gravy over the dumplings in a bowl!  Delicious!

Step by step here:

1 lb chicken breast or tenders

8 cups water

2 chicken bouillon cubes

¼ cup chopped onion

¼ cup chopped carrots

¼ cup chopped celery

¼ cup flour

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Dumplings:

1 ½ cups flour

1 Tbsp. cornmeal

1 Tbsp. baking powder

¾ cup milk

1 egg

Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the chicken in the water approximately 25 minutes (or until cooked through). Remove the cooked chicken and cube it.

Add the bouillon cubes and vegetables. Gently boil approximately 10 minutes until veggies are soft

Brown ¼ cup flour in a frying pan stirring constantly until browned

Place browned flour in a glass bowl and add 2 Tbsp. cornstarch and mix

Add 1 cup of hot chicken stock and stir until smooth

Add to chicken stock/veggie mixture and boil gently while whisking for 2-3 minutes until sauce thickens slightly and no lumps of flour mixture

Add the chicken into the pot and keep at a slow simmer

Dumplings:

Mix the flour, cornmeal and baking powder

Mix the milk and egg in a separate bowl and add to the flour mixture

Stir just until moistened through.

Drop teaspoonful of dumpling mixture around the chicken pot approximately 5 at a time and cover. Let steam cook for 4 minutes and then remove and repeat until the dumpling mixture is gone.

Serve the dumplings in a bowl with the chicken sauce over the top.

Lemon Lime Soda Pound Cake

It doesn’t get much easier than this!  This is the perfect Pound Cake, full of butter flavor, lemon flavor and moist!

These make great gifts, dessert for a party, treat for tea time, brunch, or anytime really.

The Teen Queen decided to make a batch tonight.  No one in the house complained that’s for sure 🙂

Super Easy to make:

 

1 1/2 cups butter

3 cups sugar

5 eggs

2 TBSP lemon extract

1/3 cup lemon juice

3/4 cup of lemon lime soda

3 cups of flour

 

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs mixing after each one. Mix in the extract, juice and soda. Add the flour a cup at a time and mix until incorporated.

 

Spoon into very well greased and floured loaf pans (2 regular or 4 mini).

 

Bake at 325 for approximately 45 minutes (obviously shorter for the mini loaves). A toothpick should come out clean when finished