12.09.2010

Stroganoff



About
Stroganoff is creamy and peppery and hearty - all of which soul food should be. We love this recipe, as it allows a lot of wiggle room for creativity and adjustments. Stroganoff would be good served with cut corn, green beans and cottage cheese, or a simple salad.

Recipe

  • 1/2 lb ground beef
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1/2 c sour cream
  • 1/2 pkg of egg noodles
  • (1 small can of mushrooms, drained)
  • (1/4 of an onion, finely chopped)
  • (2 cloves of garlic, minced)
  • black pepper
Boil 6 cups of water in a medium sized pot (or fill it halfway). Add the egg noodles in and keep on medium-high heat until tender. Meanwhile brown the ground beef on medium-low heat. When noodles are done (about 8-10 min) drain and set aside.When the pink color of the meat is almost gone, add the onions and garlic and simmer until meat is thoroughly cooked through (10 min). Add in the can of mushroom soup, sour cream, and mushrooms (if you want them). Add in generous amounts of black pepper to taste (at least about 1/4 tsp). Stir until heated through and serve! 
(While the onion, garlic, and mushrooms are not necessary, we find that they improve the flavor of the stroganoff a lot, so if this isn't just a quick meal for you, I'd definitely use those if you have them.)


Price Range - $4.00
This is a serving for two without sides and maybe one plate left over, so I'd say it costs about $2/person to make, less with the more you make (the more you buy in bulk) of course. We both had 2 big plates each with another plate in leftovers, so with side dishes, you could stretch this to a 4-5 serving meal.

Verdict4.5 stars
We love stroganoff and love even more how easy this meal is to make. It takes 10 minutes and uses ingredients most people already have around. Hubby and I used to eat the Pastaroni kind until we realized how easy and painless it really was.

12.06.2010

Grandma Kelley's Waffles


About
Apparently Grandma Kelley is renowned for her cooking prowess: Grandma Kelley's this, Grandma Kelley's that. Her recipes don't do her cooking justice as she has that magic touch and it can never be replicated. I've always thought that grandmothers were excellent cooks and Grandma Kelley having 12 kids and who knows how many grandkids, I guess that makes her a super-grandma. Anyways, I found her recipe for waffles digging through Braden's parents' kitchen cupboards and wanted to try it out.

Recipe

  • 2 c all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 c milk
  • 7 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp salt
Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Place milk, eggs, and oil in a blender (don't really have to, just whisk furiously for a minute or two), then add to dry ingredients and bake in a preheated waffle iron. No greasing of the iron needed unless you wash it regularly (then just give it a quick spray of Pam or wipe it down with some veggie oil on a paper towel, getting into all the crevices). When the steam comes out the sides of the iron, it's almost ready, or bake until it's golden brown.


Price Range
Since it's from ingredients you should already have in the pantry, I'd say this cost nothing to make or if you really must know, probably around 2 or 3 dollars, if even. Makes around 10 waffles, or two batches and then some in a 4-square waffle iron.


Verdict - 4.5 stars
These were great! All the waffles we've previously made were just alright. These were fluffy, light, eggy, and delicious. And the best part? No buttermilk needed for that wonderful childhood reminiscent waffle flavor and texture. We had ours with lots of butter and Mrs Butterworth's syrup and homemade strawberry and Grandma Kelley's homemade pear jam. Of course the hubby had his with cinnamon peanut butter. We might get creative next time and add in chips of fresh strawberries or blueberries.


This is what we use in our kitchen.
We got it as a wedding gift and it's fantastic to have.
But any waffle iron should be good for this recipe.