Roasted Garlic

I've been using roasted garlic more and more in many dishes because I love the flavor that it brings. It is also so easy to do.

Simply cut the top off of the clove of garlic place in aluminum foil pour olive oil on top and wrap tightly. Bake for 20 minutes at 425.

Let the garlic cool and then squeeze the cloves out of the skin.

Chop or mince to the desired texture.

For garlic mashed potatoes add to the cooked potatoes before mashing. The garlic can be roasted a few days before and frozen or refrigerated.

Homemade Refried Beans

I decided to make refried beans from scratch. I like that I know exactly what the ingredients are and the fact that there is no lard or preservatives in them. I want to use the beans that I have in storage and the fact the they are high in fiber as well as other nutrients.

Sort through the beans to get out the small stones and bad beans. Cover with water and soak over night or for a few hours at least.
Cook the beans and a whole chopped onion until tender, the skins should pull away from the beans as you blow on them. I cooked these for 3-4 hours so that I knew they were soft and easy to mash.

For flavor and a little heat I added the diced chiles, next time I will add a little more heat!

We also added a whole roasted garlic before mashing.

Putting a couple of cups at a time into the food processor we pureed the beans, garlic, and chiles until smooth.

We took the desired amount of beans and heated in skillet and topped with grated cheese and froze the remaining beans for another meal. They had a great flavor and I will continue to do this in the future.

Perfect Brownies

It has become so easy for us to open a box of brownie mix and bake them up for a quick desert or snack but they just aren't as good as real honest to goodness homemade brownies. I found this recipe when I was beginning to cook as a teenager. A friend brought these over with a meal when my mom was recovering from some surgery, and I got hooked. I made these brownies in my college dorm and they became famous!! They are chewy and moist I especially love the edges. Since I have cut out sweets for over five months now I was having a real craving and decided if I were going to stay with my weight loss that I needed to give myself a break....

This picture doesn't really give these brownies justice.

Topped with ice cream while they are slightly warm and covered with chocolate syrup it was a good break and helped me back to my goal. Thirty five pounds and counting.

Perfect Brownies

1/2 c. cocoa
2 sticks margarine
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
2 t. vanilla
1 1/3 c. flour
½ - 1 c. nuts (optional)
dash of salt
Beat margarine, sugar, eggs and vanilla together. Then add cocoa and mix in well. Stir in BY HAND the flour, salt and nuts. Bake in 9 x 13 greased pan at 350 for 35 to 40 mins.

Toppings
1. While hot sprinkle powered sugar over the top. Or
2. Cool and frost with chocolate frosting. Or
3. While still hot cover with miniature marshmallows, cool and frost with chocolate frosting. (Very rich)

Mom's Beef Stew

Growing up my Mother made a stew that I loved. One of those that cooked for hours and melted in your mouth as you ate it. It really is simple. I always pick the leanest stew meat that I can find. The meat is usually twice as big as I like it so I double the batch immediately by cutting it into smaller pieces. Once cut to the right size I dredge it in flour and then brown it in hot oil. My greatest endorsement for this stew came from my six year old Grandson after trying it.

After the meat is browned I add potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion.
When the onions become translucent I add a large can of tomato juice and two small cans of tomato sauce and bring to a simmer.

In an oven safe pot I put the stew into a 300-325 degree oven for two to three hours. Checking the moisture periodically so that not too much moisture is lost.

The meat is so tender that you can cut it with a fork. Serve with warm bread or rolls. Great for a cold winter day.

"Mom's Stew"

2 lbs lean stew meat
2-3 carrots, sliced round
2-3 potatoes, cubed
1 onion, chopped
2 large cans tomato juice
(tomato sauce can be used)
2 T. vegetable oil

Brown meat in oil, add remaining ingredients and cook until tender. This can be simmered on a stove top, baked in the oven, or in a slow cooker. The longer and slower the better. Other herbs such as Rosemary, Bay leaves, Marjoram, or Basil can also be added for flavor. Salt and pepper to taste.

Lion House Potatoes/Funeral Potatoes

I love these potatoes and in this area they have become famous for serving at luncheons for families after a funeral. There are quite a few variations for this recipe and so you can see a huge variety when one of these meals are served. When my daughters were much younger and they were attending the funeral of their Great-Grandmother this was the case. They did not know many of those attending the funeral because is was a rather large extended family so they made a game out of tasting the potatoes and rating them. They would take a taste of each pan of potatoes and then rate them from one to five based on taste and appearance... As I recently took Lion House Potatoes to a luncheon for a friend of mine I smiled as I saw the variety of "funeral potatoes" being served and thought of my girls. The following is my favorite variation. (Funny sideline is that you can give the same recipe to ten different women and get ten variations of the same recipe!)

I got these great Idaho potatoes from a friend this fall, this is actually my second fifty pound bag of them! I peel them and cut them into small cubes to cook faster and then they just have to be drained.
The recipe says not to mix the sour cream mixture into the potatoes but to just put on top, my variation is to mix it in a little bit to give flavor to the potatoes. Top with cheese mixture and bake.

Lion House Potato Casserole

5 Large Potatoes, cubed or shredded (if shredded, cook potatoes whole then shred)
3 TBSP butter, melted
1 can (10 ½ ounces) cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk
3 TBSP finely chopped green onions (this makes the whole dish even better!)
¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
¾ cup cornflake crumbs or dry bread crumbs
2 TBSP Butter, melted
3 TBSP grated Parmesan cheese

Boil potatoes until tender and drain. Place in 2 or 3 quart casserole dish. Pour melted butter over potatoes (3 TBSP). Mix together soup, sour cream, milk, green onions and cheese. Pour evenly over potatoes. Do not mix. Toss crumbs with remaining melted butter and Parmesan cheese; sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Ovenless!!!!!!!!!

I love my stove! It is a gas range with a double oven, I love it. Last week it decided that it was going to set it's own temperature and started beeping periodically and trying to turn on. I think it was going through with drawl because I have been gone so much and simply not cooking. (I am in the process of changing some of my recipes to be more caloric friendly and cooking for two or three is a new challenge for me) Need less to say it made us a little worried so we hit the breaker to turn off power and called to have it checked. The repairman said that the clock card on our particular range has had some problems but hadn't heard of one trying to turn itself on and off. He had to order a part and so I will be without a stove until early next week (it's Thursday now.) I think I am going to have to be creative for a few days! So wouldn't you know I am succenly wanting to make homemade bread and or cookies...wish me luck!

Eggs in a Nest

When we lived in Sequim Washington and our oldest daughter was in fifth grade at the middle school she had a unit on cooking. She was so excited to come home and make Eggs in a Nest for us. It was a family hit! Still a favorite for an occasional Saturday or Sunday breakfast!

Brown hash browns in a skillet until golden on one side, flip over.
Salt and pepper to taste, and crack eggs on top of the hash browns.

Cover and steam the eggs until set. Approx three to five minutes.

Top with grated cheese.

Plate and serve.

This is so easy to do and only takes one pan, in a large skillet you can cook up to six eggs at a time.

Slow Cooked Pork Tenderloin

I'm always looking for recipes to do with Pork tenderloin and my daughter came up with this one, it's a keeper.

Take a 3-4 lb. Pork tenderloin
Salt and pepper and place in the crock pot, I just love these crock pot liners with them clean up is a breeze.

Mix the soups together and cover the tenderloin with them.

Put the lid on and cook for an hour, after another hour turn the roast. Cook for another 2-3 hours.

A half hour before serving pull the roast out and shred. Put the pork back into the soup mixture.

Serve with mashed potoates.

3-4 lb. pork tenderloin

1 10 oz. can cream of mushroom soup

1 10 oz. can french onion or onion soup

1 10 oz. golden mushroom or cream of mushroom with roasted garlic.

salt and pepper to taste

Vegetable-Stuffed Shells

I have a file folder of "recipes to try" many have been ripped from magazines or newspapers and this is one of those recipes, unfortunately I don't know which magazine it comes from.

Choose your favorite Marinara sauce, I make my own it is the Italian Sauce on the left hand side of the blog.
While cutting the vegetables up boil the pasta shells, according to directions on the package.
When finished drain and place on baking sheet to cool.

Saute the broccoli, onion, carrots, and garlic. Add the water and the spinach and cover cook until tender and the moisture is gone.

When the vegetables are tender add the Ricotta and Parmesan Cheeses, the fresh basil, salt and pepper.

Combine ingredients well.

In a 9x13 pan place the Marinara Sauce in the bottom.
Spoon the vegetable mixture into the shells and place into the Marinara Sauce.

Sprinkle the Mozzarella Cheese across the top, cover tightly with foil and bake at 400 for 35 minutes.

Until bubbly.

Enjoy! Serve with a nice green salad.

12 oz. jumbo pasta shells, cooked
2 T. olive oil
2 1/2 c. chopped broccoli
1 c. shredded carrots
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 10 oz. box frozen leaf spinach, thawed and cut
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
1 c. ricotta cheese (cottage cheese can be used)
2 T. Parmesan cheese
1/4 t. salt and pepper
1 1/4 c. marinara sauce
1/2 c. mozzarella cheese

Heat oven to 400. Bring a large pot of salted water, cook pasta according to directions. Drain and cool on baking sheet. (This can be done ahead of time)

Heat oil in large skillet, saute broccoli, carrots, onion and garlic until tender. Add spinach and 1/2 c. water; cover and cook 2 minutes or until vegetables are fork tender. Remove lid and cook out remaining liquid. Stir in basil, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Spread marinara sauce (Iuse my own recipe on the lefthand column of this blog) on the bottom of 9x13 pan. Spoon vegetable mixture into the shells arrange in baking dish, sprinkle with the mozarella cheese and cover tightly with foil and bake 35 minutes until hot and bubbly. Serves 6.

(This would be good with a little Italian Sausage as well. But is a really good "meatless" dish)

Grandma Stevenson's Slow Cooked BBQ Ribs

Place ribs in a shallow baing dish
Bake at high temperature to render out some of the excess fat.

Mix ingredients for the sauce

Place the cooked ribs into a roasting pan.

Cover with sauce and chopped onion.

Meat so tender that it falls apart as you touch it. This is a family favorite.

Slow Roasted BBQ Ribs

2 T. brown sugar
1 t. paprika

1 t. dry mustard

1/2 t. salt

1/4-1/8 t. cayenne pepper

2 T. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 c. vinegar

1/4 c. ketchup

1 c. tomato juice

1 medium onion, chopped

(I usually double or triple these ingredients to cover the meat with to bake)

Pork or Beef ribs (I prefer pork country style)

Bake ribs in a shallow baking dish at 400 for an hour to render the excess fat out of the ribs. Place the ribs in a roasting pan, mix all of the ingredients pour onto the ribs. Cover and bake at 325 for 3-4 hours, or longer at 250. Serve over rice or noodles.

CHaNGeS-TiMe-NuMBeRs

(I have been absent a lot lately and this was a post I did on my personal blog but thought that this would explain some things.)

CHaNGeS-TiMe -NuMBeRs

Everyone knows that aging is a different process for everyone beginning the day we are born. I marvel at those who do it with great dignity particularly a woman in my neighborhood, to me she is an angel and I aspire to be like her. I really hate the number game that comes with aging. For those of you who know me one of the hardest numbers to change is that 20/20 vision is no longer a factor in my life and it has been difficult to get used to the need for reading glasses more and more all of the time. But to say I am 51 and am just in readers is a pretty great blessing. Thanks to Rebecca who reads the small print to me all of the time when I don't have my glasses handy which if you look in my house they are everywhere they should always be handy. Some numbers have been going up and some have been coming down I won't share all of that information with you but I am proud to say that one large number coming down is the weight, I have lost 25 pounds and an inch and a half, a good beginning but still have more to go. I will actually pose for picture right now, wow!

Beating myself up is a regular thing! Maybe if I had quit drinking the Cherry Coke sooner or walked just a little more or, or, or, my joints wouldn't be needing surgery when I can't take it anymore, or..... So if you see my pause in my walking or getting up just know I am adjusting! If you call me and know that I am at home but I don't answer it is probably because I have my Ipod on and am walking on my treadmill so please call back. I am now getting to the point where I am afraid to eat because I don't want to put any weight back on....

Change is also a constant part of life and one that I am struggling with a little. As a mom you are always so busy so excited to see your children learn and grow but you are so busy that you don't see how fast they are getting ready to spread their wings. It all goes way too fast, faster than I ever dreamed it would. I must admit I understand my own Mother a lot better over the last few years than I ever thought I would. When I am reunited with her one day I can only beg for forgiveness from her for my impatience with her, I wish I could tell her how much I love her, appreciate her, and understand her. I miss both my mom and dad and would love to talk to them and hug them.

I never anticipated being alone quite so much, that is the hard thing about my children growing up and a husband who travels with his job. But my goals are to make better use of my time like dejunking the house of STUFF from thirty one years of marriage, do some reading, learn a little more about technology, spend more time with my own sisier, and yes lose more weight. I am able to travel with Kerry from time to time and it is wonderful and always good to have him home.

Lest I sound like this is a pity party please forgive me. I am so blessed in my life! I don't know how to express enough gratitude for the blessings I am given. I am so grateful for the tender mercies that have come my way. I have the greatest daughters in the world and while we are a family and occasionally lock horns I wouldn't trade our family experience for the world. I am grateful that they care for each other and remain close and I know that if one of them was in trouble they would all be there for her or for us. Not enough can be said about the experience of being a Grandparent I never dreamed that these children would bring such delight and joy just being with them and yes they are part of the movitvation to get healthier. I am so grateful for the relationship that I have with my wonderful husband, it just gets better and better with time. I wish that I was brave enough to experience his new love with him but fear kicks in too hard. I wish that I was better at all things for all of them. I feel like I so often disappoint them in one way or another. When the eyes roll I know that I have done or said something silly or wrong,sorry. I hope to be a better example in the next phase of life.

changes, time, numbers...bear with me as I make adjustments in my current life-learning where, what and who I am in this new phase of life. I'm only 51 and have lot's of time to do lot's of things. Thanks for being part of my life. (I'm now trying different recipes to continue with the weight loss, being gone a lot, less people to feed, and change require change on my part in this respect as well.)

New recipe to try!!!!

Just recently we took my daughter and her family to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory for her birthday dinner and had the Avocado Appetizers and they were so yummy. Today on Studio Five Emily Roche had her Copycat recipe and it looks so yummy. I can't wait to try it so I thought I would pass it along.



Avocado Egg Rolls with Dipping Sauce



2 large avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
4 T. sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
2 T. red onion, minced
1 t. cilantro, chopped
1/4 t. salt
6 egg roll wraps


Gently stir avocadol tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and salt. Distribute filling evenly in the center of each egg roll wrapper. Position a wrapper so that a corner is pointing toward you; fold the bottom corner up over the filling.


Fold side corners in and roll toward the top corner. Wet the top corner with a little water. Then fold top corner over then press to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers.


Continue by deep-frying egg rolls in 375 degree oil for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.


Slice egg rolls diagonally across the middle and serve with prepared dipping sauce.


Honey Cilantro Dipping Sauce


3-4 t. white vinegar
1 t. balsamic vinegar
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. chopped cashews
2/3 c. fresh cilantro
2 green onions
1 T. granulated sugar
1 t. black pepper
1 t. ground cumin
1/4 c. olive oil


To make dipping sauce, use a blender or food processor to puree all ingredients except olive oil. Blend until well pureed. Stream in olive oil. Refrigerate until ready to use

Can't wait to try this one, let me know if you try it and what you think!!!!!

Time in Paradise together

Me (Lauri) and my "Gourmet Guy" Kerry at the Waimea Falls.

Hole In the Wall

Many of the places that are so good to eat at aren't necessarily the most glamorous places to see. The "Gourmet Guy's" dad labeled them as "Holes In the Wall" and so when we as a family hear that phrase we know what kind of place we are going to be going to. Here in Honolulu we are starting to find such places in part because my favorite Mexican food place closed last fall and we are searching for one to find its place; don't even get me started!!!! In our efforts to locate a new one we came across this diamond in the rough. It is a former gas station in Manoa Valley up above the University of Hawaii. There are three "eateries" in this one building Serg's is the Mexican Place that drew us to this site. The food was pretty good and might bring me back.

While we were waiting for the food to come up we noticed the middle shop called Le Crepe Cafe and the Gourmet Guy went to check out the menu, he was impressed. On Martin Luther King Day we decided to return to try it out for breakfast. It was so yummy, in fact we started digging in before I realized we forgot to snap a picture to post. I guess we will just have to go back another time and try something else on the menu.

This is Kim and she was so cute and very outgoing in her little shop.

The third restaurant is called Boston Pizza maybe we'll try it out on another trip. The only bad thing about these three places in one spot is the lack of parking which is a very common thing in Honolulu! Whether a diamond in the rough or hole in the wall we found a new place to add to our favorites list.