Sloppy Joes

This is one of the recipes from my childhood.

Barbecue Sloppy Joes

1 lb ground hamburger thawed if frozen

1/8 tsp. Black pepper

1 c. onion chopped

1 8-ounce can tomato sauce

½ c. barbecue sauce

¼ c. water

4 hamburger buns

            Crumble hamburger into a medium skillet.  Sprinkle with pepper.  Add onion.  Over medium-high heat, cook and stir for five minutes or until meat is no longer pink and onion is almost tender.  Reduce heat to low.

            Stir in tomato sauce, barbecue sauce and water.  Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring occasionally.

Angel Hair Pasta w/Chicken

2 T. olive oil

2 chicken breast halves cut into 1-inch cubes

1 carrots, sliced diagonally into ¼ inch pieces

1 (10 ounce) package frozen broccoli florets, thawed

2 cloves garlic, minced

12 ounces angel hair pasta

2/3 c. chicken broth

1 tsp. Dried basil

¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese

        Heat 1 T. oil in a medium skillet over medium heat; add chicken.  Cook, stirring, until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels.  

        Heat remaining oil in the same skillet.  Begin heating water for pasta.  Add carrot to skillet; cook, stirring for 4 minutes.  Add broccoli and garlic to skillet; cook, stirring for 2 minutes longer.

        Cook pasta according to package directions.  While pasta is cooking, add chicken broth, basil and Parmesan to skillet.  Stir to combine.  Return chicken to skillet.  Reduce heat and simmer for 4 minutes.

        Drain pasta.  Place in a large serving bowl.  Top with chicken and vegetable mixture.  Serve immediately. 

Play Dough

This is my mom's play dough recipe.  I've never found another one that compares.  

Play Dough

2-1/2 cups flour

½ cup salt

1 Tbl. Alum (found with the spices)

3 Tbl. Oil

2 cups water

            Place in a heavy bottom pan and cook at medium or medium/high heat.  Stir until hard to stir.  Knead by hand.  You can add food coloring when you knead it. Store in an airtight container.

 I doubled it this time so it looks like a lot.  It is easier to stir when you don't double it.

Chicken Pot Pie

Another recipe from my childhood.  My love for Chicken Pot Pies stemmed from the fact that my mom made them individual sized.  I loved that.  I was also in charge of cutting the tops in any way I wanted.  This time we played with cookie cutters.

Chicken Pot Pie

Pastry for single-crust pie

½ c. chopped onion (one medium)

1 12 oz. Can evaporated milk

¼ c. all-purpose flour

¼ c. water

1 tsp. Instant chicken bouillon granules

½ tsp. Dried sage, marjoram, or thyme, crushed

1/8 tsp. Pepper

1 10-ounce package frozen peas and carrots or peas

1 ½ c. chopped cooked chicken or turkey

        On a lightly floured surface, flatten dough with hands.  Roll pastry to a 13x 9-inch rectangle.  Cover pastry and set aside.

        Spray a cold medium saucepan with nonstick coating.  Add the onion.  Cook and stir over medium heat about four minutes or until the onion is tender but not brown.

        Meanwhile, reserve 1 T. of the milk.  Set aside.  In a small mixing bowl gradually stir the remaining milk into the flour until smooth.  Stir into vegetable mixture in the saucepan.  Stir in the water; bouillon granules; sage, marjoram, or thyme; and pepper.  Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.  Stir in the frozen peas and carrots or peas and chicken or turkey. 

        Transfer mixture to a 12x 8x 2-inch baking dish or 8 ramekins. Place pastry over chicken mixture.  Fold under edges.  Crimp edges of pastry with a fork.  Brush pastry with reserved milk. 

        Bake in a 375 oven for 30 minutes or until the chicken mixture is heated thoroughly and the pastry is golden brown.  Makes five servings.  

Laundry Soap

A while ago a friend told me she makes her own laundry soap so I decided to try it.  My kids have really sensitive skin so it helps them and it is a lot cheaper than store bought stuff. 

Ingredients:
1 Bar of Soap (I have used just generic stuff with no scents or colors and I have used Fels-Naptha.)
1 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax

 (You should be able to find all of this in the laundry soap section of most stores or on Amazon.

I chop the bar of soap up and throw it and all of the rest of the ingredients in my blender.  Then I dump in an old ice cream bucket.  Don't breath in the dust and make sure the container is airtight.  It only takes 1 Tbsp. per load.

If you prefer you can also just cook it on low heat with some water to make it liquid laundry soap.  You are done when the soap is dissolved into the mixture.  

Fox Blanket

Made this for a baby shower.  Pattern to come soon.

Filled Oatmeal Bars

My friend gave me these cookies after I had my first baby and they were mind blowing.  I think that was mostly in part to post labor starvation, but they are still good today.

Somehow my kids ate all the cookies before I got a picture of them.

Chocolate Filled Bars:

    Melt and mix together...

1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk

12oz pkg. milk chocolate chips (or whatever kind you like)

3 Tbsp. butter

2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup nuts (optional)

Cream together...

1 c. butter

2 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 c. flour

3 c. oats

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

Press 2/3 of the dough into bottom of 9x13 pan. Pour chocolate or butterscotch mixture on   top.

Sprinkle with remaining dough.

Bake @ 350 for 20-25 min.