Hot Philly Cheesesteak on a Hawaiian Roll...enough said!

St. Joseph, MI

We leave for Michigan in 3 days, 19 hours and 31 minutes, but, who's counting?  Don't worry, this post will be up AFTER we've gone and returned home (and the kids have started school).

I'm trying to be productive by getting my laundry together and am starting to pack.  By pack, I mean I've thought about where my duffle bag is and what clothes I may put in it.  Since originally writing this post, the kids packed themselves (with me double checking) that afternoon and it made things so much easier! 

When we get home we will hit the ground running with tons of babysitting kids and the school's annual "meet the teacher". Let's also not forget sports practices and games for three kids and running my oldest to his job at Chic-Fil-A. Sounds like I need some easy dinner ideas. 

I've previously blogged about an easy chicken taco recipe cooked in the cock pot.  Here's the link (you should just be able to copy and paste into your browser): http://anniegirl36.blogspot.com/2014/07/just-another-summer-day.html

Make ahead everything burritos are also really good. Here's another link to that recipe:

http://anniegirl36.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-easy-button.html

I've kept my old menus so I have some ideas ready.  I also see patterns in what I serve.  This summer has been full of  sandwiches.  They are usually easy to prepare and can be made in infinite ways.  My oldest always asks for my "roast beef to the rescue" sandwich.  I came up with this recipe as an entry for an old contest.  I had to make a video as part of the contest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dH5hjGiblG4

When I was at my mom's house we made Hot Philly Cheesesteak on Hawaiian Rolls.  We did make a double batch to make sure we could feed all the hungry mouths. 

You will need:

1# good, sliced roast beef-chopped

1/2 sweet onion sliced thin

1/2 sweet pepper sliced thin

2 packages of Hawaiian Rolls cut in half (cut tops off to fill sandwich)

8 oz. sliced provolone cheese

3/4 cup mayo

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp onion powder

salt and pepper to taste

3 tbsp. melted butter

1 tbsp. canola oil

Preheat oven to 350

Cut the top of the rolls off and set aside.  Place the bottom of the buns on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.  Spread the mayo on the bottom half of the buns.

In a pan over medium heat 1 tsp canola oil and begin to cook the onion and pepper until softened.  Remove from heat and set aside. When cooled, spread evenly on the bottom layer of bread.

Add the roast beef to the pan and season with the Worcestershire, garlic and onion powder and paprika.  Once it has been heated through, place on top of the onion and pepper mixture.

Top with provolone cheese and put the tops of the buns back on.  

Brush tops of buns with melted butter and bake for 10-15 min.

These are incredible.  They even tasted great cold the next day.

Enjoy and Blessings!

You Are My Sunshine...

My six year old took me to school.  It started with new shoes.  I couldn’t find any cute Velcro shoes so it was on to the dreaded tie shoes.  Ugh.  The shoes that cause time to stand still as we bend over and retie them 20 times a day.  Anyway…we found a super cute pair and I told her she’d have to learn how to tie them. 

Confession: I (let her) lied that she learned how in kindergarten (Sorry Ms. Burt).  She really wanted the shoe charm..(Enabler)

So, when it was time to learn..she tried and tried and kept trying.  Wouldn’t you know, she eventually got the hang of it?  I told her “good job honey.   I’m so proud you didn’t give up”.  To which she replied, “If I would have given up, I wouldn’t have reached my goal.”  

Boom!  It’s so simple my six year old got it; I hope some of her determination came from me.  I won’t take too much credit though, how many times have I given in to the siren song of the thin mint cookies? 

She’s had lots of milestones lately.  She lost her front teeth, we had our first mommy/daughter shopping trip, she got glasses  and don’t forget those shoelaces!

I think it’s good to have milestones.  Homeownership, children and jobs are some.   While my goals aren’t as tangible as someone who works outside of the home, I do try to expand my culinary skills. Eventually, someday, I’d like very much to cook for people as a profession.  What that will look like, I’m still not sure. 

I made a new cake roll.  For those new to my blog, fall time brings out my pumpkin rolls.  They are moist, delicate pumpkin spice cake rolled up with homemade cream cheese filling.  I’ve also come to make red velvet, chocolate and now a lemon flavored one. 

Lemon curd had previously intimidated me; but, I like to try new things and thought I’d give it a shot. Don’t give up, remember? I first used lemon curd on a cheesecake I entered in a dessert contest.  I took home second place for it.  Anyway… I made it again for this cake roll.  It was a vanilla cake, lemon curd, and a whipped cream-cream cheese filling.  Yum!

The lemon curd recipe is super easy. 

Lemon Curd

      ·         ¾ cups fresh lemon juice
      ·         ¾ white sugar
      ·         1 tbsp lemon zest
      ·         3 eggs
      ·         1 stick or ½ cup butter

Put all the ingredients in a heavy bottomed sauce pan and on medium heat keep stirring until it thickens.  Use a wisk and don’t stop stirring.  I strained it when I transferred it to a container to cool.  I lost the lemon zest, but it also strained out some eggy globs (keep stirring so you don’t get a lot of eggy globs).

Place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the top to keep a skin from developing and put it in the fridge to cool and set. 

Serve it as is and you’ve got lemon pudding. Add it to the top of cheesecakes for a showstopper dessert.

Souper Tuesday! (Get it?)

There is a chill in the air.  November has appeared through the spooky gloom of Halloween.  The year is wrapping up, Christmas shopping looms and I’m binge watching The Mindy Project.  I should probably get more motivated but I’m feeling as motivated as my dog burrowed in the couch. (He snores very loudly.) Plus, this show is really funny.

Sleepy dog..

Dinner is a constant.  For some reason, kids need to eat regularly, or they turn into monsters.  I made homemade wheat bread with sausage and kale soup last night.  It went over pretty well.  It could be that they had to eat it all (even the broth) to get some Halloween candy. 

I was going through an old notebook and found a recipe for a Italian Sausage and Bean soup.  That was pretty good.  I made it for a family I nanny for.  I threw it together with what was in their fridge. 

Italian Sausage Soup             

You will need:

12-14oz pkg of sweet Italian chicken sausage

¾ cup diced onion

½ cup celery

Glad I snapped this pic. 

½ cup carrot

½ cup diced sweet pepper

1 tbsp diced garlic

1 can butter beans-drained

1 can kidney beans –drained

2-3 bay leaves

10 cups chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp flour

2 cup fresh spinach

1 can undrained diced tomatoes

½ cup uncooked rice

 

In a large stock pot brown the sausage.  If it’s in a casing, squeeze it out. If that’s too gross for you, slice it up thinly.  When the sausage is cooked through, add the celery, onion, carrots, garlic and sweet pepper. Sprinkle on some salt and pepper.  When they’re soft, add the butter, then the flour once the butter has melted.  Stir the veggies with the butter and flour.  It will begin to thicken.  Now, add 8 cups of the chicken stock.  You could try low sodium…but then I add salt..so, really, just get the good stuff to begin with.

Into the pot goes the beans, bay leaves, Italian seasoning, and the diced tomatoes. Give them a little stir. Go ahead and smell it. Now, taste it.  Does it need a little more salt? Pepper?   Add the uncooked rice in and  let it simmer for up to an hour.   Add the spinach.  Make sure when you add the spinach that you tear it into bite size pieces.  Try not to add stems.  If your soup has gotten too thick and is turning into stew, add more broth. 

I hope you try this out.  Also, check out The Mindy Project. I have been laughing out loud..I almost woke the baby. 

Just in time for next years Super Bowl...Hot Jalapeno Popper Dip

Always happy to see this sign.

Hey guys!  It’s been a while since I’ve written anything.  I can tell.  I get a little antsy..introspective. 

It’s been since November..goodness knows I was super busy.  We went to Michigan for Christmas.  It was great to see everyone.  It was great to then come home and get back into our South Carolina routine; a routine devoid of snow. 

My Parents backyard.

I was pretty homesick for Michigan this last trip.  I don’t know if it was that I got to see so many friends this visit.  Or maybe it was driving through the gorgeous countryside or just bumping into random people that I knew at Meijers (I find myself recognizing people in South Carolina and can’t remember if I know them from here or there); I was seriously trying to figure out how to still stay part of it.  My mind even made the leap ahead twenty years to when Al retires…Pure Michigan.

Natalie and Jett exploring.

Past our Christmas, we made it through the long slog of January.  Poor January.  Is it ever celebrated? Besides the first day of the month, how often do we think ahead in November and say, “Man, I can’t wait to see what January holds (besides the 10# the holidays left on my thighs).”  It’s a long waiting game of cold winter.  If you like the cold, I’m sorry if I’ve offended you.  Never have I been so glad to have moved south…I wore my winter coat today to the post office and it was 57 outside with a steady wind.  In Michigan (here she goes again) it would have been time for shorts and t-shirts.

Cold weather calls for comfort food.  Well, honestly, I don’t need an excuse for comfort food.  I smoked a meatloaf tonight for dinner.  Yum.  There was hardly any leftover.  Last night in honor of Super Bowl Sunday I made a Jalapeno Popper Dip.  The recipe follows:

Pretend there's mayo and spices in the picture.

You will need:

All ready for the oven.

 ½ cup diced red onion

½ cup diced and seeded jalapeno pepper

8 oz cream cheese

¾ cup mayo

3 sliced bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

Reserve 3 tbsp of the bacon grease to cook the veggies in

½ cup sharp shredded cheese

1 tsp garlic powder

½ tsp salt and pepper

1 tbsp hot sauce (if you’d like it hotter)

First, preheat your oven to 350

Cook three strips of bacon until theyre crisp and crumble them up.  Reserve the drippings to cook the veggies.

While the bacon is cooking, dice the onion and jalapeno.  Cook them in the reserved bacon grease until tender. 

Cream together the cream cheese and mayo.  Add the spices, cheese and cooked veggies.  Spread in a cute oven proof dish.  Top with crumbled bacon and some thin slices of jalapeno. 

Bake until hot and bubbly and serve warm with good crackers.

I hope you give it a try.  If you like things spicier, add hot sauce to the cream cheese mixture.  Overall, this recipe is pretty mild 
 Blessings to you this New Year; and hopefully, it won’t be two months until I write again.



Sibling Love.

Little stinker.