Homemade Corn Dogs

Corn dogs can be found at any fair and if you have a craving you can use this easy recipe to make them at home! 

When I make a recipe there are always extras.  They are great for leftovers for school lunch or frozen for reheating another time. 12- 15 minutes in the oven will crisp them up and still be pretty tasty. Fresh is best but homemade frozen corn dogs are way better than store bought.

Homemade Corn Dogs                                                                    Printable Recipe

1 egg

2/3 cup milk

1/2 cup cornmeal

2/3 cup flour (3 T more if using Einkorn flour)

1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 package hot dogs

Sweet Mustard Crock Pot Pulled Pork

I've been looking around for a different flavor for my pork shoulder (butt) roast.  I already have my simple but versatile Crock Pot Pulled Pork which can be flavored any way you like it or mixed with my Whiskey BBQ Sauce for awesome sandwiches or knock yer socks off nachos.  My recipe for Beef Tostadas  can be made with pork instead of a beef roast.  We needed something different, something with more pizzazz so I threw a little mustard in the mix.  Definitely a ton of flavor now!  It's quite a vinegary-mustardy smell when it's cooking but it will mellow out some as the time goes on and it's mixed with the pork.

I used a 3-4 lb roast to work out the recipe.  That way if it didn't turn out I didn't waste a 7 pounder. The meat had a lot of flavor and it reminded me of a wonton appetizer from a chain restaurant.  I knew what I had to do.  Fry up some corn tortillas into taco shells (since I didn't have any in the house) and top it with my Creamy Coleslaw.  Perfect!  The only problem I had was that the roast didn't last long with the family and our lunches!  I knew I had to make another and so I pulled out the large roast this time so we have plenty for our meal, leftovers and the freezer.

Sweet Mustard Crock Pot Pulled Pork                                                  Printable Recipe

1 cup yellow mustard
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
2/3 cup soy sauce (or Fauxy Sauce (soy free))
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried onion powder
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
7 pound pork shoulder (pork butt) roast

Swedish Meatballs (with Gluten Free Options)

Recently we have been butchering our own hogs and so I've had ground pork on hand.  Right now it's quite a bit cheaper than ground beef so I am looking stretch the beef a little.  Nothing beats homemade meatballs smothered in a creamy gravy sauce.  It's even better if you make your own broth!

I cook the onions to mellow out their flavor and lose the crunch.  For me, a raw onion can ruin a dish in a hurry.  While you are at it, double or trip the batch and roll up some extra meatballs.  Throw them in the freezer for another time. 

Swedish Meatballs (with Gluten Free Options)                         Printable Recipe

Makes 18 meatballs

1-1/2 Tablespoons olive oil (divided)

1/2 small onion, grated

3/4 pound ground beef

3/4 pound ground pork

1/2 cup quinoa flakes

1 egg

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice (or 5 whole allspice)

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoons butter

1/4 cup all purpose flour (or a gluten free flour of your choice)

3-1/2 cups beef broth (approx 2 cans or use homemade beef broth)

1/2 cup sour cream

salt and pepper to taste

Crock Pot Chipotle Beef Barbacoa

I don't use my crock pot a lot (personal preference) but for a roasting meat it's a good choice.  Even the toughest meats will be tender and juicy after the hours spent cooking.  This recipe has just a little kick that says "Hello." in a soft voice.  If you want it louder or to give a shout add more chipotles.  I like it nice and easy so I can taste all of the flavors I've stuffed into my tortilla shell.

Whether you like crispy or soft, flour or corn, any tortilla shell will work well with this meal.  I'll tell you below which toppings  I used but feel free to change the up to suit your taste!

Next time I make this beef recipe I will double or triple it and have extra for the freezer! I could also use a pork roast and it would be awesome as well.  

Crock Pot Chipotle Beef Barbacoa                                                      Printable Recipe

1 round steak (approx 2 pounds)

salt

olive oil

1 chipotle in adobo sauce

1/2 Tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 cup water

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

20+ Awesome Cookie Swap Recipes from Iowa Bloggers

Mixers are mixing and ovens are heating up this holiday season.  If you are looking for some great recipes for your cookie swap or to keep for yourself, you've come to the right place. 

I am showcasing recipes from my fellow Iowa bloggers.  There is certainly something here for everyone!

Visit their pages for more yummies and crafts!

Make the best of everything

The Gingered Whisk

Ally's Sweet and Savory Eats

Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids

Been THERE, Baked THAT

Sawdust and Embryos

Simplify, Live, Love

donnahup.com

Unstuffed Pepper Soup

If you saw my Unstuffed Green Peppers recipe you learned that I prefer my green peppers chopped up rather than used as cups.  One day here recently I thought that I would try it with a bit more liquid and made it in a soup.  It's a nice change up from the casserole style meal.

The canned tomatoes and sauce can be salty it was good to use my homemade broth where I can control the salt.  You can use water (which I have done in a pinch and it is still delicious) or use a lower sodium broth.

After eating it as a meal and making lunch portions with what was left there weren't any for the freezer.  Next time I will double the recipe and put some away for quick meals. Another afterthought I had was to use the crock pot next time.  I'll work on that and update this when I do!

Unstuffed Pepper Soup                                                                          Printable Recipe

1-1/2 pounds ground beef

2/3 chopped green peppers

2/3 cup chopped onion

28 ounce can diced tomatoes

8 ounce can tomato sauce

1-1/2 Tablespoons Worcestershire

1-2 cups beef broth (or water)

1/2 cup instant brown rice (I used Uncle Ben's)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie Bars

One day I had a craving for brownies but then I had a thought that chocolate chips cookies sounded good too.  Then I wondered if I could combine them both in one recipe.  I took my great grandma's Congo Squares recipe and my Coffee Cream Brownie recipe and got to stirring.  The end result was better than I imagined it would be so I had to take my few pieces out of the pan and send the rest with my husband to work. He said they didn't last long before they were all gone and the plate was empty. 

Soft and chewy with a little bit of crunch from the nuts and the cookie bar dough on top makes this a taste for the senses! 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie Bars                                                    Printable Recipe

Cookie Layer:

2-3/4 cups flour

2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup shortening

2-1/2 cups light brown sugar

3 eggs

1 cup nuts, coconut and/or chocolate chips

Brownie Layer:

1/2 cup butter, cut up

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate broken into pieces.

3 eggs

1-1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup flour 

3 Tablespoons finely chopped nuts

Spaghetti Bolognese

I wasn't expecting to be served spaghetti bolognese in the German speaking part of Switzerland, but I was and it was delicious!  If I hadn't been so full from the first plateful I would have had another serving or two!  After a talk with our waitress and the chef from the hotel I quickly wrote down the ingredients and steps to make this delicious dish.  It is an easy dish but please allow time for it to simmer.  It's well worth the wait!

Our waitress told me that if you have other vegetables on hand you need to use your can throw them in as well.  She gave red and green peppers as examples.

Spaghetti Bolognese                                                                                     Printable Recipe

1-1/4 pounds steak*
olive oil
2 carrots
1 small onion
1-2 stalks celery
15 ounces tomato puree or plain sauce (some canned sauces has spices in it)
1 bay leaf
5 whole cloves**
2-1/2 to 3 teaspoons dried Italian Herbs (generally a mix of: oregano, basil, rosemary, marjoram, savory, thyme)
salt and pepper to taste
up to 4 cups of water (divided)
cooked spaghetti
grated Parmesan

Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

Strawberry season is in full swing here in Iowa and I've already made one Strawberry Pie for my family.   Today I changed it up a bit and made these tasty cheesecake bars because who doesn't love cheesecake?!

You can use other berries if you like or even open up a can of pie filling.  All I can say is that it is a good thing it makes a small dish.  I can hear it calling my name from the fridge!  To help myself, I'll be wrapping some up for the freezer so the family can enjoy some now and some later.

Strawberry Cheesecake Bars  Makes 12                                               Printable Recipe

"Pie" Filling:
1 cup quartered fresh strawberries
1/2 Tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons corn starch
2 teaspoons cold water
Crust:
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup brown sugar
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour (I used Einkorn flour from Jovial Foods)
Cheesecake:
8 ounces low fat cream cheese (softened as needed)
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon all purpose flour
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mexican Chorizo, Rice and Bean Skillet

This dish is full of flavor and just the right amount of spice for our family.  If you are an adventurous one you can add cayenne, chilies in adobo sauce and/or sprinkle jalapenos on top to kick it up.  This skillet meal can be made in less than 30 mins so it is on the table quickly and it only uses one pan so there is a smaller mess to clean when the meal is done.   I had plenty for the family to eat and some for leftovers for lunches so I packed them up and tossed them in the freezer.

Mexican Chorizo, Rice and Bean Skillet                                      Printable Recipe

7 ounce tube Mexican Chorizo

14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained

3/4 cup uncooked instant brown rice

1 cup water (more or less as needed*)

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 cups sweet corn

15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup Mexi blend cheese, Chihuahua or even mozzarella would work

Small handful of chopped cilantro

Sour cream

Brownie Waffles

Who loves waffles?  Raise your hand.  You can't see me but I've got both raised!! I love waffles. They are moist on the inside with a little crunch on the outside.  I like a traditional style waffle like my Buttermilk Waffles slathered with some peanut butter and drizzled with syrup or sprinkled with chocolate chips.  In the fall we break out the pumpkin and spices and have some Pumpkin Buttermilk Waffles with walnuts or hickory nuts and syrup.

 Recently I decided to give chocolate waffles a try. These brownie waffles are a little slice of heaven!  I tried some plain, some sprinkled with powdered sugar (just like my mom used to make our brownies) and with a peanut butter syrup drizzle.  They were all good and I couldn't really pick a favorite.  You could even serve these as a dessert with a slice of ice cream on top and some chocolate syrup drizzle on.

Brownie Waffles (makes 6 round flip style waffles)                        Printable Recipe

1/2 cup butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup all purpose flour (or 1-1/3 cup Jovial Einkorn flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (or milk chocolate or Andes Mints baking chips if you prefer)
Toppings ideas: powdered sugar, fruit, peanut butter, chocolate syrup, maple syrup.

Simple Carrot Soup

I've never been successful at growing carrots so I always purchase them.  We bought a huge bag of organic carrots a while ago.  Some of them we use in our smoothies, some in our dishes and then my husband asked me for a soup made with the carrots. This soup is creamy and easy to make.  The ingredients are easy to find. 

It makes a great side dish, adding a grilled cheese sandwich to round it out or serve it with some grilled chicken. 

A fancy blender will give you a smoother soup but you can still fine with an immersion blender, food processor or regular style blender.  Check out my tips at the bottom for your type of appliance.

Simple Carrot Soup                                                                                   Printable Recipe

olive oil

1 small onion, grated

4 large carrots, grated

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup water

2 Tablespoons orange juice

4 dashes cayenne pepper (more or less to your taste)

2 Tablespoons honey (more or less to your taste)

Salt and pepper to taste

Cheese-Stuffed Bread Sticks

I love my Quick Pizza Dough recipe but sometimes I don't want to heat up the kitchen with the oven for just me. One day I flattened the dough like a pizza and cooked it in my pan so I could dip it in the Roasted Marinara.  Then I realized I was missing out on the cheese. I decided to wrap a cheese stick up in the dough and then cook the dough.  Yum!  It's ooey gooey!  Quick and easy to make!

Cheese-Stuffed Bread Sticks                                                   Printable Recipe

3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
3/4 teaspoon  sugar
1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees)
1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
couple dashes salt
1-1/2 cups flour plus more for dusting/kneading
6 cheese sticks (mozzarella or colby jack are best)

Add yeast and sugar to water.  Let set for 5 minutes.

Add olive oil, salt, and flour. 

Stir until completely mixed.  It is OK if it is a little wet.  You are going to add to a floured surface and knead. This will add flour and help complete your dough.

It should take you less than 5 minutes to get a nice smooth ball.  Cover with a towel and set aside for 15 minutes to rest/rise.

Divide dough into 6 pieces. 

Roll out into a rectangle that is large enough to cover your cheese stick.  Dampen the edge of the dough so when you fold over last edge it sticks.  Do the same on the end.  I lightly roll it all to be sure the are not holes for the cheese to seep out of as it melts.

Lightly oil a non-stick pan and heat to medium.  Add dough wrapped cheese to pan and cook until light brown. 

Flip each side and continue to brown/cook the dough.  If you want all edges brown you will need to gently hold the bread stick and hold the part of the dough you want browned to the pan.  I have learned that if you go too long they can leak but not as easily as when I did them in the oven.

Remove from pan and allow to cool for just a bit while you warm up your marinara sauce. I topped my sauce with Parmesan for extra cheesy flavor!  These are great to send in lunches too.

Check out that melty cheese!

I think next time I will make extra and freeze some.

PIN IT:  https://www.pinterest.com/pin/273593746089071096/ 

Melting Snowman Hot Cocoa Toppers

My daughter is always asking for marshmallows for her hot cocoa and all I had were large ones. They don't melt nicely in hot cocoa unless it is super hot and we don't, for safety reason, heat ours that warm.  This uses whipped topping instead.  Even though it is frozen, the heat from the hot cocoa is just enough to melt it and if you did happen get your cocoa too hot it will help cool it.

Using the decorating design of some snowman cupcakes I made a few years ago I came up with these. I did skip the orange spice drop as noses  The thought of a gummy orange flavored candy floating (or maybe it wouldn't float) in my hot cocoa didn't sound great.  I used orange-colored whipped topping instead. 

Your kids can help you with the chocolate chips and if you need to you can use clean tweezers to place the mini chocolate chips.

Melting Snowman Hot Cocoa Toppers (makes approximately 10)

Small tub whipped topping, thawed
Regular size milk chocolate chips
Mini milk chocolate chips
Orange food coloring gel
Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

Turtle Thumbprint Cookies

 I love the classic “turtle”combination of caramel, pecans and chocolate so I decided to put them into a cookie!  I used the original thumbprint base, changed up the nuts, added caramel and then a finishing drizzle of melted chocolate.  Your friends and family will think you are a gourmet but won't believe how easy they are to make.  Bite sized and super delicious!

Turtle Thumbprint Cookies (28-30 cookies)                                   Printable Recipe

2/3 cup butter
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 egg whites, beaten
pecans, finely chopped
24 caramels
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
1 cup milk chocolate chips (or semi-sweet or dark if you prefer)

Pecan Tassies

These little darlings are great to add to your holiday cookie plate.  The crust is light and flaky and there is just enough filling to fix your sweet tooth without going overboard.  They are freezable so you can make them ahead and not be in a time crunch closer to the holidays.  

Warning though, if you think that freezing them will keep you out of them, I can tell you from experience that they are pretty tasty, and edible right out of the freezer.  I didn't even break a tooth trying to eat one. 

Pecan Tassies          makes 24                       Printable Recipe (with doubled ingredients)

Pastry:

4 ounces light cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup (1 sticks) butter, softened

1 cups all purpose flour

Filling:

1 egg

1 cup chopped pecans

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

Sloppy Joes

No more sandwich from a can.  This mixture is juicy and packed with flavor.  I added a little bit of dry tomato powder and WOW!...even better!

Sloppy Joes                                                                                              Printable Recipe

2 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 celery ribs, chopped
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
1 2/3 cups canned crushed tomatoes (or 1 pint home canned chopped tomatoes)
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon steak sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon paprika
buns

Tuscan Roma Chicken and Pasta

There is this pizza, called Tuscan Roma, that I LOVE from a local pizza chain . It's Roma tomatoes, spinach, alfredo sauce and of course cheese! I have my own recipe to make it a home.

This hearty pasta takes all of those flavors I love and puts it all together in this creamy pasta dish.  Italian comfort food, good for the tummy and good for the heart!

Tuscan Roma Chicken and Pasta

1-1/4 pound chicken breasts or tenders

olive oil

salt and pepper

Sauce:

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1-1/2 Tablespoons flour*

1/4 cup white wine

1/2 cup chicken broth

1-1/2 cups whole milk or half and half if you prefer it richer

4 ounces fresh spinach, chopped

6 ounce bag (1-1/2 cups) shredded Parmesan (not the stuff in the shaker)

1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped

4 ounces spaghetti noodles (or other favorite pasta, GF works well too)

Creamed Chicken and Biscuits

If you are looking for a belly-warming dish my creamed chicken and biscuits are simple to make.  Yes, even the biscuits. You can skip the biscuits and serve over noodles or mashed potatoes but nothing compares to the flaky fluffiness of these biscuits.

Creamed Chicken and Biscuits                                                   Printable Recipe

3 cups cubed cooked chicken (breasts and/or thighs)

3 cups chicken broth 

15 ounce can mix vegetables, drained  or 1-1/2 to 2 cups frozen vegetables

3 Tablespoons butter

1/4 cup all purpose flour

salt and pepper to taste

fluffy biscuits

Baked Chocolate Buttermilk Donuts with Chocolate Coffee Glaze

 Soft, moist, and just the right amount of coffee in the glaze.   You'll want to share with a friend (or two!) 

Baked Chocolate Buttermilk Donuts with Chocolate Coffee Glaze         Printable Recipe

Donuts:
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted
1-1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar