Blackened Beans & Grits

Jacques from South Africa first introduced me to Grits and of course I would love them. I love cornbread so why not? I do add corn when I make them. When I saw this recipe on Cooking During Stolen Moments I thought it would be a simple side dish for dinner. I didn't have all of the ingredients that she used so this is my version.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes
Paprika
Oregano
Cayenne pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Black pepper
Coarse salt

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, cook until tender. Stir in beans and tomatoes. Add seasoning to taste. Reduce heat to low and simmer at least 15 minutes.

3 1/2 cups water
1 1/4 cup corn meal
Corn - optional

Bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil. Mix corn meal with remaining water in a small bowl. Add corn meal mixture slowly to boiling water, stirring constantly. Add corn now if desired. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring constantly for 5 minutes or until thickened.

Cheeseburger Bake

Unsure where I picked this recipe up but I used to make it quite often when the kids were little. If you don't like your biscuits soft on the bottom cook them on a cookie sheet and serve along side the meat mixture.

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup chopped onion
8 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded cheese

Combine ground beef and flour. Brown with onion in skillet. Stir in tomato sauce, ketchup, salt and pepper; heat. Turn into 8 or 9 inch square baking dish. Top with cheese and baking powder biscuits. Bake at 425 for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.

Sloppy Joe Biscuit Pizza

Found this recipe on Cooking During Stolen Moments. It is very simple and tasty. A single recipe fits nicely on my half cookie sheet. When I doubled the recipe and cooked it on my large cookie sheet I learned that I needed to allow for more cooking time because the middle was still a little doughy. Omitted the 1/2 teaspoon cumin, didn't have it and I don't know that it needed it.

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons mustard
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine, cut into pieces
1/2 cup - 3/4 cup milk - I found this to be a little dry and add just a bit more
1 1/2 - 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef with onions in a large skillet. Drain. Stir in ketchup, mustard, brown sugar and seasonings. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until flavors are combined. Remove from heat. Refrigerate until using.

In large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and slat. Cut in butter or margarine until crumbly. Add 1/2 cup milk and combine. Add remaining milk if needed. Knead dough for 1 minute, until it holds together. Press onto the bottom of a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 8 minutes, just to prebake. Refrigerate until using or assemble as below and then refrigerate, baking just before eating.

+about 15 minutes baking time. Spread the sloppy joe mixture over the biscuit crust and top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, until crust is golden brown around the edges and the cheese is fully melted.

Double Fudge Brownie Quart Jar Gift

1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder (clean inside of jar with paper towel after this layer)
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup chocolate chips
Optional - chopped nuts

Layer the ingredients in the order given. Place lid on jar

The card attached reads -
1 jar Double Fudge Brownie mix
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 eggs, slightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 325. In a large bowl, cream the butter and eggs. Add the Double Fudge Browning mix and stir until the mixture is well blended. Spread batter into a lightly greased or sprayed 9 x 12 inch pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan.

Oatmeal Cookie Quart Jar Gift

1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups quick rolled oats

Layer the ingredients in the order given. Place lid on jar.

The card attached reads -
1 jar Oatmeal Cookie mix
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon water

Preheat the oven to 375. In a large bowl, cream the butter, eggs, vanilla and water. Add the Oatmeal Cookie mix and stir until the mixture is well blended. Drop the cookies by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Cookie Dough Quart Jar Gift

Change the M&M colors to suit the holiday.

2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup red and green M&Ms
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda

Mix flour, salt and baking soda. Pour mixture in jar and tap lightly to evenly distribute. Layer the brown sugar, sugar and the M&Ms, tapping after each addition. Place lid on jar.

The card attached reads -
Cream 1 cup butter, 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon vanilla. Add ingredients from jar and mix well. Drop cookie dough by the teaspoon onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes.

Hot Chocolate Quart Jar Gift

3 cups hot chocolate mix
2 cups mini marshmallows

Pour in a layer of 1 1/2 cups hot chocolate mix in the jar, then 1 cup marshmallows. Repeat to layer the remaining ingredients. Place lid on jar.

The card attached reads -
Place 1/4 cup hot chocolate mix in your mug, then slowly add 1 cup hot water. Stir and enjoy!

Caramel Corn

Not exactly sure who belongs to this recipe but I found it with my Girl's Weekend papers.

1 pound brown sugar
1 cup white corn syrup
1 square margarine
1 15 oz. sweetened condensed milk
3 1/2 to 4 poppers full of popcorn

Combine margarine, sugar and syrup. Bring to boil. Add milk. Simmer, stir constantly until it forms a soft ball.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Lisa shared this recipe and I love it because it is so simple. I have used a chocolate cake mix and Christopher never knew that these cookies were semi-good for him.

Spice cake mix
1/2 can pumpkin
Optional - raisins or chocolate chips

Bake at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes.

Easy Lower Fat Cake

This is a recipe from Lisa.

Take one cake mix and add a diet drink. Bake as instructed on the box, i.e. chocolate cake with a Diet Cherry Coke, cherry chip cake with Diet Sprite.

Oreo Cookies

These are the best cookies and they never last long when Becky shares them with us.

2 Chocolate or Devil's Food cake mixes
1 cup shortening
4 eggs

Mix together with mixer. This will be very thick. Roll into small balls. Put onto cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 350. When you take them from oven, bounce pan on cabinet or stove to flatten. Cool completely.

Frosting
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup soft margarine
4 cups powdered sugar

Mix and refrigerate. Frost when cool. Put 2 cookies together. Freeze or refrigerate.

Fruit Smoothie

Remember sitting in the hot tub with the light snow following and enjoying Becky's smoothies at our cabin in the woods, Girl's Weekend 2003. It was so awesome!

12 oz. Sprite
10 ice cubes
8 oz. fruit of choice
1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar

Mix in blender.

Apple Crisp

Another recipe from Becky from Girl's Weekend 2003.

4 cups sliced pared apples
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup melted margarine

Place apples in greased 8x8x2" pan. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and oats. Add melted margarine. Mix until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples. Bake at 375 for 25 - 30 minutes or until apples are tender and top is golden brown.

Chicken or Turkey Haystacks

This is a recipe that Becky introduced to me when we had Girl's Weekend at the cabin in Heber in 2003.

Mix a 16 oz. can or chicken or turkey with a can of cream of chicken soup, warm. Serve with your choice of the following:

• Hot rice


• Diced celery


• Chinese noodles


• Chopped tomatoes


• Grated cheese


• Crushed pineapple


• Almonds


• Shredded coconut