Sauteed Mushrooms

Hello, reader friends!!

Last night was such a fun night in our home. Mr. Husband got home from work really early. The children and I visited the pool after they were done with their tae kwon do class, but we got home just as Mr. Husband was finishing up all the things he was wanting to get done around the house like cutting the grass and filling the deer feeder. The children and I straightened up around the house and were done just as my honey was walking in the door. We turned on the music and pulled the out the steaks and the sides. It was reminiscent of our early years for my hubby and me. We sang and danced- well...at least we attempted to dance- in the kitchen, only this time there were young whipper-snappers gagging, rolling eyes, and acting like they didn't want to watch mama and daddy!  I think it's a great thing to give such gifts to our children!

In recent years, sauteed mushrooms have been added to our steak dinners. My father and stepmother-mother-in-law are the ones responsible for this delicious addition. I'm definitely not complaining! In fact, I drop my beloved baked potato just so I have room to enjoy these mushrooms! Kudos for fewer carbs! My mushroom-hating children, especially one, even like them. That should tell ya somethin'! Thank you, Grandpa and Lena! We think of you every time we enjoy them!

I have wanted to share this recipe many times, but I have always hesitated since it is another of those that doesn't have definite amounts for seasonings. It's one of those recipes that make the popular social media meme ring true- Sprinkle until the voices of your ancestors whisper, "That's enough, child." 😜😁 Still, I encourage you to try them!

Sauteed Mushrooms
1 lb button or white mushrooms
1 stick of butter
1 cup of sweet red wine
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder

To a stock pot over medium high heat, add the butter, mushrooms, and wine. I like to make sure the butter is on the bottom. Season the mushrooms well with the seasonings. Don't be afraid of them. Bring the liquid to a boil. Adjust the heat so that the mushroom continue cooking at a slow boil. Stir every few minutes. At this point, the cooking liquid is going to be very murky. When the cooking liquid starts getting low, stir continuously. The mushrooms will start getting dark. You will know the mushrooms are perfectly done when you see the liquid has clarified as you stir and the mushrooms are really dark as in the picture below.

It just doesn't get any better than this! My child had been asking for them for weeks! Yes, I know, he hates mushrooms. There is just something special about these. He ate these and left most of the steak and potato!

Until we meet again, may you be blessed!

Potluck Fruit Salad

Hello again, reader friends! I hope this post finds you well!

After my last post where I said my kiddos weren't as eager to help in the kitchen, my youngest could hardly wait to help me with this recipe! 😄🤷 Maybe it was because I pulled out a pudding mix and the mixer. In my defense, I did say they weren't as eager! I guess it depends on what other interesting things are happening or what is being whipped up. Either way, I welcomed the help and company of both my children while we put together this fruit salad.

On a side note, I really had a hard time figuring out what to call this. I started out just wanting to make a basic grape salad after a friend posted a recipe for one the other day and set off a craving. True to form, I just couldn't leave well enough alone. I just had to mix it up-- pun intended. Snicker...Anyway, this recipe was loved by both children and me. It would be a perfect dish for a potluck or backyard BBQ. We hope you enjoy it!

Potluck Fruit Salad
1 c marshmallow fluff
1 (8oz.) block cream cheese
1 c sour cream
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 small box instant French Vanilla pudding mix
2 lbs. white grapes washed and halved
2 lbs. apples peeled, diced, soaked in Sprite or
           lemon water and drained.
1 lb.   strawberries washed, cored, and sliced into
           bite-sized pieces
1 c chopped pecans or walnuts

Using a hand-held mixer, mix the first five ingredients. To this, add all the prepared fruit. Stir well with a spoon. Let the salad stand at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. If not serving right away, store the salad in the refrigerator. Add nuts when ready to serve.

Ah...it looks so much prettier served up in a nice bowl.

Thank you for visiting with me today!

Until we meet again, may you be blessed!

Updated Hot Pickled Okra

Hello reader friends! I hope you are enjoying your summer! We have been busy, but we are definitely enjoying these long summer days.

Today I was finally able to get around to pickling some of my okra from the garden. I shared the process here several years ago, but I figured it was time for a freshened up post. Let's get started!

Click here for my video tutorial!

Hot Pickled Okra
Brine: 
4 c water
4 c white vinegar
2 T sugar
6 T canning salt

Pickling Spice:
4 T mustard seeds
2 T coriander seeds
2 T red pepper flakes
2 t fennel seeds
2 t celery seeds
2 t black peppercorns

Desired amount of okra
2 cloves garlic per pint jar
1/2 jalapeno per jar

To begin, gather pint size jars. Add water to your water bath canner, and begin heating it. You may put the jars in the water, but it is not necessary. 

Measure out and mix your spices.

Rinse your okra in cool water and drain.

Trim the stem ends of the okra, peel the cloves of garlic, and cut the jalapenos in half. It's still nice to have help with this step! My babies aren't as eager to volunteer in the kitchen as they used to be compared to my last pickled okra post, but they don't complain too much about having to help their old mama out. (I had to come back and edit to add:) I mean, it would be a little weird if they came running into the kitchen in their sweet little child ways begging to help mommy. They still have their own things they enjoy doing in the kitchen, and they do often check on me to see if I need help. I am very blessed and never want to take that for granted!

So, with that being said, back to the recipe! 😁

Next, mix the brine ingredients and put it on the stove to heat to a boil. Once it starts to boil, turn it down to low until you are ready to use it.

Finding another helper for the next step is
optional, but adding 1 tablespoon of the pickling spice, 2 cloves of garlic, and 1/2 of a jalapeno to each jar isn't! Plain okra and brine probably wouldn't be too tasty. Heehee! Start with just four jars unless you are pretty sure you have enough okra to fill more.

The jars are now ready to be filled with okra. Pack the jars snugly, but don't pack them so tightly that you crush or break the okra. Packing with one piece of okra up and one down helps with this process.

Please pardon the napkin and vinegar! I got ahead of myself. 

Fill the jars with hot brine to 1/2 inch headspace.

Remove the air bubbles, wipe the rims clean with vinegar using a paper towel. Seal the filled jars with a flat lid and ring. Place the filled jars in the water bath canner making sure the jars are covered by at least an inch of water. Place the lid on the canner. Bring the water to a rolling boil, and process the jars for 15 minutes.

When the time is up, turn off the heat, remove the lid, and move the canner to a cool eye if possible. Let the jars sit for a few minutes until the water is still. Lift the jars out of the water in the rack, and let them sit just above the water for a few minutes more. Move the jars to a doubled towel in a draft-free area to sit for 24 hours. If a jar happens to not seal, place it in the refrigerator.

I hope you get to try pickling your own okra! It's still one of my husband's favorite recipes.

Until we meet again, may you be blessed!

Semi-homemade Pot Pie

Hello reader friends! When a craving turns into an experiment that turns into a hit, one must share! That's what I have for you today!

When I cooked a huge turkey that left me with more meat than I knew what to do with, I knew a pot pie would be a perfect solution to use up a big part of the leftover meat. I had to hide my face when I admitted to my sister I didn't know how to make a pot pie, though. Truth was, I did, but I just didn't know I did. 😄 I had made something similar before, a long time ago, that I called a pot pie soup (after writing this post, I found I had even tried to turn it into a pot pie, but it was basically a hot mess. Evidently, it was so bad, I erased it from memory, and had to face it again when trying to post my current recipe. I took that post off the blog! 😄), but I guess I thought there was some kind of magical, perfect pot pie recipe somewhere. Fast forward to the present, where I am more comfortable in the kitchen. My sister told me the basics which sounded familiar enough, so I ran with it! This pot pie is worthy of being on the blog. To those who have been with me since the early years, thank you for not deserting me while I learned! 🙈

I'm sorry I don't have the normal step-by-step photos. I guess I have a great excuse to make it again! 

Pot Pie Recipe

6 T butter

1 small onion chopped finely

4-5 c mixed veggies of choice*

1/2 c all purpose flour
32 oz. Chicken broth from the carton

Garlic powder

Salt

Ground black pepper

1/4 t basil

1/8 t ground thyme

4-5 c cooked diced chicken or turkey

2 T heavy cream, optional

1 package of two pie crusts or phyllo dough
1 egg yolk with 1 T water

Gather all your ingredients making sure they are all prepped. When all ingredients are prepped, remove the dough from the freezer to begin thawing. Turn the oven on to 400° so that it can preheat as you work. In a large stockpot, melt the butter. Add the onions. Cook and stir often until the onions begin to soften. Add the frozen vegetables. *I used a frozen blend of soup vegetables, dishing out the tomatoes I forgot were in there! Stir that around until the vegetables are mostly thawed. Stir the vegetable mix continuously as you sprinkle in the flour. Quickly sprinkle in desired amount of salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add the basil and thyme. Cook the mixture for about a minute. Continue stirring as you pour in the chicken broth. When all the broth has been added, quickly add in the chopped meat. Continue stirring to prevent the bottom from burning until the filling is as thick as you like. When the filling has reached your desired thickness, remove from heat and stir in the cream. The cream doesn't have to be used, but it sure adds that little som'em-som'em! Sit the mixture aside until your baking dish has been prepared. To prepare your baking dish, roll out one layer of your thawed dough to a size just larger than your baking dish. If your dish is not non-stick, spray the dish with cooking spray. Place the first layer of dough on the bottom making sure the crust reaches at least halfway up the sides of your dish. Pour your pie filling into the pie crust, but don't pour over the top edge of your crust. Any remaining filling can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple days. Roll out the second crust to a size that will overlap the first. Place the second crust over the filling and fold the edges of the two crusts together. With a sharp knife, cut a few slits in the top crust to let steam escape. Whisk the egg yolk in a small bowl with a tablespoon of water. With a basting brush, brush the egg wash over the entire crust. Place the pot pie in the oven to cook for thirty minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

There you have it, my friends! I truly hope you get to try it! There are a lot of steps, but none of them are hard. It really is quick and easy. Let me know what you think!

Until we meet again, may you be blessed!