Potato Wedges

Our vacation to New Mexico was with a group of 19 friends. We stayed in condos with full kitchens and we cooked all of our own meals. Each night for dinner, we took turns cooking for the entire group. Our final night, instead cooking a fresh meal, we heated up the left overs from the week and did our best to eat them up. We had some left over baked potatoes that weren't that appealing. So, I made Potato Wedges with them. We also had left over cheese, bacon, green onions, and sour cream. All of this was perfect for the Potato Wedges. Although we did have a bit of food waste on our trip, we certainly made a huge effort to avoid as much waste as possible. 

Potato Wedges

4 left over baked potatoes
Grated cheese
Crumbled bacon
Sliced green onions
Sour cream

Cut potatoes in half the long way. Scoop out the center and either discard or reserve for another use. Cut potatoes in half again the long way. Lay out the potato wedges on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with the cheese, bacon, and green onions. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Serve with sour cream or ranch dip.

 

This post has been linked to the Grace at Home Party.

Sour Cream Biscuits

We returned from our vacation a week ago and left again almost immediately to help out some friends who had a death in the family. We finally came home on Saturday night; and, we are still moving quite slowly. Two weeks into summer vacation and we are just now enjoying our time to sleep in, which to me is the best part of summer.

I love these lazy days, slowly sipping my coffe in the morning while making breakfast. As you know, biscuits are on our regular rotation (Easy Cream Biscuits, Maple Biscuits, and Homemade Baking Mix Biscuits). So, recently I thought that we would try something new, Sour Cream Biscuits. These are quick to mix up and I always have the ingredients on hand. We have had them twice now and I am pleased with the results. Plus, I like that with this recipe it is still possible to make fresh biscuits without milk or cream. 

Sour Cream Biscuits

2 cups white whole wheat flour
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. baking powder
¾ cup sour cream
Milk or water (enough to form biscuit dough)

Stir together all ingredients, adding enough milk to form desired consistency. Drop onto baking pan with a medium sized scoop, about ½ an inch apart. Flatten slightly. Bake at 450º for 10-12 minutes. Serve immediately. Yield: 20 biscuits.

This post has been linked to The Thrifty Home's Penny Pinching Party.

Vacation

We have just returned from a trip to Red River, New Mexico. We vacationed with a group of dear friends and we had a blast!



 

 

We spent our time hiking,

 

 

fishing,
 

 

 

four wheeling,

 

and hiking some more.

 

 

And, I'm looking forward to telling you more about it soon. What are your summer vacation plans?

Crepes

A few weeks ago I visited a friend in South Carolina. Shelly and I have know each other for several years. Our kids love to play together and that makes our time together even better. We often talk about recipes and meal ideas. When Shelly texted me the day before our visit asking if the kids and I would enjoy having crepes for lunch, I was thrilled! I had been wanting to learn how to make crepes for a while and this was my chance. 

That day, Shelly served us crepes filled with fresh strawberries and topped with chocolate syrup and whipped cream. Sounds more like dessert than lunch, doesn't it? They were so simple to make, that even with five kids running around in circles through the kitchen, Shelly was able to produce perfect crepes. I went home that day with her recipe. Two weeks later I made the crepes pictured above for breakfast filled with homemade blueberry jam and cream cheese. But, I still had batter leftover, so I put it in the fridge for later. (I love that this batter can be made up in advance and refrigerated overnight.) That evening, I made up the rest of the crepes and filled them with chocolate chips, folded them, and then sprinkled them with powdered sugar. My kids were in heaven. Thanks Shelly for teaching me!!

Crepes

2 eggs
2 Tbsp. melted butter
½ tsp. vanilla
2 cups milk
½ tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. white sugar
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
Additional butter to grease the skillet for each crepe

Whisk together eggs, butter, vanilla, milk, salt, and sugar. Slowly add flour, whisking at the same time. Heat a 8-10 inch nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Pour a scant ¼ cup of batter onto heated skillet. Immediately tilt skillet and rotate to ensure that the batter is evenly coating the bottom of the pan. Cook until the edges begin to brown. (Tip: Your crepes are ready to flip when they begin to slide around in the pan when you shake it lightly.) Flip and cook the second side until browned. Fill and serve. Yield: 15 crepes

Sweet Filling Options: fresh fruit, jam, applesauce, cream cheese, whipped cream, nutella, or chocolate chips.

Mexican Corn Dip

This is one of my go to summer recipes. I've been making it for more than ten years and to me it never gets old. You can control the spice by adding more or less jalepenos, but whether you like it mild or hot, be sure to place a few jalapenos on top if you take it to a BBQ. This will make sure no one bites into a hot pepper unknowingly.

Mexican Corn Dip

2 14oz. cans yellow corn, or Mexicorn, drained
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup chopped jalapenos (fresh or from a jar)

Stir together all ingredients and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve with tortilla chips or Frito Scoops.

What is one of your go to summer recipes?

School is Out!

 

Let the Summer fun begin!!

How To Sew a Button - A Book Review

It seems like a lot of the conventional wisdom that our grandmothers shared has been lost over recent years. And, knowing how to do basic household tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and sewing is not as common as it once was. But, these old fashioned skills can be simple and fun to learn.

How to Sew a Button: And Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew Written by: Erin Bried

Do you know how to roast a whole chicken? Make bread? Do you know how to grow a garden? Or, can fruits and vegetables? Do you know how to shine shoes? Hem pants? Knit a scarf? These are some of the questions that Erin Bried addresses in How to Sew a Button. She gathered together ten grandmothers who had lived through the Depression, and asked them to share their wisdom. The result is a practical and lighthearted look at simple tasks that once were tackled on a daily basis; tasks that save money and conserve resources. And, the result that is resoundingly apparent from these grandmothers is the satisfaction that comes from a job well done.

This book makes you feel as if you are sitting beside a little old lady, soaking in her wisdom. It was fun to read and had lots of great tips and hints that are simple and, many times, free! If you are new to thrifty living, or are making an effort to simplify your life, this would be a great read for you.