Smoked Sausage and and red potato casserole (crock pot)

INGREDIENTS:

1 can evaporated milk
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon or base
1 clove garlic  diced tiny
1/2 teaspoon parsley (optional)
2 tablespoons flour

2  large potatoes diced
14 oz. smoked sausage, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 1/2 cups grated  cheese of choice

DIRECTIONS:

Place potatoes, smoked sausage, onion, garlic, parsley, chicken base, flour and cheese together in a lightly greased crockpot.  Pour over condensed milk  and stir. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until potatoes are soft and sausages are hot.

 *****You do not want to cook on high as it will curdle if it boils.... Serve.

Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy Low Carb~ No Canned Soup

When I think of comfort food, pork chops and gravy always come to mind. This is my twist on one of my mother's favorite dishes to prepare for the family when I was growing up. We all loved her smothered chops. This meal reminds me of home and love.

Pork Chops with Creamy Mushroom Sauce. They turn out juicy and fall apart tender. Serve with your favorite vegetable or side salad and you have a winner.Best thing is no canned soup used here and is low carb !

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 T. butter
• 6`8 pork chops,  about 1/2"  thick
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 green pepper diced
• 10 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 1 can evaporated milk (NOT SWEETENED CONDENSED)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 container chicken broth 32 0z.

Directions

 Heat large skillet over medium  heat. Add 4 tablespoons butter and gently saute mushrooms, garlic, green pepper and onions until onions are translucent but not brown. 

Remove from pan along with any drippings and set aside.

Use paper towel to pat pork chops dry, season with salt and pepper, and arrange in hot skillet with the olive oil in single layer. Cook until brown on first side, flip and brown on second side. 

Remove pork chops and layer in a deep casserole dish .

Add onions and mushroom mixture  including an drippings over the top of all the chops

Add chicken broth to the skillet that you just browned your pork chops in. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, and  simmer 30-40 min. until  it is reduced by half or maybe a bit more. Make sure to scrape all the brown goodness off the bottom of your pan as this will add awesome flavor, and give your gravy  a great golden brown color.  

Turn off heat and let cool for 15 minutes. Add your evaporated  milk , stir well. This is your gravy.

Pour gravy over pork chops and mushroom mixture . Cover casserole dish with a lid or aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. 

*Extra gravy may be served in a bowl on the side. (Recipe makes 5 cups gravy.)

                                                          ****** OR ******

 I freeze  half  of mine for soup later. I just saute some meat and veggies then add the gravy and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Very yummy.Be careful not to boil this gravy on high, as it could curdle on you due to the milk in it.

Kwik Trip GMO Franken Apples

Upon picking up some red delicious apples at my local Kwik Trip, I noticed the next day the apple I took one bite from [because it tasted like crap] did not turn brown...

I am so p*ssed off that I spent money on this garbage. 

I am also mad at myself, as I know better...if it isn't clearly marked Organic...don't trust it.

Hmmmm could that report I read back in February about franken apples be true? 

Seems “one bad apple” could spoil the whole bunch  after all.
At least for me anyway...
In the garbage they went.
They aren't even worthy of my compost heap...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it is OK for genetically engineered non-browning apples to be sold in the United States.

The apple  is very upsetting  to me because we give it to our children. It's suppose to be the symbol of health here in America. ''An apple a day keeps the doctor away.''???

Ya .....we may want to rethink that quote...and the being American like '' Apple pie''....

Monsanto spent  upwards of $2 million to get their Monsanto Protection Act through Congress. Meanwhile the Obama administration has appointed three former Monsanto apparatchiks to the FDA, USDA, and the US Trade Representative.

According to the Pesticide Action Network’s analysis of the USDA approved  GMO apples tested positive for 42 pesticides, including organophosphate and pyrethroid pesticides. 
Both are endocrine disruptors, have  negative neurological effects, and are considered  toxic for children.

 *Organophosphates are the basis for nerve gases used in chemical warfare, and have been linked to the development of ADHD in kids.

                 I guess Snow White isn't the only one eating poisoned apples....

In Closing.....

I hope that the people responsible for trying to covertly sneak these 'Franken-foods' on to my dinner table BURN IN H#LL. Every last one of you money grubbing subhumans are poisoning the food chain (and all the poor kids who have to grow up eating this sh*t) all so you can turn a ****amn profit. I hope you all BURN, you diseased greedy sociopaths. Thanks for putting profit over life, it really speaks to your character. And by the way....the one bite I did have tasted like crap...dry and tasteless....kinda like your judgement to create this frightening fruit....

Sassy Skeleton~ Queen of Halloween

I finally found a full size skeleton for my Halloween decor. She was 30.00 at Menards. 

I brought her home and sprayed her with spray adhesive, then covered her in German Glass Glitter. 

Can I just say...AMAZING. 

She then was dressed in vintage jewelry, and one of my petticoats. She sparkles in the sun like a Queen...the Queen of Halloween!

 

Zucchini Noodle Lasagna

This lasagna is just as good as the noodle variety in my opinion. It is low carb and gluten free for all of us that are on Atkins, Paleo, and Mediterranean diets .

1 lb  lean  ground beef 
1 clove garlic chopped very fine 
1/2 onion diced
1/2 green pepper diced
1 jar  (quart)spaghetti sauce of choice...I can my own
3 medium zucchini, sliced 1/8" thick 
12 oz  small curd cottage cheese
16 oz  mozzarella cheese, shredded  
1 large egg

Now the thing with zucchini is it holds a crapload of moisture. You must get a large portion of it out unless you want watery lasagna. You can salt it for 10 minutes then press the moisture out with paper towels, or to get even more of the moisture out and have extra time,I froze enough zucchini slices for one lasagna recipe. When the zucchini was defrosted, a large amount of liquid came out. I squeezed the slices, and they held their shape really well. Your choice. 

In a fry pan, brown meat with  the green pepper ,onions, garlic, and season with salt and pepper to taste.then drain

Add spaghetti sauce to the pan.

Simmer on low for about 30 minutes, you want thick sauce because of the water content in the zucchini..

Add the egg to the cottage cheese and stir well.

Now you just want to layer all of the goodness in a 10 to 12 inch square pan It goes zucchini noodles , beef mixture, cottage cheese mixture, and mozzarella...repeat once more then top with only meat sauce and any remaining mozzarella cheese.

Bake in a preheated  350 degree oven  for one hour...cool for 15 minutes , then serve with a optional dollop of Daisy (sour cream).. YUUUUUUMMMY!!!

Bacon Wrapped, Cream Cheese Stuffed Ranch Chicken Breasts

 Here's what ya need...

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg. 6 0z. cream cheese
2T. cream or milk
1 pkg.dry Ranch dressing mix
1 tablespoon green pepper, Chopped fine
6 pieces bacon, Partially Cooked

Directions:

Pound out Chicken breast so it is about 1/4″ thick.

Mix together cream cheese, ranch mix, milk, and green peppers and spread cheese mixture over 1 side of chicken breast.

Roll Chicken breast up to conceal cream cheese.

Wrap partially cooked bacon around chicken breast and secure with toothpick.

Place in baking  dish, drizzle with olive oil, and bake for about 60 minutes at 350 degrees.

Broil for about 5 minute to crisp bacon.

*Special note: For stuffed Popper chicken substitute jalapeno peppers for the green peppers!

Puffball Mushrooms

I learned about giant puff balls almost 12 years ago here in Wisconsin and they are indeed edible and a very tasty treat. 

I have eaten them over the years and fried in butter is my favorite. They are surprisingly rich however. A single puffball will make a meal.They also dehydrate nicely for use later in soups, etc. Just slice and dehydrate.

Just be sure to cut them in half to ensure they are completely uniform and white throughout (no gills and no stem).

I am on a low carb diet and large puffballs sliced and roasted can be used as a pizza crust.Gluten free too!! Cut 1/2″ slices of Giant Puffball and fried them on both sides with Parmesan Cheese in Olive Oil, to a golden brown. Then topped them with your toppings of your choice. Baked at 350 till toppings turn golden brown.

To clean a puffball, remove any dirt using a veggie brush or paper towel. Use  very little water, as puffballs are very absorbent. Dry the mushroom thoroughly. The outer layer can cause gastrointestinal issues in some people so remove the skin with a knife before cooking.

 I found oodles of puffballs this year so I will be making "puffball powder" by basically drying them down and pulverizing. The powder is then added to various dishes and/or used as a breading. Again LOW CARB!

 Arrange the cleaned, sliced mushrooms on the dehydrator trays. 

Dry them at 110F/43C until the pieces are crispy dry. This will take 4 to 6 hours for 1/4-inch slices, up to 8 hours for thicker slices.

Allow the dried mushrooms to cool completely before transferring them to airtight containers. Store away from direct light or heat.

To use dehydrated mushrooms, pour boiling water over them  and let them soak for 20 to 30 minutes. Drain, reserving the richly flavored soaking liquid for soup stocks and sauces.

Use the rehydrated mushrooms as you would fresh mushrooms.

PANKO PUFFBALL MUSHROOM FRIES

INGREDIENTS 

10-12 Large 1/2 inch slices Puffball mushrooms ( outer skin cut off)

 2 cups Panko bread crumbs

1-1/2 cups water 

1 cup flour 

1/2 cup cornstarch 

3/4 teaspoon baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 

1/4 teaspoon black pepper 

Vegetable oil or canola oil – enough so that you have about 2 inches of oil in your pot. 

DIRECTIONS Use a clean dish towel  or brush to wipe the mushrooms clean.

Mix together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper.

Add water, about 1 1/2 cups, to create the batter. 

Dip each mushroom in the batter.

Coat each mushroom in Panko bread crumbs

. 

Heat about 2 inches of oil in a large deep fry pan to about 350 degrees

. 

Carefully add mushrooms to the  oil 

. 

Cook  the mushrooms  for about 7-10 minutes, or until they are golden brown and crispy.

Carefully remove mushrooms from the oil to a paper towel lined plate. Allow the mushrooms to cool for a few minutes before serving with ranch dressing. ENJOY!!

Be certain to consult a professional (or a really good field guide) in order to positively identify this plant before trying this for yourself. The owners of this site will not be held responsible for any lapses in judgment or stupidity when handling or consuming wild plants.

New grand baby!!!!

Finally a girl!!
Baby Violet has entered our Kingdom...our new Princess...