French Onion Soup

It seems like this winter we are going to have nice temps that allow us to grill and then the next day we are in desperate need of something warm on a cold day!  Soup is one of the simplest and quickest ways to warm up! The warm liquid heats the body from the inside out!  Here is a very simple soup that provides warmth and comfort quickly. 

French Onion Soup

2 tbs. Butter
2 Sweet Onions, sliced
2 envelops Onion Soup Mix
4 cups Water
3 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
Croutons (optional)
Provolone Cheese Slices (optional) 

In a pot melt the butter on medium low, add the onions.  Cook the onions on medium low until they are tender and caramelized.  Stir in the Onion soup mix, water, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for about 15 minutes to allow the seasonings to blend.  Serve in a bowl with croutons and cheese or just plain if you would like.

Grub's On!

Cheese Steak Subs!

Some nights I want an easy comfort food meal and Cheese Steak Subs on the griddle are one of my favorites! Now I won't call these Philly Cheese Steaks as the amount of cheese I use is no where near the ozzy goodness of the Philly.  Also, I don't use thinly sliced rib eye, it was often not easy to find and I would get frustrated with the consistency of the meat.  It wasn't until I discovered Sizzlers that they became a one of the best subs I make.  The flavor of the ground meat that is in the center adds to the deliciousness of the sub! 

Steak Subs (approximately 4 subs)

Ingreditents:
1 pkg. Sizzlers
Seasoning Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
Provalone Cheese
Sauteed onions and mushrooms, optional
Sub Buns
Mayo  

To start the process I warm up my griddle and put the Sizzlers on.  I usually add some seasoning salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  As they begin to cook, start chopping them up on the griddle.

 

Once the meat is browned you can either pull it off the griddle and set aside till you are to assemble the subs or divide the meat into 4 different piles on the griddle.  Once you have the meat arranged on the griddle add your mushrooms and onions, cheese, and then place the sub bun over the meat mixture.  Let this sit on the griddle like this for about 2-3 minutes, this helps to steam the bun and melt the cheese. This is a key step to helping the melt and to make the bun warm and soft!  This  adding so much to the flavor of the sub!

 

Remove the sub from the griddle, put some mayo and any other toppings you may wish on it and enjoy!  I do sometimes enjoy putting lettuce on mine.

Grub's on!

Blue Cheese Dressing

This is a double batch of dressing!

There are probably a few of you that looked at the name of this post and went "I don't like blue cheese"  and until a few years ago I would have been of the same mind.  I would look at that cheese and think there is no way I am eating THAT!

However, a couple of years ago I went to visit my mother-in-law and the only dressing she had in the house was her homemade blue cheese dressing.  I begrudgingly tried a little on my salad and fell in love.  In complete shock I told her I loved it and put more on my salad.

I will admit this is the ONLY blue cheese dressing that I will eat.  The garlic and tang of the blue cheese make this a delicious dressing!

Blue Cheese Dressing

1/3 cup low fat sour cream
2/3 cup mayo
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

Mix all.  Refrigerate 24 hours to blend flavors.

6 servings

Grub's On!

Salsbury Steak Dinner

There is nothing better then a hearty meal on a cold winter day.  One of my families favorite stick to the ribs meal is Salisbury Steak with potatoes and green beans.  And we can not forget the brown mushroom gravy! 


Salsbury Steak

1 lb. ground beef
1/4 cup Italian seasonned bread crumbs
1 egg
salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
1 tbs. olive oil
1 lb. sliced mushrooms
2 tbs. corn starch, mixed with 3 tbs. water
2 cups beef broth or water (*note you will get a more flavorful gravy if you use broth)

In a large bowl mix the ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, and seasoning. Once blended form into small patties.  In an oven safe pan, heat the olive oil, then brown the patties on each side.  Once each patty has been browned, remove them from the pan and set aside.  In the same pan saute the mushrooms, then add the broth, bring to a boil and add the cornstarch water mixture.  This should thicken the broth into a nice brown gravy.  At this point you will want to taste the gravy and season by adding more salt, pepper, and garlic powder till you reach your desired flavor blend.  Now, put the patties back in the pan trying to ensure that they are all smothered in gravy, cover the pan and put in a 350 degree oven for 35 to 45 minutes.  Serve with potatoes or noodles and your favorite vegetable!

Grub's on!

Spinach Dip - A great addition to vegetables!

Having trouble getting more vegetables in your diet?  Want an alternative to dill dip?  Then have I got a great dip for you!  Spinach dip is one of the most requested dips in my family.  My Dad will actually ask me the moment I walk in the door when I come to visit if I brought THE dip.  There are even those around, Sara, that refer to it as crack dip.  They say that once you start eating it you can't stop!  One of the best parts of this dip is that it is versatile.  You can serve it with vegetables, crackers, pretzels, bread, some even like to dip jerky in it.  Also, if you would like to make it healthy and lower the fat content you can substitute plan Greek yogurt for the sour cream and use a low fat mayo. 

This is a great addition to that container of vegetable you may now be keeping in your refrigerator like our family :)


Spinach Dip

16 oz. Sour Cream
1 cup mayo
1 can sliced water chestnuts, chopped
1 pkg. Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix
Optional add ins:
Freshly shredded parmesan cheese
Crumbled bacon
Finely chopped broccoli or carrots

In a bowl mix sour cream, mayo, water chestnut, soup mix, and any adds ins you desire.  Allow flavors to blend at least two hours before serving.  Enjoy!

Grub's on!

Easy way to increase your vegetable intake

During this past holiday season our household had a lot of family coming and going.  This kept me very busy and I wanted to make sure that we ate more then just junk food during this hectic time.  So to aid in this I put together a huge both of fresh vegetables.  This simple task greatly helped decrease the amount of chips and crackers my family ate and it was easy to put the whole bowl out on the table just like chips and crackers.  What was even more surprising to me is that they were eaten just like chips or crackers and tasted so much better!

After this great experience over the holidays, I decided to make this a staple in my fridge.  I now bring the container out at lunch, dinner, and even snack time.  It is helping my family get more servings of vegetables, helping us all feel better, and teaching my daughter some good habits!  Sometimes when I put the veggies out I will also include a bowl of fresh made ranch dressing, spinach dip, and even hummus.  I have found that hummus and red peppers are delicious!

The only down fall to this?  I find myself having to refill the veggies every two days or so, though I am not sure that this is truly a downfall!  I also love the fact that my daughter knows that when the bowl comes out she can just help herself to the veggies.  So take the time to fill a bowl with your families favorite veggies and watch your family eat some healthy goodness!

Grub's On!

We are back!

Wow!  Over six months since my last post and almost a year since we started this blog.  I can't believe how time has flown!  My household had a very busy six months and it seems like this is the first moment I have had to think about anything outside of getting through the next event!

Just after my last post we finally sold our house in Lansing, MI and purchased a house in Ypsilanti, MI.  As you can imagine a lot of my time was spent packing, wrangling a 3 year old, preparing for the actual move, assure my daughter that all her stuff was indeed moving with us, that we were going to take the dog and cat, and then unpacking everything once we moved to the new house.

Now as if moving wasn't enough, I was also helping two very special people prepare for their respective weddings.  My fellow forker, Sara, and my sister, Kris, each planned fall and early winter 2012 wedding.  They each bestowed the honor on me of being their matron of honors. As you can imagine, not only was my time being spent settling into my new home, but also the fun of dress shopping, venue finding, showers, flowers, invitations, fittings, bachelorette parties, and the list goes on.  I must say that pinterest was a great help!  So many great ideas, where was that when I got married??? 

So, my last six months reads like this:

July - move and start to unpack, send out Kris' bridal shower invites

August - attend family reunion, host bridal shower & bachelorette party for Kris, send out Sara's bridal shower invites;

Kris' shower.

September - birthday, girls dude ranch weekend, host Sara's bridal shower;

Sara's shower.

October - host Sara's bachelorette party, stand up in Kris's wedding;

Kris and I at her wedding!

November - stand up in Sara's wedding, host Thanksgiving at my new house;

Sara and I at her wedding!

December - I think we all know what happened that month.
And that brings us to January, when I finally feel like I can breath again. I am now starting to focus on my goals for 2013!

My goals for 2013 are extensive!  I don't want to call them New Year's resolutions as it seems like every time I set one up I abandon it by February 1st.

So, my goals for 2013:

1) Get in shape.  I know, I know, everyone says this!  But the fact that I get out of breath at the easiest task has me irritated!  I can not ignore it any longer.  I want to chase my daughter around the yard for more then 30 seconds, run a whole 5K, and though this is YEARS in the future I want to be a fun grandma. One that can play and have fun, come on I have to share my love of cooking and gardening with them!

2) Blog more.  I want to provide you, my readers, with at least 3 blogs a week. Share with you the things I am making, cooking, and doing. Or at the very least entertain my brother-in-law with my writing!

3) Craft more.  I haven't had the room or time for a while to do the crafting that I love to do!  I will build quilts this year and work on other projects.  I am hoping to do some craft shows and sell my stuff, but one step at a time!

What goals have you set for 2013?  Whatever they maybe I wish you the best of luck with them!  Here is to a great year full of yummy recipes and great ideas!


Grub's On!