Epsom Salt... Who knew?

I have discovered Epsom Salts for decorating ! 

I love how this looks on my grandmother's buffet....

And I have heard YOU can color the salts.... hmmmm

And to think I used to make 'bitter beer face'....

It's a well known fact that I love my beer.  Now, this love has been a journey- I used to only tolerate beer, even making a face when I took my first sips.  With time, I have found what I love, but am not afraid of change (that's the ONLY time I like change).   I enjoy trying various different brews and especially having local fare when I am in a different area; I recently joined 'Untappd' to find unique beers where ever I am.  However, beer is not just for drinking... it's for cooking baking also.

I was introduced to beer bread many moons ago and I have experimented and experimented with different ales and additions over the year.  Beer bread is easy (honey, Bisquick is our go to in life with most things), but adding things makes it YOUR own.  Here is my go to recipe for beer bread. 


Belinda's Beer Bread

mmmmmmmm good

2 1/2 cups of Bisquick
10 ounces of beer- do NOT go too dark/stout, but try for full bodied
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dill weed
1/4 Italian seasoning
1/4 salt
1/4 pepper
1/2 cup grated  sharp cheddar cheese * if desired

Preheat oven to 375*

1.  Mix ingredients together- this is a sticky dough.  I spray a spoon with Pam to get the dough into the loaf pan.  Allow to rise in a warm area for about 30 minutes. 
2. Sprinkle with garlic powder on the top and bake 25- 27 minutes- mine comes out at 25, but as you know, all things depend of ovens!

You can also bake these as muffins- which I normally do for Christmas and Thanksgiving. Just cut the baking time to about 13-15 minutes.

I absolutely LOVE baking beer bread.  I have tried this with darker ales/stouts- NOT good.  The taste is overwhelming and doesn't allow for true enjoyment.   I used a nice Irish medium dark Irish ale for the bread featured in the pictures- Shelby has a wonderful wine/beer boutique that is fantastic!  I also suggest serving the bread with honey butter or maple butter! 

Dave loves beer bread- well, bread in general- so he loves this when I fix it...

Gettin' through the Lenten

Not too bad for a first fry!

Dave is Catholic (did you know?) and that means I have now had fish on Friday for the last five weeks (ok, only 4 because we did cheese pizza one Friday night), but the idea is there. And it's not anything I am oppose to as I was raised this way too.  While not Catholic, I grew up in a very Catholic area of Arkansas and I certainly remember the school tending to adhere to the 'fish on Friday' rule too. My mother also lived the  rule during Lent also.  So lots of fish sticks for the Kinder girls!

So I actually broke out the fish sticks for a Friday night in a couple of weeks ago.  There were good and so were the Ore Ida fries we had with them, but on this last Friday of Lent, I wanted to make my own fries.  I researched recipes calling for 'how to get crispy oven fries' and settled on one from Pinterest (Hello, my name is Belinda and I am a Pinterest addict).  So here is the result of my Oven Fry Try....

Oven Steak Fries

3-4 medium baking potatoes, cut length wise and even sized
5 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
seasonings of choice (Old Bay, cajun, etc)

Preheat oven to 475*

1.  Soak potatoes in hot water for 10-20 minutes.
2.  Coat baking sheet with 3 tablespoons of canola oil; add salt and pepper onto the oil.
3.  Remove potatoes from water... dry completely!  Dry bowl and return potatos; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon oil and seasoning. I used Old Bay with fish . Mix well with hands.
4.  Put baking sheet in the oven and allow it to heat up for about 5 minutes.  Remove and spread potatoes in a single layer.
5.  Cover with foil and bake for 7 minutes.  Remove foil. Bake for 10 minutes; turn potatoes ; bake another 10-15 minutes and keep turning the potatoes so they don't burn. 
6.  Remove from pan and drain on paper towels; Add more salt and seasonings to taste.

I am going to have to experiment a bit more to get these 'crispy'.... but I did like these a lot.  Dave did too, but we both really like fries crispy. My first inclination is to decrease the grease- when I wrote the recipe, I went down a tablespoon on the baking sheet and am thinking it might need to go down more.  I admit I had my doubts that they would get done through, but they were.   For a first oven fry try, it was ok.... and Dave approved.  And I have to admit, after going over 25 years or so without fish sticks, those suckers are pretty good too... however, I did skip opening the can of pork & beans. 

Ah the joys of the weekend!

Made HOMEMADE Guacamole to go with the casserole!

Ah, the weekend... it means so many things in the Minnich household... sleeping in, drinking coffee without rushing, and basically not doing a damn thing if you don't want to!

It also means, errands, trips to the store, and time to cook.   I popped up this morning at 6:45 and began the cinnamon roll cake I had been thinking of all week.  So when the Dave finally allowed Jethro to really awaken him, it was in the oven and almost done.  Breakfast was served...

However, that leads us to the prospect of what to have for dinner.  I am a chubby girl and a planner so I have to figure this out before hitting the errands.  Dave of course said, 'Oh, hon, that's up to you.'  My reply was that it was his decision now since I had not given any option for breakfast.  Using the strategy he gives me for dining out, I gave Dave two options for supper; both had his two main food groups: cheese and beef.  I knew whatever he chose would be fine, but YES,  he chose the one that had tortilla chips in it....  let it never be said he passes up an opportunity for chips!


Mexican Casserole

1 lb lean ground beef
1 can chili beans
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1 can cream of chicken soup
3 tablespoons taco seasoning
1 small onion- diced
1/2 green pepper- diced
1 bag (10-12 oz) tortilla chips- crushed
2 cups cheddar cheese

preheat oven to 325*

1.  Brown the ground beef  and drain any excess grease. 
2.  Add beans, tomatoes, soup, seasoning, and veggies. Allow all to heat through. 
3.  Spray a 9x13 casserole with non stick spray.  Spread layer of crushed chips on bottom; top with meat/bean mixture; top with 1 cup of cheese; REPEAT layers. 
4.  Wrap with foil and bake for 25 minutes.  Allow to sit for at least five minutes before serving.

 Serve with salsa and sour cream. 

Well, this was fantastic... The Rotel tomatoes added just enough heat, but I have a feeling, I could have added a bit on chili powder or jalepenos to kick it  up further.  Definitely a Dave tested and Dave approved recipe! 

PS.... I made my homemade salsa to serve with it.  And decided to make some guacamole too.... Dave does not like it much, but I was a very happy girl!

St. Patrick's Day Breakfast Feasts

Breakfast at Minnich Manor is an interesting time. Monday through Friday, it is dry cereal as Dave will not touch the fat free skim milk with cereal (yeah, I know).  Therefore, on Saturday or Sundays, he expects a bit more.  However, it is not without it's moments of decision.

MMMMmmm yummy for the tummy

Saturday morning was easy.... I said I could do sausage and eggs, but had no toast.  He said, while still in bed, he could go get some... and then he said he could get some tortilla things. My response was, 'You want breakfast burritos?'  "Yes"..... So not only did he go to Food Lion for bread but picked up some fresh sour cream, salsa, and tortillas. 

Breakfast Burritos

1/3 pound hot sausage
2 teaspoons taco seasoning
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper- optional
5 eggs slightly beaten
flour tortillas
salsa
sour cream
cheese!

1. Cook and crumble sausage to beginnning to brown- add onions and peppers.  Season with taco seasoning
2. When sausage is done and veggies tender, add the slightly beatend eggs and scramble away.
3.  Prepare tortilla with cheese.  Fill with egg/sausage mixture. Top with salsa and sour cream.

Tada... Breakfast burritos! 

On Sunday morning, we had a wonderful standby- Pancakes.  Only in the spirit of St Paddy's Day- I made them green!

Low Carbing it for a bit...

Sigh, I used to be thinner.... I really was thinner!!  In fact, some might say I looked really 'hot' and 'good' for a 36 year old chubby woman (insert snort), but I worked out every morning at 4:30, followed a low carb diet, and it showed! It was the healthiest I had ever been and I was proud of myself.

Then I met Dave.... he likes ice cream, chips, and all types of various carbs if you didn't know.  Fast forward, five years...OMG!!!  Now, he is NOT the reason I have gained 30 pounds (yes, I admit it), the simple reason is I freaking love food! I love to cook, bake and then I like to sample it all... then there's the affection I have for craft beer and sweet wine. So I still work out, but not at 4:30 AM- the Dave and I be a'snugglin then (actually dead to the world is a better description). 

So every now and then, I try to lower my carb intake to drop a few.  I found this recipe and amazingly, I had never tried this cauliflower for potato exchange in low carb dieting before.  How nutty is that?  I have now fallen in love with it!  So easy and so awesome! 

This is a low carb or a low fat option-- depending on what you are donig but it is fantastic just the same.

Loaded Baked Cauliflower Casserole

1 head of cauliflower (medium)
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 package cream cheese
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
4 tbsp heavy cream
6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
Garlic salt to taste
1 tsp crushed red pepper

 preheat oven to 350*

1.  Boil cauliflower as you cook bacon ( I baked mine!).  When done, drain and mash the cauliflower up a bit-depends on how big you want it!  Crumble bacon. 
2.  Mix the cream cheese, 6 oz cheddar, onion, bacon, cream, and seasonings- add warm cauliflower and mix well.  Pour into a greased casserole dish.  Add extra cheddar cheese on top
3. Bake covered for 25 minutes; then bake uncovered for 5-10 minutes more. Broil the last couple of minutes. 

As stated, this was the low carb option, but I will test the lower fat version at a later date.  I had this for lunch two days, and it was really very good heated up.  Even Dave did not detest this recipe.  Although, it's not his favorite- he's such a meat and potatoes guy!  Definitely a Belinda approved recipe, and Dave OK'ed one! 

In a pickle on Superbowl Sunday....

On the day I registered for first grade at Northwest Elementary in El Dorado, Arkansas, Momma took me out to lunch to celebrate... to McDonald's, but I was dressed up nice and felt like such a grown up girl!   I was only six and it is a memory that lives in my until this day.  However, one think I know I did was pull that yucky pickle and onions off my hamburger.  It was years before I discovered that I like pickles and especially the flavor of dill... on chips, on sunflower seeds, in bread.  I love dill! 

I have long made a dill spread for crackers, but I saw this dip recipe on Pinterest (Yes, most of my inspiration comes from Pinterest, but whose does not now?) but made some changes to it.  And so today instead of Rotel dip, I have made Dill Pickle Dip and am very excited about this change of pace. I also made this low fat or near fat free. 

Dill Pickle Dip

1 package Fat Free Cream Cheese - room temperature
1/2 cup Fat Free Sour Cream
1 cup finely diced dill pickles
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoon dried dill

1.  Use a mixer to break up the cream cheese.  Then add all other ingredients. 
2.  Refrigerate minimum three hours and serve  with chips or veggies. 

Yummy for my Tummy....

I have to admit, I was unsure if this would be ok.  However, I am happy happy happy with it... can't wait to see what the Dave thinks, but then again, I made the salsa he asked for so ?