Stock,Roast,Barley and Contest

            Today we had a 2 hour delay- I really don't think that we needed it- I think that State High was jealous of Atlanta, Ga and their snow! My poor Brother in Law John~ had to shovel his driveway with a rake, he called it "Southern Engineering". Max offered to take the time off school to come shovel for him hahahahah.

              I said I made some stock the other night and instead of freezing it- I put in quart jars with plastic lids that you can purchase from Amazon/Ball for saving non-canned items in the fridge or freezer, knowing I was going to be using stock this week and next week, I thought I would give it a shot....

Don't they look so Homesteady and pretty?

I used the middle one obviously and the one on the right I haven't skimmed the fat off yet, which I will when I use it, doesn't hurt to cut a few calories of fat I suppose. Although, I also started keeping a pint jar of strained bacon grease drippings next to the stove to add some authentic home style cooking taste to my soups and the like...( I just make a lb of bacon, and grab a pint Mason jar when the bacon has been scarfed up, put a coffee filter just so it fits in the jar and tighten the metal ring around the jar, using the large batter bowl I have with a lid which I love. I pour the grease in- the filter catches and stray bits and I can save it for how ever long in the fridge- or for a good while next to the stove) so give some take some right?

                Tonight we will be having the Too Die For Crock Pot Roast.

.. I used a roast, a pack of Knorr Leek soup, Lipton Onion soup pack and Worcestershire sauce.. I literally dumped it all in the crockpot~ no mixing no nothing.. of course I used my Reynold slow cooker liner!

I turned this on Low at 7:30 am this morning- and it will stay on low until at least 5:30 tonight.

I found another recipe in my Taste of Home Dinner on a Dime cookbook that I am excited about a Mushroom Onion Roasted Barley dish.. here is the pick of the ingredients~

The recipe calls for Beef Bouillon and Canned whole mushrooms- but I am the queen of substitutions soooo I am using the frozen Mushrooms I have in the freezer and left over Chicken Stock cause you know homemade stock HAS to be better than bullion! Did'cha notice my adorable vintage glass salt jar? My mom gave it to me a few years ago from a vintage fridge she bought- it was still in the fridge.... I keep coarse sea salt in it- close to the stove.
Mushroon Onion Barley Bake

Recipe:

1/2 cup medium pearl barley

1 T oil

1 1/2 C water

1 t. Beef Bullion granules (I used stock in place of the Water above)

1/4 t salt

1/2 C sliced green onions

1 can whole button mushrooms (I used 1 C. Frozen mushrooms)

In an oven proof skillet, saute barley in oil until golden brown. Stir in water, bullion, salt; bring to boil. Remove from heat; add onions and mushrooms. Cover and bake at 350 for 40 to 50 minutes or until barley is tender. 2-4 servings-
I am rounding it our with cooked carrots- basically just get regular big carrots and slice them and boil them- sprinkle a little salt on them... lie to Connor that they are "Baby Carrots" since he is convinced this is the only veggie he likes! Speaking of Connor- I entered him into Chobani's contest to win a case of Chobani Champion Kid's Yogurt... he loves yogurt and I figure if I got a case of it for him- he'd be getting one heck of a good amount of good ole' Greek yogurt nutrition! If you haven't tried it yet- the Pomegranate flavor is incredible!!!! If you just click on the link ( the word Chobani above and the underlined words) and click on the heart <3 in the upper right hand corner- it is a vote for him!

Also - I have been reading the Hunger Games Trilogy- I have gotten thru half the second book- I am soooo addicted to this series- the first book- I litterally read in two days- it was so fast paced, I was flipping pages to the point of wishing I wasn't -it was better than Twilight- and I LOVE Twilight! I suggest this book to anyone looking for a quick intense fast paced read. Totally transports you into another world! Also Amazon is really the cheapest place to get the book- even if you have a Kindle- you can click the link and purchase the Kindle version. Don't have a Kindle? Well Max got one for Christmas - IT ROCKS... Brian bought me the first book- Hunger Games when I finished it at midnight over Christmas Break- I snuck into Max's room to order the second book in the series on his Kindle LOL! and Boom -15 seconds later- I had the second book Catching Fire, in my hands!

BTW- searching or using the Amazon Links on my Blog totally helps me!

Tech-savvy beans and a BzzAgent!

             So I joined the “Communications Committee” last night at MNUMC, actually I think P. Howard signed me up when I asked “Who updates the website calendar?”  I learned the lesson of asking who does what in a work setting – I suppose I need to learn that in my Church life as well LOL… Actually the team is so upbeat and casual, I think I may like it and * Gasp* learn some real Web design stuff if I am not too scared! I am tasked with trying to keep the calendar up to date, so that will hopefully happen and attract more people to the Website knowing that they can find out the upcoming events.

            I think I am going to need to take my laptop to the next meeting though- I wanted to run from the room when I looked around and everyone started pulling out Ipads/Macs and other Laptops… and there I sat with a mini notebook and a pen that had a chewed cap .. thanks to the previous nights L.I.F.E meeting attendee Jerry P.

I want to be techy- I think knowing that “language “ is one of the coolest things in the world, but by the time I left the mtg at 8:45 pm, I ran thru the door at home to finish making the homemade chicken stock I had started before I left the house at 7 pm.. I KNOW my way around the kitchen, I can run circles around others when it comes to frugal cooking … it is soothing.  Someday maybe Cloud tags will also be soothing to me!

I have been wanting to use my *new* 22 quart pressure canner, I say new cause I have only ever looked at the instructions never taken the actual cooker out of the box since I bought it 2 years ago. I found on another blog about pressure canning pinto beans and chicken stock too, I think these will be my first attempt.

Tonight we are having Bean Counter Chowder the recipe is from Taste of Home Dinner on a Dime. In Italics is the substitutions/additions cause I don’t cook without adding and subtracting!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (I used 3)
• 1 medium tomato, chopped (I used a can of Diced Tomatoes with oregano and garlic)
• 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) chicken or vegetable broth (Used my homemade Chicken stock I made the night before)
• 1-3/4 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon each dried basil, oregano and celery flakes( I used celeryseed)
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cans (15-1/2 ounces each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained(I used 2 cans )
• 1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1 tablespoon minced parsley
• ¾ Cup Lentils which I cooked first for about 30 minutes cause I used Brown lentils and they  take about 45 min to cook.

Directions

• In a large saucepan, saute onion in oil until tender; Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the tomato; simmer for 5 minutes. Add the broth, water and seasonings. Bring to a boil; cook for 5 minutes. Add beans and macaroni; return to a boil.
• Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until macaroni is tender. Sprinkle with parsley. Yield: 8 servings (2 quarts).

Another way to learn about great products and get coupons to share with friends:

I am a Bzz Agent- it is one of the ways I get to stay in touch with products that I might not normally think to buy- It is a pretty cool program! I am not one to tout products or stuff like that - but if Bzzagent is willing to send me 20 coupons for 3 dollars off Perdue Chicken?!? or a free CoverGirl Eye Shadow to tell people what I think about them and share the coupons.. I am alllll for it!

            You get kits, with stuff in them and using social media and word of mouth – you get the info out there about the products. I have not been disappointed yet! Not to mention- I like it better than someother places like Houseparty- where it is a race to the finish to get an actual party- Bzz Agent matches their campaigns with your profile that you fill out!

Right now there is a campaign going on since Covergirl is turning 50 - which I think is pretty cool!

Life gets Messy- but that is fun part!

                 So- I know it has been a while since my last blog post… Life gets like that… Who doesn’t realize wow-I forgot to do this that or the other thing? Like taking down a Christmas tree, having to take apart the new vacuum since it now is filled with what Connor and Max lovingly refer to as “ Christmas Magic” (my old fashioned tinsel), finding a leak in the pipes in the basement… you know that on top of laundry, cooking and normal cleaning- Thank the good Lord that Brian helps me A LOT- I am lucky- I think the household only runs because I married a man who knows it is okay to do dishes and fold laundry!

After taking down most of the Christmas Decorations, I just couldn’t part with my Boxwood I got from Tannebaum’s this year, I splurged and bought the 25$ long swag and since it looks pretty to me. I thought I would leave it up with my favorite Willow Tree figures.

I have been trying to keep up with following my Menu Plan and taking pics, I got kinda messed up following the plan, but since I have one created the nice thing is~ I have recipes in the back of my mind that I want to try that I know I have the ingredients for to make.

Tonight instead of the Panko Fish Sticks, we are having Crockpot roasted sticky chicken… I had originally pulled it out of the freezer to make Sunday, but it didn’t defrost in time, So we are having it tonight!

Basically I took a 8 lb roasting chicken and mixed a bunch of seasonings like paprika, onion salt, white pepper, black pepper, Thyme, Oregano, Bell’s Seasoning and Cayenne pepper to rub all over the chicken. I put it in a pan covered in the fridge and then this morning stuck it in the Crockpot. I am going to make some wild rice and green beans to go with it to round out the meal. Brian said forget using the Oven for Chicken anymore- this was the moistest melt in your mouth like Butter chicken he had ever eaten!

Last Wednesday I made the ultimate Chili in a Crockpot I think the easiest meal in the world, I use coupons to get those Hormel canned chilis to add to my homemade chili~ kinda kicks up the flavor a notch.. and I also set the bread machine so that when dinner time came, the bread was done! Thanks to my friend Judi H. I have a Bread maker- I love it. Say what you want about using a bread maker being cheating from not making it from scratch, but if you work…. You waste valuable time making it by hand. That being said, I have made it by hand and I will when I have the time. 

We have been getting 2 birds with one stone out of our Pellet Stove, Brian hung up a clothes line in the family room and we have a clothes drying rack, one of those heavy duty ones you can only find in Amish places like Peights… I haven’t used the dryer in almost 2 weeks, I am curious to see if this cuts anything from the electric bill. I know it will help save on clothing- since the dryer basically dries and eats your clothes at the same time! What do you think all that lint is from? The breakdown of the fibers in your clothing. Wearing them out and wearing them thin before their time.

I have been thinking lots on how to improve what I post on my blog, and I seem to spend a lot of time cooking- so obviously I will keep up with that stuff, and how to save money, couponing and whatnots…

One of the most insanely wonderful items I have found? Crockpot liners- WOW- yes I know this seems like a frivolous item- you get 4 to a box and the box is 2.00, but- really if you make a lot in the crockpot, and it gets messy.. are you not wasting more in water and scrubbing with hot water and not to mention time to get that sucker clean?

I have found that going thru cookbooks at night, is helpful to find recipes that I might want to try, the older the cookbook- the more likely you are to find recipes that have the ingredients in your house. Sometimes though- you have to be careful, keep a big old glass of water with you- cause looking at recipes makes me think I am hungry!!! I have a Farmer’s Cookbook and a Fannie Farmer cookbook that I have yet to find anything better. Fannie Farmer’s cookbook is indispensable! Everything from Blueberry muffins to scalloped potatoes. Most recipes ~ you can find in your well stocked pantry!

Here is a pic of my Fannie Farmer cookbook and where I keep my Cookbooks~ in the living room and a pic of the doors closed, the TV sits on the stand… Keeping the doors closed, but the books in easy reach at night when I wanna look thru them – or during meal planning time when I wanna spread them out on the floor! With a glass of wine of course;)

Speaking of Wine- Brian has mentioned he wants to try to make it- and I found Classes- so I am sure that will be a post soon enough! Not to mention I think this will be a money saver in our house – if you know what I mean!

So- I am looking to forward to hearing what are your "go to Cookbooks" ? 

Also- I want to organize my spices in a more user friendly manner... any ideas?

TV and Soup

I watch A LOT of T.V. and I mean A LOT, not just like 3 or 5 shows- I am talking enough to be able to spend an entire week not speaking an actual word that is an original thought…. I could spend an entire week doing nothing but quoting TV shows holding conversations, referencing actors …At times I wonder if this is okay? Then I remember… what good is that Dish Network Bill and Netflix account if I do not use them? What in the world was Hulu created for? ME- that is right ME.

When Brian and I got married, I lost control of the remote… for the first 5 yrs I was fine sitting on the couch reading cookbooks, learning to cook meals… Heck I gained 30 LBs since we got married…I know how to cook like Paula, Rachel and can even pull off a Emeril if I need to… Then …I discovered Hulu and my cousin Irene told me about her Netflix account and  I got Netflix (actually she let me log in as her- but I wanted the DVDs so I had to get an account- otherwise forget about watching HBO shows).

I watched entire seasons of shows I had no idea existed in those 5 yrs of reality tv, sports and “How it’s Made” episodes that Brian so closely held to his heart. Except for LOST… because LOST was the one show I put my foot down and forced him to another room with another TV- I would not tolerate the channel surfing for that one hour a week, and he complied, of course I rewatched LOST each week on ABC.com since I Facebooked the entire show-

I watch(ed) Arrested Development (CawCaCaw), Kitchen Confidential(if you haven't seen this- you need to, it is on Hulu all 15 episodes), Bones (David Boreanaz is my hero), Castle, CSI (all of them) Law and Order SVU, Dexter, True Blood (I am NOT a fangbanger- I am a Jason Stackhouse fan), Modern Family, The Gates, Flash-forward, V, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, The Tudors, Lie to Me, Justified, Leverage, Blue Bloods, The Middle, The Office, Rizzoli and Isles, Dead Like Me( I now refuse to allow any stranger get close enough to brush up against me- not like I used to allow them too- but I am more aware of it now), Fringe, Human Target (Can you mix up the A-team, MacGyver and Lethal Weapon? Yes, Yes you can!)… The list goes on and on…

It is a standing joke between my friend Grace and I that we cannot walk past a van with no windows for fear of being kidnapped.. I could probably defend myself in any situation though thanks to Rizzoli and Isles.

I do not play favorites, I watch them all… I give all shows a chance- unlike Networks that cancel my favorites like FlashForward and then keep V…I am still torked about that. I watch them like most people listen to the radio. I know the Characters, their voices, I do not even need to *see* the show.

I try to watch them after the kids are in bed, on my laptop…this is getting harder to keep up with though, as I promise to do a load of laundry a night, make sure everything is good to go for the next nights dinner and make sure I kinda pick up the mess of the evening. My house is lived in, my sink has dishes in it, I make no promises that Brian and I won’t have a can of soup for lunch since we pack everyday… sometimes watching Raylan (Justified) and his cowboy hat, Lightman(Lie to Me) tell someone they are lying or Olivia (Law and Order SVU) help a child is just too much temptation for me and the laundry remains on the drying rack for the night.

I like to read too~ don’t get me wrong, but my reading consists lately of teen fiction. I don’t care how old of a woman you are, stuff like Twilight and the Hunger Games are incredible.. escapism. Isn’t that what reading and watching TV is all about? Escaping?

So- what are you watching and reading… I wanna know… 

On a soup note- I am going to try to post a picture of Dinner and the recipe each night… of course, this is an insane promise- which is why I typed “try”….

So here is the Meatball Minestrone Soup and the recipe!

Meatball Minestrone

6 Cups of water

2 cans of Beef Broth

2 tablespoons of chicken soup base

½ bag mixed frozen veggies

2 tablespoons dried minced onions

1 tablespoon each of Pepper, Oregano, Basil

1 Can of white cannellini beans

1 can of stewed tomatoes

½  a box of Whole Wheat spaghetti broken into small pieces ( like 2 inches long)

1 bay leaf

Like 30 or so homemade meatballs….

Place all ingredients except Meatballs in large sauce pan, bring to high simmer until spaghetti is al dente- cool word huh? Honestly how often do you as a regular person get to use Al Dente…

Then add Meatballs and simmer for like 20 minutes- until meatballs are cooked thru…

Oh- remove the bay leaf too!

Enjoy!

If you try the recipe- lemme know!~~

January-Oh what have you done to me...

Let's face it- December is a month of gorging, I don't know about you all- but I am in total decluttering/saving mode now. I suppose that is my *gasp* resulotion! To not be a spendaholic like I have horrible tendicies toward.
I made a Meal Plan for January, cut up a credit card... and I am placing things in give away boxes before I have the chance to blink.

Oh~ I wanted to clarify the whole "Becker Style" name of the blog- I was talking to my sister in law, explaining how before Brian and I go into any situation we look at each other and say," I love you- we are a team".... I was telling another freind at another time this strategy so as not to fight with each other and she came back from a holiday and said " We did our holiday " Becker Style" and it worked!"
I loved it- to think that my crazy life actually made sense to someone else was validation- that it is okay - we are all insane, but we try- we make and muddle our way thru things in life.. like Phil from Modern Family " The truth is, our parents faked our way thru it, we fake our way thru it, you just have to not raise a serial killer"....


I made it thru the first day of work without stopping at our local Sheetz for a schmuffin and diet pepsi, like I really wanted to, and stuck to the first day of the Meal Plan, not too shabby. Now if I can make it to Jan. 15th~ I will be estatic...
Here is the Meal Plan...since I know you are all dying to know what the Becker's are eating for dinner everynight!
 3rd~ Italian Sausage in the crockpot
4th~ Meatball Minestrone
5th~ Veggie Soup
6th~ Chili in the crockpot
7th~ Homemade Mac and Cheese
8th~Pork Chops
9th~ Left overs
10th~ Tilapia Fish Sticks
11th~ Mexican Bake
12th~ Roast in the crockpot
13th~Bean Counter Chowder
14th~ Stuffed Peppers in the crockpot
15th~ Pittsburgh Pierogies
16th~ Hamburger Stirfry
17th~Sloppy Joes
18th~Chicken Corn Soup in the crockpot
19th~ Red Beans and Rice
20th~Spagetti and meatballs
21st~Left overs
22nd~ Meatloaf
23rd~ Chicken Chili
24th~Eggrolls and sesame noodles
25th~ Homemade Soup
26th~ Ham Potpie
27th~ Chicken soft tacos
28th~ Potato Soup
29th~ Left overs
30th~ Panko chicken
31st~ mmmmm Out to eat~

If you want to recipes- comment!!! I will post them!