Hearth and Soul Blog Hop vol. 44

 
HEARTH and SOUL HOP!

Welcome to the Hearth and Soul Hop #44!!
I will be heading to the beautiful island of Oahu on Wednesday and won't be back until next Wednesday.
I am taking my husband for his 50th birthday - he is an old geiser but I surely love him! 
One of the exciting things we will be doing is going on a foodie tour - it is called "The Hole in the Wall Tour"    
It is supposed to be fabulous - the one sad thing is we can only do it on the last day so we won't be able to go back to any of the places we visit!
Please still link up and visit all the great foody love that is linked to the Hop!
Aloha!!!!
Thanks for stopping by and linking up and/or just checking out the great real food, soul loving links!

I am looking forward to another great Hop!

Take a few minutes to read our mission and the "rules" if you haven't in awhile - lots of thought and love went into making them.

The hop has become my favorite place to find new recipes and to share in all the lovely stories that come from your hearth and soul! 
Thank you for letting me have a peak into your kitchen.

Mission:

Food from your hearth, to feed your soul. Food that follows your intuition. Preparing food from scratch to nourish your family…body, mind AND soul! Food made with your own hands…infused with energy and passion and intent. Real food made by real people to feed real families (big and small, in blood or spirit). Ingredients from scratch, be it something grown in your garden or raised on your land…food foraged in the field or woods…food from local farms, farmers, or farmers markets…or even ingredients chosen by you from your local market that will be turned into something that feeds your soul. Tapping the food memory that each of us has stored inside; letting it guide and influence our own time in the kitchen.

We hope to embrace not only the “expected” areas of real food, but also those who want to incorporate healthier choices without sacrificing their love of food…how it tastes, the memories it conjures up, the comfort it brings. Yes, we’re trying to steer clear of packaged, processed, and boxed foods in favor of real foods….without absolutely excluding the sometimes frowned upon white sugar or flour (because the body craves what it craves…and sometimes things just don’t taste the same when you replace these). Making conscious choices and being present in the now with what your body needs…and taking steps towards exploring and enjoying healthier choices. If you take the time to listen, your body will tell you what it needs.

The warm comfort of the home hearth…stories, anecdotes, lessons, adventures, journeys, recipes, meals, beverages…we want to share the “why” of how food feeds more than just our bodies…how it also feeds our souls. After all, aren’t these the essential ingredients in defining real food? Please share links from your Hearth and Soul Hop with us each week.* Each time you link to the hop, you will get exposure over 5 blogs and receive feedback in the way of a high quality comment on your linked post, because this is personal for us…we want you to know that we appreciate that you’ve taken the time to create a post, add a link back to the hop, and add your link! We’ll be sure to acknowledge this with a comment and a tweet on Twitter (using hashtag #hsoul).

Rules for linking:

-One link per week, please-Must include a link back to one/any of the host sites (through worded link or badge) in individual post, not on sidebar…although we love having links on your page, as well (this benefits all of us). You will be sent a gentle reminder if no link is added to your post, we understand that sometimes people forget…but if it becomes a regular occurrence, (even though we don’t like to do it) your post may be removed. It’s just not fair to those who do take the time and show the grace to link back.

-Try to link a post that you think fits into the mission. You don’t have to link up every week…link up when you can. We welcome posts that are shared in other events. If you have an older, archived post that you want to add, we welcome that…as long as you go in and add a link back to Hearth and Soul.

Linky will stay open from 10 pm Monday to 11:59 pm Wednesday (Eastern time).

Your Hosts:

Alex of A Moderate Life

Christy of Frugality and Crunchiness with Christy 
Jason of Alternative Health and Nutrition News
April of The 21st Century Housewife
Swathi of Zesty South Indian Kitchen
Alea of Premeditated Leftovers
Michelle of Fit Foodista
Kankana of Sunshine and Smile


If you'd like to use a badge, please feel free!
<a href="http://frugalcrunchychristy.blogspot.com/search/label/Hearth%20and%20Soul%20Hop " target="_blank"><img src="http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj214/girlichef/misc%20blog%20badges/HnSFCC.jpg" border="0" alt="H‘nSFCC"></a>







here

Cube Steak Beef Stroganoff

Cube Steak Beef Stroganoff

I have tried and tried to cook cube steak so that my family will not only eat it but like it.

Besides being a frugal piece of meat I always seem to get some when we get our quarter of a cow, and if you know me you know I don't waste a perfectly good piece of meat! 

(think liver, heart, tongue and feet.)

I have been sadly not very successful until tonight.

I think the trick was omitting the flouring step.

That's right I just browned the meat in lard and moved on and I really liked it and my family well they said it was OK and it all got eaten.
I love it when I discover a way to feed my family frugal, nutritious and even slightly - or more - delicious food!

I would like to try this with browned hamburger next time because the sauce is yummy!

Cube Steak Beef Stroganoff

1 package of egg noodles

6 decent sized cubed steaks cut into 2x1" pieces

4 TBS flour

1/2 onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

3 tablespoons lard or tallow (plus more if needed to cook the steak)

3 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups water (or beef broth and then omit veggie powder)

1 small carton whipping cream or 1 cup milk

1 TBS veggie broth powder OR 1 1/2 cups beef broth

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground rosemary

1/4 cup sour cream (eyeball this and add more if you like a stronger flavor)

Salt - lots

Pepper - lots

1. Cut steaks into small pieces.

2. Cut up onion.

3. Heat the lard in a pan. When it's hot, add pieces of the steak making one layer (you will be doing this in batches. Brown on both sides - be patient it is worth it. You are not going to get the steak all the way cooked at this time. When it's browned on both sides, remove from the pan. Repeat until all of the steak is cooked. Add more lard if necessary.

4. Add diced onions to the pan. Sprinkle onion with salt and pepper. Stir until onion is translucent. Add minced garlic and cook about a minute.

5. Add 4 tablespoons of flour to the pan and stir it into the onions. Let cook for 30 seconds.

6. Slowly start adding the water. Stir to break up the onion/flour mixture. Sauce will begin to thicken. Add vegetable powder, milk, cayenne, rosemary. Add additional salt and pepper if needed.

7. Add cubed steak back to the pan.

8. Simmer the meat in the sauce over medium heat. Add water if needed to thin the sauce and stir periodically.

9. It is time to begin the noodles. Add a teaspoon or so of salt to the cooking water. Cook the minimum time.

10. The noodles and the steak should be done at the same time.

11. Add sour cream to sauce and stir until it's incorporated. Taste again to make sure it's well seasoned and that you like the amount of sour cream.

12. Pour sauce over the noodles.

13. Stir it all together and serve.

Notes:
You can add mushrooms to this if you like. I didn't this time but I may next time.
I really think the cayenne pepper is key - it gives this dish just the right amount of ummpf. I also used very little sour cream because the sauce was yummy without it.
Try this with browned hamburger next time. I think it will go over better.

I am sharing this with the Hearth and Soul Blog Hop and Real Food Wednesday and a new to me - Raising Homemakers Homemaking Link Up and EKat's Kitchen: Friday Potluck.

Hearth and Soul Blog Hop vol. 43

 
HEARTH and SOUL HOP!

Welcome to the Hearth and Soul Hop #43!!
Thanks for stopping by and linking up and/or just checking out the great real food, soul loving links!

I am looking forward to another great Hop!

Take a few minutes to read our mission and the "rules" if you haven't in awhile - lots of thought and love went into making them.

The hop has become my favorite place to find new recipes and to share in all the lovely stories that come from your hearth and soul! 
Thank you for letting me have a peak into your kitchen.

Mission:

Food from your hearth, to feed your soul. Food that follows your intuition. Preparing food from scratch to nourish your family…body, mind AND soul! Food made with your own hands…infused with energy and passion and intent. Real food made by real people to feed real families (big and small, in blood or spirit). Ingredients from scratch, be it something grown in your garden or raised on your land…food foraged in the field or woods…food from local farms, farmers, or farmers markets…or even ingredients chosen by you from your local market that will be turned into something that feeds your soul. Tapping the food memory that each of us has stored inside; letting it guide and influence our own time in the kitchen.

We hope to embrace not only the “expected” areas of real food, but also those who want to incorporate healthier choices without sacrificing their love of food…how it tastes, the memories it conjures up, the comfort it brings. Yes, we’re trying to steer clear of packaged, processed, and boxed foods in favor of real foods….without absolutely excluding the sometimes frowned upon white sugar or flour (because the body craves what it craves…and sometimes things just don’t taste the same when you replace these). Making conscious choices and being present in the now with what your body needs…and taking steps towards exploring and enjoying healthier choices. If you take the time to listen, your body will tell you what it needs.

The warm comfort of the home hearth…stories, anecdotes, lessons, adventures, journeys, recipes, meals, beverages…we want to share the “why” of how food feeds more than just our bodies…how it also feeds our souls. After all, aren’t these the essential ingredients in defining real food? Please share links from your Hearth and Soul Hop with us each week.* Each time you link to the hop, you will get exposure over 5 blogs and receive feedback in the way of a high quality comment on your linked post, because this is personal for us…we want you to know that we appreciate that you’ve taken the time to create a post, add a link back to the hop, and add your link! We’ll be sure to acknowledge this with a comment and a tweet on Twitter (using hashtag #hsoul).

Rules for linking:

-One link per week, please-Must include a link back to one/any of the host sites (through worded link or badge) in individual post, not on sidebar…although we love having links on your page, as well (this benefits all of us). You will be sent a gentle reminder if no link is added to your post, we understand that sometimes people forget…but if it becomes a regular occurrence, (even though we don’t like to do it) your post may be removed. It’s just not fair to those who do take the time and show the grace to link back.

-Try to link a post that you think fits into the mission. You don’t have to link up every week…link up when you can. We welcome posts that are shared in other events. If you have an older, archived post that you want to add, we welcome that…as long as you go in and add a link back to Hearth and Soul.

Linky will stay open from 10 pm Monday to 11:59 pm Wednesday (Eastern time).

Your Hosts:

Alex of A Moderate Life

Christy of Frugality and Crunchiness with Christy 
Jason of Alternative Health and Nutrition News
April of The 21st Century Housewife
Swathi of Zesty South Indian Kitchen
Alea of Premeditated Leftovers
Michelle of Fit Foodista
Kankana of Sunshine and Smile


If you'd like to use a badge, please feel free!
<a href="http://frugalcrunchychristy.blogspot.com/search/label/Hearth%20and%20Soul%20Hop " target="_blank"><img src="http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj214/girlichef/misc%20blog%20badges/HnSFCC.jpg" border="0" alt="H‘nSFCC"></a>







here

Robyn O'Brien's Ted Talk

This is so worth your time to watch. It will make you mad and hopeful.

Amazing Chicken Enchiladas

 

 

Josh turned 15 over the weekend - sigh, where does the time go? He a BIG boy towering over me and already the tallest in the family. It is hard to wrap my mind around it.  He is my sweetest, most loving child. He kisses me and thanks me all the time. He is thoughtful and caring. I love him so much!! 

He requested a chocolate cake and let me tell you the cake I baked didn't disappoint - I made him Pioneer Woman's The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake Ever - and good gosh all friday, it is one SUPER SWEET TREAT!!! I omitted the nuts in the frosting but otherwise followed the recipe exactly.  The is my new favorite cake. You can't eat much it is so rich but wow does it taste amazing. Perfect for my big boy!

Then for dinner I made homemade chicken enchiladas - it was a hit - so much so my husband requested I make it again and for company! That my friends is the highest praise he gives and I am still smiling. 

It came out rather spicy but delicious. This is definitely a winner

 Amazing Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, chopped (about a cup)
• Coconut oil or butter or combo
• 4 small cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lg can tomatoes, fire-roasted if you can get it
• 1 jalapeno - no seeds
•  red chili powder (start at one tsp and keep tasting)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water
• 1 tiny can of sliced black olives - chopped
• 12 corn tortillas
• Coconut oil or lard
• 2-3 cups of bang bang cooked chicken
• Salt
• 2 cups grated cheese (about 1/3 lb) I used a combo of cheddar and Monterrey jack

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2 Prepare the sauce. Coat a large iron skillet (if you are lucky enough to have one)  with oil and sauté the onions on medium heat until translucent, this just takes a  few minutes. Add the garlic for a minute more. While the onions are cooking, purée the canned tomatoes in a blender with the jalapeno. Add the onions and garlic to the blender and just blend a bit. Put the red sauce back into your pan and bring to a low simmer. Start adding the chili powder, one teaspoon at a time, tasting after each addition, until you get to the desired level of heat and chili flavor.  It depends on your taste and how strong the chili powder is that you are using. I used way too much for us this time - will start small next time.  Also, the tortillas and chicken will absorb some of the heat, so you want it a bit spicier than you would think.  Add a tsp or so of sugar if necessary to cut down on the acid from the tomatoes. You want your red sauce to have more of the taste of the chili and less of the tomatoes. As the sauce simmers, you will need to dilute it with water to keep it from getting too thick. I let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Then remove from heat.

3 Mix in  about a 1/4 cup of the sauce with the cooked chicken, add the olives and stir. Sprinkle with a little salt. Set aside.

4 Prepare the tortillas.  Heat a small iron skillet on med-high heat. Add enough oil  to coat the pan. Cook the tortilla for a little bit - a minute on each side at the most, you are just heating them up  a bit and then you dip the  tortilla in the sauce to coat the tortilla with sauce on both sides.I used tongs to flip the tortillas around.

5 Assemble the enchiladas. Use a large baking dish. Lightly cover the bottom with some red sauce. Then place a couple spoonfuls of the chicken mixture in the center of a tortilla, add a bit of cheese and roll it up. Place in the baking dish and repeat until all dozen of your tortillas are neatly placed in rows in the casserole dish. Cover the tortillas rolls with the remaining sauce.
Sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese.
6 Place in the oven and cook for 10 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.
 I served  this with sour cream and I bet it would be fabulous with guacamole!

Notes:
1. can use up to 2 TBS of chili powder but that would be way too spicy with the jalapeno.
2. Having the chicken cooked and bang banged ahead of time would make this go much quicker.
3. Double this for our family (only 5 of us were here and we ate every bite) Maybe make one a bit spicier than the other.
4. I liked the sauce way better than any I have tasted before - from scratch is definitely the way to go!

How about you, is there a sauce you make now that just knocks the canned version out of the running? Or one that you would like to make from scratch and haven't yet tried?

Update 10/25/11 All I had was pepperjack cheese which is way too spicy for my husband so I melted a brick of cream cheese and mixed in the pepperjack which I then put on top of the enchilladas (no cheese inside, I didn't have enough). This made a delicious variation that I actually like better.

I am linking this to the Hearth and Soul Hop and Fudge Ripple's Tuesday Night Supper Club.  Plus Amy @ Simply Sugar and Gluten Free's Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.  
and Kelly the Kitchen Kop's Real Food Wednesday.

Hearth and Soul Blog Hop vol. 42

 
HEARTH and SOUL HOP!

Welcome to the Hearth and Soul Hop #42!!
Thanks for stopping by and linking up and/or just checking out the great real food, soul loving links!

I am looking forward to another great Hop!

Take a few minutes to read our mission and the "rules" if you haven't in awhile - lots of thought and love went into making them.

The hop has become my favorite place to find new recipes and to share in all the lovely stories that come from your hearth and soul! 
Thank you for letting me have a peak into your kitchen.

Mission:

Food from your hearth, to feed your soul. Food that follows your intuition. Preparing food from scratch to nourish your family…body, mind AND soul! Food made with your own hands…infused with energy and passion and intent. Real food made by real people to feed real families (big and small, in blood or spirit). Ingredients from scratch, be it something grown in your garden or raised on your land…food foraged in the field or woods…food from local farms, farmers, or farmers markets…or even ingredients chosen by you from your local market that will be turned into something that feeds your soul. Tapping the food memory that each of us has stored inside; letting it guide and influence our own time in the kitchen.

We hope to embrace not only the “expected” areas of real food, but also those who want to incorporate healthier choices without sacrificing their love of food…how it tastes, the memories it conjures up, the comfort it brings. Yes, we’re trying to steer clear of packaged, processed, and boxed foods in favor of real foods….without absolutely excluding the sometimes frowned upon white sugar or flour (because the body craves what it craves…and sometimes things just don’t taste the same when you replace these). Making conscious choices and being present in the now with what your body needs…and taking steps towards exploring and enjoying healthier choices. If you take the time to listen, your body will tell you what it needs.

The warm comfort of the home hearth…stories, anecdotes, lessons, adventures, journeys, recipes, meals, beverages…we want to share the “why” of how food feeds more than just our bodies…how it also feeds our souls. After all, aren’t these the essential ingredients in defining real food? Please share links from your Hearth and Soul Hop with us each week.* Each time you link to the hop, you will get exposure over 5 blogs and receive feedback in the way of a high quality comment on your linked post, because this is personal for us…we want you to know that we appreciate that you’ve taken the time to create a post, add a link back to the hop, and add your link! We’ll be sure to acknowledge this with a comment and a tweet on Twitter (using hashtag #hsoul).

Rules for linking:

-One link per week, please-Must include a link back to one/any of the host sites (through worded link or badge) in individual post, not on sidebar…although we love having links on your page, as well (this benefits all of us). You will be sent a gentle reminder if no link is added to your post, we understand that sometimes people forget…but if it becomes a regular occurrence, (even though we don’t like to do it) your post may be removed. It’s just not fair to those who do take the time and show the grace to link back.

-Try to link a post that you think fits into the mission. You don’t have to link up every week…link up when you can. We welcome posts that are shared in other events. If you have an older, archived post that you want to add, we welcome that…as long as you go in and add a link back to Hearth and Soul.

Linky will stay open from 10 pm Monday to 11:59 pm Wednesday (Eastern time).

Your Hosts:

Alex of A Moderate Life

Christy of Frugality and Crunchiness with Christy 
Jason of Alternative Health and Nutrition News
April of The 21st Century Housewife
Swathi of Zesty South Indian Kitchen
Alea of Premeditated Leftovers
Michelle of Fit Foodista
Kankana of Sunshine and Smile


If you'd like to use a badge, please feel free!
<a href="http://frugalcrunchychristy.blogspot.com/search/label/Hearth%20and%20Soul%20Hop " target="_blank"><img src="http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj214/girlichef/misc%20blog%20badges/HnSFCC.jpg" border="0" alt="H‘nSFCC"></a>







here