Tons of Recipes from a Day of Cooking

Hello!!!  Are you here from YouTube?  From the day I went back and forth homeschooling and cooking all day?  I'm so glad you're here and you'll be happy to that all the recipes from that video are in one place.  Right here!

First up the meatballs.  In the video I showed me making Savory Meatballs, but I mentioned that I made meatballs the week before and everybody loved them.  Well, here's the long story.  I love trying new recipes and changing up existing recipes.  My family would prefer I just stick with what they like and stop changing things up.  The week before I made a different meatball recipe which we actually happened to like even better than these, but they are both good.  As a bonus I'm sharing both recipes here.  The first will be what you saw in the video.  The second will be the ones I made "last week".

Savory Meatballs
6 pounds beef and venison mix
1/3 c. dry minced onion
1/3 c. beef bouillon
2 cups evaporated milk or regular milk

Mix all together.  Shape into small meatballs.  I place mine on either aluminum foil or parchment paper so cleanup is a bit easier.  Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.  To test this cut one in half checking for doneness.

Use these in spaghetti sauce or brown gravy or however your family likes meatballs.  You can even combine 2 c. ketchup, 1 c. brown sugar and 1 T. Worcestershire sauce in crock-pot with meatballs.

NOW FOR THE RECIPE MY FAMILY LIKED EVEN BETTER

Meatballs
4 1/2 pounds venison and beef mix
1 1/2 t. pepper
3 t. salt
3 t. parsley
3/4 c. diced onion
4 slices bread
1 1/4 c. milk

Soak bread in milk for 10 minutes.  Mix all above ingredients together and form into balls.  Bake on rimmed cookie sheet(s) at 350 for 45 minutes or more until meatballs are cooked through.

Chili
click here for recipe

Cheesy Potatoes (makes 1 9x13 casserole)
2 pounds frozen potato cubes
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/2 c. chopped onions
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. melted butter
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Combine all ingredients except potatoes.  Stir in potato cubes.  If they are frozen together bang them on the counter a few times to loosen up the potato cubes.  Spread in greased 9x13 pan.  Top with crushed potato chips or buttered crushed corn flakes (if desired).  I don't do that; I'm usually in too much of a hurry.  Bake uncovered at 350 for 45 minutes.  Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Crock-pot Scalloped Potatoes
2 pounds potatoes, sliced (make fast work of this in a food processor)
1/2 t. cream of tartar
1 c. water
1 small onion, sliced
1/4 c. flour
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
2 T. butter
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 handfulls shredded cheddar or colby cheese
sliced ham

Toss sliced potatoes in water/cream of tartar solution for 10 minutes.  Drain.  Grease 4 quart crockpot.  Layer potatoes and onion.  Sprinkle with flour, salt and pepper.  Add ham slices and one handful cheese.  Make another layer just the same except do not put cheese on yet.  Spread cream soup over and add one more handful of cheese.  Cook on low for 7 - 9 hours.

Stove top Pepper Steak
click here for recipe

Although I never got to making the 7-Layer Salad that day I did just make it today and it was so good.  Here's how I make it.  It's quite forgiving

7-Layer Salad
1-2 heads of lettuce, torn into small pieces (it really depends on how big or little the heads of lettuce are)
1 very small red onion, sliced very thin
1/2 - 1 cup broccoli pieces
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1 c. frozen peas
half a cucumber, sliced
1 package of pre-cooked bacon (approx. 3 ounces), cut into 1 inch pieces
1 pkg. ranch dressing powder mix
2 cups mayonnaise
shredded cheddar cheese

You can really use any veggies you prefer.  Layer everything in a large glass casserole dish.  I have a 10x15 Pyrex dish that works perfectly for this.

Place bacon pieces on top.  Sprinkle ranch mix over entire top.  Spread mayo over all.  Cover with cheese.  Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or until supper.  You can toss the entire mixture when it's serving time, but we prefer to serve it as is and scoop out what we want.

This is so good.  I might go dish me up some right now.  It's 11:00 p.m.

The full video can be seen here.

Classic Chicken Pot Pie & Ice Cream Cake for Breakfast

Our oldest turned 21.  How in the world did that happen???

Anyway, let's talk about food because that always makes things better, right?

Emily's a girl of tradition so I've been making Chicken Pot Pie and Ice Cream Cake for many many years of birthdays.

These recipes in video version can be seen here.

Classic Chicken Pot Pie is the most comforting of all the comfort foods in the world and this recipe is super classic with the very basic of ingredients which makes it a crowd pleaser.  And it starts with a roux and we know that anything starting with a roux is bound to be DELICIOUS !!

CHICKEN POT PIE (recipe for 1 pie)

2 pie crusts (top & bottom) either homemade or store bought
1-2 cans Veg-all mixed veggies
1/3 c. butter
1/3 c. flour
1/3 c. diced onion
1/4 t. salt
pinch of sage or poultry seasoning
1/4 t. pepper
1 3/4 c. chicken broth
2/3 c. milk
3 cups cooked chicken

Roll out pie crusts if necessary.  Drain veggies.

Melt butter in saucepan, stir in flour, onion, seasonings.  Cook stirring constantly until mix is bubbly.  Stir in broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly until thickened.  Stir in milk.  Add chicken and veggies.  Pour into pie crust.  Sometimes there's a little filling leftover so just eat it because it's that good.  Place top crust and crimp edge well.  

Prick top crust and bake at 425 for about 35 minutes until crust is well done and prick holes bubble a bit.

Now for the ice cream cake.  This is adapted from a recipe found in a Duggar book.  This year we actually had ice cream cake for breakfast.  A bit unusual, but fun for everyone involved.

Emily's Ice Cream Cake

24 ice cream sandwiches
2 small cartons of Cool Whip
chocolate syrup
caramel syrup
3 crushed Butterfinger candy bars

Unwrap ice cream sandwiches and make one layer in 9x13 pan.  Top with 1 carton Cool Whip.  Squeeze chocolate syrup and caramel syrup over whipped topping (as much as you'd like).  Sprinkle with half the Butterfinger crumbs.  Create another layer just the same.  Place in freezer until time to serve.  You might need to let it thaw a little before cutting.

Watch the full length video at A Country Life.

Bible Camp Baked Oatmeal {Recipe}

Our older kids all went to a Bible Camp up North many summers.  This baked oatmeal was a breakfast staple.  One that Emily loved and looked forward to.

This recipe was first shared on my bulk cooking video here.

BIBLE CAMP BAKED OATMEAL

3/4 c. vegetable oil
3/4 c. white sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
1 t. salt
1 1/2 T. baking powder
4 1/2 c. quick cook oats (regular work fine, too, it'll be a little firmer)
1 t. cinnamon
3/4 c. raisins or any dried fruit you like (optional)

Mix all ingredients together.  Pour into greased 9x13 pan.  Sprinkle with brown sugar if you'd like.  Refrigerate overnight.  Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes until oatmeal is set.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

I often split this into two smaller square pans, wrap with plastic wrap and then foil and freeze for up to 3 months.  To bake I set it on the counter before bed and bake in the morning for a little less time than a full pan - about 25-30 minutes.  This keeps well in the fridge once baked and can be warmed up on the following mornings.

You can watch this recipe in action on A Country Life.

Crock-Pot Venison (Beef) Stew

Stew.  Is there anything more comforting on a fall day?  I thought not!!

I first showed this Crock-Pot Venison Stew here on YouTube.

CROCK-POT VENISON (BEEF) STEW

3 pounds venison, cubed (1 inch)
6 med. red potatoes, unpeeled, 1 inch cubes
6 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1-2 large onions, cut into large chunks
2 cups V-8/home-canned tomato juice
3 T. quick-cooking Tapioca
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. beef bouillon
1/4 t. pepper

Dredge meat in flour seasoned with garlic salt and pepper.  Quick fry in hot melted lard or shortening just to brown the outside.  Place in crock-pot (6 quart). Add all ingredients.  Slow cook on low for 5 1/2-6 hours or until meat and veggies are tender.

I've made a lot of stew recipes over the year and this one from my sister-in-law is always the favorite.  I think it's just so simple and doesn't have any surprising flavors.  Just good comfort food especially when served with warm crusty bread.

The full video including the recipe can be found at A Country Life.

Large Family BULK COOKING 🍕🥔🍲🧀 Pizza Dough, Tater Tot Casserole, Mashed Potatoes, Chicken Salad

I recently had another 3 day bulk cooking session where I cook for about 3-4 hours with plenty of large family distractions each day.  In the end I stock up the fridge and freezer with food that'll last 3 weeks or more.

In the video I shared the following recipes:

➡️Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad 
➡️Pizza Burger Mix 
➡️Cinnamon Roll Dough 
➡️Soft Italian Breadsticks   (I do not make individual breadsticks.  I roll the dough into a large 1/2 sheet pan, bake for 15 minutes, then top with butter and mozzarella cheese and bake until completely done, about 10 more minutes.
➡️Cream of Anything Soup  (very peppery)

A few recipes I haven't ever shared at my blog so below you'll find the recipes for:

Tater Tot Casserole
Savory Chicken
Chicken and Rice Hotdish
Pizza Crust (thin style)

Tater Tot Casserole (makes 3 large family size casseroles)
6 pounds ground venison (or beef or turkey, whatever floats your boat)
2 onions, diced
6 cans cream of anything soup or use the link above and make your own.
6 cans Veg-all, drained slightly
4-6 bags tater tots (depends on how many tots your family likes)

Brown meat and onion.  Drain grease if necessary.  Mix in large bowl:  meat, soups, veggies.  Divide into 3 greased foil casserole pans or 3 gallon freezer bags. 

If freezing in foil pans, top with tater tots, saran wrap and then foil wrap.  Freeze for up to 3 months.  To bake:  remove casserole from freezer in the morning, set on counter to thaw throughout the day, bake at 400 for 40-60 minutes depending on how thawed the casserole was and how crispy you like your tater tots.  Sometimes kids like this served with ketchup.

If freezing in bags do not add tater tots.  To bake:  thaw casserole mixture thoroughly in fridge, squeeze into greased casserole dish, top with tater tots and bake at 400 for 35-55 minutes depending on how crispy you like your tots.

Savory Chicken Sandwiches (I only made a single recipe of this - double or triple if desired)
3 pound bag of boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup italian dressing
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
2 Tbsp. minced dried onion
2 tsp. powdered bouillon or creamy soup base - chicken, beef or vegetable

Place all ingredients in crock-pot.  Cook on high for 4 hours.  Shred chicken and place back into liquid.  Keep warm and serve on a bed of lettuce or buns.  My kids like to add BBQ sauce to their sandwiches.

Chicken & Rice Hotdish
6 pounds boneless skinless chicken, breasts and thighs
3 cans cream of mush
3 cans cream of chick
3 cans cream of celery
4 1/2 cups Minute rice
6 cups shredded cheddar cheese
9 cups milk
butter

Cube raw meat into bite sized pieces.  Combine soup and milk in large bowl.  Grease 3 large casserole pans - 10 x 13 OR extra deep foil pans.  Add about 2 cups of soup/milk mix to each pan.  Add 1 1/2 cups rice to each pan, add about 2 cups of soup/milk mix.  Sprinkle 1 cup cheese, add 1/3 of the cubed chicken, pour over remaining soup/milk mix (2 cups/casserole), dot with a couple Tbsp. butter and sprinkle with remaining cheese about 1 cup/casserole.  Saran wrap and foil wrap each pan.  Freeze flat; this will be quite soupy.  I froze mine on a cookie sheet for stability.

**Be sure all the rice is "tucked in"; if it's out of the liquid it will get hard and not soften all the way.

**Since I'm freezing raw meat I like to buy fresh, unfrozen chicken so that I'm not refreezing raw meat.  Doing so increases the chance of freezer burn.

To bake:  Thaw completely in fridge (1-2 days); remove foil and saran wrap and bake at 275 for 2 1/2 - 3 hours.  Stir once early on and then no more stirring.  Check to be sure meat is cooked thoroughly.

Thin Crust Pizza Dough
3 Tbsp. yeast
1 1/8 tsp. sugar
3 1/4 cups + 2 Tbsp. warm water
7 1/2 - 8 cups flour (all-purpose or bread)
2 1/4 tsp. salt

Dissolve yeast and salt in water; allow to rest for 8 minutes.
Combine flour and salt in large bowl.
Pour yeast mixture over flour and stir with a heavy spoon.
Turn dough onto floured surface and knead for 2 minutes.
Divide into 6 pieces.  Wrap in saran or put into quart bags and freeze without letting it rise first.

To bake:  Thaw dough.  Roll out to desired thinness.  We like very thin crust that gets crunchy so I roll it out to the edge of my 14" and 16" pans.  Allow to rise if you like a thicker crust or bake immediately for a thinner crust.

Bake at 500 degrees for 5 minutes.  Then add sauce, cheese and other toppings bake for 3-7 minutes longer until crust is done and cheese is bubbly.

Looking for the video with all these recipes?

BULK COOKING Large Family Style {June Edition}

Bulk Cooking is totally my style especially when summer takes over and we have so many activities pulling us in multiple directions.  Rarely are all nine of us sitting down to supper at once which makes having multiple meals in the fridge and freezer a godsend.

In this edition of BULK COOKING Large Family Style I make:

x5 Pancake Mix  Click here for this old-fashioned recipe
x3 BBQ  Click here for the cookbook

x4 Taco Meat  Click here for a video of my homemade seasoning mix

x2 Pepper Steak  Click here for the Stove top version

x2 Beef Short Rib Soup  Click here for the cookbook
x2 Ham, Bean & Potato Soup  Click here for this giant batch soup recipe

24 Hamburger Patties  Click here for the hamburger press I use & patty papers

10 pounds Twice Baked Potatoes  Click here for the recipe

All these recipes can be seen in video format, too.

Large Family BULK COOKING🌮🥔🥞🥩 Soup, BBQ, Taco Meat, Twice Baked Potato, Pepper Steak, Pancake Mix

A Country Life - My YouTube channel

Slow Cooker Ham, Bean & Potato Soup

Making food in large quantities makes me happy.  If it makes you happy grab a giant Nesco and let's make some soup. 

If you like smaller quantities then cut the recipe in half and it'll fit nicely in a 7 quart Crock-Pot.

Slow Cooker Ham, Bean & Potato Soup

2 pounds dry navy OR great northern beans, rinsed
2 large onions, diced
6 celery stalks, diced
8 potatoes, cut into bite size pieces
8 cloves garlic, minced OR 4 tsp. jarred minced garlic
4 large carrots, sliced
2 ham hocks OR 1 ham bone
4 bay leaves
2 T. oregano
16 cups chicken broth (I use water and Knorr seasoning powder)
4 cups chopped ham (I use Sugardale Diced Ham for ease)
Salt & Pepper to taste (usually doesn't need much salt)

Place ingredients except diced ham in Nesco.  Cook on medium high for 6 hours or until beans are soft.  Stir often.  Remove ham hock or bone.  Pick meat from bone.  Use immersion blender to cream the soup a bit leaving plenty of vegetable chunks.  Add all ham to soup, season with salt and pepper, serve warm.  This soup really holds its heat.

Serve this up on a cold and snowy evening or do what I do and annoy my family with soup in the summer.  Any time of year it tastes great.

Twice Baked Potato {Freeze Some For Later}

Potatoes, Spuds, Russets - whatever you call them they deserve to be baked, scooped, mixed with bacon and spooned back into their skins.

I'm talking about making up a pile of twice baked potato and here's how I make it happen.

Twice Baked Potatoes (large batch style)

10 pounds Russet or Baking Potatoes
1 pound bacon (save the grease)
1 stick butter
2 cups sour cream
1-2 cups milk
chopped onion to taste (1/2 - 1 cup)
2-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Start by baking the potatoes in your usual fashion.  I baked mine at 350 for 1 hour + until they were tender.  Allow potatoes to cool just enough to handle them.  Slice in half the long ways and scoop out potato.  Don't worry about cleaning it out perfectly.  Leaving a little potato behind will keep the potato skin sturdy.

Fry up the bacon until it's fairly crisp.  Save the grease because you're going to use it later.  You're welcome.

Add butter, milk, and sour cream to potatoes and mash well.  Stir in chopped bacon, onion, cheese, salt, and pepper.

Now comes the fun part.  Pour in some of that bacon grease you've been saving.  Not all of it, just enough to add good flavor.

Spoon back into the potato skins.  Sprinkle with a little cheese.  Set on large cookie sheet and flash freeze.  Once solid place in zip top bags.

To use immediately: Bake at 350 until hot and slightly bubbly - about 20-30 minutes.

To use from frozen:  Thaw slightly and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

🦌Mini Cheddar Meatloaves | Cooking With Venison | Large Family Freezer Meal

Meatloaf sure does get a bad rap.  But it shouldn't.  If you haven't had meatloaf since childhood it's time to give it a try now as an adult.  There are so many yummy recipes out there for meatloaf, but if you like cheese as much as I do this is the one you'll want to try.

If you've been following along with me on YouTube you'll know that I rarely make a single recipe of anything.  This is another large family sized recipe.  Enough to make some for tonight's supper and then flash freeze the rest.  Pull those out of the freezer on an exceptionally busy day for an easy supper.

Mini Cheddar Meatloaves (makes 42-48)

7 pounds ground venison (or meat of choice)

6 eggs

4 1/2 cups milk

6 cups shredded cheddar cheese

3 cups oatmeal

3 cups onion

6 tsp. salt (regular, seasoned, garlic - whatever you like)

Mix together in giant bowl with clean hands.  Shape into small oval loaves.  

Place on parchment paper lined baking sheets and freeze.  Transfer to freezer bags.

If making some tonight.  Place on parchment paper lined baking sheets and top with ketchup topping.

Topping: (enough for about 8 loaves)

2/3 cup ketchup

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. yellow mustard

Whisk together and spread over mini meatloaves.  Bake uncovered for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

If preparing from frozen I set out a bag at lunchtime to thaw slightly.  Make ketchup topping and bake at 350 for about 1 hour and 15 minutes until internal temperature reaches 170 degrees.

For the full YouTube video tutorial click here.  

How to Make a Rhubarb Pie & Homemade Pie Crust

Who doesn't love pie?

I love pie so much.

And if you love pie as much as I do you are going to want to learn how to make them homemade because have you looked at the price of a bakery pie?  OMG - they are crazy expensive or unthinkably small.  

Does baking a pie scare you?  It shouldn't.  It definitely isn't difficult, just a little time consuming.  In an effort to be always efficient today we made TEN pies at once.  It helps to enlist a few extra hands and in my case I grabbed three unsuspecting TV watching nappers and put them to work.  It wasn't long and we were filling the freezer with rhubarb pies.

Let's talk about crust.  It needs to be flaky and light.  The best way I've found to get the most desirable crust is to use lard.  Yes, lard.

This recipe makes enough crust for 2 double crust pies or 4 single crust pies.  It also freezes well so if you don't use it all just shape a crust size amount of dough into a small round, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.  

Best Ever Pie Crust

3 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1 cup + 2 T. lard

5 T. water

1 T. vinegar

1 egg

Combine dry ingredients.  Cut in lard until crumbly.  Whisk wet ingredients and stir into flour mixture.  Stir together just until mixed.  Divide dough and roll out using a little extra flour.

That's it.  I'm sure you can do it, just don't over mix or you'll get tough dough.

On this particular day I made two different rhubarb pie recipes so we could compare and see which one we liked better.  Since this was my first time freezing rhubarb pies I wasn't sure if they would get too juicy and need a little extra flour.  (They didn't)

Rhubarb Pie

3 cups sliced rhubarb

1 cup sugar

sprinkle of nutmeg

1 egg

3 T. flour

Mix all together and pour into unbaked pie crust.

Topping:

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter

Mix flour and sugar; cut in butter until crumbly.  I use my food processor to make quick work out of this.  Spread over rhubarb mixture.  Place in 2 gallon freezer bag and freeze.  May stack after all pies are froze solid.

(Repeat for each pie you're making.)

Rhubarb Nut Pie

3 cups rhubarb

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup white sugar

1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

1/2 cup flour

Layer rhubarb, nuts and brown sugar in unbaked pie crust.  Beat together eggs and melted butter.  Add white sugar and flour.  Mix well and pour over rhubarb.  Place in 2 gallon freezer bag, freeze, may stack once completely frozen.

Baking frozen pies

Do not thaw.  Place frozen pie in 350 degree pre-heated oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes.  Turn off oven; leave pie in for another 10-15 minutes.  Both pies can be served warm, room temperature or cold - whatever you prefer.

If you'd prefer to watch the making of these pies in action check out my YouTube video.  Click here.

Tell me, are you a pie baker?  What's your favorite pie?

OR

Haven't you taken the plunge into baking pies?  Why not?

Homemade Granola Bars {Large Family Food on a Budget}

Yikes!  Granola bar prices just keep going up at Aldi.  It was time to leave those grab and go snacks on the grocery store shelves and make our own.  Like just about everything I do in the kitchen we did this big time.  At last count we made a total of 80+ bars and one bowl of delicious granola chunks.  But, I'm getting ahead of myself.

Amber and I spent some time on Pinterest looking for granola bar recipes similar to the kind I've been buying.  We settled on four recipes, grabbed our coats (and Joe) and headed to the grocery stores for all the ingredients. 

I'll share links to each recipe and any changes we made.  We doubled all the recipes because we're a lot of people.

5 Ingredient Dark Chocolate Almond & Coconut Homemade KIND Bars {Beaming Baker}

I have to be honest after mixing these up I had my doubts as to how they would turn out.  Come on nuts, coconut, salt and maple syrup will some how turn into granola bars???  Yes, some how it happened and they were delicious.  They turned out very crunchy, yet chewy in the middle.  So good!!  These were by far my favorite.  However, we did not dip them in chocolate or add the chocolate drizzle - they just didn't need any more sweetness.  They also didn't cut well into bars.  I think I was only able to get about 6 bars; the rest cracked and crumbled into what we ended up calling granola bites.  We gobbled it up in one sitting and I have BIG plans on making this again with other nuts and 85% chocolate bits.

Homemade Granola Bars:  No-Bake {Creations by Kara}

Kid friendly describes these to a "T".  No nuts, no dried fruit just regular chocolate chip granola bar stuff with flax hidden deep within the peanut butter and brown sugar.  Emily and Amber doubled this recipe and pressed it into my Nordic Ware 1/2 sheet pan. 
They were very thick and once cooled, set and wrapped made for a very filling snack.  The kids ate these up so fast.  Next time I really need to "quad" the recipe which would be so easy to do.

Blueberry Vanilla Greek Yogurt Granola Bars {Half Baked Harvest}

These were definitely the most putsy of all the recipes and if we'd made them correctly it would've taken 5 days to be completely finished.  My crew doesn't want to wait that long for any food even a super yummy granola bar.  So after freezing them down we simply put on the greek yogurt frosting drizzle and didn't do the dipping.  I'm sure they would've held together better if dipped, but they still got eaten up.  Oh, and I substituted what else, cranberries for half the blueberries.

Homemade Clif Bars {Liv Lives Life}

These were sticky so we packaged them in snack size baggies, then stored in fridge.  Maybe because they were in the fridge they didn't get eaten as fast as the others.  Nick took complete advantage of that eating nearly every one himself.

How much did we actually save?

Well.  Granola bars at Aldi range anywhere from $0.16 each for the basic up to $1.00+ each for the knock-off Clif and Kind bars.  Since I added all ingredients and divided by the total number of bars my average price per bar is.......

1 Homemade granola bar = $0.30 or less even with the expensive box of cereal added in.😉

This was really a fun day spent in the kitchen with a number of my kids.  It was loud and chaotic, but isn't anything when moms, teens, and littles are involved??? 

Want a peek into our granola bar escapade check out our YouTube video.

Venison Pepper Steak {Stove Top Recipe}

I think the second time Warren cooked for me (way back in our dating days) he made Pepper Steak.  I really liked it, but if you know me, when it comes to food I can't leave well enough alone.  I'm always trying new twists on old recipes.

Somehow (Pinterest) I found this recipe.  The picture sucked me in and since I'm always on the lookout for new ways to use all the deer we put up each year, I just had to try this version of Pepper Steak using venison.   I also adapted the recipe slightly for my large sized family.

Original Recipe is credited to South Your Mouth blog.

Here's my adaptation.

Venison Pepper Steak  (serves 8-12)

3 lbs. venison steak, sliced very thin (1/4" or less)
5 T. soy sauce
2 t. black pepper
Lard
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
2 green peppers, thinly sliced
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1 t. minced jarred garlic

Sauce:
2 brown gravy packets
1/2 t. ginger paste
1 t. black pepper
2 cups cold water
4 T. soy sauce

Here's the process for those of you who like written details.  Remember the video explanation is on YouTube.

Slice meat into thin (1/4") pieces.  The length of strips doesn't really matter.  For the tenderest meat cut across the grain (opposite the muscle fibers) 🤔

Slice all the veggies, too.  Set aside until the end.  But don't wait until the end.  Once you start the cooking process this goes very quickly so everything needs to be ready.  If you have a helpful teen around they could cut the veggies while you slice the meat.  Just saying.

Make the sauce mixture.  Set aside, but stir it a couple of times while doing other things.

Here's the Ginger paste I use.  It really add fullness and richness to the overall flavor. (Similar item at Amazon) I bought mine at Walmart.

Heat very large cast iron skillet (link to mine) with a few T. lard.

Add all the meat at once.  It should sizzle fiercely.  Let meat cook for a couple of minutes, then stir around until done.  Transfer to warm bowl.  Foil.  Set aside.

Add veggies and garlic to skillet.  Stir fry for about 4 minutes.  

Add meat and sauce mix to veggies.  Cook until sauce thickens.  This happens in under 1 minute.  Turn heat off.  Serve over hot rice, which I should tell you to start cooking right away so you're not messing with it while you're stirring, transferring, and focusing on the pepper steak.

This is so incredible.  The venison stays so moist and is ultra tender.  Enjoy!!!😋

For the full video click here.

Mock Chop Suey {Large Family Food}

I love old time favorites when it comes to recipes. This one's been in the family for 60+ years.

Mock Chop Suey

1 1/2 pound ground beef (I use venison)
2 onions, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup water
4 T. chop suey sauce (soy sauce)
1 can cream of mushroom
1 can cream of chicken
1/2 cup uncooked regular rice
salt and pepper
1 bag chow mein noodles

Brown meat, onions and celery in bacon grease (or lard).  Place in large casserole.  Add remaining ingredients except noodles; mix well.  Bake, covered, at 325 degrees for 1 hour, 20 minutes.  Remove cover; top with chow mein noodles.  Bake for 10 minutes longer until noodles have crisped.

I like to save on dishes by browning the meat and baking the casserole in the same pot.  I use Lodge Enameled Cast Iron all the time.

I have the YouTube version of this recipe available, too.

Share your favorite frugal family casserole in the comments below.  I'd love to try out a new recipe or two.  

Crazy Huge Muffin Baking Day.....100+

I got it in my head that I wanted to bake 100 muffins.  Why?  So I could feed them to my hungry family plus the extra crew that's around for cranberry harvest.  Emily was standing idle at the moment I had my muffin baking epiphany so I grabbed her and put her to work mixing and filling and baking.  Of course, I was instrumental in the process.  I didn't make her do all the work.

We had fun over filling muffin cups, balancing hot muffin pans on surfaces not meant for hot muffin pans, and creating a huge pile of dishes for Amber to wash.  It was a good day.  And in the end (which is a different end than in the video) we counted 105 muffins.  

Three of these recipes are old standbys.  The recipes are already on the blog.  Only one is new(er).

Blueberry Power Muffins from Finger Prickin' Good

Power Muffins was the newbie recipe.  Both times I made them I had to make substitutions for some of the Greek yogurt.  I used plain Greek + honey, then I used plain Greek + honey + sour cream + vanilla yogurt.  Both batches turned out great so it seems to be a forgiving recipe.  No fussy cooking for this mama.

Are you crazy for muffins?  What's your favorite flavor?  I'd love to know.

Watch Emily and I make 100+ muffins.

Pizza Burger Mix :: Easy Large Family Lunch

Seems just when breakfast is finally cleaned up everyone is hungry for lunch.  And whether you have 3 kids or 12 staring at you wondering what's for lunch, having something quick and easy is a necessity.  This Pizza Burger Mix is quick and easy to prepare and keeps well in the fridge for 1 week or frozen for 3 months.

Pizza Burger Mix
1 lb. hamburger
1 medium onion chopped
3/4 t. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 can tomato soup
1/2 t. oregano
2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
1 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese
Chopped black olives, optional

Brown burger, onions, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Drain grease if needed.  In medium bowl mix together soup and oregano, add meat mixture.  Cool slightly.  Add cheese (and olives) and stir gently.  Spread mix on split English muffins and broil 4 inches from heat for about 5 minutes.  We like ours quite dark on top and the muffin nicely toasted.  Makes enough to spread on one 6 pack of muffins - 12 pizza burgers.

Favorite Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven

When I make these I always double or triple the recipe.  Warren and Nick can and will eat 4 pizza burgers at one meal.

Affiliate Links included in post.  I make Pizza Burgers in this vlog.

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Quick & Easy Chocolate Torte

This delicious and super simple Chocolate Torte is highlighted on today's vlog.  This recipe is from my mother-in-law's hand typed recipe binder.  It can be made as lemon torte or Warren's favorite, chocolate torte.

Chocolate (or Lemon) Torte
1 pkg. dry cake mix (chocolate or lemon)
1 cup flaked coconut
2 T. water
1/4 c. melted butter
1 egg

Mix all together and pat into greased 9x13 pan.  Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes.

1 large pkg. chocolate or lemon instant pudding
Handful of toasted coconut

Prepare pudding, pour over baked crust.  Then cool completely.  Frost with 8 oz. container of Cool Whip.  Garnish with toasted coconut.  Chill.  Keep leftovers refrigerated.

That's it!  Not much to it.  Vlog can be seen here.

New Vlog | Day in the Life | Cooking & Swimming

On today's vlog I shared my plan to make chicken salad, chicken fried rice, dirty rice, and taco meat.  I also had big plans of making a couple desserts, rhubarb dessert and chocolate torte.  Even though I never actually got to my big cooking day until the next day, I'm sharing all these family favorite recipes with you because they are all super simple and make for easy homeschool lunches or short on time suppers.  Large family life is unpredictable most days, but that doesn't mean I need to give up completely, but just postpone my plans for another day.

Click here for the recipe and to see how I make Chicken Salad.

Chicken Fried Rice

This recipe is so delicious, but a little bit putsy.  If the chicken is pre-cooked and all the vegetables diced then it goes much smoother.  Although, I always double this, I'll post the original recipe and you can decide how many "batches" will feed your family.  We can polish off a double batch in one sitting.

Mix together and let sit:
2 cups diced cooked chicken
2 T. soy sauce

Heat oil in skillet (I use an extra large electric fry skillet).
1/3 cup oil
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
Add rice to hot oil and stir fry until rice has browned nicely.

Add broth and vegetables.
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 small onion, diced
1/4 c. chopped green pepper
1/4 c. thinly sliced celery (we like more)
Cover and cook until rice is tender (20-25 minutes)
Uncover and cook a little longer until moisture is absorbed.

Add chicken/soy sauce mixture.
Push everything to one side.
Whisk 2 eggs and pour into open side.  Let cook just until the bottom is set and top is still liquid.  Stir eggs.  Cook a little longer and then mix throughout rice/chicken.

Shred or thinly slice 2 cups lettuce.  Stir into chicken fried rice and cover just until lettuce is wilted.  Serve immediately with extra soy sauce if desired.  Yummy!!

Dirty Rice

This is simply a box mix I get from Aldi.  I always make two boxes and add 1 large onion to the meat as it cooks.

Taco Meat
Here's a video of how I make taco seasoning and taco meat.

1 lb. ground venison (or beef)
1 medium onion OR 1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 cup water

Fry meat, add spices and water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer for about 10 minutes or less if you're in a hurry.  Then I always add a can of re-fried beans and extra water to get desired consistency.

Questions regarding large family cooking?  Add them to the comments.

Favorite large family meals?  Add those to the comments, too.

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Fresh Berry Torte :: Super Easy Summer Dessert

It is summer!  Really and truly summer, the kind where temps soar into the 90's and thunderstorms make their way through in the evening.  And we're loving every minute of it, well not so much the storm destruction, but I do love watching a good thunderstorm move in.  The clouds rolling around the sky, the forceful sound of high winds, the darkening sky at 5 p.m.  It's hard to express just how much I love watching storms, not because I don't have the words for it, but we are cranberry farmers and weather impacts our crop immensely, and we only get one chance each year for a crop.

Hail = Destruction = Devastation

Anyway, I haven't posted a recipe since Black Bean Quesadillas back in May and I want to share this super easy summer dessert right now because it's strawberry season.

From instagram

Another #simplesummerpleasure - picking strawberries right out my back door.  Strawberries are not hard to grow.  My patch is in a raised bed about 3 feet x 16 feet.  I keep it weeded, watered, and throw on summer chicken manure in the fall and call it good.  I started this patch with bare root stock.  I would not recommend that.  Stop by @fleetfarm and pick up some nice lush plants, much easier to get started.  And there's nothing better than a ☀️ #sunwarmedstrawberry. 🍓  #strawberrypatch #homestead #homesteadingfun #homesteadingforbeginners #favoritesummeractivity #foodfromthefarm

A post shared by Jennifer Brockman (@camphomeschool) on Jun 12, 2017 at 6:18am PDT

This dessert is perfect for summer because the oven only needs to be on for 15 minutes and it's served cold so it's super refreshing and light.

Fresh Berry Torte

Crust:
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. butter
3/4 c. oatmeal

Place flour, sugar and butter in food processor and pulse until crumbly (or fork by hand).  Add oatmeal and pulse a few more times.  Press into ungreased jelly roll (10x15) pan.  Bake at 400 degrees F. for 10-15 minutes until edges are lightly browned.  Mine were in for 12 minutes yesterday.  Cool completely.

Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. powdered sugar
8 oz. Cool whip, thawed

Cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth.  Fold in Cool Whip.  Spread over cooled crust.

Topping:
1 qt. berries, washed and stemmed

The berry choice is the fun part.  This time I only had strawberries (fresh from the front yard) and not many of them because the kids were snitching all day before I made the dessert.

Enjoy immediately or refrigerate.

I sliced my strawberries so they would stretch over the full pan, but halved would work nicely.  I've also mixed up the berries and used strawberries and blueberries.  Raspberries are yummy, too.  Sadly, I've never used cranberries because they are quite tart and, although Warren and I would like that, especially if they were mixed with blueberries and strawberries, the kids wouldn't go for that and would end up picking them off.