Pickled Beets

My family loves beets 

and while we didn't get a lot out of our garden,

we got a few and I wanted to preserve them. 

I'm hoping these turn out good! 

I simply followed the recipe on the Utah State University Extension page

http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/pub__6253850.pdf

BEST Granola EVER!!!

When I first published this granola recipe, I was doing it from memory. 

(Bad idea)

So here is the really good one. 

I still make it every month or so and my family loves it. 

I've only made two adjustments to it 

and I have to give a HUGE shout-out to Shelley who gave me the original! 

Granola

8 C rolled oats

1 C coconut

1 C wheat germ

1 C nuts

1 C sunflower seeds

1/2 C sesame seeds

1/2 C wheat bran

boil: 

1/2 C oil

1/2 C brown sugar

1/2 C honey

1/2 C water

2 Tbsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients, warm oil, honey, sugar, water and vanilla over low heat then combine with dry ingredients. 

Spread on cookie sheets. Bake at 350 for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring often. 

Place in airtight container 

My Adjustments:

I add 1/2 to 1 cup of craisins

and 

I increase the oil, sugar, honey and water to 3/4 cup. 

Blackberry Jam

I have a friend that makes an AMAZING  

Blackberry Jalapeno Pepper Jelly. 

She introduced my husband and I into a world 

where crackers, pepper jelly and cream cheese 

make quite the combination 

and I've never been as thin since then. 

(This recipe is not as good as hers but if you've never tasted hers then you're none the wiser!)

It'll do and it's pretty tasty considering...

1 cup blackberries

5 jalapeno peppers

1 green bell pepper

3 cups sugar

3/4 cup cider vinegar

3 ounces liquid pectin

1. Sterilize jars and lids according to manufacturer's instructions

2. Combine blackberries, bell pepper, and jalapeno peppers in food processor and run until pieces are small. 

3. Mix pepper mixture in saucepan with sugar and cider vinegar. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil rapidly for 1 minute. 

4. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

5. Stir in the liquid pectin and pour into hot jars. 

6. Process 10 minutes.

Vegetable Lasagna

Here's my confession. I don't follow recipes.

(I don't usually follow sewing patterns either.)

I look at recipes long enough to gather some inspiration...

and then I kind of do whatever works for me. 

My husband says that sometimes it turns out awesome, 

and sometimes it just sort of turn out. 

At any rate, tonight was a huge success!

Vegetable Lasagna

20oz cottage cheese
1 egg
1 lb Italian sausage
1/2 onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
16 oz frozen spinach, chopped
1 can tomatoes, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1 small head broccoli, chopped
2-3 florettes cauliflower, chopped
garlic salt
salt/pepper to taste
Italian seasoning to taste (oregano, sage, rosemary, thyme, basil etc...)
1/2 pkg lasagna noodles
mozzarella cheese - as desired

Mix cottage cheese and egg together in a bowl and set aside.
Brown sausage, then add other ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes.
Boil lasagna noodles and rinse.
Begin with sausage mixture on the bottom of a 9x13 glass cake pan.
Then cover with lasagna noodles, then more sausage mixture,
then cottage cheese mixture, then mozzarella cheese. Continue.
Top with cottage cheese mixture and mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

We loved it! Hope somebody else does as well!

NEW Recipe

I didn't sleep last night. 

First there was the power outage, 

then there was the 3 year old little girl 

(that kept kicking me and slugging me in her sleep!)

then there was the storm....

By 3:00am I gave up and got up.

However, some good came from the night. 

I thought of a new recipe... and I perfected it today!

Yummy!

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake Cookies

1 pkg yellow cake mix

2 ripe bananas

1/2 cup flour

1/2 pkg chocolate chips

Placed on greased cookie sheet and bake on 350 for 12-15 minutes. 

Let cool for 1-3 minutes before removing from pan.

Tried them out today and they are tasty, tasty, tasty!

(This is not my picture but they look kinda like this!) 

Our FAVORITE Breakfast!!!

Breakfast is the hardest meal in our house... sometimes. 

With one eye open I barley make it down the stairs without tripping, 

the kids are both asking for something that's not quite computing in my head, 

and I don't have a clue what my husband is even saying. 

This recipe makes things a little simpler:

Monster Pancakes

Turn the oven on to 425

Put your cake pan in the oven with a cube of butter or margarine

(less if you're looking for low fat)

Crack six eggs into the blender

Pour 1 cup of milk in the blender

(it's okay if you don't measure it... I never do)

(and you can use water if you're out of milk)

Put 1 cup of flour into the blender 

(again, it will work if you don't measure)

Shake a little salt into there

Shake a little more cinnamon in there

Blend the mixture and pour it into the cake pan of melted butter

Set the timer for 15 minutes and catch a little more shut eye while it cooks.

When you wake up, it'll taste great with 

syrup, powdered sugar, peanut butter, jam 

or whatever else you have on hand. 

Enjoy!

 Have any questions I can answer?

Looking for something specific?

Email me at theanythinggirl@gmail.com

Stroganoff WITH Pickles

I thought it was weird too...

but my husband talked me into it...

and it's awesome!

Besides, it'll make for a great meal tonight. 

Stroganoff

1 lb ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 can mushrooms (pieces and stems)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2-1 pint sour cream

season to taste
(garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper)

Serve over rice

Dice or slice dill pickles and spread over the top.

Yummy!

Easy Hamburger Pie

Just thought I'd leave you all my favorite quick and easy meal.

It's an easy hamburger casserole....

3-5 potatoes sliced thin

1 can corn, drained

1 can green beans, drained

1 lb hamburger, cooked

1 can cream of celery soup (or cream of mushroom) 

1/2 can milk

cheese

Layer everything in a 9x13 dish

(I usually sprinkle a little onion, garlic and salt over the potatoes)

cook at 350 for 45-60 minutes 

(cooking time depends on how much potato you have layered in there)

My family loves it and it's super quick and easy!!!

Rumbi Salad

Love Rumbi Island Grill!

Love their sweet potato fries. 

Love that they'll be open at the end of this month is my town!

and now...

Love the Rumbi BBQ Chicken Salad  

that I keep stocked in my fridge because we are constantly craving it!

1 head romain lettuce - cut into thin strips

1 can corn - rinse and drain

1 can black beans - rinse and drain

1 cucumber - cut into quarters and slice thin

1 tomato - diced

1/4 bunch cilantro - chopped up small

1 carrot - shredded

4 green onions - sliced thin

1-2 chicken breast - cooked and diced

(can season chicken as desired)

Dry each ingredient before mixing together.

Dressing: 

1 part ranch

1 part barbecue sauce

A Piece of Heaven - Cake Balls

I found a new slice of heaven. 

Cake Balls

If you've never tried them, you've gotta have them! 

It's simple, bake a cake just as normal.

Then, after it cools, mix it with a can of frosting.

Then form them into balls and freeze them.

Once frozen, dip them in chocolate, and let cool.

I can't say that the dipping was really my forte, and if anybody has any suggestions, I'll gladly take them. 

They may not have been pretty, but they were pretty tasty!

Granola

Mornings are not my thing, however, I can't say that's the case for my two toddlers. I need something quick, easy and healthy to give them a good start so that I can get some more sleep thus giving me a good start. (wink, wink) 

So I made some awesome granola today!!!

Granola

4 cups rolled oats (I used instant but I might try regular)

1 cup coconut

1 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup cracked wheat

1 cup dried cranberries (craisins)

Mix dry ingredients together

1/3 cup oil

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup water

1 tsp vanilla

Warm wet ingredients together on the stove then pour over dry ingredients. Mix

Dry in oven on 350 for about 30 minutes - stirring frequently

Store in airtight container. 

This is a great thing to have for storage!