Hash and Eggs - My Last Post of 2007

A few weeks ago I make a really good Pot Roast. The next day I made Hash out of the left over Pot Roast and it was a pleasant surprise and the eggs and biscuits that I make with it turned out super too.

You will need

left over pot roast
*4 large baking potatoes
1 medium onion
1 clover of minced garlic
2 T olive oil, more if needed
salt
Pepper
Rosemary (it was setting next to the stove so I threw it in)



wash the potatoes and cube them into about 1/2 inch cube and place in a heated Cast iron skillet with the oil. Dice the onion and add that to the skillet and cook (stirring occasionally) until the onion starts to caramelize and the potatoes are browned on all sides. Dice the Pot roast and add to the pan with the garlic and seasonings, cook for about 3 more minutes until everything is heated through.


I served this with Fried eggs and biscuits. Very unhealthy meal but it tasted good and used up the leftovers.



*If using the potatoes from the roast add them with the meat after the onions have caramelized

Teacakes, Not Just My Mothers Cookie Anymore

My mother loved these cookies and every Christmas she would make them for herself. She made them for herself because no one else really would eat them. My Brothers sister and I always wanted the sugar cookies covered in frosting, I mean what was better then frosting, definitely not powdered sugar. Something happened over the years and now I love teacakes. I have to have them for the holidays and have them we did, about 100 cookies later we finally had enough, and every one of the teacakes has been eaten.
~Guess what the kids liked these more then the sugar cookies~

This is a well known, general recipe that is in many cookbooks so I can not claim this one for my own, but it is still worth sharing.

1 Cup Room Temperature Butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cup flour (I wonder how these would be if I used Cake flour? Guess I will have to try it next year)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup toasted, chopped pecan
Powdered Sugar for dusting

In a large bowl, cream butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Sift in flour and salt; stir until well mixed. Mix in nuts. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place onto cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set but not brown. Remove from oven and cool slightly on wire racks. While cookies are baking place the powdered sugar in a shallow dish. Roll the warm cookies in the powdered sugar, let them cool and roll in sugar again.

Why there are very few photos of me

My Daughter and I were going to go to the Nutcracker together a few weeks before Christmas and I asked my Hubby to take some photos of us. This Photo is one of the better ones. I do not understand how a person can take 32 photos of something and have this as one of the better pictures. This is why there are next to no pictures of me and the ones I do have my Daughter took of me when she was 3. I am not lying people my 3 year old daughter can take better pictures than my 30 year old husband. I have to say I am really bummed that the photos of DD and I are so bad.

Menu for week 12/28/07

• Breaded Venison Steak with mashed potatoes and spinach
• Sesame Crusted Tuna with brown rice and sauteed Zucchini (with mushroom and garlic, maybe)
• Homemade Pizza
• Pork and cabbage stir-fry on brown Rice
• Lasagna
• Chicken Noodle Soup

No Yule Logs in my Fire :(

I am sorry to say that I was unable to participate in the Daring Baker Challage this month. The kids and I may try to do it later this week because this is a fun one for kids; however, it is just too much to try to do before Christmas.

If you would like to see Yule Logs by Daring Baker who were better at manageing their time please choose for this list. They did a great job!

Sausage Lasagna

Ok so this one is not that healthy but sometimes one just has to splurge and this is a splurge.

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 pounds Italian sausage

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small can tomato paste

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

pinch nutmeg

1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

1 cup smoked cheese, grated (almost any smoked cheese will work, I use a Colby jack)

Lasagna noodles (this one I made my own, it is worth it because homemade is richer)

In a Large sauce pan, over medium heat, add oil and chopped onion and saute for about 5 minutes. Add in the pork and brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for a few more minutes, scoop in the past and stir it into the meat and let it darken just a little. Add in the tomatoes and simmer the sauce on low while making the Béchamel

In another pan met butter, add flour and cook until it smells nutty. Add milk and cook until it comes to a boil and think. Remove from heat and add nutmeg.

Preheat oven to 375F

Layer: place a small amount of sauce in bottom of a baking dish to keep pasta from sticking then layer uncooked noodles, meat sauce, Béchamel , cheese and keep this order until pan is full or all the elements are gone ending with cheese. Bake for about 1 hour. if lasagna gets dry add a little milk. If using wheat noodles precook the noodles.