Sweet Mother of Pearl

Meet our sweet lil retro travel trailer named Sweet Mother of Pearl...'Pearl' for short.  I've always loved the nostalgia of the fun little canned ham style of vintage campers, and am so delighted to camp in Pearl!  She's a 1963 Shasta.

Recently we took Pearl to a local Ohio State Park and enjoyed a weekend of camping, including a car show.  My daughter G took lots of pictures, including some of us making one of her favorite meals over the campfire--she wants to do a photo tutorial of that campfire recipe on my blog--so watch for that soon!

Whew, that was a long break from the blogging world--but am happy to be back and sharing our summer with you!

Aunt Meanie's Spinach Balls

My dad's sister, Harmena--or "Aunt Meanie" to me and my brothers--often made these spinach balls for us when we were kids.  She shared the recipe with mom, and so each time we enjoy them now, they remind me of being a kid, when Aunt Meanie would make them.  Simple to make and very handy to have in the freezer!  They can be used as appetizers or a main dish.

20 oz. spinach, chopped, frozen
2 small onions, finely diced
2 cups seasoned stuffing crumbs
1 teaspoon thyme
1 pound bulk sausage
6 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Thaw & drain spinach.  Mix all ingredients together and chill for a couple of hours.  Shape into walnut-sized balls.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Corn & Potato Chowder Recipe

Fast, simple, frugal recipes are good to have handy for times when you need to put a wholesome meal on the table in a hurry.
The following recipe for corn chowder is simple, and comes from the Great Depression time period, when folks needed to make the most of what they had.  These days, I know so many of us try to be good stewards of what we've been given, seeing how far our grocery budget can stretch, all while filling our family's tummies with good, wholesome food. 
Pair this soup with some homemade bread, and a green salad, and you have a simple, budget-friendly meal.  Yesterday we enjoyed this chowder with homemade cheesy beer bread and fruit/veggie smoothies. 

Corn & Potato Chowder 

• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 2 (15 ounce) cans whole kernel corn
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 4 to 6 potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 (12 fluid ounce) cans evaporated milk
• 1/3 cup butter
• salt and pepper to taste

In a heavy soup pot, combine broth, corn, onion and potatoes.  Over medium heat, bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until potatoes are just tender.  Stir in butter and milk, season with salt & pepper to taste.
Note:  I like to add finely diced celery and carrot to this, at the same time I'm adding the onion, corn & potatoes to the broth. 

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Changes are happening...we're beginning to see the sunshine on a more regular basis, and I'm working from home now.  While I really enjoyed my full-time "real job", it's nice to be home again. 

With more time at home, I've been enjoying trying out some new recipes, and making some old favorites, too.  My family certainly has been appreciative of the additional baking and cooking!  A few days ago I tried out a different recipe for baked potato soup...Baked Potato Soup, found on Allrecipes.com.  All of us really enjoyed this soup, a change from the creamy, cheese-laden version I normally make.

The bread maker has been steadily humming away on the pantry counter, filling our home with the aroma of fresh baked bread.  Preparing different mixes ahead of the time saves time when I want to get a loaf going.  Honey Wheat, Honey Oatmeal, and Spicy Raisin are a few of what we've had this last week--I think the oatmeal is my favorite!

I'm really hoping to blog on a more regular basis!  Thank you for stopping by to take a peek!  :)

Mandarin Orange Cake Recipe

This cake is a favorite of my younger brother, I cannot bake it without thinking of him. My sister-in-law Michele used to make this often, making it a family favorite. I appreciate her sharing her recipe, so now we can enjoy it often at our house! I baked this cake to be served at tonight's Mission 1250 meal, a new Feeding Ministry in Willard, Ohio.

Mandarin Orange Cake

2 eggs
2 11oz. cans mandarin oranges, well drained
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Topping:
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 T milk
2 T butter

Beat eggs. Add oranges & dry ingredients. Beat 4 minutes with electric mixer on slow speed until oranges flake through the batter. Pour into greased 9" x 13" cake pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Cake will get quite dark. Before removing from the oven, press top with finger tip to see if it bounce back. If it doesn't, bake a bit longer, taking care that it doesn't burn.

While cake is baking, prepare topping by combining topping ingredients and bringing to a rolling boil.

Remove cake from oven. Pour topping over. Return cake to oven and bake 5 minutes longer.

Enjoy!

Sweet & Spicy Kielbasa Recipe

This is a recipe that is so simple to put together and is perfect for freezer cooking. Over pasta, potatoes or rice this can make a super main dish, and would also make a nice appetizer or tailgate party recipe. The sausages make a yummy sandwich on a hearty roll with a bit of the sauce drizzled over them, too. Choose the sausage of your choice...kielbasa, polish sausage, smoked sausage, turkey smoked sausage or kielbasa, summer sausage, etc. I heard a German sausage can be quite yummy too? :-) Enjoy!

Sweet & Spicy Kielbasa

2 pound Kielbasa Sausage, smoked
1 cup Brown Sugar
1/3 cup Spicy mustard
1/3 cup Onion, finely chopped

Cut sausages into 1 inch lengths. Combine brown sugar, mustard & onion in an electric crock-pot or slow cooker and stir well to combine. Add the sausages and stir well to coat them with the sauce. Cover the crock pot with its lid and cook on low for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally to re-coat the sausages with the sauce.

To Freeze:
cool the sausages & sauce. Store in freezer containers or freezer bags and freeze. to serve, thaw & reheat in the microwave, on the stove on low heat, or in covered dish in a 350 degree oven for about 350 minutes. Since the dish is already fully cooked, you just need to reheat it.

Valentine's Day Banner Tutorial & Giveaway!

Hurry on over to The Polka Dot Chair to check out this sweet tutorial for a "Be Mine" Banner for Valentine's Day! While you're there, don't forget to enter to win their giveaway for a banner like the one pictured! Also, be sure to check out their Etsy shop, May & Mae...great stuff!