Bacon Pancakes

Pedro did it again...he sent me an email with 10 amazing idea's. This was one of them and my family loves these pancakes.  

 My husband thinks the size is perfect, he said they weren't all doughy like most pancakes.   The bacon just made the pancakes so delicious!  I will definitely make these again.

  

This is a self explanatory recipe.  Just make your favorite pancake recipe and pour it over the cooked

bacon.  In the recipe Pedro sent me they put the pancake mix on the griddle first and then put the bacon on top.  Then they added a little extra pancake mix on top of the bacon to cover it.  They were longer and skinnier and better looking but I am sure they taste the same and this is easier.

Spaghetti Sauce and Meatballs

Papa's Favorite Spaghetti Sauce

   INGREDIENTS:

2-12 oz. cans of tomato paste

1 or 2 package[s] of dried porcini mushrooms

5 cups of warm water

2 cups red wine

2 medium yellow onions diced fairly small

5 or 6 good size cloves of garlic

½ to ¾ of a bell pepper – green is best, red OK – diced same size as the onion

½ bunch of Italian parsley, chopped fine

4 Tbs. olive oil

2 Tbs. mixed Italian seasonings

2 Tbs. dried basil (or ½ cup fresh chopped fine)

1 Tbs. dried oregano (or ¼ cut fresh chopped fine)

¼ tsp black pepper

Dash of nutmeg

Salt as needed (there is quite a bit in the tomato paste)

Ground beef –use 1 – 1.5 lbs if you are not adding meatballs/sausage, about ¾ to 1 lb. if you are.

5 or 6 Italian sausages if desired

Preparation:

      Place tomato paste, 3 cups of the water and the wine in the pot and stir it up to dissolve the paste. Add all the dry ingredients except salt. Add the chopped parsley too. Put garlic through a press or dice it finely and add to pot.  Use the olive oil and saute the onions and bell peppers.

      Soak the mushrooms in the other cup of water until soft, then chop them up a little and add them and the water to the pot. 

      Saute the onions in the olive oil in a large skillet until translucent. It’s O.K. to brown them slightly, but not too much, because they get bitter. Add the bell pepper to the onions after the onions have sauteed for a couple of minutes. 

      Add onion/pepper mix to pot and brown the ground beef in the skillet breaking it up as it cooks. The beef should be browned, not just cooked through. Add to pot with a slotted spoon so you do not get excess grease in the sauce. 

      Brown the meatballs in the same skillet. Get them pretty brown, as that will add flavor to the sauce. Add to sauce. 

      Cut sausage in half, so not too long, and brown them in same skillet. Add to sauce.

      Drain fat from skillet and deglaze with a little water or wine – add to sauce. 

The sauce should simmer over as low a heat as you can make it and still get it to simmer. It should simmer for at least 2 hours, preferably 4. Check it periodically to make sure it is not too thick – add water if necessary. 

MEATBALLS:

Ingredients: 

1 lb.  lean ground beef
1 lb.  ground pork
1 lb.  ground Italian Sausage
1 small yellow onion chopped fine
1 Tbs. mixed Italian seasoning
1/8 to ¼ cup finely chopped Italian parsley
2 lg eggs
1/4 grated parmesan
¼ tsp black pepper
½ tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/3 Cup Panko or cracker crumbs (more if needed)

Preparation:     

      Mix everything but the breadcrumbs in a mixing bowl. Use your hands. If you are squeamish, use latex gloves, but you will not get it mixed up right with a spoon. After the mixture is uniform add breadcrumbs and mix with your hands adding more until consistency is OK for rolling into balls. Make balls about 1½ inch's in diameter, again using your hands.  I brown the meatballs in a frying pan and finish them in the oven.  I usually cook them for 20 minutes on 350.  If you cook the meatballs all the way on the stove top don't finish them in the oven.  I just usually cook a lot of meatballs and this speeds things up.  Cut a meatball in half to see if it is cooked.

This is one time baking and cooking at the same time saved me. 
I would have forgot the meatballs in the oven...if I wasn't making cupcakes.  Unfortunately I overcooked the meatballs when they where sitting in the oven while it preheated for the cupcakes.  They were very dry but tasted good when I put them in the spaghetti sauce.

 I had to buy the Italian spice, Basil and Oregano.  I tried to use Pesto and skip those ingredients and it didn't work.   I will put a tablespoon of Pesto in my meatball mixture if I happen to have some in the refrigerator.
 

Mint Chip Icecream Pie

1 box Brownie Mix
1- 1/2 gallon Mint Chip Icecream or your favorite flavor
8 oz of Hot Fudge
Reddi Whip
nuts optional
Cherry option
NOTE- Make sure you take
 the icecream out of the freezer

for a  few minute before you
are going to put it in the pan. 

It is easier to work with  soft.
 I usually use Oreo's cookies to
 make the crust but  I used Brownie
 mix today.  I loved the brownie
crust  but my husband didn't. 
I followed the recipe on the brownie
 package, then spray the bottom of a
 Spring foam pan with Pam. Pour a
thin layer of brownie batterer in the
pan and baked for about 15 minute.
Test it with a tooth pick. Put it in the
freezer for about 10 minutes so if cools off.    

Pour a thin layer of Hot fudge on top of the brownie crust. Put icecream in the pan to fill it have half

way.  Now you can put crumbled up brownie on top of the icecream.  Then put another layer of icecream on top of the crumbled brownies.  LEAVE enough room to cover with Hot Fudge.

Put it back in the freezer until you want to eat it.  I usually take it out of the freezer 10 minutes before I want to serve it.  Garnish with Reddi whip, nuts or sprinkles and top with a cherry.

I had brownie to crumble in the middle of the pie because I made a small pan with the left over batter. 

Barbecue Baked Beans

recipe from "This Gal Cooks"     

I saw this recipe on This Gal Cooks blog, a few days  ago and couldn't wait to try it. 

These are now a Nelsen Family Favorite...I can't wait to bring them to the next barbecue. 

If you are taking them to a barbecue, you will need to triple the recipe. I probably will only use 16 oz. of bacon.  

 

Ingredients

 8oz of bacon 

1 16oz can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 15.8oz can of northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 C brown sugar

2 1/2 tbsp molasses

1/2 C ketchup

3/4 tsp ground mustard

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp liquid smoke

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp salt
***Note I didn't have molasses so I used agave nectar. 

Directions

• Cook the bacon in a large pan, then remove the bacon from the pan and set aside, leaving the bacon grease in the pan.
• Cook the onion in the pan of bacon grease and cook until tender.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the: molasses, cayenne pepper, ketchup, ground mustard, sugar, salt, liquid smoke. Mix in with the onion and bacon grease. Add the beans and mix well.
• Pour the beans into a baking dish and place the cooked bacon on top. Bake on 350 for 30 minutes.
  

Crock Pot Beef Stew

Ingredients

2 lbs.  cubed beef ball tip grilling steak or boneless bottom sirloin
3 small carrots (sliced)
2 celery stalks (sliced)
3 beef bouillon cubes
1 1/2 tablespoon balsamic oil
1 1/2 cups water
3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoon of  olive oil
1 cup red wine
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons flour

Directions
1.  Mix the flour, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together.
2.  Cube the meat if it isn't already cut.
3.  Put the olive oil in a frying pan, medium heat.
4.  Coat the meat with the flour mixture, then put it in the hot pan.
5.  When the meat is browned add the red wine and stir.
6.  Chop the carrots, celery and onions into chunks ( the size you like).
7.  Add them to the crock pot and top with the meat mixture.  Now add the balsamic oil, water and bouillon cubes. Cook on high for about 3 to 4 hours.  You will know it is done when the meat is tender.   ***  Sometimes I add one packet of instant mash potatoes to thicken the juice.

Mash Potatoes
6 medium size potatoes
1/2 butter or margarine
1/2 cream or half and half
salt and pepper to taste

1. Peel and quarter the potatoes, try to keep them the same size. (they will cook evenly)
2. Put them in a pan of water, heat medium high, make sure all the potatoes are covered with water.
3. Put 1 tablespoon of salt in the water and cook potatoes until you can put a fork in the potatoes and they are soft.
4.  When the potatoes are soft, they are done.  Take them off the stove and drain water.
5.  Add the butter, salt and pepper, then beat them until the butter has melted.  Now add the cream, if you think you want more cream, add it. 
6.  Give them a taste, if you want more butter add 2 more tablespoons.
optional***  If you like cheesy potatoes add 1/2 cup of mild cheddar cheese, you can add 1/2 cup sour cream but do that before you add the cream.  You might have to reduce the cream to 1/4 cup.   Add the sour cream and add 1/4 of cream at a time.  If you like the consistency of the potatoes after you added only 1/4 cup of cream don't add more.

I serve the beef stew over the mash potatoes.

Better than Take Out Orange Chicken

 Recipe from The Pastry Chef    

 This recipe is definitely going into my GO~TO recipe binder.  

Ingredients
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-1/2” cubes
1 ½ cups corn starch
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
1teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Oil (for frying)

Orange Sauce
1 ½ cups water
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon orange zest, grated
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon ginger root, minced
½ teaspoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoons green onion, chopped
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water
Next time I will add:
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 sliced bell peppers
1/2 cup peanuts

1. Combine corn starch, salt, and pepper. Prepare a bowl with beaten eggs, another with panko bread crumbs and another with corn starch. Dip chicken in egg mixture, dredge in cornstarch, then again in the eggs and finally in the panko bread crumbs, set aside. Heat pan with vegetable oil to 375 degrees, fry chicken in batches until completely cooked.
2. In a large saucepan combine 1 ½ cups water, orange juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Blend well over medium heat for a few minutes. Stir in brown sugar, orange zest, ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil.
3. Combine 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup water and mix thoroughly. Slowly stir cornstarch mixture into sauce until it thickens. Pour sauce over breaded chicken, and if desired garnish with green onions. 

Rhonda's Amazing Bread Pudding

After trying so many bread pudding recipes I have finally

created my own.  So far this is my favorite.  King's Hawaiian Rolls

makes this pudding so creamy and delicious. 

The portion size is great if you have company but I will cut the recipe in half when I make it just for the family. 

 

Ingredients

16 Hawaiian rolls                            

8 eggs                                              

1/2  cups  brown sugar  
1 cup granulated sugar                            

2  cups heavy cream    
1 cup milk                

2 tablespoons vanilla extract          

1/8 teaspoon salt 
1 teaspoon cinnamon     
***I put 2 tablespoons of vanilla because I love it...if you don't love vanilla so much only put 1 tablespoon.  

Preparation

1. Slice rolls in half lengthwise; tear the bottom half of roll into pieces.
2. Layer rolls pieces evenly in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish, baking bowl or a cast iron pan. Place roll tops, crust sides up, over mixture. 
3. Beat together eggs and sugar. Beat in cream, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Slowly pour mixture over croissant tops; press bread to absorb liquid. Cover; chill 2 hours. 
4.  Put baking dish in a bigger dish ( I usually use Jelly Roll pan) Fill jelly roll pan with water.

Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until set. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake 30 more minutes.  Serve warm .

Zucchini Bread

Grandma's Best Zucchini Bread

Ingredients
3 eggs
1 cup oil (veg or canola)
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 - 8oz can well drained crushed pineapple
3 cups flour (unsifted)
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4  teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup finely chopped walnuts

Frosting
8 oz. cream cheese (soft)
8 oz. butter (soft)
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 vanilla
Beat cream cheese and butter until creamy add vanilla and powdered sugar. If the frosting isn't as thick as you like it add another 1/2 cup. 
Preheat oven to 350.  Beat egss to blend, add oil, sugar, vanilla, continue beating mixture until foamy.  With a spoon stir in zucchini and pineapple.  Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and walnuts.  Stir gently until zucchini blended.   Bake for 50 minutes or until a wooden pick insert in center comes out clean.  Cool in pans 10 minutes, turn out on wire racks to cool Makes 2 loaves  After trying the muffins, I wouldn't
make them again.  The loaves are better, the texture is a little different.

Candied Bacon Waffles

     I am so happy I found this recipe at  Penny Candy Studious blog.