Veggie Bean Burgers

Before starting the veggie burgers I made some yummy buns with this recipe from Holy Cow Vegan... Whole Wheat Burger Buns

Buns in a basket...

Up close...

After I'd found a great bun recipe, I searched high and low for the best veggie burger recipe. Since most of them had such high reviews I decided to combine a few to make my own.

Here's my new recipe...

Bean Burgers
1 can black beans
1 can red kidney beans

1 small onion

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/2 red pepper

3 baby carrots, finely grated

1 tbsp. ketchup
1 tbsp. mustard
1 tbsp. Worchestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 cups quick oats (I just used whole oats and processed them a little in my vitamix)
salt

Mash beans with a potato masher. Chop onion and red pepper. Add to the beans. Mix everything else in. Shape patties on wax paper.

(at this point you can cook them or freeze them for another day)

Heat a skillet on Med-high. Spray with oil. Cook patties 4 minutes on each side. They will get some black spots but are super tasty that way.

Pile on a bun with all your favorite toppings...mmmm!!!

Plum Syrup Canning Recipe

So you may remember this picture...

From this post Banana Stuffed French Toast with Plum Syrup

Yes, I'm drooling just looking at it! I have had a whole lot of requests for the syrup recipe, but couldn't find it anywhere. Distressing? I know!! Well, my food storage shelf is now empty right where the plum syrup should be so I felt extra motivated to find the recipe. Yippee!

Plum Syrup

10 cups plum juice (I use a steam juicer, but you can get the juice whatever way works for you)
14 cups sugar
1 pouch *Certo liquid pectin

Bring juice and sugar to a rolling boil (one that doesn't stop when you stir). Add pectin and bring to a rolling boil for 1 minute (this activates the pectin).

Makes 4 quarts + 1 cup

**This is the recipe doubled. I find it too tedious to split a liquid pectin into two parts. But you can make it that way if you want smaller portions.

* You will get different thicknesses of syrup depending on the pectin you use, but this is the one I like.

To can this recipe you can process your jars of syrup in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes. This is my favorite site for canning instructions:

Pick Your Own- Plum Jelly

Coconut Oatmeal Chocolate Bars

This is a little bit of a switch-up on the old Rebel Bar recipe that's been floating around mommas' kitchens since I was in diapers. I remember craving these things as a teenager! I also remember eating half of the chocolate topping out of the bowl before it could make it onto the bars!!

If you are confused as to what I am talking about, here's the skinny (or in this case the not-so-skinny):

chewy oatmeal bar. thick layer of chocolatey fudge. mmm.

I made these a little differently and took some short-cuts because my back was hurting. I should know better than to chase a school bus in the dark January morning hours in nothing but slippers and a bathrobe. Yep! I went skating (or flying) across the ice. I'd like to think I was at least a little graceful, but the laughter from my children told me otherwise.

So this afternoon as I lay on an ice-pack I decided to make something yummy for the Mister who so kindly took half the day off after I called him crying. I was touched (and relieved) when he walked through the door and said he was here to take care of the kids. I had my eye on some pretzel peanut butter brownies but decided that would be more of a punishment than a reward as the Mister doesn't like pretzels baked in or around his treats.

So here's my rendition of the old-fashioned Rebel Bar recipe...

This ball of dough is so good I can eat it just like this (and I do)!

Coconut Oatmeal Chocolate Bars

Cookie layer:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups oats
1 cup coconut
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Chocolate layer:
12 oz chocolate chips
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
1 Tbsp. coconut oil

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add the flour, oats, coconut, baking soda and salt. Press into a jelly roll pan (I like to line mine with parchment or wax paper so I can lift the bars out to cut them on a board).

Melt the chocolate, sweetened condensed milk and coconut oil. Pour over the oatmeal batter.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Cool completely before cutting.

Enjoy this chewy chocolatey goodness....

No-Bake Chocolate Oat Bars

I made these last night and they were a hit! I found the recipe on the blog Buns In My Oven, which has some really fun recipes.

Pic from Buns In My Oven

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bars

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups quick cooking oats
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I wish I'd used milk chocolate, but that's just me)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)

In a medium saucepan cook butter, brown sugar, and oats for 3 to 4 minutes. Add vanilla. Press half of the oat mixture into an 8 x 8 pan lined with parchment/wax paper.

Microwave the chocolate and peanut butter until smooth, stirring occasionally. Spread over the crust.

Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture on top of the chocolate.

Refrigerate for a few hours before cutting...I'm impatient when it comes to yummy treats, so I just popped it in the freezer for 30 minutes.

How to can Spicy Pickled Carrots

I am all about simplifying my life, so I searched the internet high and low for instructions on how to cold-pack carrots. All I found was hot-pack and refrigerated recipes. Finally I caught my break at the grocery store where a kind lady told me just how to do it. (One of the many perks of living in a small town is the friendly grocery store visits!!)

What you will need:
3 lbs of Carrots
4 Jalapeños
4 teaspoons Dill
4 teaspoon Mustard seeds
2 Tablespoons Dry minced garlic
1/3 cup Canning Salt
3 cups White Vinegar
3 cups Water

Boiling Water Canner or Large Stock Pot
4-6 quart pot
7 pint canning jars, lids and bands

Fill your canner/stock pot with water and bring to a boil. Let the jars boil for at least a minute to sanitize. You can skip this step if you want to sanitize them in your dishwasher.

Peel carrots and slice into sticks. Rinse them in a large bowl of water and leave them sitting in water until ready to use.

Cut jalapeños into quarter strips leaving the seeds in them. Set aside.

In your 6 quart pot bring the vinegar, water and salt to a boil.

Mix your three spices in a little cup.

Fill your hot sanitized jars with carrots and 1-3 strips of jalapeño. Add 2 teaspoons of the spice mix to each jar and fill with the hot liquid. Be sure to leave 1/2 - 1 inch headspace in each jar. Place a clean lid on each jar and screw the bands on.

Put the jars in your hot water bath and bring to a boil- make sure they are covered in at least one inch of water above the lid. Boil for 15 minutes (if you are below 3000 feet boil for 10 minutes).

Remove from hot water and cool on a towel in a draft free area. Make sure the seal button has depressed on each jar before storing.

FYI: I always reuse my lids if the rubber seal looks good and the metal isn't bent. I just learned that I shouldn't do that...although I probably still will for some things... just be aware. :o)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Idea

This week I was talking to a friend and told her about my chocolate chip cookie habit. She thought it was an ingenious idea (which surprised me since it is something my mom did all my life!).

Basically, I make my favorite recipe...I got this from a college roommate (Thanks Jenny!!) and it is the BEST! Then I cook two dozen cookies and make a log with the remaining dough and wrap it in plastic wrap. The log goes into the fridge where the children can cut slices for the occasional cookie dough craving, and if we have last minute visitors I can bake a couple dozen fresh cookies for them.


So here you have my all-time favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe...

Delores' Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 Cup Butter

1 1/2 Cups Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup White Sugar

2 Eggs

1 tsp. Baking Powder

3 Cups Flour

1/2 tsp. Salt

Milk Chocolate Chips

Cream butter, sugars, and eggs. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until it all sticks into a large ball. Drop by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Do not over-bake.

Enjoy!

Favorite Family Recipes

I have a large family of wonderful cooks and thought it was a little selfish to keep all our family secrets to ourselves...

So, here you have it...a blog with all our favorite family recipes. It is a work in progress as we have hundreds of recipes!





haha! Don't you love my pig? 
What are your favorites? Brownies or pie? A special sauce or an all american hamburger? I would love it if you shared your favorite recipes with us too!!

Banana Stuffed French Toast with Plum Syrup

When it comes to eating this is my philosophy...

Eat carefully during the week and relax on the weekend!

French toast is my all-time favorite breakfast food (eggs are great, but I don't consider them a breakfast food as they are fantastic anytime of day on rice, spaghetti, tortillas or just plain).

So last weekend I enjoyed banana stuffed French toast with my homemade plum syrup.

Banana Stuffed French Toast Recipe
1 loaf unsliced bread (brioche, French)
2 bananas, sliced
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup sugar

Slice your bread into 1 1/2 inch slices. Cut a pocket into each slice (leaving about 1/4-1/2 inch space from edge so it doesn't tear open). Stuff banana slices into the pockets.

Heat a large griddle on high. Grease with a little butter.

Beat remaining ingredients. Dip both sides of stuffed bread into the batter. Lay on griddle. Cook each side until golden or about 3-4 minutes.

Drizzle with your favorite syrup.

****If you are looking for the perfect breakfast for your Valentine...or want to cook for me...this would be my #1 choice!!!******

Meatball Recipe and Meatball Sandwich

I am way super lucky this week! Jesse said he'll do all the cooking and I can just relax and let my wrist heal!! Ya-whoo!!!

So, I thought I would share my to-die-for meatball recipe. We usually eat it with spaghetti, but it also makes great meatball sandwiches, or you can cook them in a crockpot with grape jelly and chili sauce for a fun party treat.

Meatballs in Marinara

Meatball Recipe
yields: 30-35 meatballs
1 lb. ground beef
1 Tablespoon dried onion
1 Tablespoon dried parsley*
1/2 teaspoon dried garlic
1 teaspoon salt
pepper
1 egg
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 400. Mix all the ingredients together. Roll into tablespoon size balls and lay in a 9x13 pan with a little space between them. Bake for 15-20 minutes. You may want to drain the meat fat off- or leave it for extra flavor.

If you are going to use a marinara sauce just pour it over the meatballs after 15 minutes. Cook for an additional 10 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly. I just use one large can of Hunts Original Sauce. The meatballs have so much flavor that you don't need a fancy sauce.

Meatball Sandwich on my Farm Bread

*I recently had some friends question me as to whether parsley actually adds flavor to foods (here in the Northwest it is just a garnish). I want to clarify that parsley adds an enormous amount of flavor, as do most herbs. If you leave it out of the meatballs you will be disappointed! Also, you can add basil if you want a more Italian flavor or thyme for a French flavor.

Farm Bread French Loaves

This recipe is called "Farm Bread" because back in the day...when we lived on a farm, in the middle of nowhere, in Honduras... my mother made it regularly. FYI: It is hard to find good bread in Honduras. Actually, it isn't as hard anymore unless you are on the islands- in that case it is all moldy and weird.

Anyway, back to the recipe!

I like to shape the dough into french loaves... mmmm...makes great meatball sandwiches. My mom always made it in bread pans. Regardless of how you choose to shape your dough, this is a great bread and stays nice and moist for days (if it lasts that long).

Farm Bread Recipe
2 cups warm water
1 Tablespoon yeast
2 Tablespoons sugar
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 Tablespoon salt
1/3 cup powdered milk, dry
5-6 cups flour

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let it sit until it starts to bubble. Add remaining ingredients except for 2 cups of flour. Beat well. Slowly add flour until your dough is just barely past the sticky stage.

Let rise to double. (I put it in a warm oven and it usually only take about 30 minutes).

Shape and let rise again until almost double.

Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes or until the top is a nice golden color.

Potato and Onion Chowder

This chowder is my good friend all Winter long. I sometimes make it with clams or crumbled bacon, and occasionally with corn for a potato corn chowder.

Potato and Onion Chowder Recipe
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced celery
1 diced leek
2 cups diced potatoes
2 cups chicken broth
1 Tablespoon crushed parsley
salt and pepper
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 quart half and half

Saute the onion, celery, leeks and potatoes until the potatoes are cooked and tender (you will need about 2 cups of water or broth to cook the potatoes- most of the liquid will cook down). Add the broth and flavorings. Heat all the way through.

Melt the butter in a bowl and add the flour. Mix together until you have a roux. Add the butter and flour mixture to the soup. It will thicken the soup quickly. Stir in the half and half. If it is still too thick add milk to the consistency you want.

Sourdough Pizza Recipe

We make pizza at least once a week with lots of leftovers for the days to follow. So when I made it on New Year's day I was asked to share my dough recipe.

After years of trying out recipes Jesse and I found that sourdough gives pizza the perfect texture. We aren't very fond of "sour" sourdough so we only let the starter sit out for a few hours.

Sourdough Pizza Recipe

2 Tablespoons yeast

2 cups warm water

1 teaspoon sugar

1 Tablespoons salt

3/4 cup sourdough starter

6 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add remaining ingredients- setting aside one cup of flour. Beat for 5 minutes. Add the rest of the flour.

Divide into three balls. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the freezer at least overnight.

Remove dough from the freezer 4-6 hours before needed.

Heat oven and pizza stone to 500 (if your oven goes hotter then make it as hot as you can).

Roll the dough out. Cover in toppings. Bake on a hot stone for 6 minutes. Remove from oven and slice while hot.

*This pizza has artichoke dip and olives. I will post my red pizza sauce recipe for those wanting it.

** My husband just saw this and said, "that's the worst looking pizza!" So...I guess my pizza looks gross, but man is it good!

Crispy Granola Recipe

My first activity of the New Year is to make granola. I love to eat this for breakfast every morning. It is crispy with a sweet honey flavor and a hint of coconut.

Granola Recipe
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup All Bran cereal
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped almonds or pecans
1 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut oil (you can use another oil if you prefer)

In a large mixing bowl stir together the dry ingredients. Warm the honey and oil and pour over the dry ingredients. Mix well. Spread on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 for 25 minutes (stir half-way through baking time). Immediately spread the granola on a large sheet of parchment paper. Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Tamales- or Guatemalan chuchitos

Today is T-Day...which means that I'll be making tamales all day. This is one of our favorite Christmas traditions. We pile them high with sour cream, lettuce, salsa, guacamole, and whatever else we fancy at the moment. And of course...we drink Rosa de Jamaica (Jesse can't stand the stuff, but I think it is sooo refreshing!).

Tamales Recipe

Filling:

2 lbs roast

1 large onion, quartered

1 clove garlic

1-2 dried California chile pod

2 cups water

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cumin

Cook the roast in a crockpot overnight.  Pour broth into a cup and save for masa. Shred beef and leave in the crockpot on warm.

Boil remaing ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour over shredded beef and let simmer in the crockpot until ready to use.

1 package dried corn husks

Soak corn husks for 1 hour. Prepare the masa and a steamer or stockpot while they are soaking.

Masa:
3 cups oil or lard
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp salt
6 cups masa harina
Broth from beef

Beat oil, salt, chili powder and harina. Add broth (and water) until you have dough the consistency of peanut butter or soft cookie dough.

*Remove a corn husk from the water and place in front of you with the narrow end near your body and the wide end stretching away from you. Spread 2 Tablespoons of the masa over of the husk, leaving a half inch at the sides and 2 inches at each end. Place 1 Tablespoon of the meat in the center of the masa. Fold the ends together and then reopen the husk so that your masa is folded like a sandwich in the middle of the husk. Fold sides in and then fold husk in half again. Secure with some twine or a piece of husk.

Place in large steamer or stockpot with a few inches of water at the bottom.

Steam tamales over boiling water for 1 hour. Make sure that there is still water in the bottom of your pot. They should be firm and hold their shape when they are ready.


*Step by Step pictures to putting your tamale together


Spread masa on the husk and put meat in the center...

Fold the ends together, reopen the husk so that your masa is folded in half...

Fold sides in and then fold husk in half again...

Secure with some twine or a piece of husk...

Christmas Fruitcake

After my angry crafting moment this week, I decided that I need to embrace the fact that my place is in the kitchen and not the craft room. haha!! I've been fighting this battle for years!

In lieu of that... last night I really got into the Christmas Spirit and made fruitcake.

Last year I was reading about all the world famous fruitcakes. The one that got raved about the most is made by a bakery in San Francisco (another great reason to have our Anniversary there, right?). Well, apparently they soak the fruit for 3 months in wine which results in a moist delicious fruitcake that doesn't need aging. So after Christmas dinner I dumped the left over wine over my jar of fruit and there it has sat and aged for...yes, eleven and a half months!

Seriously! The best fruitcake I have EVER tasted.

Sorry that I didn't post this recipe 3 months ago so that you could all start aging your fruit, but here it is anyway.

Justice Family Fruitcake

5 cups of fruit*
3 cups of nuts*

3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs, beaten

Coat fruit and nuts with the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and mix well (you may want to use your hands to mix).

Put into a 9 inch springform pan that has been lined with well buttered parchment paper.

Bake at 300 for 90 minutes. Cool 15 minutes before cutting.

If your fruit wasn't aged first then you may want to let the cake age for a week or two.
To age with wine: wrap in a towel that has been wetted down with wine. Place in a bag and store in a cool place.

*These are my fruit and nut portions but you can use whatever you have on hand:

1 cup dates

1 cup coconut

1 cup raisins

2 cups candied pineapple and cherries

2 cups pecans, lightly chopped

1 cup almond slivers

Old Fashioned BBQ Sandwiches

It is true! I am finally going to share my BBQ sauce recipe- right down to the secret ingredient!!

mmm...BBQ pork piled high

BBQ Pork Recipe
Serves 8

2 lb. pork loin or shoulder (you can substitute a chuck roast if you prefer beef)

Sauce:
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic gloves, pressed or chopped

2 Tbsp. mustard

24 oz. bottle ketchup
1/2 cup worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp. liquid smoke or smoked salt
1 tsp. salt (omit if using smoked salt)
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (1/4 tsp if serving just adults)

Place all ingredients in a crockpot or dutchoven. Cook on low heat for 8 hours. Add water if needed to keep it from drying out.

Pile high on a bun with mayo or coleslaw.

mmmm.... ENJOY!!

*you can simmer the sauce for 30 minutes if you want a good dipping BBQ sauce.

Turkey Cookies...a great treat for kids (or adults)!

Picture from BC Website

There's something about sugar cookies that always brings me back to my childhood. I remember my mother baking them and my mouth watering unbearably for the whole 8 minutes they were in the oven!!

I posted our family sugar cookie recipe at Halloween, but since my mother-in-law wanted cookies at Thanksgiving I just couldn't resist posting this cute decorating idea. It works great because I still have a bag of candy corn left over from Halloween.

If you want other great holiday cooking tips check out the Betty Crocker link below.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! Hope you have family and friends to share this fun season with (if not, call me...I would love to spend it with you).



Betty Crocker Turkey Cookie Recipe

Thai Sticky Rice

My children love steamed rice. It is so sticky and fun to eat. I use black and white glutinous rice and they roll it into balls and call it “purple snowballs”. Yes! I know it is gross to play with your food… but it is also lots of fun!!

So here’s how to pick your rice:

If you don’t want to run out to the nearest *Asian market then choose a rice that is sticky (a short or medium grain). A good indication is if the rice breaks apart when cooked too long. The rice that has worked for me is glutinous or Jasmine rice, but I think Calrose might work.

Here are some pictures of the rice before and after steaming. (Follow the directions in the recipe below for prepping and steaming your rice)

Before Steaming- ready to be soaked

Wrapped and in the steam basket

After Steaming

 If your kids don’t dive into the rice right out of the steamer than try this fantastic dessert…

Thai Sticky Rice Dessert

1 1/2 cups glutinous white rice

1/2 cup glutinous black rice

1 can coconut milk

4 oz palm sugar

1/4 cup sugar

Dash of Salt

Mango pieces

Mix the rice together. Fill the bowl with water and let sit for 4-12 hours.

Drain the water off and wrap the rice in a cheesecloth. Place in a Thai basket and set over a steamer. Steam for 45 minutes or until the rice is completely cooked. Remove from steam basket and put rice in a large bowl.

Melt the milk and sugars in a small saucepan. Pour the sweetened milk over the cooked rice and let sit for 30 minutes. This allows it to soak up the liquid.

Serve with mango pieces on top.

*This online Asian market has more info on the basket and rice:

http://www.importfood.com/stickyrice.html

Church… or “Man-Catcher Brownies”

 So on Sunday I was sitting at church and all I could think about were the “Man-catcher Brownies”. They are by far the best brownies in the world (and I can say this because I have tried every brownie the whole world over, haha).

Normally, I would have gone home after church and straight to the kitchen…do not pass go…do not collect $200! But I was visiting at a friend’s house and it would have been terribly rude to do such a thing (and yes! I felt guilty dreaming about that much sugar at her very healthy home)!!

Now I am home with my Strep Throat victims and we have absolutely no desire for chocolate. So, for those of you craving a sweet chocolate treat…make these and think of me with every bite you take!

This is how happy they make us…

Somehow he makes these fudgey brownies look crumbly!

WARNING: These are thick, moist, and very chocolaty!

Man-catcher Brownies (this is from the Washington Post)

3 sticks butter

2 cups cocoa powder

6 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 cups packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-by-13-inch pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking oil spray.

Melt the butter and add the cocoa powder, stirring to combine. Let cool slightly.

Add eggs, sugars and vanilla. Fold in the flour and salt until just combined. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a crust forms on the surface and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. Cool completely before cutting. I like to take them out like a big brick of fudge and cut them on a cutting board. Then return them to the pan.

Enjoy! We always do…

Holiday Sugar cOOkies for Generations

This has been a family favorite for generations. We especially enjoy them at Halloween and Valentine's Day.


Sugar Cookies
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp cream (heavy or sour)
1 tsp vanilla 
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Cream the butter, sugar and egg. Add cream and vanilla. Beat in the remaining ingredients. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll out on a floured surface until about 1/4-1/2 inch (I like mine thick). cut into shapes. Bake at 400 F for 7-8 min. Frost when cooled completely.

The kids had a great time frosting them...and dumping frosting on them...YUM!