Cassoulet

One of Tad's favorite dishes I have made is called Cassoulet, which is a French stew-like dish containing beans and 3 different kinds of meat!! It is very hearty and filling, perfect for those cold winter nights!! It is simmered in red wine and made with white beans, which is traditional for the French style stew. It does take a little bit to prepare, as you need to cut up the bacon, trim the fat off of the pork roast (which took awhile for me!), and cut up the kielbasa. But once you have it all done, it doesn't take long to cook!! Comfort food in one pot!!

Cassoulet
(Recipe coming from a magazine, not sure which one, probably Family Circle??)

6 slices bacon, chopped
1 boneless pork roast (2 pounds), trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
8 ounces (1/2 package) reduced-fat kielbasa, cut into coins
3/4 cup red wine
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with garlic and onions, drained
2 cans (15 oz each) butter beans, drained and rinsed

1. Heat a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add bacon and cook 6 minutes, until browned and crispy.
2. Add pork, onion, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning to pot, cooking 4 minutes, until pork is no longer pink. Stir in kielbasa and cook 2 minutes more.
3. Increase heat to medium-high and add wine. Simmer 4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and continue to simmer 3 minutes. Stir in beans; heat through, about 1 minute. Serve warm.

And there you have it! Super simple to make, and your hubby will love you for making this super meaty, hearty, warm stew for dinner!! And plus, one pot meals are the best! Enjoy!!

Head on over to momscrazycooking.blogspot.com for some more awesome comfort food recipes to try!! Click the link below!!

Tad Cooks Biscuits and Gravy!!

Thursday is National Men Make Dinner Day!! Luckily, I have a husband who can whip up a few things, and biscuits and gravy is one of his specialties! I didn't grow up in the south, and I had never even had biscuits and gravy before I met him! It is his family's Christmas morning breakfast tradition, and one year he learned how to make it via a phone conversation with his sister, Anna. Now, he has perfected it, and it is requested by me from time to time! It is one of my all-time favorite meals!
I think the first time I tried biscuits and gravy, it was either Tad's or his family's, and ever since then I have tried it at different restaurants and such, and have never had any that compares!! We like to make a batch with spicy sausage if we are making a lot, and make a pan with the regular sausage for the kids or other people who don't like the spice. But both are equally flavorful and yummy!

Okay. I will give you the Tad, not-so-exact recipe because I didn't even know how he made it until I wrote this post! First, you put the bacon on a cookie sheet and bake until it is crispy. He never sets a timer for anything, so he just waits awhile and then checks on it! Drives me crazy!

He then browns a whole package of sausage in a pan, and removes it, leaving the grease. To the grease, he slowly adds a little flour and a little milk, whisking it until it is thick and combined, and then keeps adding milk and flour to make a nice, thick gravy. Once you have the gravy at the consistency you want, add the crumbled bacon and sausage into the gravy.
The other man in my life had to help too! He was actually being really fussy and wanted Tad to hold him just then, so he got to "help!"

Make whatever biscuits you have on hand, or make them from scratch if you prefer. We always just buy the ones in the can! We like to break them up into pieces first, or you can just split them and top with gravy! Delicious!!!

Seriously one of my favorite meals! And such a treat to not have to cook! Thanks, babe!
Isn't he cute???

Peanut Butter Swirls

Sorry I have been MIA lately!! A few weeks back, I posted about being Homemaker MIA, and missing being in my own home and doing my own thing. Well now I'm a homemaker and I'm Blogger MIA!!! It turns out that it takes a lot of work to run a home, take care of 2 small kids, homeschool, cook dinner, clean your house, and get together with new friends. And workout. And bake. And story time at the library...Well, you get the picture. I will try to be more diligent!!


You have got to try these!!! I use this old church cookbook that my mom gave me, and I found this old recipe written by Betty Taylor (whoever remembers her!!). I was hoping it would turn out good!! It was amazing, as you can see from the pictures!! Ha! But really, you do need to make these and see for yourself!!

Peanut Butter Swirls
Leroy Community Chapel super old cookbook
Betty Taylor

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
12 oz. pkg. chocolate chips
1/4 cup nuts (optional, I didn't use)

1. Beat peanut butter, butter, and the brown and white sugars until creamed. Add 2 eggs and the vanilla and beat until whipped.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl and add to the creamed mix.
3. Spread in a 9 by 13 pan and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the dough.
4. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes and then run a knife to swirl through the dough to marbleize, then bake for 20 to 25 minutes more.



Head on over to momscrazycooking.com to check out even more Chocolate delights!!
Trust me, you will be glad you did!!

Stephanie

Happy St. Patrick's Day with a Green Monster Smoothie

Well, hello readers!! I am happy to say that I finally jumped on the bandwagon and made my first Green Monster smoothie. I was pleasantly surprised!! Not being a huge spinach fan, I was hoping I would still be able to stand the flavor. I am, however, a HUGE smoothie fan, and the spinach actually added great flavor!! Not to mention antioxidants and vitamins!! I feel like I always sound like such a car salesman on my blog. Oh well. Runs in the family:)
So, apparently there's this thing called the Green Monster Movement. You can read about it if you like!! On this particular website, there are different recipes for Green Monster Smoothies, and different powders and ingredients you can add to make different flavors. For my first one, I made the blueberry banana smoothie. I bought enough ingredients that I had 3 smoothies, actually Tad and I split 3 smoothies. Here are the ingredients:

Blueberry-Banana

1 banana
1/2 cup blueberries
2-3 cups organic spinach
1-1 1/4 cup milk (any kind)
ice

You just blend it right up in your little blender, adding more milk if necessary, and ice cubes to your liking!!

Fresh Spinach

Dirty blender with random things in the background

It might look gross but I loved it, and Judah (1 yr old) kept coming back for more!!

And enough to make for 2! Or you could drink it all yourself!! Make it for breakfast, a snack, or even a healthy dessert!! And try the endless variations! But be careful, you might get hooked!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!