Shopping Day Stroganoff

Today was payday for us military families and it's always the day that I usually have to run errands, bill paying, grocery shopping, etc. This usually ends up meaning that we will probably eat take out because I will not want to cook. I'm trying to get better about it, because I would rather go out less and go somewhere good, then to waste money on mediocre fast food. Anyway, I picked up some of the Hormel beef tips and gravy that are already cooked from the refrigerator section and made a plan for a quick dinner that actually was pretty good.

Shopping Day Stroganoff

2 packages Hormel Beef Tips in Gravy
8oz. package fresh sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup sour cream
12 oz. package egg noodles

Saute the mushrooms in a small amount of olive oil until tender. Add both packages of beef tips and heat through. Meanwhile cook the egg noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and add to the skillet along with the sour cream. Mix well and serve.

This made a large skillet full of food. My kids and I had decent sized portions, my hubby had a ginormous portion, and we still had a lot left!! I served this with steamed broccoli, cinnamon apples, and Texas toast that I made into garlic toast. Everyone really enjoyed this meal and it was cheaper and better than fast food.

Labor Day Recipes!

You know how a lot of people talk about all the warm fuzzy memories that they have from cooking in the kitchen with their moms? How this was where they learned to cook? Well, I have no such memories. When I was growing up, my mom did not like for us to be under her feet while she was in the kitchen, which is a shame, because my mom is an awesome cook. Because of this fact, I have had to teach myself to cook over the last 15 years. When my husband and I got married, I could not cook much of anything. I have come a long way, and many people tell me that I am an awesome cook! Now, I don't know about that, but I do know that I love being in the kitchen creating. It is an escape for me. I like to be alone in my kitchen like my mom did, but I try to be more willing to welcome my kiddos in when they want to watch or help. My 13 year old daughter is uninterested in cooking, while my two boys love to help. My youngest says that he is either going to be a chef or a football player when he grows up.
My journey in the kitchen has had a lot of bumps along the road and there are still a few recipes that I cannot seem to master. I cannot duplicate my mom's beef tips and gravy. While mine are good, there is just "something" missing! I also cannot for the life of me fry chicken to my liking. My family always says that they love it, but it's just never "right" to me. Because of this, I only attempt this recipe once or twice a year!! Eggplant Parmesan is another recipe that I have trouble with ....I just never like the way mine comes out and I've tried several methods. Any help in these areas would be much appreciated. I finally succeeded in making something awesome today that I have had trouble with .....BBQ spare ribs. They have always been tough or charred. I changed my cooking method and the result was wonderful. Even my meat-hating son said that they were his favorite part of the meal....that was a huge compliment. I even managed to create a new family favorite AND dessert!!!

Lisa's BBQ Ribs

1 slab pork ribs (mine were vaccuum sealed and weighed about 4-5 lbs.)
McCormick Grill Mates Sweet and Smoky Rub
Cattleman's BBQ sauce

This is not so much a recipe as a method. I have a large stainless steel roasting pan that has a rack that fits inside. I took this and place about 2 cups water in the bottom and sprinkled in some of the rub. I put the rack in the pan and placed the ribs on this and rubbed generously all over on both sides with the spice rub. I placed the ribs, meaty side up, on the rack. I then
covered tightly with foil and baked at 300* for 3-4 hours, depending on the size of your ribs. I then cut the ribs into smaller slabs of about 2 ribs apiece and grilled them over medium heat, glazing with the BBQ sauce. I have found that the best way to keep your sauce from charring on your meat, you should warm it before brushing it on your meat. These turned out so good, we had none left!!

Recipe #2

Lisa's Black Bean and Corn Salad

1 bag frozen corn, thawed (I ran hot water over this and drained in a colander)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 red bell pepper, diced
6 green onions, chopped
3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, diced
Juice from 1 lime
Cilantro, optional
1-2 Tbs. olive oil
splash red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all and let sit to "meld" flavors. Can serve at room temperature.

P.S. My mom is an awesome lady and I love her very much....she just didn't like us in her kitchen while she was cooking. She is a little bit high strung and I think it stressed her out!!

Editor's note

I just realized that I spelled "expiration" wrong. I also realized that I neglected to specify that you are supposed to saute your veggies in the olive oil.....sorry!!

A Recipe....sort of

My family and I have differing view points on a lot of subjects, one of the most major being the way that we eat. They would be happy eating the same few things all the time, while I am a bit more adventurous, which can pose a problem while trying to feed 3 growing picky kids and an equally picky husband. Sometimes, it can take all the fun out of cooking, and other times, it can become a fun challenge to get them to eat things that they might not otherwise. I took on this challenge today after church. When our kids started back to school a couple of weeks ago, I went out and bought all sorts of goodies for them to put into their lunchboxes. Lunches are 2.oo per day where we live, so it is much cheaper to pack a lunch then buy what's in the cafeteria. I bought chips, granola bars, fruit....the usual stuff. I also bought some shaved roast beef, turkey, ham, and peanut butter for their sandwiches. Like I said before, I like to have a variety. Not so for my kiddos, as when I looked into the refrigerator, the package of roast beef was untouched and close to the experation date. They informed me that they do not like that kind of roast beef, even though they will eat Arby's. ????? Well, in these hard financial times I am sick of throwing out food, so I decided that I would try to make something that they would eat and that would keep me from throwing away yet another package of untouched lunch meat. The verdict? 4 out of 5 of us loved it and will be having it again. My daughter is still too picky to even attempt to eat a sandwich with onions, so she ate a leftover hamburger.

Lisa's Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

1 package shaved roast beef (I think mine was Oscar Meyer-a yellow package)
olive oil
1 onion
1 red bell pepper
1 package fresh sliced mushrooms
salt and pepper, to taste
A-1 steak sauce
fresh hoagie buns from the bakery section of your grocery store
1/4 cup butter
2 cloves garlic
provolone cheese
mayonaisse

Stack your roast beef and slice into strips and set aside. Thinly slice your peppers and onions. Heat a skillet over medium high heat and saute your peppers and onions until they start to carmelize. Add your mushrooms and saute for a couple of minutes until they start to soften. Add some salt and pepper to taste and then stir in some steak sauce, probably about 2 or 3 tablespoons. Let this cook for a few minutes and then add your meat and stir and heat through. Add more steak sauce if desired, but you don't want it "too wet or soupy". Remove from heat and set aside. Melt the butter over medium heat. Peel your garlic and smash it with the side of your knife and put it in the butter. Let the butter melt completely, then remove your garlic cloves. Cut open your buns and brush with the garlic butter. Broil for just long enough to barely toast your bread, not to brown it. Take your bun tops off of the cookie sheet and set aside. Top bun bottoms with meat and provolone and put under the broiler to melt the cheese. Spread bun tops with mayo, place on sandwiches and serve immediately.