At Home My Way

 Recipe at the top, chit-chat at the bottom! Razzleberry Pie   2 pie crusts (homemade or roll & bake; I used a generic store brand) 4 cups of frozen mixed berries, THAWED (I used two 16 oz packages Great Value Berry Medley from Walmart) 3/4  cup sugar (white/granulated) 1/4 cup cornstarch (flour would work also) 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 Tablespoon lemon juice 1 egg (for brushing the pie before baking) Sprinkling sugar Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place bottom crust (unbaked) in pie pan. (If using a rolled unbaked crust, I first roll on a floured surface so is a little bigger than my pie pan and drapes over the edges.) In mixing bowl, combine berries (thawed but cool, including juice), sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and lemon juice.  Gently stir until combined. Gently pour berry mixture into unbaked crust. For lattice crust: Roll the unbaked crust on floured surface. Cut into wide strips, app. 1 inch wide.  (I used a pizza cutter for this.) Place horizont...

Recipes at the Top * Chit-Chat at the bottom!   Midwest Pecan Pie   Unbaked pie crust ¼ cup melted butter (real butter not margarine) 1 cup sugar 1 cup clear Karo 4 eggs (yes, use all four) ¼ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla ½ T flour 2 cups shelled pecans   Instructions :  Preheat oven to 325 degrees/bake. Sprinkle unbaked crust dough with a little flour and then place the rolled dough in a pie plate. Trim the edges and create whatever edging you prefer. I pinch mine using my right thumb/index finger to pinch dough around my left index finger.  It isn’t gorgeous, but works pretty good! (Do not prick the bottom of the crust.)  Set aside until the filling is ready to be poured into the unbaked crust. In a medium mixing bowl, melt the butter.  (I melt in the microwave.)  Add sugar and Karo syrup and mix until well combined.  (Doing in this order cools the butter down before adding the eggs.)  Add eggs and other ingredients (except the...

 Recipes at the Top!  Chat-chat at the bottom! #1 Surprise Muffins (Cranberry Sauce) 2 cups all purpose flour 1/3 cup sugar 3 teaspoons baking POWDER 1 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup milk 1 egg 1/2 cup oil (I used vegetable oil) Leftover cranberry sauce (about 1 cup) Colored sugar/sprinkles if you have some 12 cupcake papers or spray the pan well. Instructions: PREHEAT OVEN to 350 degrees and place liners in muffin tin (12) COMBINE:  In a mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients. COMBINE SEPARATELY:  In a separate dish, add milk, oil and egg.  Blend well. COMBINE:  Wet and dry ingredients and stir well to make a thick batter. MUFFIN TIN:  Spoon one scoop (like 1 heaping Tablespoon) of batter in each cup of a 12-muffin tin.  Spread it around a little to cover the bottom of the cup. ADD CRANBERRY SAUCE:  On top of the batter in each cup, add a Tablespoon of cranberry sauce to each cup. TOP:  Top with another scoop of batter. SPRINKLE:  If you ...

   RECIPE AT THE TOP! CHIT-CHAT AT THE BOTTOM! Crockpot Pineapple Pork Loin 2- 3 lb pork loin (not the same as pork roast or pork tenderloin) 2 Tablespoons oil  salt & pepper 2 teaspoons garlic powder 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup brown sugar  23.5 oz can chunk pineapple (not drained) INSTRUCTIONS: TRIM:  Trim the fat off as best you can from the pork loin BROWN:  Brown the meat on all sides in a skillet before adding to the crockpot.  (Not absolutely required but makes makes a richer flavor. ADD:  Add pork loin to the crockpot. SPRINKLE:  Sprinkle with garlic powder and salt/pepper. TOP:  Top with pineapple, the juice, and soy sauce. SPREAD:  Spread brown sugar evenly over the pork loin. COOK:  Cook on low 6-8 hours OR on high 4-5 hours until fork tender. OPTIONAL:  You could thicken the juice (before serving) with a mixture of a little flour blended into cold water and stirred in, then heated to thicken (like for gravy)....

 RECIPES AT THE TOP .  CHIT-CHAT AT THE BOTTOM! Schoolhouse Vegetable Soup 1 pound lean ground beef 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder Salt & Pepper as desired 28 oz diced tomatoes (not drained) 1 3/4 cups frozen mixed vegetables (frozen - no need to thaw) (I use a 12 Oz bag of frozen mixed vegetables) 1 cup frozen corn 5 cups water 3 beef bouillon cubes 1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni Instructions: Brown ground beef in a soup pot.  Add salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder while cooking the meat.  Drain if needed. Add diced tomatoes including the juice in the can, frozen corn, and frozen mixed vegetables.  Add the water and beef bouillon cubes.  Stir. Simmer about 15-20 minutes.  I used a lid to cover while cooking. Next, add 1 cup uncooked macaroni.  Stir a bit.  (It tries to stick to the bottom of the pot until it starts to simmer so may need to stir a few times.) Simmer approximately 15-20 minutes or until macaroni...

Potsy Garden Update 7-30-2020 & Keeping Busy  During the last few weeks of this crazy summer, I've been trying to stay busy.  For inspiration, I've been reading lots of blog posts and PINNING LOL.  Usually they inspire me with menu ideas, recipes, gardening knowledge.  I may or may not have also pinned about 10,000 ideas for rebuilding our house.  But... Doug isn't pinning and seems to be not very inspired about even making a plan for the new house.  Ah well.  What can ya say?  We are comfortable and there is no rush.  Plus, building supplies seem to be at a premium right now - so for now we will wait a little longer on that house rebuild thing. One of the blogs I have recently been enjoying is  Hickery Holler Farm Blog .  The Canned Quilter puts us all to shame as she works hard staying busy with lots of cooking, canning, baking, sewing, and gardening.  Her family is surely blessed!  I love to just...