Spaghetti & Meatballs!

I made Spaghetti and Meatballs last night for dinner and my intentions were to take pictures but as I reached for my camera, I realized my battery was dead. I was able to get one picture of the best taste testers! 

Spaghetti Sauce

2 Large cans Hunts All-Natural Crushed Tomatoes

2 C. Water

4 tsp. Minced garlic or 4 garlic cloves, minced

2 Bay leaves

3 tsp. Salt

2 tsp. Pepper

2 Tbsp. Oregano

1 Tbsp. Thyme

1 Tbsp. Marjoram

Place all ingredients into a 5-quart or larger stock pot. Keep on low heat for as little as 1 hour or as long as 5 hours. The longer you have the sauce on the heat, the more time the flavors have to blend together.

Meatballs

1 Pound Pork

1 Pound ground beef

1 Tbsp. Oregano

1 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Pepper

1 Tbsp. Marjoram

1/4 C. Onions, chopped fine

2 Tbsp. Minced garlic or 2 garlic cloves finely chopped

1 Tbsp. Fennel seed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all above ingredients. Roll into ball - whatever size you prefer. Put in a pan that has a lip on all sides (it will be juicy). Place in the oven for 20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. Then place in spaghetti sauce.

Lunchtime!

Today at breakfast, Brandon and I talked about going out for lunch. Yes, I know it was still breakfast but Brandon was thinking hamburgers and fries for breakfast. So for lunch I made, you can guess, hamburgers and fries. With food allergies, we cannot just go out anywhere. So by making it at home, we have control how it is made. So here is our version of hamburgers and fries.

Homemade Fries

4 Large russet potatoes
1 C. Rice Flour
Salt
Pepper
4 C. Canola Oil

Heat canola oil in stock pot on medium high heat. Cut potatoes long wise in half. Cut again in small strips long wise and again in thin strips keeping them long. Measure one cup of flour and put in a long tupperware container with 1 Tbsp. salt and 1/2 Tbsp. pepper added. Mix. Check oil by dropping a pinch of flour to oil. If it bubbles, it is ready for potatoes. Flour potatoes a couple at a time. I cooked potatoes in four batches for 10 minutes each. When they are ready, take out with a slotted spoon. Salt immediately. Taste test!!!! :)

More Salsa!!

Well, since we have all this salsa, and I do love it, I decided to make good use of it at lunchtime today. I made Huevos Rancheros. If you do not eat eggs much, eggs are a wonderful protein to add to your diet. In our family, we go through 5 dozen eggs in 2 weeks. We eat eggs in every way possible, well almost. I don't care for poached. But anyway, here is a little easy recipe for Huevos Rancheros that is just something quick and easy but delicious. I served mine on a plate with lettuce and half of an orange.

 Huevos Rancheros

Cook two eggs together on medium heat in a pan sprayed with canola oil until firm enough to flip the eggs. Flip and add 1/3 C. salsa and 1/4 C. shredded cheese. Cook until desired yolk consistancy. I like my yolk a little runny so I took mine off pretty quick and put it in the microwave for 20 seconds to let the cheese melt completely. A very quick and healthy lunch!

We have a new addition to the Biernat house. Dexter is our female Guinea Pig. She is 3 months old and belongs to Brandon! He is so proud of her and is a great father. She loves apples, oranges, kiwi, carrots, and spinach. Spinach is her favorite! So please welcome Dexter to our family. She is very sweet.

Slow-Cooked Salsa Chicken

Tonight it is all about the chicken. Sometime when you make a dish, it is just so divine that you wish you can just keep eating it and never get full. This is one of those dishes! Easy and delicious! Can't beat that! Prep. time is 5 minutes and cook time on high was 4 hours and on low allow 7-8 hours (depending on your slow cooker). You cannot overcook this recipe. The longer it cooks, the more tender the chicken!

Slow-Cooked Salsa Chicken

4-5 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 C. Salsa

1 Tbsp. Cumin
1 1/2 Tbsp Salt (more to taste if necessary)

1/2 Tbsp. Chili powder (depending on how hot you like it)

1/4 tsp. Pepper

1/2 tsp. Thyme

1 8oz. Package of sliced mushrooms

1 13.6 Thai Kitchen Coconut milk

Add chicken to slow cooker. Sprinkle with spices and herbs. Pour salsa, coconut milk, and mushrooms over chicken. Stir. Cook on high for 4 hours and low for 7-8 hours. I served over brown rice but you can use pasta, corn chips, etc. Of course, I also used my husbands homemade salsa! My tastebuds are a little bit spoiled!!!!

Morning - GLORY!

It is a Sunday morning and typically we would be at church right now. We had to have Biernat Baptist Church this morning. My husband did a devotional and my son played the piano. It was quite sweet.

We woke up to the blinding sun this morning. Oh, I am not complaining, trust me. It is beautiful especially against the snow. God gives us such beauty.
So I went on and made a big breakfast this morning. Waffles, eggs, fried potatoes, and ham. It is amazing how boys love you when you cook for them. Lots of hugs are given! There is a truth about "a way to a mans heart is through his stomach".

Basic Waffles

2 1/2 C. Rice milk

4 eggs, Broken and blended

1/4 C. Canola oil

3 C. Rice flour

3 tsp. Baking soda
2 tsp. Cream of Tartar
1 tsp. Salt
1Tbsp. Cinnamon
3 Tbsp. Sugar

Mix milk, eggs and oil together in a large bowl. Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix well. Bake in hot, oiledwaffle iron.

If you wish to add extra ingredients, here are some suggestions:
1 cup apples, cut into small pieces w/ 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 cup blueberries and 1/4 C. sugar
1 banana, smashed and 1/4 cup walnuts, cut into small pieces
dates, aprictots, prunes, raisins, etc...  Any fruit is delicious!

Enjoy!!

Snow, Snow, and More Snow

Here in Virginia, we have been hit really hard with snow. This year we have made up for the last 10 years of having such dismall winters! I homeschool so my kids don't get the breaks that most kids get so they do not feel as fortunate as most. We still make life fun.
For instant, we invited one of there favorite people over for a couple of days and they have been having so much fun playing indoors and out. Also, they have been great at shoveling. It is much more fun with friends. I know my husband and I have more fun when we work together and our neighbors are all out and we get to talking. We have a good time!
Last night we had tacos and guacamole! Yum! We had a fiesta! Not really but we did have guacamole! I hope you find it as tasty as I do. I love it and it is so healthy for ya!

Guacamole

5 Ripe (Soft to the touch) avacados

2 Garlic cloves, finely chopped or 2 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. Salt (or more by taste)

1/8 C. Finely chopped onion

1/8 C. Roma tomatoes, cut into small pieces (remove seeds)

2 Tbps. Fresh Cilantro or 1 Tbsp. Dried cilantro

Smash avacados with fork or potato masher until all mooshed! Add garlic, salt, onion, and cilantro. Blend well. Fold in tomotoes.

Enjoy!!

Josh's Birthday

We celebrated Josh's birthday with just the family. The weather has just been crazy this winter. A lot of snow. So, I made him a luscious chocolate cake with a fluffy, mocha frosting. It was a huge hit. I must say, I had several pieces!!! Delicious and no need for ice cream. If you are interested, here goes! Enjoy!

Delicious Chocolate Cake w/ Fluffy Mocha Frosting

1/4 C. Coconut oil

1/2 C. Unsweetened Applesauce

1 2/3 C. Sugar
2 Eggs

2 1/4 C. Rice flour

2/3 C. Baking Cocoa

3/4 tsp. Baking soda

1/2 tsp. Cream of Tartar

1 tsp. Salt
1 1/4 C. Water

1 C. Semisweet Chocolate Chips (Enjoy Life brand)

In a large bowl, beat coconut oil and sugar until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in applesauce. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Add to the sugar mixture alternately with water, beating well after each addition. Fold in chips. Pour into a 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan coated with canola oil. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Fluffy Mocha Frosting:

2/3 C. Sugar

3 Tbsp Strong Coffee

1/4 C. Pure Maple Syrup

1/4 C. Honey

2 Egg Whites

1/4 tsp. Cream of Tartar

1/8 tsp. Salt

In a double boiler over rapidly boiling water, place all the ingredients in pan. Whip with rotary beaters until frosting reaches stiff peaks. Remove from heat. Frost cooled cake.