3/7 ~ Words

3.7.25: thru the years

3.7.24: chocolate coconut rum cake

3.7.23: TT-SM: carpet freshener 

3.7.22: peanut butter chocolate chip cookies

3.7.21: 🔥 week 10

3.7.20: St. Patrick's framed art

3.7 .19: braided bird toy 

3.7.18: healthy cauliflower soup

3.7.17: making breadcrumbs

3.7.16: foam shamrock indoor wreath

MFIH: Crockpot Country Ribs with Cranberry Sauce

I posted this recipe in '21 using a pork roast, this time I made it with boneless country ribs for a "My Family Is Hungry" meal. I know that dried onion soup mix is not gluten-free so a couple family members cannot eat it, I left it out of the dish and not sure how much it changed the overall flavor but it's still really good. I could have made my own dried mix (click here for a recipe) but I was in a hurry to get this into the crockpot.

pork roast with sauce

There was a lot of fat from the ribs after cooking it; I refrigerated it overnight and scrapped off as much of the fat as I could. Here's a review from Macey, she's right that it did not look great before re-heating it!

"I'm not going to lie when I first opened the tub and looked at tonight's meal it looked a little questionable haha. (The color is slightly off-putting!). However, once it was heated up and served over rice, it was thoroughly enjoyable. I enjoyed this meal from its sweet cranberry flavor paired with the savory from the meat made for a really delicious dinner. The texture was great! It was like a thick sauce with chunks of tender pork! I would definitely have this one again."

country ribs with sauce 

• 2.5 lb. frozen pork roast (I buy a 4 pack at Costco - you can adjust the size to suit your needs)
• 1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
• 3/4 cup Russian dressing
• 1/4 cup orange juice or water
• 1 packet dried onion soup mix

Place the roast in a 5 quart crock pot (or whatever size fits your roast); top with remaining ingredients (you can stir them together before adding to the crockpot but I'd save the extra dish to wash, they'll mix together as it cooks). Cook on LOW for 8 hours. 

Great with mashed potatoes, mashed cauliflower, rice, or on it's own. 

notes: you can also do this with pork tenderloin; pork chops are also great but won't need to cook as long. If you don't have Russian dressing, apricot preserves also works and is equally delish. The sauce is so good I eat it with a spoon but it isn''t thick - if you want it thicker/more gravy like just make a slurry* of cornstarch and water and whisk into the sauce until it thickens. 

3.6.25: thru the years

3.6.24: honey bbq meatloaf

3.6.23: starch madness: scalloped potato update

3.6.22: 🔥 week 10

3.6.21: double barley posole

3.6.20: paper masks and feathers 

3.6.19: stuffed poblano peppers

3.6.18: arranging daffodils

3.6.17: shamrock wreath

3.6.16: crock pot white chicken chili

Five-Cup Fruit Salad (Throwback Thursday)

I've been going thru old recipes (I still have an old box that I used to use before I changed to a binder system, it hangs out in the top of my cookbook cupboard and I have to get a tall stool out in order to access that high shelf haha, I decided to go thru some of these old ones and share with you even if I don't have a picture!).  

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup pineapple chunks (drained)
• 1 cup miniature marshmallows
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup mandarin orange slices (drained)

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and allow to stand in refrigerator for several hours (overnight is better) before serving. 

3.5.25: thru the years

3.5.24: tt reusable coffee pod filter 

3.5.23: 🔥 week 9

3.5.22: turkey forestiere

3.5.21: green wreath

3.5.20: goldenrod update

3.5.19: TT: prep bowl

3.5.18: Tesha's crockpot potato soup

3.5.17: ahi tuna with 2 sauces

3.5.16: champagne and chambord 

Easter Vegetable Tray by Jenny

Hey there! Jill’s non crafting, non cooking sister here! I can’t believe my social media is already popping up with Easter stuff (We haven’t gotten past the green beer season yet! 🍀).  But when this one came up I thought it was too cute (and easy) not to share with my sister! Love this so much! 

3.4.25: thru the years

3.4.24: pvc toilet paper holder 

3.4.23: Words

3.4.22: blueberry muffins 

3.4.21: tiktok pasta by Brooke

3.4.20: baked mushrooms

3.4.19: DIY car air freshener

3.4.18: Sheryl's chili

3.4.17: cream cheese feta dip

3.4.16: make a kids travel snack dispenser 

 

Tip-sy Tuesday: Sauces you can Make From Scratch

 

My sis sent me this little sauce-making cheat-sheet, thought I'd share! I'm a dipper, so having this means I can make allllll the sauces now hahahah. 

YUM YUM SAUCE

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 4 T. water
• 2 1/2 T. ketchup
• 2 T. granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 T. rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 T. butter
• 2 t. onion powder
• 1 t. sweet Hungarian paprika

CHICK-FIL-A SAUCE

• 2 t. yellow mustard
• 2 T. barbecue sauce
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 T. honey
• 1/8 t. garlic powder

OLIVE GARDEN ALFREDO SAUCE

• 6 T. butter
• 1 T. garlic
• 1 t. garlic. flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 1/3 cups whipping cream
• 1/2 t. salt
• 16 oz. fettuccine
• fresh parsley

CHICKEN FINGER DIPPING SAUCE

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/2 t. garlic salt
• 1 t. black pepper
• 1 t. hot sauce (Cholula)
• 1/2 t. worcestershire sauce

HONEY MUSTARD SAUCE

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 T. yellow mustard
• 3 T. honey
• 2 t. apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 t. paprika
• 1/4 t. garlic powder
• 1/4 t. salt

SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE

• 6 oz. pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 t. soy sauce
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 T. cornstarch
• 1 T. water
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• red food coloring

3.3.25: march 3rd

3.3.24: 🔥 week 9

3.3.23: starch madness: yogurt bagels

3.3.22: St. Patrick's gnome

3.3.21: red and green enchiladas

3.3.20: TT: copycat Old Bay seasoning 

3.3.19: 🔥week 9

3.3.18: host an Oscar party

3.3.17: Brooke decorates her phone charger

3.3.16: photo class - self portraits

Organizing iPhone Notes

I don't have anything to show you today but I am working on organizing my 200+ notes that I have in the Note app on my phone. I have miscellaneous notes starting in 2013 until now and when I want to find something I have to scroll thru the entire list until I come across it. Which is a pain but not something I thought about organizing until now. I found a helpful video on YouTube (click here to watch it or search for 'how to organize Apple notes' by MinorCo). The idea is to create folders and subfolders to store the notes in categories, and also to tag each note so you can quickly find the note you're looking for. 

Example: I have a folder labeled MMDC, subfolder named 'guest posts' with a tag named #buffy. To find the posts that Buffy has made I can look in the 'guest post' folder or I can just click on the tag down below and it will take me to any post that I've added the #buffy tag. 

I've only done 11 notes so far with another 197 to go, but I'm liking how this is going and the app is going to function so much better for me. 

3.2.25: 🔥week 9

3.2.24: words 

3.2.23: starch madness: french bread pizza

3.2.22: ribbon mask leash

3.2.21: TT no stick foil tip

3.2.20: breaded baked eggplant

3.2.19: arugula with pancetta salad

3.2.18: Gracie's watercolor mermaid

3.2.17: two bean salad with mustard vinaigrette 

3.2.16: framed calendar pictures

🔥 Around the Campfire (week 9)

Dear Campers ~ 

Here's a quick recap in case you missed anything at camp last week:

Posts ~

2/22: 🔥 week 9

2/23: melting bottle wax

2/24: TT cleaning suede 

2/25: Hawaiin roll hot dog bun 

2/26: rueben casserole 

2/27: MFIH: cheesy broccoli chicken and rice casserole 

2/28: words (sunshine on my shoulders)

What's Cooking ~

• baked individual pizzas (we did thin crust with ham and mushrooms), caesar salad 
• crockpot pot roast with baby potatoes and carrots 
• shake and bake pounded chicken breasts, chickpea pasta with marinara and mozzarella balls
• roasted salmon, quinoa with olive oil and parmesan, roasted green beans
• grilled steak, roasted baby potatoes or tater tots (we had a house divided for Sunday supper haha)

That's it for this week! See you next week for more projects, crafts, recipes, whatever we can think of to make at camp - bye :)

Sincerely ~

Jill

camp counselor

3.1.25: words (sneak out)

3.1.24: pot pie by P

3.1.23: starch madness: starchy foods

3.1.22: TT microwave baked potatoes

3.1.21: make a bracelet out of pretty ribbon

3.1.20: 🔥week 9

3.1.19: boho sling bag

3.1.18: password keeper

3.1.17: Julie's key lime pie

3.1.16: organize the spice drawer  

2/28 ~ Words

 

It was SO beautiful here yesterday - sunny and 54'...Spring is coming people!!! 

2.28.25: March challenge (limit shopping)

2.28.24: boursin chicken 

2.28.23: TT: snickerdoodle white choc chip cookies

2.28.22: tater tot sausage breakfast casserole

2.28.21: 🔥 week 9

2.28.20: make your own dryer sponges

2.28.19: cucumber 'sushi' appetizer

2.28.18: March step challenge

2.28.17: tip for how to clean the oven window glass

2.28.16: grilled steak and chicken salad

My Family Is Hungry: Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

"Tonight's dinner was a slight spin on a classic meal that we used to have all the time as kids! Cheesy chicken and rice with broccoli used to be a staple in our house growing up in the 90's. Tonight's casserole was very similar, although a little runnier than what I remember from when I was little, but still delicious nonetheless. I liked the carrots and the crisps that went on top of the meal! Both added great texture. This is a great comfort meal for those cold winter days, although it was finally in the 50s here today! 😊" 

For this week's family feast I made Broccoli Chicken and Rice Casserole that I saw online at Mel's Kitchen Cafe - easy and delicious. I followed the recipe exactly other than I substituted gluten free all-purpose flour in the sauce so everyone could eat it, and for the gluten free house I used GF ritz like crackers (non gluten-free houses got regular ritz topping). Dave and I both really like this one, the above quote is Macey's review - I didn't get a review from Georgia the 2 year old hahah.  But it's a winner! 

I'm just copy/pasting the recipe as written since I didn't change a thing. Recipe found here, she has more info and pictures if you want to see them.

CHEESY BROCCOLI CHICKEN AND RICE CASSEROLE

yield: 8 SERVINGS

 

cook time: 30MINUTES MINS

total time: 30MINUTES MINS

INGREDIENTS

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup diced carrots
• ½ cup diced onion
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes and softened
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Pinch of dried thyme
• Pinch of black pepper
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 3 cups broccoli florets, chopped small
• 3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
• 2 cups cooked white or brown rice (see note)
• 1 ½ cups coarsely crushed Ritz crackers (about 1 sleeve, 32 crackers)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking pan and set aside.
• In a 12-inch deep skillet (if you don't have a deep skillet, use a 4- or 5-quart pot or saucepan), melt the butter over medium heat and add the carrots, onion and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the veggies soften a bit, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually whisk in the broth until smooth, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until thickened.
• Add cream cheese, salt, thyme and pepper. Continue cooking, whisking until mostly smooth (it's ok for there to be a few small lumps of cream cheese - you won't even notice them at the end).
• Off the heat, add the cheddar cheese and stir until combined. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed (this is important for flavor)! Set aside.
• Combine broccoli florets and 1/2 cup water in microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave for 3 to 4 minutes until broccoli is tender. (Alternately, you can steam the broccoli on the stovetop.) Drain excess water.
• To the cheese sauce, add the steamed broccoli, chicken and rice. Mix until evenly combined. Spread evenly in the prepared baking dish.
• In a small bowl, stir together the cracker crumbs and melted butter. Spread this mixture evenly over the top of the casserole.
• Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until hot and bubbling and the cracker topping is lightly golden (if it browns too quickly on top, lightly cover with foil and continue baking until the casserole is hot throughout). Serve immediately.

Rice: the rice should be lightly packed into a cup - don't cram it in there or the casserole will be dry. If you're the weighing type, you'll want about about 12 ounces of cooked rice, give or take a bit.

 

meals ready for delivery!

PS: Happy Birthday Mark!!! 

2.27.25: felt shamrocks

2.27.24: tt make brown sugar

2.27.23: paper folder #2

2.27.22: 🔥 week 9 

2.27.21: irish coffee

2.27.20: goldenrod

2.27.19: samoa sheet cake

2.27.18: quinoa salad

2.27.17:  make a beaded bauble ring

2.27.16: tomato pear chutney

Rueben Casserole (Throwback Thursday)

I've been going thru old recipes (I still have an old box that I used to use before I changed to a binder system, it hangs out in the top of my cookbook cupboard and I have to get a tall stool out in order to access that high shelf haha, I decided to go thru some of these old ones and share with you even if I don't have a picture!). 

I don't remember my mom making this but it's her handwriting so it's either something she made and I didn't eat because until I was about 30 I despised sauerkraut!! I love it now for some reason - and I think this casserole using a base of rueben sandwich ingredients topped with a bisquick mixture might be delish.  I'll add it to recipes I want to make in the future and let you know how it goes once I do!

Note: the recipe calls for a can of corned beef, I assume that's like the kind you'd use for corned beef hash right? When I first saw the recipe I thought of sliced deli corned beef like you'd use for a rueben sandwich...what do you think, should we try it with canned? I'm pretty sure it's really high in sodium and I'm thinking I'll go with either deli meat slices, or I'll use the leftover corned beef  that I make for St. Patrick's Day. 

Here's the recipe as written, do what you want about what kind of corned beef you use:

Layer in an 8x8" baking dish:

• 1 can corned beef
• 1 (6 - 8 oz.) package swiss cheese
• 1 (14.5 - 16oz) can sauerkraut

Mix together and spread over the above:

1 cup Bisquick baking mix 

1/3 cup mayonnaise 

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

Bake at 400' for 30 minutes. 

2.26.25: shamrock pretzels 

2.26.24: marinated cheese appetizer

2.26.23: 🔥 week 9

2.26.22: oops I missed a day!

2.26.21: laundry room refresh 

2.26.20: chicken with balsamic peppers

2.26.19: tip-sy tuesday: stained carpet

2.26.18: adding a safety chain to a bracelet

2.26.17: Missy's seafood gumbo