We've all been there; we come in from working outside and everyone is hungry. You open the pantry door and you don't have a clue what to make. To you it looks like nothing but I have a few tricks I have learned from living where there isn't a store right down the road. We plan ahead because it can be a couple of weeks or even a month before you can make it to town again. I have learned from my Mother and my Grandmother how to make something from just about nothing and stretch what you have. I hope it helps!

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Peach Cobbler
4 cups peeled and sliced peaches
2 T. lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 cup milk
1 cup s/r flour
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter or margarine
Preheat oven=2 0to 350 degrees. Melt stick of butter in oven proof casserole dish in oven while making pie ingredients.
Pour the two T. lemon juice over the peaches. Stir to coat. Pour 1/2 cup sugar over peaches. Stir. Heat in microwave for 1 minute so that sugar begins to melt.
Mix together 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and cinnamon until blended. Pour in 1 cup milk and mix until blended.
After butter is melted, take casserole out of oven and pour batter on top of melted butter. Pour peaches on top of batter.
DO NOT STIR! Sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar over pie.
Place in 350 oven and cook for 55 minutes or until golden.
If you don’t have fresh peaches or just want an easier way to do this, substitute the following for the fresh peaches:

Easy Day Cobbler
1 29 0 z. can sliced peaches in syrup
1 T. lemon juice
This can be substituted for fresh peaches.



7 Can Casserol

2 cans Swanson’s chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can green beans (drained)
1 can canned milk
1 can La Choy Chowmien noodles

In a medium casserole dish, layer chicken soup, chicken , mushroom soup, green beans, stir in can of milk. Bake in the oven at 350o till heated and bubbling then top with chowmien noodles and bake another 5-7 minutes.

This is a good casserole for when times are tough, it costs about $6.00
and the kids love it!

Monday, August 24, 2009

Hamburger Gravy
When the girls were young the money was a little more scarce at our house. God always blessed Todd with an elk and deer to put in the freezer, so we had alot of elk Burger. I soon found many ways to use elk burger.

One of our fast favorites was Hamburger Gravy.


We always had the butcher add beef suet to the elk burger it really helped it from being so dry, and it really brought out the taste of the elk.

My husband's dad taught him and his brother how to take real good care of their game and it has always paid off. I cannot remember a time we had an Elk or Deer that tasted so gamey you couldn't stand to eat it.

I learned from my mom how important it is to always keep meat, potatoes and as much fresh and canned vegetables on hand. That seems to be the main staples for most men and hard working girls.


I always browned my hamburger or elk burger slowly, this usually gave us enough time for a practice in the arena and then time to do chores.

To the browned hamburger add 10 large fresh mushroom diced, some diced onion, and salt and pepper.
then add 1 large can of cream of mushroom soup and enough milk to make it a smooth gravy, after the mixture comes to a boil I like to add 1 can of drained green beans. Serve over rice, mashed potatoes or egg noodles. Wa-la!

Sunday, August 23, 2009

School is starting soon and when the girls were young they loved to make "Hole in ones." I have heard them called alot of things, egg in a basket, toadhole, etc etc. but at our house we always had a knack for coming up with our own names for things. So Hole-in-ones were what we called this quick breakfast. I always had a sweet little Teflon pan that the girls have called the egg pan for ever, and I think each one of them has one like it.
Melt a spat of butter in the pan on medium heat, then with a small cup cut a hole in a slice of bread lay it in the pan, crack an egg in the center. (if you have your own hens and a rooster, crack the egg in a small bowl to check it and then pour into the center of the egg) let the egg cook till firm enough to turn, flip and let cook another 2-3 minutes depending how you like your egg. Easy and fast.
There is nothing like banana bread straight from the oven. Since my over is in a box in the garage waiting its turn to be installed, I went to my moms with a 40 pound sack of frozen bananas, to make banana bread, besides she is baby-sitting my new Black Kichen Aid Mixer and I wanted to try it out.
Just a tip: I throw my "too ripe" bananas in a zip lock in the freezer and wait for a good day to make bread.
I Love my Banana Bread recipe, I got it from a friend at work a long time ago and even though I have other recipes this one is so fast and easy, I have it memorized. Give it a try!

Banana Bread

Preheat oven to 350 for 30 to 40 minutes, toward the end of the time I test it often with a pick.
2 eggs
3 bananas
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 cube butter)
1 Tbsp. vanilla
mix these ingredients then add:
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
then......the best part, sprinkle the top of the batter with brown sugar!
this recipe makes one large loaf.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

COMING SOON!!!!!

Ideas for meals and the recipes I use over and over!