Brown Sugar Oatmeal Biscuits

Now mind you, I'm not an oatmeal lover. I like oatmeal cookies, I like oatmeal cake, I like oatmeal in my granola bars. But to eat cooked oatmeal for breakfast, no thanks. I know, it's supposed to be good for you and help lower your cholesterol. Still, I'm not a fan. Then this morning, after I woke up, I was thinking what can I make and bake different for breakfast. I kept thinking about the oatmeal cake that I do like. So I figured, why not try to combine the best of two worlds. Oatmeal cake and biscuits. The finished product was amazing. Here, let me tell you how I did it.

1 cup quick cooking oats

1 1/4 cuo boiling water

1 cup brown sugar, packed

Pour boiling water over oatmeal. Stir in brown sugar, set aside.

3 1/2 cup self rising flour

1 tsp salt

1 stick butter, cold, cubed

1/4 - 1/2 cup buttermilk, if needed to moisten the dough

4 tbsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Stir together flour and salt. Cut cold butter into flour mixture until the size of peas. Stir in oatmeal mixture. Mix should be thick. If needed add buttermilk, small amounts at a time, to bring dough together. Turn out onto a floured surface. Knead a couple times being careful not to overwork dough, avoiding tough biscuits. Pat dough out until about 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick. Cut out biscuits with a biscuit cutter. If you don't have a biscuit cutter, use a drinking glass. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Brush with melted butter. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Add glaze if desired.

I desired so this is how I made the glaze.

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tbsp water

Stir until mixed well and smooth. Drizzle over warm biscuits. Let set.

Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls

3 cups Self Rising Flour

Pinch Salt

1 1/4 cup buttermilk

1 stick cold butter

1 stick melted butter, separated

1/2 cup sugar

2-3 tsp ground cinnamon

2 cups Powdered Sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 350º. Spray baking sheet with non stick spray.

Mix flour and salt. Cut in butter. Stir in buttermilk just until mixed. Spoon out onto a floured surface. Knead a couple of times until not sticky. Pat into a rectangle about 1/2" thick. Pour all but 2 Tbsp melted butter on surface of dough, brushing to cover surface well. Mix sugar and cinnamon. Amount of cinnamon depends upon your taste. I used 3 tsp. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top of melted butter. Roll up, from long edge. With a serrated or very sharp knife, Cut log in half. Then cut halves in half. Now cut each half into 3 equal pieces. Place on baking sheet. I used a quarter sheet pan. Bake 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven. Make topping and spread over warm rolls.

In medium bowl, stir together powdered sugar, vanilla, milk and 2Tbsp remaining melted butter. Mixture will be slightly thick. If you would like a thinner mix, just add more milk one tsp at a time until desired consistency. Spoon on top of warm rolls. Topping will set up as rolls cool.

Enjoy!

Homemade Mashed Potato Pancakes

I learned to make these from my mother. She always told me to start with cold, leftover mashed potatoes. If you use freshly made mashed potatoes they will not come out. Typically I have about 2-3 cups leftover potatoes. Why? When there is only 2 of us? I'm so used to cooking for a large number of people. Growing up I learned to cook for 7 people. Then I raised 2 big sons. So, trying to cut down on quantity has been difficult. But, no worries, these are good leftover as well.

I don't have an exact written down recipe. But....

In a medium bowl, add leftover potatoes. Add one beaten egg, diced onion, (you decide how much you like.) I use about 1/2 cup. Stir in flour. Not too much or they will come out like bread. Maybe 1/2 cup. Start with 1/4 cup. Stir well. Salt and pepper to taste. You want them to be stiff. Now heat oil in a non stick fry pan. I like my black cast iron skillet but it is well seasoned and food does not stick.  Add enough oil to cover bottom of pan well. I use an ice cream scoop to measure out the potatoes. It keeps them equal in size so they will cook evenly. Drop by scoop full into hot oil. Flatten slightly with spatula. Brown well and carefully turn over and brown well on other side. They will be hot throughout.

We like them plain but you can top them with sour cream if you like.

Hope you enjoy as much as we do.

ps.  these can be made up in the morning, refrigerated, and cooked for dinner.

Homemade Mashed Potato Pancakes

I learned to make these from my mother. She always told me to start with cold, leftover mashed potatoes. If you use freshly made mashed potatoes they will not come out. Typically I have about 2-3 cups leftover potatoes. Why? When there is only 2 of us? I'm so used to cooking for a large number of people. Growing up I learned to cook for 7 people. Then I raised 2 big sons. So, trying to cut down on quantity has been difficult. But, no worries, these are good leftover as well.

I don't have an exact written down recipe. But....

In a medium bowl, add leftover potatoes. Add one beaten egg, diced onion, (you decide how much you like.) I use about 1/2 cup. Stir in flour. Not too much or they will come out like bread. Maybe 1/2 cup. Start with 1/4 cup. Stir well. Salt and pepper to taste. You want them to be stiff. Now heat oil in a non stick fry pan. I like my black cast iron skillet but it is well seasoned and food does not stick.  Add enough oil to cover bottom of pan well. I use an ice cream scoop to measure out the potatoes. It keeps them equal in size so they will cook evenly. Drop by scoop full into hot oil. Brown well and carefully turn over and brown well on other side. They will be hot throughout.

We like them plain but you can top them with sour cream if you like.

Hope you enjoy as much as we do.

ps.  these can be made up in the morning, refrigerated, and cooked for dinner.

Merry Rozar's Christmas in July

Two weeks ago I said to my hubby, "Lets have Christmas in July. Lets get out the tree and the lawn decorations and have Christmas." He said "OK" but that's as far as it went. We never gave it another thought. Then I came up with another idea. This past December I took a bundle of Christmas goodies decorated with Christmas cheer to a great friend of his. So I decided, "Why not. Let's have Christmas in July." And that is just what we did. I made a few things and off to Birmingham we went this morning with the trunk full of Christmas goodies to be delivered to Rozar's Auto Paint Supply.  All that was missing was the colder temperatures and Christmas music. Well, I could have gotten out the CD's but that was going too far. With the help of a few table decorations, and a Christmas tablecloth, I think I pulled it off.  An inviting chalk board sign wishing a Merry Christmas in July to the Rozar's family, a snowman complete with a black top hat seeming to make the temperatures chilly. There were warm biscuits and venison sausage, a cinnamon roll cake, a must have flavor for the holidays, kicked up crackers nestled in a sleigh ready for take off, chocolate toffee no bake cookies, creamy chocolate gravy, and broccoli salad. I hope everyone had as much fun as I did. Now I can't wait for Christmas in December.

Mini Meatloaf

My hubby loves meatloaf. He could eat it twice a week and have sandwiches with the leftovers if I made it that often. But I don't. Well, because I don't LIKE meatloaf. Maybe its the name, meat-loaf. Loaf.....what does that say for a food that most people love? My daughter-in-law says "what's wrong with you" and I have to respond "I don't like meatloaf." My family loves it when I take it right out of the oven, cold from the fridge, sliced, and made into a sandwich, extra ketchup please! But I have never been a fan. Now, have I said enough times that "I don't like meatloaf." But I will confess, I do like this meatloaf. I think its the sauce. You see, I'm not big on ketchup. And a lot of people I know put just ketchup on their meatloaf when they cook it. Or tomato sauce. What's up with that. Tomato Sauce? Really? It has absolutely no flavor until you mix it with other delicious products to make it good.

Now my sauce, its made with ketchup, Worcestershire, brown sugar, and vinegar. I believe that is what makes it extra special. Just a touch of sweetness from the brown sugar with a little tang from the vinegar. Yumm! Try it today. And be sure to save a little sauce on the side for dipping at the table.


Mini Meatloaves

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup Italian style bread crumbs
2 tbsp ketchup
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Sauce

1 cup ketchup
2 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. white vinegar

Stir together well and set aside.

Mix all ingredients together. Form into 4 patties. Brown on both sides. Remove from frying pan and place on baking sheet. Preheat oven to 400º. Coat each mini meatloaf with a generous helping of sauce. Bake 20-30 minutes until done. Check after 20 mins. Be sure not to over bake as they will become dry.

Leftovers are better the second time around!

Well, I haven't been on here in quite a while. Alot of things have been going on but I'm going to try to get to as much as possible. Since I was last here, I lost my job and been a stay at home wife and grandmother. Loving all my time with my sweet, precious grandsons. What could be better? But with extra time on my hands, and trying to be creative and save money on groceries, I am trying to come up with some new ideas for creations with leftovers. 

Now Pork Chops are my favorite meat on the entire planet. Whether they are fried, barbecued, ground into burgers (delicious) or one of my favorites, a southern thing, SMOTHERED! That simply means we lightly brown the meat, sautee veggies, add a little broth and simmer away. With a few simple ingredients you have 2 meals in one.

As you can see, my Smothered Pork Chops are full of onions, peppers, gravy, all kinds of deliciousness. But if you are like us, only 2 people to feed and having 4 pork chops, you will have leftovers. No need to throw away this pot of deliciousness or not look forward to having the same meal again. Turn your leftovers into Smothered Pork Chop Soup.

I started with a few diced potatoes, carrots, onions and celery. Then I added the leftover pork chops along with the delicious broth and peppers, added a little more broth until I achieved the desired consistency and let it simmer 40-45 mins. Serve with cornbread and  you have a meal that you will think was created from scratch, not leftovers.

So don't throw away leftovers. Create something delicious. It's even better the second time around.

And, you get to save money by using your leftovers up instead of throwing them away.

I hope you enjoy my post. Please leave me a message and let me know what you think.