BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

I suppose it is time for me to add a baking recipe to my blog after all the savory dinner recipes I have posted about.  That being said, I just need to say that I just love blueberries.  I love their plump, sweet juiciness.  I have for as long as I can remember and they are one of my favorite berries.  I also like muffins.  Consequently blueberry muffins are my favorite.  I had not made muffins for a long time so when I had some relatives visiting a few weeks ago, I decided I would make blueberry muffins for us for breakfast.  They were most tasty.  These would be great to make for Mom on "Mother's Day."   Happy Mother's Day Mom!  Love you!  Now, let's get to cooking.

Recipe Source:  Adapted from a muffin recipe in an old Five Roses Flour cookbook.

The ingredients you will need are:

• 3/4 c Milk
• 5 TBSP Melted Butter or Margarine
• 2 tsp Vanilla
• 2 Eggs
• 2 cups Flour
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 3 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Salt
• 3/4 cup Frozen Blueberries, lightly mixed/dusted with 1 TBSP of flour

Recipe Yield:  11 - 12 muffins 

DIRECTIONS

1.  Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.  Line muffin pan with paper cups or lightly grease muffin pan.

2.  In a bowl mix together the "wet" ingredients:  Milk, Melted Butter or Margarine, Vanilla, Eggs.  Set aside.

3.  In separate bowl mix together the "dry" ingredients:  Flour, Baking Powder, Salt, and Sugar.

4.  In a third bowl, lightly dust blueberries with a tablespoon of flour.

5.  Make a "well" in the dry ingredients.


6.  Pour "wet" ingredients into the well and GENTLY stir.  Be careful not to over mix.

7.  Gently fold in blueberries.

 

8.  Spoon batter into paper cups in muffin pan until about 2/3 full.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.

 9.  Allow muffins to cool slightly and then remove muffins from pan.  Serve muffins while they are still warm with butter, if desired.

10.  Freeze any remaining muffins in freeze and allow to slowly thaw on counter or in fridge for best results.

Enjoy your delicious blueberry muffins!

MOM'S SWEET & SOUR CHICKEN

 

I love this Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe.  It is just so tasty and delicious.  It is an original recipe created by my mom.  This is another dish my mom made for us when we were growing up.  It can be used with any chicken pieces but the favourite one to use it on are chicken thighs.  It is being shared with her knowledge and permission.  Now let's get to cooking!

These are the ingredients you need to make this scrumptious dish:

• 4 chicken thighs or breasts (or your favorite types of chicken pieces)
• 3/4  cup ketchup
• 2 TBSP white vinegar
• 1 cup finely chopped onions
• 3/4 cup water
• 4 TBSP soya sauce
• 1/2 brown sugar 

* OPTIONAL * - 1 TBSP Cornstarch (dissolved with 3/4 cup of water (not pictured - if desired for a thicker sauce)

This recipe should serve/feed 2-4 people.  The recipe can be easily doubled or tripled to accommodate bigger families or groups of people.

DIRECTIONS

1.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Skin chicken pieces (if necessary) and brown meat (if desired).  Place in an OVEN proof dish.

3.   Combine ketchup, vinegar, chopped onions, water (if wanting a thick sauce -dissolve 1 TBSP of cornstarch in water), soya sauce and brown sugar.  Mix until all ingredients have been incorporated together.

3.  Pour sauce over chicken in oven proof dish.  If necessary, spoon sauce so it fully covers the chicken pieces.

6.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 - 1 1/2 hours and baste chicken frequently.   Serve the Sweet and Sour Chicken sauce over rice with sides of vegetables or salad.

Thin Sweet & Sour Chicken Sauce  (Made without cornstarch)

Thick Sweet & Sour Chicken Sauce (Made with cornstarch)

7.  Refrigerate any leftovers in a covered fridge safe container.  May be easily reheated in microwave.

Enjoy your meal!

MOM'S CHILI

This is my mom's chili recipe.  It is simple to make and oh so very tasty!  I remember eating this a lot while growing up and it is still one of my favourite go-to recipes to make.  One memory I have of this Chili is we would eat it on Halloween.  Now enough reminiscing and on to cooking!

The ingredients needed to make this delicious chili are:

  

• 1 lb lean ground beef 
• 1/2 - 1 cup chopped onions
• 2 - 4 TSP of Chili powder (or more - to taste)
• 2 10 oz cans of Tomato soup (I know only 1 is pictured)
• 1 14.5 oz can of Stewed Tomatoes
• 3 19 fl oz cans of Red Kidney Beans  (I know only 2 are pictured)

This recipe should serve/feed 4-6 people.

DIRECTIONS

1.  Place ground beef and chopped onion in a large pot.

 
2.  Brown ground beef over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and onions are soft.  Stir occasionally to avoiding burning.

 
3.  Drain off excess fat.

4.  Add chili powder.  Stir until chili powder has been incorporated into the beef and onion mixture.

 
5.  Stir in condensed tomato soup, can of stewed tomatoes, and kidney beans. Stir until all the ingredients are fully incorporated.  Allow the chili to come to a boil and gently stir constantly to avoid burning chili and crushing up the kidney beans.

 

6.  Ladle chili into individual bowls and garnish with grated cheese, sour cream (if desired) and serve with bread, biscuits, or tossed salad.

7.  Refrigerate any leftovers in a covered dish.  May be reheated easily in the microwave or stove top.

Enjoy!

MEATBALLS AND MUSHROOM GRAVY

 

Yum! Yum!  Yum!  I love this recipe.  It has simple ingredients, easy to make, and is most importantly very tasty!  I had this meal often growing up.  It is also a meal my dad especially liked!  In addition to how delicious it is, I also like making it now because of how easy it is to form the meatballs using a small cookie scoop.  It is a recipe that anyone can make and is versatile.  The gravy is versatile in that it can be served over potatoes, rice, or your favorite noodles.  I personally like it over mashed potatoes the most.  Pair with a side salad or any vegetable(s) and serve it tonight.  Now let's get cooking!

The ingredients you will need are the following:

 

• 1 lb lean ground hamburger 
• 1 cup of onion, minced  (You could use less if you prefer)
• 2 eggs (slightly beaten)
• Approximately 10 finely crushed up saltine crackers
• Garlic Salt (optional - to taste)
• Ground black pepper (optional - to taste - not pictured)
• Approximately 9 sliced fresh brown or white mushrooms (or more if you prefer)
• 3 cans of Cream of Mushroom soup  (I like using Campbell's) 

The recipe should serve/feed between 6-7 people.

DIRECTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Line cookie sheet with Aluminum foil.

3.  Place thawed ground hamburger in bowl.

4.  Add 1 cup minced onion (or approximately half of a large onion).  Less amount if you find there is going to be too much onion.

5.  Pour in 2 slightly beaten large eggs.  And mix together with your hands or spoon.

6.  Pour in crushed up crackers into meat mixture, sprinkle garlic salt, and ground black pepper (optional) over mixture - to taste.

7.  With your hands or a spoon mix together until all ingredients are fully incorporated.

8.  Using a small cookie scoop form meatballs and place on Aluminum foiled cookie sheet.

11.  When completed placing on cookie sheet bake in 350 degree oven for approximately 30-35 minutes.  Check after 30 minutes to make sure there is NO pink inside.

12.  As the meatballs are baking, slice the mushrooms up and saute them in a pan or pot with a little oil or butter until tender and set aside.  When this done heat up soup until hot - either in the microwave or on the stove top and combine with mushrooms in a big pot or big serving bowl.

13.  When meatballs are done, gently combine them with the soup/mushroom mixture and serve immediately over mashed, roasted, or baked potatoes, rice or noodles.  If you find that the gravy is too thick you may need to add a little hot water to the gravy mixture to make it a more "gravy" like consistency.

NOTE:  Place any leftovers in a fridge safe container.  The meatball and mushroom gravy keeps very well in fridge for a couple of days and is easily reheated in the microwave or stove top.

Enjoy!