My Favorite Asparagus Dish

ASPARAGUS AND MORE ASPARAGUS...

It's that time of year for this spring veggie!

My hubby doesn't do a lot in the kitchen, but every year he buys a 5 gallon bucket of fresh picked asparagus from a local farmer, and then helps me put it up in the freezer.

I really appreciate his help too, and would hate to do it all myself.

We began by bending the stalks - they break naturally where the tough part begins - then filled the sink with water and washed them.  Then I sorted them by size - blanched a bunch at a time, plunged them into cold water (I didn't do this last year, and they turned out much softer) then let them cool on a cookie sheet like this.

Depending on the size of the stalk, I blanched them in boiling water from

1-1/2 - 3 minutes.

After they cooled, hubby put them in vaccum pack bags.  He loves doing things like that, and I'm so thankful!  He also loves to carve meat.  He'll bring home a big pork loin, cut it into pieces, and freeze them.

HE'S A KEEPER FOR SURE!! 

(For many reasons far beyond this!)

Then I made one of my favorite vegetable dishes for dinner that night.

A friend made this for me many years ago and it was definitely LOVE AT FIRST BITE!

I could eat a plateful of this for my meal!

This recipe can be found on page 32 in my cookbook. *-*

ASPARAGUS CASSEROLE

1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed

4 Tb. butter or margarine, melted

2 (15 ozs) cans asparagus spears, drained

(or about 2 cups fresh cooked - el dente)

{I always cut the spears into pieces for easier serving}

1 (8 ozs) can sliced water chestnuts, optional

2 - 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

(I prefer more)

1/2 c. evaporated (or 2%) milk

1 (10 ozs) can cream of mushroom soup

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9" square baking dish.  In small bowl, mix cracker crumbs with butter; place half in bottom of dish. Layer asparagus, water chestnuts and chopped eggs on top of crumbs. In small bowl, mix milk and soup; pour over top.  Sprinkle remaining cracker crumbs on top.  Bake 30 minutes or until bubbly.

YUMMY! YUMMY! YUMMY!

Linked to Everyday Sisters Sharing Sunday - Green

Weekend Potluck

Gooseberry Patch Roundup

Makeover Strawberry Rhubarb Crunch

   

This is another great recipe I just had to have in my cookbook.

Rhubarb and strawberries make the perfect combo of tart and sweet. MMMM!

It's called a 'makeover' because it has been made healthier by using lower-fat/sugar-free products.

We enjoyed much rhubarb when I was a kid.  I sometimes think it's something you have to grow up with to like, because it can be disliked by those who haven't ventured to try it in their childhood.

I keep rhubarb in my freezer during the year so I can make dishes like this anytime.

One of my daughter-in-loves loves to eat it raw, and the more sour it is, the better she likes it.  Hmm....to each his (or her) own, right? 

Do hope you'll try this and enjoy it as much as we do.

'Tis the season....

MAKEOVER STRAWBERRY RHUBARB CRUNCH

1/2 c. sugar

2 Tb. cornstarch

2-1/2 c. sliced fresh strawberries

(I often use frozen since they're going to be cooked anyway)

2 c. diced fresh or frozen rhubarb

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 Tb. sugar free strawberry jello, dry

2/3 c. all purpose flour

1/2 c. quick-cooking oats

1/4 c. brown sugar blend (Splenda)

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 c. cold butter

reduced-fat whipped topping or reduced-fat strawberry  or vanilla ice cream, optional

Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 8" square baking dish with cooking spray. In a large saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in strawberries and rhubarb until blended. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 - 2 minutes or until thickened.  Remove from heat; add vanilla and stir in jello until dissolved.  In small bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar blend and cinnamon; cut in butter until crumbly.  Sprinkle over fruit mixture. Bake 25 - 30 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is golden brown. Serve with whipped topping or ice cream if desired.  Yield: 6 servings

One serving without topping = 210 calories, 6 gr. fat (4 saturated), 45 mg sodium, 37 carb, 2 fiber, 2 protein

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Ingredient Spotlight - Strawberries

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Meal Plan Monday

Old-Fashioned Beef Stew from Once-A-Month Cooking

This is an interesting recipe from this terrific book that I won a few months ago at a giveaway at Jane Doiron's....Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms.

This cookbook is authored by Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth Lagerborg.  I'm honored that Mary Beth signed the book for me.

When I spent time at my daughter's a while back, this dish was something I was able to whip up in just a few minutes, to put in her freezer for them to eat later.

It's truly an amazing concept!

Place the ingredients in a ziploc freezer bag, then toss into the freezer until you're ready to thaw, then cook it in a crockpot.

(Deb said they really enjoyed this meal.  She added a little more worchestershire and thickened the gravy.  She also said it was ready after 6 hrs. in the crockpot.)

Here's what you do....

MAKE AHEAD OLD-FASHIONED BEEF STEW

1 lb. beef stew meat

3 cups (24 ozs) V8 juice

1 cup (8 ozs) beef broth

1/2 sliced onion

1 tsp. worchestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. dried marjoram

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1 bay leaf

1 cup (8 ozs) frozen green beans

1 cup (8 ozs) frozen whole kernel corn

1 cup chopped carrots

(To save time and work, we opted to use a bag of frozen stew vegetables instead=)

Pour all the ingredients, with vegetables still frozen, but broken apart as much as possible, into a 10-cup freezer container (gallon ziploc freezer bag works fine).

To serve, thaw.  Pour into a slow cooker.  Cook on low for 6 - 8 hours.

(My thinking is that if you are not using fresh veggies, you may not have to cook it as long)?

SUMMARY OF PROCESSES: Slice 1/2 onion; chop 1 cup carrots

Serves 8

(The authors suggest you always use fresh meat before freezing...refreezing meat that has once been frozen, is not a good idea)

If you want to thicken sauce, mix some cornstarch with water then stir into stew before serving.

Some of the other recipes in this cookbook that sound wonderful...

~Sweet and Sour Chicken

~Apricot-Glazed Pork Roast

~Egg Bake

~Melt-in-Your-Mouth Chicken Pie

~Smothered Burritos

Cherry Chocolate Cake

I saw this picture recently and had to share the grins....

It's so appropriate for today's recipe....*-*

I like this cake...a lot!

It's easy to mix up and the flavor combination is great!

The last time I made it, I crumbled it up and made a trifle - layering instant white chocolate pudding, whipped topping, and cake.  It was fabulous!

(Sorry - I didn't think about taking a picture of that!)

You can sugar it 'down' by using a reduced-sugar cake mix and no-sugar added cherry pie filling.

It's delicious and moist - I hope you'll give it a try!

Just so you are aware, I decreased the frosting ingredients because it made too much for us.

If you want to cut even more sugar, just pour instant chocolate pudding over the top...using less milk than the box calls for.

CHERRY CHOCOLATE CAKE

1 18 ozs. pkg. chocolate cake mix

3 eggs

1 20 - ozs. can cherry pie filling

FROSTING:

1 c. white sugar (I used 3/4 c.)

5 Tb. butter (used 4 Tb.)

1/3 c. milk (used 1/4 c.)

1 c. chocolate chips  (used 3/4 c.)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour 9" X 13" baking dish. In large bowl, combine cake mix, eggs and pie filling.  Mix until well blended and pour into prepared pan.  Bake 30-35 minutes. Frost when cool.

To make frosting: In small saucepan, combine sugar, butter and milk; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cool 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips and stir until melted and smooth.  Pour over cake.

​

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Homemade Window Washing Recipes

It's springtime and don't we love looking out clean windows?  I sure do.  Thought this was good info to share with you now....

This is one of those valuable ‘Hints from Heloise’ that has been passed down from generation to generation. It not only works great, but is money-saving as well.

Photo credit: NYC library

HOMEMADE WINDOW WASHING RECIPE

Mix 1/2 cup nonsudsing ammonia with 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol and 1 tsp. dishwashing liquid with enough water to make 1 gallon of cleaner. Put in a clearly marked spray bottle. Drying with crumpled-up newspaper will give you a streak-free window too.


I also saw this recipe in my good blogging friend Lark's cookbook, so I'm sharing it also.  Maybe you have these ingredients on hand instead...

OUTDOOR WINDOW CLEANER

1/2 gal. warm water
2 - 3 Tb. (liquid) laundry or dishwasher detergent
1 Tb. liquid Jet Dry or other dishwasher wetting agent

Mix ingredients. Brush or sponge on window.  Immediately hose off.  Water will sheet off. No drying necessary. (sounds like my kind of work!)

CAUTION:  Be sure windows are tightly closed!  :-}