Maple Syrup

I told you yesterday that I'd give my maple syrup recipe that I sent along with the waffle mix for gifts.  This recipe is one that I have adapted from the Jonni McCoy gives in her book Miserly Moms: Living on One income in a Two Income Economy.   (Incidentally when I went to get the link for that book, I realized that she has an updated book, I linked the one I have, that is falling apart, I don't know if  the new one has the same recipes in it or not.)

My family loves this syrup and loves it when I take the time to make it.

2 Cups sugar
1/2 Cup water
1/2 Cup light corn syrup
1 tsp Maple extract
1 tsp Butter extract

Bring water, sugar and corn syrup to a slow boil over a low heat, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat before it comes to a rolling boil.  Add flavorings.  Store in the refrigerator.

You can make it without the corn syrup by doubling the water.  It will be thinner if you choose to do so.  My family likes the thickness of the corn syrup version.

If you pour it into clean mason type jars while it is still warm,  and put the lids and rings on the jars at this time, as it cools the jars will seal making the syrup shelf stable until they are opened.  Perfect for those gift giving occasions.

Oatmeal Waffles

Once upon a time, I was one of the thousands of teens who had braces.  What does braces have to do with waffles, you ask?  Well when you are a teen,  one that doesn't have a drivers license, someone, probably your mother,  has to drive you to the monthly appointments.  And said person must sit and wait for you while you get the delightful opportunity to have the entire contents of your mouth rearranged, tightened, and generally tortured.  While said  person is waiting, she will probably peruse the magazines provided in the waiting room.  And for two years she won't have to get subscriptions to the magazines that the dentist's wife likes, because each month new ones magically appear in the office waiting room.  While she enjoys those lovely new editions, there are likely to be recipes that she sees that she might like to try.  One of those recipes might just be a wonderful waffle recipe,

On one of my many orthodontist (or dentist, the two were the same person for me) appointments in my teen years, my mother found this oatmeal waffle recipe.  For the many years since she has made these waffles on Sunday mornings before church.  Many families have standing food rituals, like pizza on Friday night, or Sunday dinner after church, or homemade pizza on Saturday nights (that is mine).  My mom has Sunday morning oatmeal waffles.

1 C SELF RISING FLOUR

1 CUP OATS

1 TSP CINNAMON

2 TBLS BROWN SUGAR

¾ CUP BUTTER MELTED (I use ¾ cup applesauce)

2 EGGS

1 CUP MILK

1 TSP VANILLA

This her recipe that she has developed for two people (now her and my father).  She states you can add flour and milk to increase the recipe, keeping the rest of the indredents the same.  If using plain flour you can add 2 tsp.baking powder and 1 tsp salt.

I have mixed the dry ingredients, put them in a jar, fixed a cute tag listing the wet ingredients and preparation instructions, added a jar with my home made syrup (recipe to come tomorrow), and given as gifts.

Stir Fry Green Beans

I grew up with home canned green beans.  My grandfather canned dozens of quarts every year from his garden.  Every big meal and many daily meals were graced with the home grown and canned delicacies.  I rarely ate green beans from a tin can, only if I was a guest at someone's house.

However, since my grandfather's death, I haven't been able to open a can let alone have them on my table.  I have eaten them a few times at my parents, but they are saved for very special occasions, since the supply is now very limited.

I can also not stomach green beans from tin can.  The flavor isn't there, they are cooked beyond all recognition and are a limp mess on my plate.

So my brilliant husband taught me to make stir-fried green beans, and I fell in love again.  They fit perfectly on the plate where my grandfather's beans once stood.

For my family of six I use:

2 small or 1 large package of frozen cut green beans
2 cloves of garlic, crushed more if they are small.
1 stick of butter or margarine
ground ginger, to taste
Seasoned sale, taste

Melt butter in skillet,  add garlic ginger (I start with about 2 tsp) and Seasoned salt (I use Morton's Seasoned Salt and start with about 1 Tbsp).  Mix melted butter and seasonings well.  Add frozen green beans.  Toss carefully to coat with seasoning.  Cook, stirring frequently, until beans are desired doneness (Spell check tells me that isn't a word, but you know what I mean).  Towards the end taste and add seasonings as necessary.  I usually have to add to get to the right taste, but this is entirely personal.

Serve warm with meal.  (Or eat the entire batch by yourself :-) )

31 Days

Because I love a challenge and I want to jump start this recipe site, I am participating in 31 Days at The Nester.  I plan to post a recipe that I use in our family each day in October.  Often there will be  story to go with them.  So be on the look out on our family recipes and insight to my family.

1. Stir Fry Green Beans
2. Oatmeal Waffles
3. Maple Syrup
4. Honey Chicken
5. Creamy Chicken Cheese Pasta Skillet
6. German Potato Salad
7. Best Ever Yeast Rolls
8. Oatmeal Bread
9. Cinnamon Flop

Pizza

Dough - enough for 2 large pizzas

2 Cups warm water
4 tsp yeast
2 tsp sugar
6 cups all purpose flour
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp salt
1Tbsp Italian Seasoning mix

In a bowl mix yeast, sugar and water until dissolved.  Let sit for 5 minutes.  Preheat oven to 450F.
Add olive oil, salt, seasoning mix, mix well.  Add flour 1 cup at a time mixing well,  Once it is too thick to mix with spoon knead on a cutting  board until flour is added, and dough is smooth and no longer sticky.

Place dough in a clean bowl, cover with a clean towel and let rise for 5 to 30 minutes.  The more it rises the thicker the crust will be.

Roll dough out into a pizza shape, prick generously with fork.

Topping


Olive Oil
garlic
Italian Seasoning

Spread olive oil, pressed garlic clove, and Italian seasoning on crust. Place in preheated oven for 5 minutes.

Add toppings of choice.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes longer - switching halfway through baking.

We use mozzarella cheese, sliced ham, olives, mushrooms, frozen 3 pepper/onion blend, and frozen spinach.  Can be meatless is you leave off the ham.

Sweet and Sour Meat Loaf

*Basic Meat Loaf*
2lb ground meat
1 small onion, minced
1/2 - 3/4 cup oatmeal
1 - 2 eggs slightly beaten (2 small or 1 large)
Salt and Pepper to taste (I use approxamately 1/2 to 1 tsp of each)

Mix ingredients together.

*Sauce*


1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 tsp prepared mustard
1/2 c light brown sugar
1/4 c white vinegar.

Stir ingredients together.  Mix Well.  Pour half of the sauce into the meat mixture and mix well.  Shape into a loaf.  Put into loaf pan (or divide into cup cake tins)  Pour remaining sauce over top of meat. Bake at 400 for 45 minutes.