Classic Stroganoff

This time of year when the temperatures start dropping classics like this are tempting to make. Ryan specifically requested this a while back so I had to go ahead and make it for him. It is rich and creamy in all the right ways.

What you need~
1 pound of stew meat (pictured is back straps venison)
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
1 cup greek yogurt OR sour cream
1 cup water
1 tablespoon of all purpose flour
1 small onion sliced
3 cloves of garlic (1 tablespoon of minced)
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Salt
Pepper
Milk as needed
Egg noodles























Dice up your meat into about 1-2 inch cubes. Put in the bottom of the crock-pot or stew pot. Layer on top the onion and garlic. Mix the soup, sour cream, water and flour before adding and mixing the meat mixture. Season the mixture.












Cook on low for 4 hours mixing and adding more seasoning as needed. If the mixture seems dry add more water or some milk.













Before serving make some egg noodles and mix into crockpot mixture.

Really tasty and even better warmed up for leftovers.  I know this is not my normal healthy stuff I make but sometimes you need to treat yourself.

Until next time~
XoXo Emily

Grandma Emer's Pumpkin Pie

Tis finally the holiday season. Of all the things that scream Thanksgiving pumpkin pie shouts the loudest. This is my Grandmother's recipe that my mom wrote down for me to make this year. It is so simple to make and the flavor is really great. To be honest I did not even manage to steal a piece this year but my dad told me this was tasty.

What you need~
1 pie crust (make your own or store bought is fine)
2 eggs
1 can of pumpkin puree
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons of pumpkin spice
1 2/3 cup evaporated milk ( a can is about this)

Directions in case it is hard to read the picture.
Mix 2 eggs, can of pumpkin, brown sugar, salt, pumpkin spice, evaporated milk in a stand mixer or use a hand held mixer. Pour into 9 inch crust that you have put in a pie pan. Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes and then at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.

TIP: You may need to cover the edges with foil if they start to burn.

                                                      Covered edges to stop any burning.

Yum. Serve with whip cream or pie.

Until next time~
XoXo Emily

Rhubarb Bread

I need to make room in my freezer. This means using up what is in there. I have a huge bag of frozen rhubarb from my giant plant this year. I used it to make bread this weekend. It is perfect warmed up with a little butter spread on it. Also makes a great gift for those holiday gatherings you have coming up. Recipe is from my giant stack of cookbooks. I do not mess with the classics. The only change was that mine only had to bake for 45 minutes instead of 60. Check it around that time.

Follow the above directions from my old cookbook for some yummy bread. Thanks Donna whoever you are for this recipe.



This is what it looks like after mixing and putting in the pans.

It is really delicious and a quick bake. Enjoy!

Until next time~
XoXo Emily

Banana/Peanut Butter Shake

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and I cannot wait to feel it's warmth on my face. I have been ill. Death rattle cold took over my lungs for about a week now. I really wanted to go back to Zumba today but I need a couple more days of slow recovery. As Ryan always tells me you need to walk before you run. Hello dog walking today and tomorrow.

How have I been dealing with the illness you wonder? By making some of my favorite things that are packed with flavor. This recipe for banana/peanut butter shake has been a staple of mine for years when I do not want to eat but need something to fill me up.

What you need~
1 banana
3 ice cubes
2 scoops of PB2 powder OR 2 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup of yogurt (optional)
8-16 ounces of almond milk (depends on the size of the drink you want)

Put this all in a blender and blend till you get the shake to the thickness you like. Pour into a glass and enjoy. I make this shake before Zumba a lot as it is a perfect little energy snake.







HINT: If you banana's are close to being really ripe throw them in the freezer with the peel on. When ready to make your shake microwave for about 30 seconds and throw in the blender. Banana's this way are perfect for banana bread too.

Until next time~
XoXo Emily

Harvest Chicken Salad

I am ill. There is no hiding it or running away from it. I am glad I am sick now to get this out of my system before the holidays but it sucks because I am so busy. I know I know... I spelled Harvest wrong in the title picture. I am sick get over it. Go away cold!

On a positive note I made this salad Monday night when I was still semi-functional. It has been awesome to be able to throw it in the lunch box and go in the morning. It is also really tasty I will be making it again. PLUS, it is healthy.

What you need~
The meat of 1 rotisserie chicken shredded
1 red onion diced
1 red apple diced
1/4 cup almonds chopped
2 stalks of celery diced
1 cup of greek yogurt
1/4 cup dried cherries
2 tablespoons mustard (I used 1 tablespoon Dijon and 1 tablespoon cranberry)
Worchester sauce to taste
Seasonings to taste







The great thing about this recipe it you can throw it together in like 10 minutes tops. The time consuming part is just cutting up all the stuff. Once everything is cut up put in a bowl and mix. I did mix the dressing (greek yogurt, mustards, Worchester and seasoning) in a bowl before adding to the main bowl. I used my new corelle cookware ($19 for a set of 3) that I found this past weekend. I love the vibrate white color of the bowls and how deep they are.

Anyway back to the salad. Let this chill for at least an hour before eating. I like it in wraps and on top of a bed of lettuce. Here is to hoping I feel better soon!

Until next time~
XoXo Emily

S'more Brownies

Rich, gooey and sweet. I like to make desserts. It is something I find myself good at and who does not like baked goods?  I made these for my annual Halloween party and they were a big hit. I threw this together with really what I had on hand. I had s'more stuff in the pantry and I always have baking items. I will warn you this is a rich and thick brownie. Not for the faint of heart.
 
What you need~
Graham crackers (enough to cover the bottom of your baking baking dish)
Peanut butter cups
1/2 cup butter (melted)
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup white sugar
Marshmallows

(Note): I doubled this recipe.

Preheat oven 350 degrees F. Place the graham crackers in the bottom of the baking dish.

Prepare your brownie batter by mixing the butter, eggs, baking powder, cocoa powder, vanilla,  and sugar together in the stand mixer.



 Pour the mixture over the crackers.







Place the peanut butter cups in the batter. Bake 25-30 minutes.

At 20 minutes add the marshmallows to the top of the brownies. Let them get toasty and let cool before serving.  YUM!

Until next time~
XoXo Emily

Stuffed Chicken Breast

Ryan told me that I need to make more creative recipes. Last night I threw this together before Zumba class.  It turned out really good and I will have to make it again in the future. I liked the fact that it was not as hard as I thought it would be to flatten and stuff the chicken.

What you need~
2 chicken breast
1/4 cup pesto
Handful of spinach
1 cup of mushrooms
2 cups of cauliflower rice (or prepared normal rice)
1 can of sauce (I used a butternut squash sauce that I found at Aldi)
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
Mrs. Dash to taste
Sprinkle of parmesan cheese
Toothpicks

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.






Get a piece of parchment paper. Big enough to fold over the chicken breast. Using a rolling pin flatten the chicken breast between the parchment paper. Try not to scare your cat to death. You want the breast to be flattened to about 1 inch thick.

Spread your pesto on the chicken and top with spinach and small amount of the mozzarella cheese. Slowly roll the chicken breast up and use the toothpicks to secure. Place in a baking dish. coat the outside of the chicken with any remaining pesto and season with Mrs. Dash. Put rice and mushrooms in the dish around chicken. Cover with sauce.

Place in the oven for at least an hour. We did 45 minutes and the chicken needed more time and back in the oven it went. Serve with a little dusting of parmesan cheese.

On the fly meals are something I need to do more off. This one turned out really good. We liked it so much there were no leftovers.

Until next time~
XoXo Emily