Smell Good Sunday #72

"Smell Good Sunday" has been a running joke in my house as long as I have been married.

Hubby states it is his favorite day of the week as I am usually cooking up a storm and making the house smell good.

Share with us everything you have been up to this week!

A few rules though:
1. Link directly to your post and not the main page of your blog
2. No etsy shops or products for sale
3. Click around and visit other people, that's what makes this a party!
4. Don't forget, all features are pinned to the Smell Good Sunday Pinterest Board

Featured Post from Last Week:

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles from The Mandatory Mooch

An InLinkz Link-up

Red Beans and Rice

The girl child and I ran a couple of errands today

(do I win the fun day with mom award or what?)

We needed to stop at some drug store or superstore for a couple things for the house.

As we were leaving one place, we noticed a drug store across the way.

We knew it was there, but it's not often we would shop at that end of town as we have the same sort of stores closer to home. This day though, I would have had to pull a U-Turn to get to the one closer to home...or...just pull into this store's parking lot and get what we needed.

We both decided that would be the smarter option. Just for the 2 things we needed.

Yeah.

Have you ever walked into a store and felt dirty?

This is a chain, and they are building new ones everywhere...but apparently they decided this one was not worth renovating.

The shelves were messy, the employees looked like they hated their jobs, and even the clientele seemed a little "odd".

We grabbed what we needed and high-tailed it out of there.

Granted, we got what we needed, but I think that will be our first and last trip to that particular location. We will stick to the newer stores.

Ingredients:

2 Pkg Kielbasa

1 Pkg center cut ham (cubed)

1 Lb red beans (soaked overnight)

1 Lg yellow onion (diced)

1 Green pepper (diced)

1 Tbsp Garlic (minced)

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients into a large pot

2. Cover with water, 1-2 inches above ingredients

3. Bring to a boil

4. Simmer 2 hours or more

5. Serve over rice

Print

Gah! Forgot the green pepper!

Come party with me HERE!

September: National Chicken Month

An InLinkz Link-up

Smell Good Sunday #71

"Smell Good Sunday" has been a running joke in my house as long as I have been married.

Hubby states it is his favorite day of the week as I am usually cooking up a storm and making the house smell good.

Share with us everything you have been up to this week!

A few rules though:
1. Link directly to your post and not the main page of your blog
2. No etsy shops or products for sale
3. Click around and visit other people, that's what makes this a party!
4. Don't forget, all features are pinned to the Smell Good Sunday Pinterest Board

Featured Post from Last Week:

Alabama Sliders from The Bearded Hiker

An InLinkz Link-up

Vegan Brown Gravy

My friend B and her hubby W changed their eating habits a few years ago to Vegan.

They love everything about it!

In talking to her, she has mentioned certain meals that just sound amazing! She is in the process of gathering some of her faves for me to try.

She sent me this one telling me how she would like to "hide in a corner and drink it all"

OMG sold!

Now, we are not vegans in our household, and do not claim to be.

I understand I served this over meatloaf...but that doesn't stop the gravy from being what it is.

And what it is...is delicious! She is so freaking right! I found myself sneaking spoonfuls of it while cooking. Of course, it was under the guise of "taste testing"...but seriously, yum!

I strained it as the instructions stated...but did not want all those yummy onions to go to waste. I mixed them into my mashed potato. Delish!

In talking to my friend B the next day, she told me she doesn't bother straining it. Oh well! Just for the record, the straining part is all up to you.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Margarine

1 Medium onion (diced)

1 Tbsp Minced garlic

2 Tbsp unbleached all purpose flour

1 Tsp Garlic powder

2 Tbsp Cornstarch

1 ½ Cup Vegetable broth

2 Tbsp Soy sauce

Pepper (to taste)

Directions:

1. Heat margarine in medium saucepan

2. Saute onion for a few minutes

3. Add flour, minced garlic, and garlic powder, continue to cook for another 8 minutes or so

4. Dissolve cornstarch in the broth

5. Gradually add the broth mixture and bring to a boil

6. Simmer for 10 minutes

7. Strain gravy, removing onions

8. Add the soy sauce and pepper

Print

After I took this picture, and started using ingredients I realized I grabbed the wrong flour. I did switch to unbleached in order to make the gravy.

Come party with me HERE!

Smell Good Sunday #70

"Smell Good Sunday" has been a running joke in my house as long as I have been married.

Hubby states it is his favorite day of the week as I am usually cooking up a storm and making the house smell good.

Share with us everything you have been up to this week!

A few rules though:
1. Link directly to your post and not the main page of your blog
2. No etsy shops or products for sale
3. Click around and visit other people, that's what makes this a party!
4. Don't forget, all features are pinned to the Smell Good Sunday Pinterest Board

Featured Post from Last Week:

That In Between Time from Amykins Blog

An InLinkz Link-up

Lasagna Soup

I don't know about where you live...but the weather here is so totally up and down! Chilly, jacket wearing weather followed up by searing humidity.
Huh?
I don't know how to dress, I certainly don't know what to cook!
One night it's comfort food for chilly winds, the next night we don't even want to turn the oven on because it's sticky and humid.

I am such a fall/winter person that I am LOVING when we get the chilly weather.
So into stews, chowders, casseroles...all the comfort foods that the fall bring.

What is your favorite comfort food?



Ingredients:

2 Tsp Olive oil

1 ½ Lbs Italian sausage (bulk)

2 Onions (diced)

4 Garlic cloves (minced)

2 Tsp Oregano

½ Tsp Red pepper flakes

2 Tbsp Tomato paste

1 (28 oz) Can diced tomatoes

6 Cups Chicken broth

2 Bay Leaves

8 oz Rotini pasta

½ Cup Basil (finely chopped)

8 oz Ricotta

½ Cup Parmesan (grated)

½ Tsp Salt

Pepper (to taste)

2 Cups Mozzarella (shredded)

Directions:

1. In large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat

2. Add sausage and saute, breaking into small pieces

3. Cook until sausage is no longer pink

4. Drain any excess fat

5. Add onions and saute until softened

6. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes

7. Add tomato paste and saute until it turns a rusty brown

8. Add diced tomato (undrained), chicken broth, and bay leaves

9. Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes

10. Add pasta, increase heat to boil, and cook as long as directed on pasta package

11. Discard bay leaves, add basil

12. Add salt and pepper to taste

13. To each bowl add some ricotta and parmesan

14. Ladle the soup into the bowl

15. Top with mozzarella

Print

Yup, left out my basil. Whoops!

Ricotta and Parmesan in the bowl

Come party with me HERE!

Smell Good Sunday #69

"Smell Good Sunday" has been a running joke in my house as long as I have been married.

Hubby states it is his favorite day of the week as I am usually cooking up a storm and making the house smell good.

Share with us everything you have been up to this week!

A few rules though:
1. Link directly to your post and not the main page of your blog
2. No etsy shops or products for sale
3. Click around and visit other people, that's what makes this a party!
4. Don't forget, all features are pinned to the Smell Good Sunday Pinterest Board

Featured Post from Last Week:

Homemade OutHouse from Grandmas House DIY

An InLinkz Link-up

Strawberry Cheesecake Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

1 Strawberry Cake mix

Ingredients required on box

Cheesecake:

2 (8oz) Pkgs Cream cheese (softened)

⅔ Cup Sugar

Pinch of Salt

2 Large eggs

⅓ Cup sour cream

⅓ Cup Heavy Whipping cream

1 Tsp Vanilla

Frosting:

12 oz Cream cheese (softened)

½ Cup Butter (softened)

2 Tsp Vanilla

¼ Cup Frozen Strawberries (thawed and blended)

1 Tbsp Heavy whipping cream

2-3 Cups Powdered sugar

Directions:

Cheesecake:

1. Preheat oven to 325

2. Place a large roasting pan on the lower third of the oven

3. Set water to boil

4. Prepare a 9 inch springform pan with cooking spray

5. Wrap heavy duty foil around the bottom and up the outside of the pan

6. In large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth

7. Mix in sugar and salt

8. Add eggs, one at a time, blending after each

9. Mix in sour cream, whipping cream, and vanilla. Mix until smooth.

10. Pour batter into prepared pan.

11. Set springform into prepared roasting pan in pre-heated oven

12. Carefully pour boiling water into roasting pan. About an inch high around the springform.

13. Bake for 45 minutes

14. Cool for an hour

15. Once cooled, place in freezer for 4-5 hours

Cake:
1. Prepare per box directions for 2- 9 inch rounds

Frosting:

1. Combine cream cheese and butter, beat until smooth

2. Add vanilla, strawberry puree, and cream.

3. Mix in 2 cups of powdered sugar

4. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar slowly, until you reach desired consistancy

Assembly:

1. Place one cake layer on a plate

2. Remove cheesecake from freezer, release from pan

3. Top cake layer with cheesecake, trim if needed to match size

4. Place second cake layer on top

5. Frost

Print

*Note* I did the best I could with these last two pictures. It's hard to try to get a phone pic in the middle of a kitchen with 100 people around! Gah!

Adapted from: Recipe Girl

Come party with me HERE!