Fried Cheese

Recently we had an overabundance of milk and no cheese. So I made some! 

We made cheese at home when I was a girl. My father made a "cheese box" where a thermostat and a light bulb kept the cheese at a certain temperature for a designated amount of time. He also made a cheese press.

After I left home, I didn't know how to make cheese without these things. Some years later I learned from a friend who grew up in Costa Rica how to make a simple cheese, skipping the "cheese box" stage. And she showed me how to fry it. (I figured out how to press it with simple kitchen and rec room articles.)

We all really enjoy fried cheese. It is so simple. Just cut a slice of homemade cheese, lay it in a lightly greased skillet over medium heat and fry until it is browned on one side. Flip it over and do the same on the other side. (I don't know of a store bought equivalent. Sorry.)

This got a little extra brown. But it is still delicious.

Words to enjoy-
Pattens
Myrmidons
Excrescence

Alfredo Pasta Recipe

This quick, simple meal can have variations of meat (or no meat at all) and pasta. Follow the pictures.

Put 1 lb of turkey burger (or your choice of meat) in a skillet

Add a tablespoon or two of olive oil to the pan

Add 1-2 tsp of garlic salt 

1/2-1 tsp black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

 Fry meat over medium heat until well done.

Add 1 cup of milk

1 stick of butter

8 oz cream cheese

 Chop and stir together over low heat
until the butter and cream cheese are melted.

Cook 1 lb of pasta per directions on package, rinsing slightly with cold water when it's done.

Put half of the pasta in a casserole dish

Spread half the Alfredo mixture on top and
then repeat the layers once more.

Does that seem like a lot of food? Our family scarfs it up in one meal and wishes for more.

As I made this dish, I just pulled the recipe from my head and kept thinking I'm missing something. Now I remember- I usually add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese to this. Well, it was good without it.

If you go meatless, start with melting the butter. Then add the milk and other ingredients. You can also use raw garlic and onion if you wish, rather than garlic salt and onion powder. Just saute them in the butter to begin with.

Recipe for Canned Salsa

1/2 bushel of tomatoes, peeled, diced (or chopped with a Kwik Cut) and drained in a colander.
8 large bell peppers, diced or chopped with a food processor.
3 (or more if desired) jalapeno peppers, diced. Leave the seeds in for more heat. Be sure to use gloves to cut these up.
6 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed.
4 large onions, diced or chopped with a food processor.
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons cumin

1/2 Tablespoon of each of the following ingredients-

Morton's seasoned salt
celery salt
onion salt
garlic salt

Place all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Boil down to desired consistency, or thicken as desired with cornstarch, dissolved in water. Fill canning jars, clean the rims, put lids on and boil for 20 minutes in a hot water bath. Turn off the heat, remove the jars from the water and allow to cool. 

You can reuse jars from the grocery store,
that you have emptied. 

What is your favorite canned salsa recipe?

What do you use salsa for?

Thank God for lots of tomatoes this year! And peppers! And onions!

DIY Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

So easy. So good.

Here's what you'll need-

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon parsley flakes

¼ teaspoon each -

• Celery salt
• Onion salt
• Garlic salt

Dash of black pepper

Whisk together and serve over your favorite green salad. Or use it to dip your raw veggies in.  

I always make a double batch for our family. We eat like rabbits. Only we prefer our raw foods slathered in good old Ranch. And even some cooked foods... like potato wedges and pizza. And I usually use two and one half cups of buttermilk to one and one half cups mayo as we prefer it thinner.

Knowing what's in your dressing is a lovely bonus.

So good. So easy.

Thursday

One plus (albeit small) of being sick is that one has time to write. My, I haven't been so sick in awhile. Fever and unstoppable diarrhea. Well, if you stop eating it almost stops. Talk about totally draining. Literally. 

On schedule for today was taking a meal to a family in church. The mother has been laid up with a broken foot. There was no way I had the strength to do anything so I lay abed and instructed my trusty boys. Matthew, Melvin and Christopher made the whole meal. Oven BBQ'd Chicken, mashed potatoes (with wells of brown butter), salad, homemade Ranch dressing and a pumpkin sheet cake with cream cheese frosting. They also made a simple supper of rice and chicken, corn and applesauce for our family. They were quite weary of the kitchen! But I was so proud of them! Grandma Schwartz took them and the food where it needed to go. 

Thomas, Stephen and Austin spent another long day in VA where they are doing the finishing on a couple of log homes. My poor men were having to do double duty today. 

Donna Goff has been doing some webinars that are helpful for home educators. I tried listening to the one on Power of an Hour today but slept through part of it. The power of an hour concept is really amazing. You can find her teachings at mentoringourown.com.  

Rain was falling again today. The other day at the thrift store the owner said she heard on radio that it had rained 14 days in a row. If that is so, this makes 17 days now. Not that it rains all day every day though. Thankfully, Thomas and the boys have work inside and out, there in VA. 

The girls from my class at Kid's Club were giving a program at their school this evening. A couple of my co-teachers went and I had planned to go with them. It was disappointing to miss it. 

My mama keeps working on the laundry piles in the house. Bless her! 

One thing that has given me a bit of strength today is homemade "Gatorade". A cup of water, tablespoon of lemon juice, teaspoon of Sucanat, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. That may not be exactly right but that's what I pulled out of my head for today. The cup of water was more like 12 oz. The boys took turns keeping me supplied with hydrating drinks. 

Mom Lapp stopped by with some freezer clean-out items. People know where food will disappear! My sister  once told someone (about our family), "They'll eat anything that bends." (That was back in the days when we readily consumed sugar and grains.) When I'm well I'll see what she brought us. It will surely be helpful. My freezer is nearly deplete of meat and I'm trying to figure out what to do about it. 

What did (or will) you have for supper/dinner? 

How do you economically keep men fed? (Mine need meat.)