Easy Beef Burgundy

I've been missing my Gram a lot lately. She passed away a little over a year ago and I still miss her every day. I feel closer to her when my kitchen is filled with the familiar smells of her food. As I was looking through my copy of her hand written recipes I saw this one for Beef Burgundy. 

I'd never tried it before so set about making it last week for dinner. I modified it a little bit but I don't think Gram would mind. :)  As it was cooking the aromas of the meat, onion, mushrooms, and wine reminded me of when I made Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon. The taste is actually very similar too but it doesn't take half the time or energy to make! It's rich, earthy, and comforting and my favorite part about it is that it's a one pot meal. Grandma's directions said to serve it over rice and that's what I did, but it'd be great over potatoes too. Thanks for another great recipe, Gram!

Easy Beef Burgundy 
From My Gram
Printable Version
Ingredients
2 pounds round cut steak, cut into 1 inch strips
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon ground mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can onion soup (I forgot this so used a can of golden mushroom instead and then chopped one small onion)
1 large can of sliced mushrooms or 1 cup of fresh sliced mushrooms
1 soup can of burgundy or red wine
Fresh parsley, chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place mean into dutch oven or large oven safe pot. Season with salt and pepper. Combine all ingredients and cover. 

Cook for 3 hours. Serve over rice or potatoes. 

Peanut Butter Pie

I'm really mad at myself. I have had this peanut butter pie recipe in my family collection for years and had never made it before! What is wrong with me?! It's seriously the best peanut butter pie in the world. It's fluffy, creamy, light, perfectly peanut butter-y and topped with chopped peanuts and drizzled chocolate. 

I made it for hubby's birthday and was one happy man. He ate it for lunch the next day and that was the end of it. (I may have eaten it for breakfast, but you won't tell, right?!) It's ridiculously easy to make for how extremely delicious it is. I am telling you, GO! MAKE! THIS! PIE! RIGHT! NOW! Trust me on this one!

Peanut Butter Pie
From My Gram and My Mom
Printable Version
Ingredients
1 8 ounce package of cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
6 tablespoons milk
8 ounces cool whip
1 9 inch graham cracker pie crust
1/2 cup crushed peanuts (optional)
1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Directions
Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, and peanut butter in a large bowl or electric stand mixer. 

Beat at medium speed until blended, about four minutes. 

Fold in cool whip. 

Spoon filling into crust.  

Sprinkle with crushed peanuts.

 Melt chocolate chips in the microwave or in a saucepan over medium heat. Drizzle onto pie using a fork. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve chilled.

Creamed Green Beans, Red Potatoes, and Sausage

This recipe is really special, not only because my Mom and I whipped it together from memory, but because it is a recipe of my Grandma Walters. While making this with my Mom, and then tasting the creamy, peppery beans, potatoes, and sausage, I was flooded with memories and images of my Grandma and being in her kitchen. 

This recipe is best with fresh  green beans and red potatoes, but works well with frozen green beans too. It is a wonderful way to highlight some of the beautiful summer bounty that is so readily available this time of year!

Creamed Green Beans, Red Potatoes, and Sausage
From My Mom and Gram Walters
Printable Version
Ingredients
2 cups fresh green beans, with the ends snipped off
2 cups red potatoes, cleaned
1 package of sausage (we used chicken sausage)
2 cups milk
1 stick of butter
2 tablespoons flour
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Bring a large heavy pot to boil and put in potatoes. Cook for about 10 minutes and then add in green beans. Cook beans and potatoes about 10 minutes more, being sure to check both for desired tenderness. 

Begin the roux by heating the butter in a small pan over low to medium heat.  Slowly add the flour to the butter, whisking constantly. The roux will begin to have a thick consistency, like frosting. At this point, slowly add the milk, about half a cup at a time. Continue to whisk quickly and constantly, adding the milk and keeping the heat at medium. 

Season to taste with salt and pepper. My family likes a lot of pepper in this, so we end up using about a teaspoon! Meanwhile slice sausage and saute in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil or cooking spray. Cook fully on both sides, about 5 minutes. 

Drain the beans and potatoes and then add back to the large pot. Place the sausage in the pot as well and mix together. Pour the cream sauce over the entire pot and carefully combine. Serve immediately.

30 Things to Make Before I Turn 30: Blueberry Pie

Today is my thirtieth birthday. Yikes, that's hard to say. Although it was hard to see my twenties come to an end, a friend at work gave me the best words of wisdom I've heard on turning thirty. She told me, "All the things you worked so hard for in your twenties will happen in your thirties." For my husband and I this is so true. Lots of exciting things are going to be happening in the near future and I am really looking forward to seeing all that is in store for the next chapter in our lives!

Now about that pie! It just so happens that my birthday is 3/14 which is also known to nerds and mathematicians as "Pi" Day (since Pi is 3.14). And coincidently, Blueberry Pie was the last item on my list of 30 Things to Make Before I Turn 30. (For those of you really keeping track of my list I haven't posted the yeast bread I made yet, but I have made it! It will be posted soon.) My Mom and Dad flew in this weekend to celebrate the big 3-0 and so I enlisted my Mom's help in making my very first pie crust from scratch and my Gram's delicious no bake blueberry pie.

I was adamant that the crust had to be homemade because I felt like I was sorta cheating in not baking the blueberry pie. Mom and I were nervous the whole time because neither one of us are bakers. My Grandma Hutch was an amazing baker and her pie crusts were to die for! So with a little inspiration from Grandma H and the use of her glass pie plate that I inherited, we went to work creating Better Homes and Garden's Single Pie Pastry. (Recipe to come next.) It wasn't the most beautiful, smooth pie crust in the world but it turned out perfectly golden brown and more importantly tasted flaky and was awesome with the blueberry filling. I achieved pie perfection at the ripe age of 29 years and 364 days!

No Bake Blueberry Pie

From Grandma W with a little modification by my Momma

Printable Version

Ingredients

1 baked pie shell

4 cups fresh blueberries

1 cup white granulated sugar

1 cup water

3 tablespoons corn starch

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons lemon juice

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon sugar

Directions

In a large pot heat 2 cups of berries with 1 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar over medium high heat. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

 In a small bowl mix 1/2 cup sugar with the cornstarch and salt. Take two large spoonfuls of liquid from the mixed berries and add to the cornstarch mixture. 

Stir to make a paste, then add in slowly to the pot of cooked berries. Slowly stir to thicken and add in lemon juice. Take the pot off the heat and cool slightly. 

While berries are cooling whisk together softened cream cheese and 1 tablespoon of sugar. 

Spread with a spoon in the bottom of the pie crust. (This was my Mom's modification to add a little creaminess to the pie and ensure the crust doesn't become soggy.) 

Fold in the remaining two cups of berries into the pot. 

Pour into pie shell. 

Refrigerate for at least one hour to allow pie to set. Serve with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or by itself! 

Peanut Butter Fudge and Chocolate Fantasy Fudge

It has been a family tradition for several years now for my Mom, my Aunt Chris, my cousin Lindsey, my Gram Walters and I to get together right before Christmas to make candy. It's a special night I always look forward to because the five of us always have a lot of fun and laughs together. This year we decided to carry on the tradition in honor and memory of Grandma, who passed away in September. We knew Gram would want us to keep cooking together. So the night I flew home to Michigan the four of us made peanut butter fudge and chocolate fudge. The peanut butter recipe is from my Aunt Chris and is in our family cookbook, but the chocolate recipe is from the back of the marshmallow fluff container. No family secrets in that one! 


My favorite is peanut butter so let's start with that one first. We took a big plate of these to our family Christmas and it was all gobbled up.

Peanut Butter Fudge
From Ashley's Cooking Adventures
Printable Version


Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla


Directions
Combine sugar, corn syrup, milk, and salt and cook over low heat until sugar dissolves. 

Cover for one minute. Boil until temperature reaches 236 degrees on candy thermometer or soft ball stage. Remove from heat and add butter, vanilla, and peanut butter until dissolved.

Pour into greased pan (we used a pie pan but a 9X9 pan would work as well). 



Chocolate Fantasy Fudge
From Jet Puffed Marshmallow Creme Bottle :)
Printable Version

Ingredients
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks butter or margarine)
1 small can (5 oz) evaporated milk (about 2/3 cup) *Do not use sweetened condensed milk
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (we used chocolate chips)
1 jar (7 oz) Jet Puffed Marshmallow Creme
1 cup chopped walnuts (if desired)
1 teaspoon vanilla


Directions
Grease a 9X9 pan and set aside. Place sugar, butter, and evaporated milk in a large heavy saucepan. 

Bring to a full roiling boil on medium heat, stirring constantly to avoid scorching. Boil for 4 minutes or until candy thermometer reaches 234 degrees (soft ball stage), stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Add chocolate and marshmallow creme; stir until completely melted.
 
Add walnuts, if desired, and vanilla. Mix well.

Pour immediately into prepared pan and spread to form an even layer. Let stand at room temperature for 4 hours or until completely cooled. 

Cut into 1 inch squares. Store in air tight container.