Savory Smackerel: Back to the Tomato

Just a fraction of this week's garden fresh tomato supply!

So, we've been doing a mini series on how our gardens (and summertime produce stands) taste. Sorry we've been kinda quiet the past couple of days but that garden is keeping this girl BUSY! I know we've already covered the tomato in this series but we've had tomatoes and figs coming out of our ears and a sister can only eat so many mater sammiches. What in the world do you do with all of the Lord's garden provision? 2 words. Marinara and Salsa. We now have tons. It takes a lil' time but BOY is it worth it!

I'll admit that, in the past, I steered away from these endeavors b/c the thought of peeling and seeding tomatoes kinda intimidated me. However, I found this site that brought it down to my level and was very helpful. Trust me that you don't want to skip this step or your sauces will err on the watery side.

Marinara
For me, homemade marinara is comfort at it's finest because my sweet Mama Eleanor has been making homemade marinara for years and one of my all time favorite meals when we pay a visit to the beach (well, anytime really) is spaghetti topped with her homemade marinara and baked shrimp or scallops from the local Bill's Seafood. It just doesn't get much more comforting or tasty.

I FINALLY attempted a batch of my own. 1st time was a little watery (I didn't de-seed). Second time was pretty much on the money if I don't say so myself. My grandmother has her recipe in her head...you know...a pinch of this, a lil of that. Apparently, it is outta the American Cancer Society from years ago but I can't find it. The closest match to her instructions that I've found online was this one (give or take) and it is freshly fabulous. Prego doesn't light a candle to it. Oh and don't worry, if you don't have fresh tomatoes, the instructions include a substitution option of using canned tomatoes and it is just as good plus a little thicker in consistency.

Oh...and the figs? I gave CCs recipe a whirl plus my man made a mean batch of fig jam. Party in your mouth!

As for the salsa, be gathering you some tomatoes and I'll share that one with you next week. You will LOVE it.

Happy Saturday!

Savory Smackerels: How does your garden taste? Part 4

We've covered the cucumber, the peach and the tomato. But what's the novelty of "livin' off the land?"

I just got this email and thought it was a little too amazing not to share. Now, how can people not believe in the God of creation? He amazes me.

Oh, and one question. Since we have a rather abundant fig tree in our yard, would that have anything to do with the fact that we have twins when they don't run in either of our families? I shoulda known. It was the fig tree. :) Anybody need some figs? :) Speaking of figs, check out CC's latest fig endeavor (and perhaps you should stay tuned for her upcoming announcement. She did mention something about eating 16). :)

In the meantime, be in awe.

God's Amazing Pharmacy
It's been said that God first separated the salt water from the fresh, made dry land, planted a garden, made animals and fish... All before making a human. He made and provided what we'd need before we were born. These are best & more powerful when eaten raw. We're such slow learners...

God left us a great clue as to what foods help what part of our body!
God's Pharmacy! Amazing!

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye... And YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research showstomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food.

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Avocados, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries.

Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.

Stay at Home Saturday: Savory Smackerel~The Tomato

Mary, Mary how does your garden taste? is our latest Savory Smackerel series where we are sharing some substantial ways to put your garden and local produce stand purchases to some serious use. So far, we've covered the cucumber and the peach. Today, is a fabulous recipe where you can implement the tomato!

For those of you who have tomatoes coming out of your ears and are sick of putting them in salads, on a sandwich or slicing them to eat with a little dash of salt, here is a good recipe for you! I LOVE tomatoes, but I am the only one in my family of 5 who enjoys them, so I don't get to make this recipe too often. Trust me when I say it's good....it's a Paula Deen, so the origin of the recipe speaks for itself:)

Tomato Pie

4 Tomatoes, peeled and sliced

8 to 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1/3 Cup chopped green onion

One 9-inch prebaked deep-dish pie shell (the key is to PREBAKE IT!!!)

Salt and pepper to taste

2 Cups grated mozzarella and cheddar cheese combined

1 Cup mayonnaise---not a big fan of this, but it's good in this recipe!

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Layer tomato slices, basil and onion in prebaked pie shell. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix together grated cheese and mayonnaise and spread on top of tomatoes. Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

Happy Saturday!

Love,
Donna

Remember- If you haven't entered our Elan Card giveaway here or told your friends about it, be sure to today because tomorrow is the last day to enter!

Stay at Home Saturday: Savory Smackerels~Mary Mary, How does your garden taste?

I hope our lil series on No mo suppahtime rut has indeed helped you get outta your recipe ruts. It seems that series could go on for weeks but we are going to switch gears a bit. Perhaps we will one day return to it as the need arises. Now, it's time for a new series!

I am blessed that my hubs has taken up gardening as his hobby. There is definitely a satisfaction to "livin' off the land." Before his gardening days and even now for the produce that isn't "in", the roadside and local produce stands are one of our favorite parts of summer. It allows you to support the local farmers, the produce is fresher than in the store and you can't beat the prices. It's a win win!

So here is the question...if you aren't a canner, you have produce coming out your ears that you don't want to waste and you've shared the bounty...what can you possibly do with all of this summertime produce?!? It's time to be creative, girls. Hence our new series Mary, Mary how does your garden taste? where we are hoping to brainstorm and share some substantial ways to put your garden and local produce stand purchases to some serious use.

Let's start with this fine specimen, shall we?

Perhaps you've heard the quote, "A cucumber should be well sliced, and dressed with pepper and vinegar, and then thrown out." Come on. There HAS to be something more you can do with cucumbers than put vinegar on them, use as a salad topping or make pickles.

Here are my thoughts:

• I'm dying to make a yummy cucumber sauce. I'm talking Magianno's style. Do any of you have a surefire recipe you're willing to share?
• Musing Foodie kindly shared a homemade buttermilk ranch recipe that you will want to drink. Perhaps we can twist her arm to share it here. We wanted a light dinner last night so I melted some smoked gouda on flatbread, topped with cucumber slices and drizzled it with this dressing. It was so refreshing and a hit with even my meat-loving man.
• I know I love a hotel and/or spa or when I enter its lobby or waiting area and there are water pitchers full of ice cold water, cucumber, lemon and/or mint. You could do this at home for a refreshing treat!
• Then, we have orzo. Once again, Musing Foodie pulls through with delish orzo which I reviewed here or another orzo I've made and love is here.

Sooo....have you come up with any outta the box ways to serve up those cukes?!?!? Do tell b/c I have mucho begging to try out your tricks and I don't see canning pickles in my near future. Coming next week...peaches!!!

Stay at Home Saturday: No mo suppahtime rut Part 6

One of my favorite dishes to try when we go out to eat on vacations (especially the beach) is fish tacos. They just feel vaction-y to me. At home, it seems like everytime I get on Facebook, someone I know is checking into Cabos Fish Taco, a local hot spot,  for some seaside flavah. Do you have a favorite go-to place for fish tacos?

Turns out, fish tacos are one of Ashlie's favorite things to make at home when needing to get outta her suppahtime rut. Here are her tried n' true taco tips. If you're not a seafood lover, perhaps you may like to try these tips w/ a lil' poultry?

Growing up we had tacos often, but never did I have a fish taco until a few years ago in San Diego.  They were okay, but the best ones I've tasted so far are those made by my amazing sister-in-law.

It's SUPER easy.  Choose your fish.  I buy frozen tilapia on sale at Aldi's or Bi-Lo.  Thaw it, then marinade it.  There are lots of way to do a marinade, but I simply buy those McCormick Grill packs.  I like the Mojo Lime.  YUM!

After marinading for about 15 minutes, bake as you normally would (about 20 minutes).

Next, decide on your toppings.  I like fresh cilantro, avocado, lime juice, lettuce, Rotel chilis, a little cheese, and sour cream.  Last time we had these, I also made the quesadillas from "Deceptively Delicious".  One of the hidden ingredients for that recipe is blending 1/4 cup of light sour cream with 1/2 canned navy beans drained and rinsed.  That actually tasted pretty good, so we used that instead of simple sour cream with our tacos. ;-)

A really good and easy side for this is to take a can of fiesta corn

Drain it and marinade it in a favorite dressing (think vinegar based, like Italian).  Then, serve over spinach or lettuce leaves.

Can't get much easier or more colorful than that!
-Ashlie

Stay at Home Saturday: Memorial Day Savory Smackerels

So...we've been doing a "get outta yo suppatime rut" series but we're gonna take a little break for some  Memorial Day weekend celebration inspiration. Here are some quick, go to, easy concoctions that definitely have a "wow" factor and won't be anything but crowd pleasers...or at least conversation pieces!

Patriotic Appetizer

For the Caprese lovers in your group, the first tray is blue corn chips, sliced tomatoes, and mozarella cubes topped w/ mozarella cheese cut into stars. The other tray is black olives, cherry tomatoes and balls of fresh mozarella. Remember--it's alllllll in the presentation!

Patriotic Side/Entree

Believe it or not, this patriotic persuasion comes from the Mexican side of the spectrum--Taco Salad! Click here for this Taste of Home specialty.



Patriotic Dessert
Ingredients:
•20 ice cream sandwiches (regular, strawberry or neopolitan)
•1 12 oz. jar hot fudge sauce
•1 8 oz. container frozen whipped topping (such as Cool Whip), thawed
•red, white and blue sprinkles

Preparation:
1.Cut one ice cream sandwich in half. Place one whole ice cream sandwich and one half of an ice cream sandwich side by side across the short end of a 9 x 13 pan.
2.Next to those ice cream sandwiches, arrange 8 more ice cream sandwiches lengthwise, to cover the bottom of the pan.
3.Place hot fudge sauce in a microwave-safe container. Heat on high for 30 seconds. Spread half of the sauce over the ice cream sandwiches.
4.Top with half of the whipped topping.
5.Repeat layers: ice cream sandwiches, hot fudge sauce and whipped topping.
6.Freeze, uncovered 2 hours. Cover with foil and freeze another hour.
Makes 24-36 servings.

Wanna add some flair to the top? Get some bluberries and strawberries OR raspberries and bring out the inner patriot in you!

We would LOVE to hear your ideas and see pictures of your patriotic creations so PLEASE send them to roofwithaview at gmail dot com!!!!! We will share your ideas as July 4th ideas for our fellow sisters. :)

Stay at Home Saturday: Get outta your Suppahtime Rut!

One week. Two separate groups of friends. Two separate emails. Same cry for help.

First email went a little something like this:
If you have a meal plan for the week, would you mind sharing it with us all?...I am stuck!  What are you making/serving this week?  I need inspiration and ideas!


...and the second one:
hey girls...
looking for a little motivation to getting back to cooking dinner on a more regular basis...seems lately im tired of fixing the same stuff over and over and can't come up with new ideas. i know yall are all busy but if you have a second will you send me your favorite (easy) 'go-to' dinner idea/recipe? just something that you tend to fix often because family likes it and its easy. im hoping this will get me in the mood to cook! im sure {hubs} is hoping too :-) thanks!


Between these two groups of friends and two emails, let me just say that I received quite a collection of great ideas....and YOU are going to benefit! I'm in the process of compiling them all together and will share the ideas with you over a period of time. Meanwhile, we'd love for you to also share your helpful tidbits so we can add them to the collection while we're at it.


For today, I'm going to share one recipe that immediately grabbed my attention because it's different from my usual repertoire. It peaks my interest and I can't wait to try it! Better yet, it's for the crockpot. How I love those crockpot recipes! Thank you, Caroline L....


Curry Chicken with brown rice

• Stick chicken breasts in the crock. 
• Add 2 cans of light coconut milk, 1 can chopped green chilis, dice a small onion, a heaping TBS of Curry powder.
• Let is cook all afternoon.
• Serve over rice.
• Can add veggies but my crowd likes their veggies straight up. 

SAHS: Savory Smackerel(s)~Easter Treats

As you can tell from Caroline's post yesterday, the woman of the Roof have been busy making some savory Easter treats!

You'd be missing out if we didn't also share Catherine (aka Musing Foodie's) latest Easter creation here~these presh Bunny cupcakes!

If you made our lil bunny foo foo vases posted here, you may have some peeps left over. A friend, Denise sent the cutest idea to share with you. Check out these bunny pops! You can learn how to make them here.

How cuuuuute would your Easter desert table be with these three creations? You're HeHasRisen! Easter celebrations would be the hit of the town~especially for your kids!

SAHS: Savory Smackerel~Secret Recipe Brownie Cookie Bars

Today's Stay at Home Saturday is brought to you by a sweeeeet, infectious, cutie patootie named Katherine residing in Blacksburg, VA (Go Hokies!). I actually babysat Katherine from the time she was a itty bitty baby and I was the ripe age of 4th grade until her family left for the mission field and I was a freshman in high school. She gave me gooood practice to be a mommy especially since I had the honor of being the first person to put her beautiful dark ringlets in pigtails. Katherine just recently become a mother herself to a sweet baby girl so we welcome her to the wonderful world of motherhood! I think you'll love Katherine's wit and humor as much as you'll love what she shares and we hope she'll be doing more of that. So, since it's Spring and you'll no doubt be heading to some grilling out gatherings, you can thank Katherine for a dessert that'll be the hit of the town!

A friend brought us dinner and included the most amazing dessert we had ever eaten - this pan of dessert bars with a brownie base and cookie dough on top. I mean, seriously - it was delicious. Why had we never thought about baking these two together? What could be more logical than brownie and cookie? Bacon and eggs ... peanut butter and jelly ... brownie and cookie. It made sense.

We raved about it. We dreamed about it, talked about it, laughed at our reaction, and sat down to eat more of it. We ate it for snack, appetizer, dessert, second-dessert, and to finish off the meal. It lasted all of 36 hours in the house - well, I think we should subtract the 14 hours that were spent outside of the house or sleeping. So, 22 hours of this awesome brownie-cookie bar later, we began lamenting the fact that it was over - OVER! - until the next time we should be lucky enough to receive such a delightful dessert from my thoughtful friend.

Almost weeping at the fact that the brownie-cookie bars were gone, I sent a message to my friend asking for her recipe. Two days later, she saw me at church and slipped me this in between Amazing Grace and the Doxology:

Praise God from Whom all blessing flow!

Shhhhhh. Don't give away the secret recipe, now that I've shared it with you, OK? Or, if you do spread the love, make sure that you give me a cut (literally. I require 50% of the pan).

Stay at Home Saturday: Fix and Freeze~Part 3

The past couple of Saturdays have been devoted to a special Savory Smackerel Series on the topic of Fix n' Freezes...what they are, our insight gained through trial and error and maybe a freezer friendly recipe or two. If any of you are experienced at FNFs we would love for you to throw in your 2 cents! Feel free to comment on this post, email us at roofwithaview (at) gmail (dot) com or join our Facebook group here.

So far, our FNF tips to ensure FNF success and harmony have been:

• Select friends that have roughly the same size family as yours.
• Be sure the people you do it with have similar "taste" as you and your family.
• Be honest with one another about preferences, likes, dislikes (ex.-no grizzle, dark meat, mayo, peppers, etc.).
• State expectations of portion size and # of servings from the onset to prevent assumption and the feeling of getting jipped. :)
• Select your recipes.
• Do not select a recipe that you've never made or perfected.
• Share your recipe that you've selected with your FNF partners to make sure they give an A-OK and aren't repulsed.

Today's FNF tips are focused on how to balance the cost so you can justify the convenience without it costing an arm and a leg.

• Schedule your FNF exchange date far enough in advance (all the while collecting coupons)-- preferrably 3-4 weeks out so you can work the sales and coupons accordingly.
• Even if you aren't a couponer, keep an eye on the sales, particularly meat (a department which doesn't usually have many coupons). Meat will most likely be your most costly FNF item so Buy One Get One or significant cost reductions will be your time to stock up.
• Select your FNF friendly recipe based on the sales you have hit and the stockpile of groceries you already have. It will be more costly if you buy your items based on need because you will most likely be paying full price.
• So far, my most favorite budget saving meat trick is in regards to chicken. I only dig white meat and white meat errs on the expensive side. Awhile ago, Amy A. posted a white meat chicken tip here that is KEY to keeping cost down for FNFs. Note: NOW is the time to take her up on it b/c the particular chicken needed (split chicken breast) for this savings is on sale NOW at Harris Teeter for .99/lb. I stocked up this week on 5 packs of those bad boys at $2-$3 something a pack (normally would've been $8-$9 a pack) and had two crockpots roasting it up in my kitchen yesterday. Half I'll use for a next FNF and the other half will go in the freezer to save bookoos of time. It's inexpensive, easy and saves time in the long run so it's a win win.

Here is an oh so fabulous recipe for which you can use your new batch of homemade roasted, flavorful, white meat chicken~ Chicken Divan and to quote a fan, "Chicken Divan is chicken divine!" The jury is out on how it will freeze but Passionate Homemaking freezes it (even though our recipes differ. can't speak for hers so use the one I just gave you but you should still be able to freeze it) and she also gives you a homemade Cream of Mushroom substitute if you have a prob using the canned version. Check it out here.

What are your fav Freezer recipes? Do tell!

Happy Saturday, ya'll!
HPS

Stay at Home Saturday: Savory Smackerel~Fix n Freeze Part 2

Last week we began a special Savory Smackerel Series here on the topic of Fix n' Freezes...what they are, our insight gained through trial and error and maybe a freezer friendly recipe or two. If any of you are experienced at FNFs we would love for you to throw in your 2 cents! Feel free to comment on this post, email us at roofwithaview (at) gmail (dot) com or join our Facebook group here.

Without further ado, today's FNF tips will be helpful on the topic of recipes. Some things we've learned are:

• Once you have formed a FNF group with friends of similar sized families that have similar tastebuds as you AND shared your dislikes/preferences, select your recipes.
• Do not select a recipe that you've never made or perfected. Trust me on this. A recipe may look easy and seem foolproof but if something is going to go wrong, it WILL go wrong when you are making it for 15 other people and you don't want to be the FNF flop. I fear I may have been the flop on our last FNF go round with a Sloppy Joe recipe I deviated to at the last moment. I thought it may be better than my usual. I should've stuck w/ my usual! Also, two nights ago, I made something I thought was a surefire FNF hit for the next go round. I was sadly mistaken and glad I tested it on my family first before disappointing three other families, too. Pheweeee. Close call. 
• Share your recipe that you've selected with your FNF partners to make sure they give an A-OK and aren't repulsed. Hopefully, they'll be honest with you. :)

One hit from our last FNF round was this Taco Pie. Even my babies liked it~especially the crust! Try it out first, add your own little touches and I assure you it can be a hit for your next FNF, too (or even just for your own freezer).

Next week, we'll share some tips on how to keep down the costs if you are planning your own FNF.

Happy Saturday, ya'll!
-HPS

Stay at Home Saturday: New Savory Smackerel Series!

Angela has previously shared about the art of Fix and Freezes here on the Roof. I recently participated in one with a couple of RWAV ladies that just so happen to be domestic divas~particularly in the kitchen. I've done FNFs before where we went over to a friend's house (like Angela), took our ingredients and all cooked together. It is fun to fellowship but that poor person's kitchen gets TRASHED.

For this FNF, we opted to make our dishes in our own kitchens on our schedule and meet at a date far enough in advance that we had time to coupon shop and stockpile for our selected recipes. When we met, we chatted, enjoyed a bagel and pulled the ole swaparoo. I went home w/ SIX whoppin' (eight counting my own), DELICIOUS dishes to fill my freezer. They have been a lifesaver come the hectic five o'clock hour! I'm a big fan.

Sooooo....today is the first of a special RWAV FNF series. The next few Saturday's are going to be devoted tips we've learned through trial and error and definitely some Savory Smackerels that double as tried n true freezer dishes.

If you are interested in doing a Fix n Freeze, here is some advice before you begin:

• Select friends that have roughly the same size family as yours.
• Be sure the people you do it with have similar "taste" as you and your family.
• Be honest with one another about preferences, likes, dislikes (ex.-no grizzle, dark meat, mayo, peppers, etc.).
• State expectations of portion size and # of servings from the onset to prevent assumption and the feeling of getting jipped. :)

Our first FNF Savory Smackerel is a two thumbs up crowd pleaser all the way! It's none other than Musing Foodie (aka CC)'s Chicken Enchiladas. They are a parrrrrtaaaaaay in your mouth! For a step by step pictoral how-to, simply click here. Let us know what you think. I'm willing to bet you won't be disappointed.

Happy Saturday!
HPS

SAHS: Christmas Crafts!

Are you looking for some crafty activities to do with your kids before Christmas? Look no further than Roof With a View! Here are two crafts that are preschool/elementary-age friendly and require very little materials.

Craft #1 - Marshmallow Snowman

Items needed: pencil, foam board, school glue, several bags of large marshmallows, gum drops, black construction paper

Take a half sheet of foam board and draw the outline of a snowman (think three circles on top of each other). Draw and cut out a top hat from the black construction paper. Starting with the head of the snowman, drizzle a good amount of glue in the circle and smear around with your fingers. Starting along the outline of the circle, place marshmallows side by side. Work your way to the center of the circle, nestling the marshmallows in together.

After all three circles are complete, glue gum drops on for his eyes, nose, mouth and buttons. Put glue on the back of the hat and glue at the top of the snowman. Allow to dry several hours before propping up to display.

Craft #2 - Paper Plate Angel (Fun story about this one: my husband and I teach preschool Sunday School at church and this past week our parent helpers were CC and her husband. The curriculum gave us a very difficult craft for the day, so CC came up with this darling angel!)

Items needed: white paper plate with scalloped edge (translation: cheap paper plate), scissors, glue stick, gold doilies, marker/crayon, some sort of cotton ball/stringy material for the hair

Cut four wedges out of the plate to form the head, wings and skirt of the angel (see picture). Have children draw on the face of the angel (we did use eye stickers here). Cut one doily in half, then cut ONE of the halves in half again (you should have three doily pieces now). Put glue on the angels wings, then paste down the two small doily sections. Paste the larger doily piece onto the angel's skirt. Paste hair onto angel. Voila! A darling little angel!

Have fun celebrating Christmas with your little angels (pun definitely intended!). Allow their excitement about the season to infect you!

Love,

Amy

Stay at Home Saturday: WHO feast!

Last night my family had THE best time as my parents hosted a Who feast incorporating all the fun from How the Grinch Stole Christmas. EVERYONE got into it and I'll admit the adults might have REALLY gotten into it. If only I could post the pictures of my mom and dad in full costume but that would be serious blackmail and I promised...Here are some pics I CAN post.

There were Who placecards for each of us.

Even the dishes had name cards!

Just one of the costumes...our resident Cindy Lou Who in full costume The set up
The Who Feast Menu

Roast Beast Sandwiches (Barbecue)

Who Hash (Scalloped Potatoes)

Who Pudding (Corn Casserole)

Dessert-Grinch Green Pudding (Vanilla pudding colored w/ green food coloring)

We concluded the festivities with our All Star Who (my dad) reading How the Grinch Stole Christmas and then drove to see Christmas lights b/c a local home happens to have their yard lit w/ Whoville. It was all so fun. I would recommend your family, young and old, giving it a whirl. I guarantee a great time.

Now, here is your Savory Smackerel for this Saturday. Who Pudding (aka Paula Deen's Corn Casserole). This is a paaaarrrrrrtttttaaaaaayyyyyy in your mouth. I promise you will love it and it's a perfect Christmas side dish.

Ingredients

1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8-ounce) package corn muffin mix (recommended: Jiffy)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, stir together the 2 cans of corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream, and melted butter. Pour into a greased 9 by 13-inch casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and top with Cheddar. Return to oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let stand for at least 5 minutes and then serve warm.

Happy Saturday!

Love,

Hannah Lou Who :)

SAHS: Part 2-Christmas Decorating

Be sure to enjoy Catherine's Savory Smackerel, Russian Tea, on our 1st SAHS post! While you're sipping away with her, maybe you want to begin decorating, decorate a little more or even put on your finishing touches.

I wanted to remind you of this Christmas post from last year because it includes some of my favorite Christmas DIY ideas. Click here.


Most recently, my 3 year old and I put Imogene's great decorating idea from here to use and made this wreath for my daughter's bedroom door from some balls that we found in the dollar section at Target. It's the perfect wreath for a children's bedroom door and it only cost $2 (we already had the wreath in our Christmas decorating box). Thanks for the idea, Imogene!


Happy Decorating and Happy Saturday!
Hannah

Stay at Home Saturday: Depends on how you look at it...

Ever since the gigantic green recycle bin got delivered to my home, I’ve been a recycling lunatic. So much so, I crammed too much into it this past week and the recycle truck spilled half of the contents on the street. Lovely.



The high school boy who bagged my groceries got a little too enthusiastic in his bagging capabilities and put 27 too many cans in a PLASTIC bag that ended up ripping as I took it out of my trunk. My foot has a nice gash on it where the yams landed. Lovely.



There is a lizard that has taken up residence in our garage and he scares me out of my mind every time I walk to the passenger side of the car. Lovely.



The icicle lights decided to burn out in the very middle of the strand after they were hung above the garage. We don’t even look like the Griswald’s at this point. Lovely.



My one year old got into the Whoopie Pies I bought from the school bake sale and ate all of them. My refrigerator and child are now chocolate and cream covered. Lovely.



But you know what else? I baked a hot blue cheese and bacon dip as a surprise for my husband and he loved it! Every time we turn on the Christmas lights on the tree, my boys squeal with delight. I discovered some cooked and shredded chicken in my freezer that will cut my dinner preparation down exponentially and I found my Russian Spiced Tea Mix recipe of which I have all the ingredients happily sitting in my pantry. My four year old got a great report from school (not to mention he actually sang and did a few of the hand motions in the preschool choir musical), all of the socks that have been doing a disappearing act were discovered stuffed behind the baby’s crib and I have enough garland to decorate the mantle without having to make an additional trip to the craft store. Our family Christmas photo was captured just before the batteries in the camera died and I might have the next award winning Apple Danish recipe sitting on my kitchen counter.

No matter how I choose to look at my day, God is good and I am blessed.

Here’s a little recipe to warm your heart as you look back on your day:

Russian Spiced Tea Mix
½ c. instant tea mix
¾ c. sugar
7 oz. jar of Tang
1 three ounce package of presweetened lemonade mix (Wylers or Country Time)
1 t. cinnamon
½ t. ground cloves

Mix all of the above ingredients together and store in a sealable container so your child can’t open it as he hurls it across the living room. Add 2-3 teaspoons to a mug of hot water and enjoy.

Love,
CC – the musing foodie :)

Stay at Home Saturday: Planning your Turkey Day

Thanksgiving Countdown...5 days!!!

I know most of your minds are fixated on the busy upcoming week and being ready for spending Thanksgiving with your family and friends but indulge me for a minute.

I just have to say that I love blogging (even though it's been more of a challenge time wise with my two new babies). I also love girlfriends. One of my favorite things about blogging is meeting and getting to know people in a fashion that may happen under normal circumstances.

For example, I've gotten to know a wonderfully sweet friend largely through blogging. We did have some mutual friends. I did meet her at a birthday party. I did see her every Sunday in the choir at church and every day at preschool but on the instances that we would speak, it basically included a quick smile and a how do ya do? It was through reading her writing style and point of view on her blog (and commenting-GASP!) that I realized she might be one of my soul sistahs. :) I've enjoyed getting to know her, sharing emails, you know...taking the how do ya dos to the next level (no, I promise I'm not in 8th grade).

Why am I telling you all of this? Because you are going to benefit, too! This friend's name is Catherine (aka Musing Foodie) and she is going to share some in the future here on the Roof (stay tuned for Wednesday in the Word this week)! Catherine has a great blog, Musing Foodie, where she has been doing a 4 part Turkey Day planning series and she said we can share it with you today. For detail, you can visit Musing Foodie but we will give you a summary to make sure you have your "i"s dotted and "t"s crossed for your Turkey Day.

Part 1-Make master list including guests, menu and who is bringing what. List all ingredients needed for dishes you are making. Go to your cabinets and match your food list with serving dishes so you aren't at a loss at the last minute. See post for a typical Musing Foodie Menu.

Part 2-Set table in formal dining room with placecards. Decide which dishes to make ahead of time aiming to make them on Tuesday so the flavors can "get happy." See post for dishes NOT to prepare ahead. Remember planning for appetizers are key to buy time for last minute prep on THE day. See post for great stuffing recipe.

Part 3-How to cook a turkey and recipe for the best turkey ever (don't be intimidated)! Oh, and a mashed potato recipe for good measure...

Part 4- Shedule summary:

• Pull turkey out of freezer on Sunday to thaw (be sure place in pan).
• Make side dishes and appetizers on Tuesday and Wednesday.
• Make turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy on Thursday.

Also included in Part 4 is a gravy recipe and a little diddy on desserts.

We're sure you will want to pay a visit to Musing Foodie to get to know Catherine firsthand. We also know her helpful Turkey Day hints will save you a lot of trial and error. Now, do us a favor~if you mosy over there, puhleeeeassssse comment, show her some love, tell her we sent you. Bloggers can use encouragement from time to time, too, ya know?

Happy Saturday. Love ya'll!

Hannah

Savory Smackerels (Thanksgiving Style!)

With fall and the cooler weather, the baking bug has bit this mama! I've tried some great new recipes lately and also enjoyed some tried and true staple recipes. In honor of punkin season, today's theme will be centered around some rockin pumpkin/sweet potato recipes. Here's a quick compilation of a few you may want to put to use for your upcoming long Thanksgiving weekend. Feel free to share some of your favorites with us so we can spread the wealth!

Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Old Bay Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Preheat over to 450 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss 3 mediums sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds total), scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces, with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and 1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning. Bake until potatoes are deep golden brown on all sides, about 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Pumpkin and Oatmeal Cookies

Best D Pumpkin Dessert Period

Best Sweet Tater Casserole Ever

Ingredients:
1 can (40 oz.) sweet potatoes, drained
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. margarine, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
Topping:
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. margarine, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease shallow 1 1/2-quart casserole. In bowl, mash sweet potatoes; stir in granulated sugar, margarine, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and eggs. Spoon into prepared casserole. Mix topping ingredients; sprinkle on potato mixture. Bake 30 minutes. Serves 6.

Stay at Home Saturday: Saving Pennies

Happy Saturday, ya'll. Hope you are enjoying this chilly weather. Brrrrr. With the even colder weather approaching, you are probably going to need some snowy day money. We hope you enjoy this household tip from our very own Dolly!

Ever heard the saying, "A penny saved is a penny earned?" A few years back, I received this big old jug for Christmas.

My mom's intentions were for me to use it for spare change. I would put money in there from time to time but over the last year or so, I got more serious about picking up found pennies and being more intentional about putting my spare change in the jar. As you can see, my little boy has fun finding things in our bathroom to put in the jar but we are trying to teach him to only put coins in. So, the other night after dumping the jar to get out my husbands toothbrush, I decided to count it all up and see how much we have so far. Our grand total of what doesn't look like much was $354.79!!! This got me excited and gave me a goal to keep bending down to pick up those pennies that people tend to ignore.

Have your pennies added up to be more than you thought? We'd love to hear!


Love,
Dolly

Stay at Home Saturday: A Tip and a Recipe!

TNT Tip:

If you have dry, cracked heels from barefoot summer days, try this tip that I got from my friend, Elizabeth (who got it from Dr. Oz. If you don’t know who Dr. Oz is, don’t worry. My sinus doctor didn’t know who he is either.). Buy a container of Stridex pads (yes, the acne medication) and rub your heels nightly. Follow with a slather of rich cream or Vaseline and wear socks to bed. The salicylic acid goes to work on the dry skin and the cream rehydrates. You should have new feet in a week!

Recipe:

Recently I bought a box of Cascadian Farms granola and fell in love with it. I love the sweet, crunchy oats with cold milk! However, it cost $4.55 a box at my local store – ouch! (Super Wal-Mart carries it for $3.00 a box, but they don’t have my favorite flavor.) I wanted to recreate it at home, using an old granola recipe from my mom. I thought about it and realized one thing that made it different from many granola recipes: the Cascadian Farms brand has crispy rice cereal in it! Brilliant! Here is a basic granola recipe that you can tweak a million ways. Let me know what you like to add in!

- 4 cups old fashioned oats

- 2 cups rice cereal

- 1/2 cup slivered almonds

- 1/4 cup ground flaxseed (optional nutritional boost)

Mix together in a large bowl and set aside.

In a pot over medium heat combine:

- 3/4 c. vegetable oil

- 1/4 c. honey

- 1/4 c. brown sugar

After brown sugar has melted, whisk together and pour over oats mixture. Combine carefully and spread out into a greased roasting pan (I line mine with parchment paper for easy clean up). Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes (more or less), stirring every few minutes. Watch carefully at the end because can burn in a minute! You’re looking for a golden brown color.

Cool and store at room temperature.

Stir-in in ideas:

- chocolate chips, yogurt chips or carob chips

- dried fruit such as blueberries, cranberries, raisins, etc.

- dried coconut (this is actually very nice cooked into the granola, not just added at the end)

Love,

Amy