The Nattie Challenge

This is my very first book challenge. I've read about them before-mostly on Think-Pink - but I have never participated in one.

This is called the baby-steps challenge .

I have chosen option B (2 of the books on my list are re-reads).

My books are:

1. Ben-Hur by Lew Wallace

2. A Man Called Peter by Catherine Marshall

3. Christy by Catherine Marshall

A Man Called Peter & Christy I read years ago. They are books my dad gave me. He really loved to read too. He had tons of books. These 2 books are old hardbacks of his & the date on A Man Called Peter says 1951. He has an address label in the front, & it is the address he had before he met & married my mom. My copy of Christy is also a hardback that my mom gave him for Christmas 1970 (she signed the front of it). Actually, all 3 of these books make me think of my dad. I didn't plan it that way.

I just had all 3 in my "Mt. to be read" pile. My dad gave me my copy of Ben-Hur for Christmas one year. It's super tiny print & I've just never gotten around to reading it. lol But I've always meant to. I've been to the Ben-Hur museum near where I live many times....as a child. (click on that link & read Lew's quote...it's pretty cool) We went there for field trips in grade school a lot. But now as an adult, I can't remember much about it. After I finish this book, I'd like to go back & have a look around. :)

Also, & I hope this doesn't sound creepy or weird or anything, but my dad is buried about 50-100 yards from Lew Wallace. Really, I'm not weird. lol It's just that I drive by Lew's grave to get to my dads. I know that must sound odd! lol Maybe I AM weird.....lol

Anyway, there's my 3 books. I didn't mean for them to be 'Dad' books, but that's how it turned out. So I'd like to do this 1st reading challenge in honor of my dad, who loved reading & passed that love on to me. And of course in honor of Nattie. It's a shame that I didn't know her well. I really wish I did. We talked a few times on the message board about our weather & our state starting to go with the rest of the country by observing that stupid (lol)daylight savings time.

Here's a picture of my dad & me. Thanks for my books, Dad. :)

Vegetable Soup

Jane's Vegetable Soup

2-3 pounds boneless chuck, tip, or round, (or just buy stew meat) cut into 1 inch pieces

1 T. vegetable oil

2 C. water

2 t. beef bouillon

2-3 cloves garlic

salt & pepper

5 or so carrots

4 or so potatoes

2 stalks celery (opt.)

1 onion

1 quart canned tomatoes (or store bought large can)

2 or 3 quarts of tomato juice (can use v8 too)

bag of frozen corn

bag of frozen peas

1 quart green beans

canned mushrooms

Cook and stir beef in oil in large pan until browned. Stir in 2 cup water, the beef bouillon, salt & pepper, & chopped garlic. Cover and simmer until tender, about 1 hour. (an hour & a half if you need to) Stir in tomato juice. Add sliced carrots, potatoes, celery, onion, & canned tomatoes. Cover & simmer until carrots & potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes or so. Add frozen peas & corn, green beans, & mushrooms. Simmer a few more minutes.I usually make a big batch of this (using 3 or 4 pounds of meat & at least 3 quarts of tomato juice) so we can eat it for two days. It's always even better on day two. If there's any left, it's great to freeze in small single serving containers.

Here it is in the big pot I cook it in. It's not a very good picture, so once I added it & saw that I didn't really like it I tried to delete it. But.....I can't figure out how to get it off of this post. lol

So I guess I'm stuck with leaving it here because I'm too tired to try to figure it out. lol

I wanted to add that what I think is great about this soup is that you can add whatever you like or take out what you don't. You could add lima beans if you want. I personally LOVE cabbage in mine, but nobody else in my family likes cabbage in it.

ICE CREAM TIME!

HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM WITH ANDES CREME DE MENTHE PIECES

She Treads Softly gave me the idea to add creme de menthe pieces to ice cream.
I am not able to come up with any words to aptly describe how wonderful this tastes.
Here's my recipe for this light chocolate ice cream. It is for a gallon & a half ice cream maker.

HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM (light chocolate)

4 squares semi-sweet melted chocolate

6 c. half & half (or use some half & half & some cream)

3-3/4 c sugar

7-1/2 T. flour

1-1/2 t. salt

7 eggs

Melt chocolate in microwave or double boiler & heat up the half & half to about the same temperature. Combine & beat with mixer for a while. Set aside to cool.

In large mixing bowl, combine other ingredients and then fold it into the cooled milk & chocolate mixture. Put back onto the heat & cook & stir until spoon is coated. (don't boil)

Let cool & then refrigerate overnight.

When it's time to make the ice cream, pour into the canaster. -This part is probably exclusive to this big old ice cream freezer I have- then pour milk into canister until it is 4 or 5 inches from the top. It usually takes about a quart of milk to do this. I don't understand this, but I do it & it works. lol I would think it would water down the ice cream. But like I said, it works. :)

We crank our freezer for 20 minutes or so. If we eat the ice cream right after cranking, it is soft like soft serve ice cream, kind of like a thick milk shake. So after we enjoyed some ice cream, I brought the can in, added the Andes Creme De Menthe baking chips, stirred, & then poured it into a 1.5 gallon ice cream container (the plastic kind with a handle, that you get ice cream in the store, it's like a bucket), then cover with plastic wrap before puting on the lid.

Once it freezes harder, it looks like the picture.

I think this is my favorite so far. But I may need to make that coffee mint ice cream again & put these mint pieces in that! Then I don't know which would be my favorite!

Steak & Egg Sandwich

The picture didn't turn out so great, but I had to show one shot of this before slicing. This is a 'left overs' sandwich. The day before we had steak sandwiches that I got from PioneerWoman Cooks. I make a bunch so we will have leftovers. :)
And this is how my dh loves it.
It is on toasted rye bread. (we were out of our deli sub buns)
It has cheese and a nice layer of steak & 1 sunny side up egg.

Just look at that juice from the steak & the egg yolk!

YUM!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Porcupines

I used to call these Porcupine Balls.....until I realized what that meant! I just thought that these meatballs resemble porcupines because of the rice, & well, meatballs are shaped like a ball....
then a light bulb came on a few years ago & I realized what I'd been saying! So I now just call them PORCUPINES! :)

1 box Beef Rice a Roni
1-1/2 to 2 pounds hamburger
1 egg
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped

Mix meat, rice, egg, onion, & garlic . Shape into meatballs & brown on all sides. I make these kind of big, a little bigger than golf balls.
Drain off the grease.
Add 2-1/2 C. hot water to the beef flavoring packet that came in the rice a roni. Pour over meatballs. Cover & boil for 15-20 minutes or until rice looks puffy & soft.
Take lid off & cook water down some to make a nice gravy (well, it's more like a sauce).
We LOVE these & I usually serve them with mashed potatoes & corn. And the next day, if there are any leftovers, they make wonderful sandwiches! YUM!

Crockpot beef stew

We actually call this one "dark brown beef stew", because I have another recipe that we call "light brown beef stew". lol The "light brown" one is really good, it's different. This is the 'regular' kind, or 'usual' beef stew. Don't be fooled by usual or ordinary though, this is so gooooooood. And perfect for cool fall days. (if we'll ever GET any of those!)
Crockpot Beef Stew
1 pkg. stew meat, about 1 1/2 pounds
1 packet Lipton beefy onion soup mix
1 1/2 t. beef bouillon
3-4 potatoes, cubed
4-5 carrons, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced (optional)
1 can diced tomatoes, with juice (as you know by now, I use the kind with basil, garlic, & oregano)
1-2 cloves crushed garlic
salt & pepper to taste
2 T. cornstarch mixed with about 1/4 cup cold water.

Put all ingredients in a slow cooker (except cornstarch & water) on low for 8-10 hours. Taste & adjust seasonings. Add 2 T. cornstarch mixed with cold wather. Turn to high & stir until thickened.

Oh my.....this is SO good with homemade buttered bread.