Thursday, July 6, 2023

Blueberry Salsa

 




1 cup fresh blueberries

2 cups grape tomatoes, thinly sliced

½ cup sweet yellow onion, diced

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1-2 tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

1-2 tbsp. white wine vinegar

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil


In large bowl, combine all ingredients.  With a fork, gently smash ingredients together to combine flavors.  Let chill in fridge for flavors to incorporate for at least an hour before serving with tortilla chips.


Enjoy this recipe I stole from my favorite Lowe's Food Store where we sip and shop.



Wednesday, May 3, 2023

Reflections on Feeding the Flock 23




Another A-Z challenge completed. This is something I’ve been doing since 2015. I actually dabbled in it in 2014 but was not very successful.  It disciplines me to actually take the time to write. I always have full intentions of continuing to write throughout the year, but life seems to get in the way.  We all have priorities and each one takes a different precedence over someone else’s concerns. What is important to me is probably not important to you. My cousin Eric writes a newsletter every month about rocks.  For the life of me I don’t know what is so special about rocks? click here if you really want to know., But he loves it. I applaud him for all the work he puts into that newsletter every month, even though I don't understand most of what I read.

I enjoy this challenge very much. Every year I get to reconnect with the fellow blogger’s I’ve met over the years.  Every once in awhile I'll make a few new friends.  It’s like a family reunion online.

This year I stretched myself too far. My theme this year had to do with The Great Commission: “Go and make disciples of all the nations…” FEEDING THE FLOCK 23 was my theme. Check out W-WAKE UP.  That’s where my theme idea originated.

I took on more than I should have by opting in to do both blogs. I learned a lot throughout this challenge.  I didn’t think I was going to be able to finish. I lost my stepdad on Earth Day and I still had seven days (14 posts) to go.  How was I going to function and go to work and post a blog each day? Do you know what God said to me?”…O you of little faith.” If GOD leads you to it, He will see you through it. (praise Lord!)

I was successful at posting to both blogs for every letter. I did slack at visiting others and I apologize for that.  I do want to say thank you to those who visited me. Kristin was consistent at leaving a comment on every recipe I posted. ☺ Little comments mean a great deal in bloggy world.

At this time, I don’t have any suggestions about improving the challenge.  I liked the graphics and KUDOS to whoever took the time to do them this year.  If anyone who is reading this post is interested in volunteering to get your talent out there…click here

 

Here are the links for each of the posts this year… the food was supposed to go with the devotion but somehow I meandered and got lost along the way.  It happens.  Hope to see you all next year. And you never know, I might come up with a post here and there.  Stay tuned.

 

DEVOTION



THE FOOD










Sunday, April 30, 2023

Zymurgy Biscuits - Feeding the Flock 23

 


Zymurgy is technically referred to in beer making and wine fermentation.  But since I decided to use my beer sourdough starter, I figured it could work for the name of my new biscuit creation.

½ cup beer sourdough starter
¾ cup almond milk (only because I was out of regular)
½ cup jalapeño pimento cheese (I cheated and used store bought —didn't make my own)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. sugar
1 stick butter
¼ cup Crisco

Place dry ingredients in a bowl, mix to combine and then cut in the butter and the Crisco to make small round pea shaped crumbs.

Combine sourdough starter, milk and pimento cheese in another bowl and mix until well combined.  Pour into the dry bowl and mix.  Dough will be sticky.

Use an ice cream scoop and drop in globs onto ungreased cookie sheet.  I made 20 but you could make them bigger if you wanted to.

Bake in 450º oven for 11-14 minutes. 

Enjoy

Find out about the ZOMBIES in the writing studio.



Saturday, April 29, 2023

Yuppy Brownies- Feeding the Flock 23

 



Preheat oven 350º

1 box supreme chocolate chunk brownie mix (prepared the way the box says: 1 egg, 1/3 cup vegetable oil and ¼ cup water)
1/3 cup trail mix (I used Great Value Indulgent Deluxe)
1 cup mini marshmallows
½ cup coconut

Mix all ingredients together and spread into a lightly greased 9X9 cake pan.
Bake at 350º for 35 minutes.  Let cool, remove from pan, slice.

Enjoy,


Find out if Yankees are allowed over in the writing studio.



Friday, April 28, 2023

X-treme Chicken - Feeding the Flock 23


2-3 chicken leg quarters (preferably thawed but mine were partially frozen)
16 oz. Brussels sprouts (I used frozen that I got at IGA marked down for $1)
3-4 tbsp. XTREMELY hot hot sauce (we got this hot sauce from Palmetto State Armory...it is so HOT)
1-2 tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper


This was so easy.  A wing ding of a meal and Tall Cool ☺ne loved it.  Even the  cat loved the chicken (he's a junk food junky and eats everything cuz he thinks he's a dog).

Preheat oven 350º

Rinse chicken and pat dry.  Salt and pepper both sides.  Place on baking sheet.  Spread hot sauce over the chicken generously.  Bake for 1 hour.  Remove from oven and drain off greasy liquid.  Spread Brussel sprouts around the chicken and drizzle them with olive oil and a little pinch of Kosher salt.  Feel free to add more hot sauce to the chicken if you like it XTRA XTREMELY hot. 

Bake another 20-30 minutes and remove from oven.  Place aluminum foil over to keep warm until ready to serve.  It's best if it sits at least 15 minutes after removing from oven to incorporate all of the flavors.  With the olive oil and hot sauce, the Brussel sprouts did not need any other seasoning.

Enjoy.


Check out my X-Ray Vision over at Crackerberries





Thursday, April 27, 2023

Waffles - Feeding the Flock 23

 



WAFFLE BATTER
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 tbsp. baking powder
1/3 cup melted butter
2½ cups all-purpose flour

FILLING
4 oz. Jimmy Dean sausage cooked according to package instructions
2 eggs
2 tbsp. roasted red pepper cream cheese

Prepare the waffle batter.  Cook the sausage and then scramble in the eggs and cream cheese.  Place ½ cup batter in waffle maker, top with ¼ cup of egg mixture, then cover with ¼ cup more batter.  Close waffle maker and cook 8 minutes.


Makes 4 waffles.

Don't forget to find out about WAKING UP to smell the COFFEE!




Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Veggie (GREEN) Pork Stir-Fry - Feeding the Flock 23


14 oz. (just under 1 lb.) pork tenderloin, cubed
¼ cup flour
1½ tsp. salt
Canola cooking oil 
1 cup veggie stock
2½ cups broccoli florets
1 green pepper, chopped (I should have used red to add more color)
1 onion, peeled, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
½ cup soy sauce
2 tbsp. rice vinegar

Place the flour and salt in zip lock bag.  Add pork to the bag and shake to coat well.
In large skillet or WOK, add 2-3 tbsp. cooking oil and heat.  Add pork and cook until golden brown, stirring often. Remove pork and add more oil if needed.  Add the celery and onions and stir fry for about 2 minutes.  Add pepper and broccoli.  Stir fry a few more minutes. Add the pork, soy sauce, rice vinegar and veggie stock and cover to simmer about 5 minutes over medium to high heat.  Remove cover, stir until sauce thickens to desired consistency.

Enjoy,


  
 

Find out how to have VICTORY.



Tuesday, April 25, 2023

Unleavened Bread - Feeding the Flock 23

 



If you have been following a long,  you know I have been trying to come up with recipes for the sourdough starter that my friend gave me at Christmas time.  All of the recipes I could find have all included YEAST in the recipe.  Of course I've been working mine in the bread machine (because it's faster and easier). Any hoot, I did not use any yeast in these two loaves. 


SUNFLOWER SEED BREAD                                        BASIC UNLEAVENED

½ cup beer sourdough starter                                              ½ cup sourdough starter 
½ cup buttermilk                                                                 ½ cup buttermilk   
2 tbsp. grapeseed oil                                                            2 tbsp. melted butter
¼ cup brown sugar                                                              1½ tsp honey
2 cups all-purpose flour                                                       3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour                                                      1½ tsp. salt
2 tbsp. slivered almonds
¼ cup raw sunflower seeds
1½ tsp. salt


Place ingredients in bread machine in order listed. (Note there are two different loaves of bread there).  Set for the dough cycle.  Once cycle stops, remove from bread machine, create loaf and let rise 45-60 minutes.  (It will not rise much...it's unleavened).  Bake in 375º oven for 30-35 minutes.  This is a very dense bread.  I thought it was going out to the offering corner (where the wild animals feed), but I tried it as toast, and it makes really good toast.   Not one of my best recipes, but I couldn't find the Unicorn Kibbles that I wanted to make.

Enjoy,





Monday, April 24, 2023

Tangerine Salad - Feeding the Flock 23

 


3 tangerines, peel and separated
1 apple, chopped
¾ cup vanilla yogurt
2 tbsp. cinnamon honey
1 tbsp. coconut
1 tbsp. dried cranberries
¼ tsp. poppy seed

Add the apple and tangerines in a bowl together. 
Combine the yogurt, honey and poppy seed and mix until smooth and the consistency of dressing.  
Pour over the fruit and mix.  
Sprinkle with coconut and cranberries.  
2 servings


Enjoy,



Read about what TODAY is.




Saturday, April 22, 2023

Sourdough Starter - Feeding the Flock 23

 





BEER SOURDOUGH STARTER
1 cup Sam Adams Alpine lager
¾ cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. rice flour 
1 tbsp. whole wheat flour

Open bottle of beer 24 hours in advance of making dough and let it go flat.
Mix dry ingredients together.  Add beer and stir well to combine.
Cover with cheesecloth and then plastic wrap.  Let stand 24-48 hours, stirring every 12 hours. After the 48 hours, either refrigerate or feed.

It will be bubbly and smell strongly fermented.

You can find out how to "feed" and maintain your sourdough starter here.

I do not have the recipe for the white sourdough starter because it was given to me.  The recipes that I have found use a commercial dry sourdough starter (there must be a better way)!

I'm going to use my beer starter for the first time today.

Enjoy.




Don't forget to check out what's going on over at the Step in Time.



Friday, April 21, 2023

Rosemary Lemon Cookies - Feeding the Flock 23




½ cup butter flavored Crisco
1¼ cup sugar
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. fresh lemon balm leaves
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary leaves

Preheat oven to 375°.

Mince the lemon balm and rosemary leaves.

Cream together Crisco and sugar and beat until fluffy.  Add eggs, lemon juice and leaves and beat until well blended. 

Combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt, and mix well then add to creamed mixture and blend well.  Dough will be thick. 

Use a small ice cream scoop to drop on ungreased cookie sheets. 

Bake at 375º for 14 minutes.  YIELD: 4 dozen

YUM.




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Thursday, April 20, 2023

Quick & Easy Pork Loin - Feeding the Flock 23

 





Preheat oven 350º
1½ lb. pork loin
½ head cabbage (next time I will use the whole thing)
2 small pickling cucumbers, sliced (next time I will use 4-5)
2 tbsp. lime juice
1½ tbsp. onion flakes
2 tsp. garlic powder
salt & pepper
¼ cup mustard dressing

Place the cabbage and cucumbers in a greased baking dish.  Sprinkle with lime juice, onion flakes and garlic powder.  

Salt the pork loin and rub with honey mustard dressing.  Generously pepper the roast.  Cover and bake 1-1½ hours.  

I wasn't sure how I was going to serve this, but it worked splendidly on top of a garden salad.  Slice the pork and lay on top of salad.  Spoon the cabbage and baked cucumbers over the top.  Baked cucumbers are so good!!! Who knew?

Enjoy!
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Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Potato and Sausage Casserole - Feeding the Flock 23

 


I just want to thank my daughter for sharing this recipe with me, she is helping me out again in the challenge.  If you click on the picture you can visit her website.  Here's her recipe. 

10 unpeeled brown potatoes
Jimmy Dean regular sausage roll
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced 
½ block cream cheese
½ container sour cream
1 stick butter
Generous amount of cheddar cheese

Preheat oven 375º

Slice potatoes and boil until almost soft.
Sauté sausage and peppers together until cooked.
Mix cream cheese and sour cream together with drained potatoes and place in casserole dish. 
Cut slices of butter over top of potatoes. 
Top with sausage and peppers mixture.
Sprinkle with generous amount of cheddar cheese and bake about 30 minutes.

Enough for leftovers.

Enjoy,


Don't forget to check out Paper Cuts.