Thanksgiving leftover remake - crock pot split pea soup!

The holidays are upon us, and always such a busy time of year...the baking, the shopping, the decorating, the wrapping. Sometimes it's hard to find time to sit, and enjoy the magic of the season. I am always happy to find some shortcuts to get me through, and as a busy working woman, the crock pot has always been a staple of my busy life. Today we are going to talk about two of my favorite things - my crock pot, and thanksgiving leftovers!

I can't tell you how many times I heard this week on news shows how "everyone loves the thanksgiving leftovers as much as the meal itself". And honestly, it's true. Because the tradition typically creates an enormous amount of leftovers, every family has its own leftover favorites - sandwiches, scalloped potatoes and ham, crazy mash-up casseroles using ALL of the holiday favorites, anything goes.

One of my favorite, overlooked leftover is the ham bone. I don't know if it's intimidating, or why so many people simply toss it out with the garbage, but it really is an amazing ingredient. I often have a tough time deciding what I want to make with it. We have several favorites. Ham and bean soup, Red beans and rice, and of course, the old stand by: split pea and ham soup.

I always remember my mom's recipe box including recipes cut off boxes and bags. Those gems that companies put on their products. And several years ago, I decided to try a crock pot soup recipe on the back of the bag of split peas, and I have never changed a thing. It has a surprising twist, a bit of oregano, and it is the best split pea soup I've found. So simple, so easy, and the perfect comfy food. Mine is simmering in the crock pot now, ready for a warm cozy lunch with some fresh bread.

Crock Pot Split Pea and Ham Soup

1 leftover ham bone 

1 lb split peas, rinsed and drained

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

2 tsp chicken soup base (or 4 bouillon cubes)

2 bay leaves

6 cups water

Put everything into a crock pot, and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Remove the bay leaves and discard. Remove the ham bone, pull all

remaining meat off the bone and return it to the soup. 

Perfect served with crusty homemade bread!

It's so easy. And so good. While my lunch is cooking, I think I'll enjoy another cup of coffee...and maybe a cooking show or two. Remember to enjoy the magic of the season! 

Banana Baked Oatmeal, it's what's for breakfast!

Happy Saturday morning! Sitting here on a cool morning with my cup of coffee enjoying the quiet before my husband gets up. I love my early mornings. I have a loaf of sourdough baked already, and breakfast just came out of the oven. Now to rouse my hubby!

My husband loves bananas. LOVES them. Buys them by the bag. So I am always trying to figure out what to do with those last few bananas that are really ripe. I have an amazing banana bread recipe from my mom, but one can only make so much banana bread and so many smoothies. So I am always on the hunt for banana recipes. I found this one years ago and have modified it for my family. My favorite thing to do. Find a recipe and make it my own. Now if only he would wake up lol.

This baked oatmeal takes about 10 minutes to put together, and bakes for about 25. So it is not only scrumptious, but EASY. And QUICK. It also makes great leftovers for weekday breakfast. So I have been known to make a double batch just to have ready to go breakfast for the week! For me, this recipe is sweet enough as is. But it is also good drizzled with maple syrup. Try it for yourself!

Banana Baked Oatmeal

3-4 medium ripe bananas, mashed (small chunks are good!)
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups whole rolled oats (not quick oats)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 2 qt casserole with non-stick spray. Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl until well combined. Pour into casserole, and bake 25 minutes until set. Serves 4-6.

It's THAT easy. And very forgiving. Just warm leftovers in the microwave!

Now go get that second cup of coffee. I know I am. Have a great week!

Pico De Gallo...tis the season!

Went for a walk around our little town this week with my husband. Came across a friend working in their (BEAUTIFUL) vegetable garden. After talking about our lack of ripe tomatoes, we walked away with 20 lbs. of tomatoes (yes we paid for them!) to enjoy. For my husband, that means eating them by the bowl raw and in BLT sandwiches, but for me that means COOKING.

The first thing I made was Pico de Gallo. To me, there is no better way to enjoy late summer's fresh bounty, than with a good fresh Pico - full of tomatoes, garlic, onion, and cilantro. It is incredibly easy to make, lasts in the fridge for days, and can add a fresh twist to so many dishes. My recipe is very basic!

Pico de Gallo

6 Roma (or other similar, meaty) tomatoes, finely diced

1/2 large white onion, finely diced

1 medium jalapeno, seeded, and minced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

3/4 cup (packed) finely chopped fresh cilantro (leaves only)

juice of 1/2 lime

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Combine all, cover, and refrigerate, at least four hours. Flavors will continue to marinate the longer it is refrigerated. You can adjust this to your taste - less jalapeno if you want less heat, salt and pepper to taste. 

Some of my favorite ways to use fresh Pico:

• With tortilla chips!
• Warm an 8oz block of cream cheese for 20-30 seconds to soften, top with fresh Pico, and then dip with pretzels or crackers
• Top any kind of Mexican dish - tacos, enchiladas, burritos - perfect garnish to freshen up dishes
• Use it as a bruschetta - on toasted baguette rounds
• Over grilled chicken
• Stir it into warm pasta, and drizzle with a little olive oil, for a fresh pasta option

The possibilities are endless. Experiment, and enjoy! 

A Sunday morning mash-up: a Ranchero Bene

Who doesn't love a good Bene?

It's a beautiful central Wisconsin Sunday morning...perfect for a late brunch for my husband and I. I have had Jones Dairy Farm's Chorizo sausage patties in my freezer, with a new mash-up on my mind, and today was the day!

When I owned the café, one of our customer favorites was our Farmer's Benedict, a twist on the traditional Eggs Benedict (English muffin, Canadian bacon, poached egg, and hollandaise sauce). Our Farmer's Bene was a fresh-baked buttermilk biscuit, topped with Jones' sausage patties, eggs, and our scratch-made sausage gravy...yep. It was amazing.

So on our last trip to Jones Dairy Farm in Fort Atkinson, we found Chorizo patties, and I knew instantly we had a mash-up coming! I have been promising my husband Huevos Rancheros for awhile, and this was the perfect opportunity to create something new and fun - a Ranchero Bene!

Benedicts, versions of them, are not at all an intimidating breakfast, but this one is easiest of all. The toughest part of a Bene is the sauce - hollandaise, sausage gravy, etc. But on my Ranchero Bene, I used jarred salsa. YES. Check it out. Such a fun, easy, and new twist on breakfast!

Ranchero Benedict

English Muffin (I used homemade sourdough, but store-bought is fine!)
2 Chorizo sausage patties
2 eggs
Salsa - your favorite jarred variety

In a saucepan on medium heat, start browning your chorizo sausage patties. With pre-cooked sausages (like those I used), I use some water in the pan while they cook - just enough to keep  them from burning. While the sausage is browning, butter each cut-half of the English muffin, and in another pan, grill/brown the buttered side of the muffin over medium-high heat. You want a nice grilled texture. (Toasting is another option, but once you grill them, you will never toast again!) Remove the grilled muffin halves and set aside, and lower pan heat to low. With a little butter in the pan, fry the eggs to your liking. (Anything goes - it's your preference!). While the eggs and sausages are finishing, warm some salsa in the microwave. You won't want to put cold salsa on your eggs, as it will cool the dish very rapidly.

Then it's time to assemble! Place the two halves of English muffin grilled side up, top with the Chorizo patties, then eggs on top, and drizzle the salsa over all. It is THAT easy. I only made a half for myself (pictured), so this recipe can serve one large breakfast, or two smaller.

I am sure this is not the last mash-up I will share. I get bored easily! And my husband never complains.

Buttermilk biscuit sandwiches, it's what's for breakfast!

I set my alarm last night for a 2am wake-up call so I could catch the lunar eclipse. And the skies were clear, so I am VERY glad I got up to see it. A beautiful bright orange moon...

About 2:30am, I headed back to bed, not needing to get up until 5:00.

at 3:00am I got back up out of bed. oops. Guess that four hours of sleep was all that I needed!

So I decided to play with a recipe, and made fresh buttermilk biscuits for breakfast. I was planning on getting up to make a breakfast sandwich on an English muffin for my husband, but why not make biscuits? I need to find the perfect recipe for the cafe anyway, so it's as good a time as ever to get it done.

Buttermilk biscuits are one of the easiest breads to make. Simple ingredients, no difficult process. I love making them. You can use any buttermilk biscuit recipe you find, as they are all similar and all available online. I'm not posting this recipe yet. It's not perfect. It's close. But I have some tweaking to do! But whatever recipe you try, have fun! Biscuits are very forgiving, and the more rustic they look the better!

 Combine the dry ingredients

Add cubed butter and shortening, using a pastry blender until it's coarse crumbs,

 and add in the buttermilk, combining until the dough comes together.

Pat it out in a circle, cut your rounds, and bake!

It's that easy! Brush with a little melted butter once they're out, and you have a golden biscuit that can be a side for dinner, a base for a breakfast sandwich, end up smothered in sausage gravy, or simply enjoyed as is!

I got a little too ambitious with the breakfast sandwich though - using too much egg and ham. This is a two meal sandwich!

Celebrating Family

Not a normal blog this morning..

This morning we lay my father to his eternal rest... On March 14th, he ended a long journey, 88 years, that for the last decade included severe dimentia. Having lost my mother in 2006, this is bittersweet for sure. The end of a generation of our family. But it's also a reason to celebrate that family.

Last night 25 of us got together to share a meal, and an evening of wonderful story telling and laughing. A true celebration of life, of our lives, and our family.

Our family has a great history of amazing celebrations - around amazing meals.

So today I am dedicating this blog to my family. My crazy, dysfunctional, amazing family, that I love with all my heart.

A typical family gathering, circa 1976?

Celebrate your family - every day. They are yours. 

Now grab another cup of coffee and enjoy the day. :)

My question to you...what is the best cafe/diner food you've ever eaten?

I love to cook. You all know that. And I love eating foods from different areas of the country, different nationalities, etc.

My cooking is about to take a turn - as my husband and I have taken the plunge and purchased a cafe! We are looking to open our new cafe, the gathering place, May 1st, and I've been having a blast with menu ideas. I've been cooking ferociously, as we try different things, looking for the best to put on our menu. (My husband and son are happy to do the taste testing!)

I am so very excited. But so many options. It will be hard to hold back, but I know we have to take baby steps!

So my question to you... what is the best cafe/diner food you've every eaten? I'd love to hear from you!