August 11, 2010 · 8:50 PM

Antone’s Deli Poor-Boy Sandwiches

Antone's Style Deli Poor-Boy Sandwich

Antone’s is a popular deli in the Houston area, and this sandwhich is a best seller. They even distribute them to some of our local grocery stores (sold in the deli department). They’re easy to make and they travel well for picnics and road trips. Just between you and me, I’ve been known to eat them leftover for breakfast, too.

Here’s how we make our version:
2 fresh, soft poorboy buns, approximately 6″ long
4 tablespoons mayonnaise, divided
3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish or sweet chow-chow, divided
24 hamburger dill pickle slices
6 slices smoked or baked deli ham (thin sliced)
10 slices hard salami, thin sliced (I prefer Boar’s Head)
4 slices provolone cheese, thin sliced

Start with two fresh, soft poorboy buns. Slice each almost through (so the 2 halves are still slightly connected). Spread 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise on both sides of each bun (4 tablespoons total). Then spread 1 1/2 tablespoons of sweet pickle relish or chow-chow on the top half of each sandwich. Arrange half of the hamburger dill slices on the bottom half of each bun, then fold ham slices to fit and place on top of the pickles, followed by the salami and then the provolone cheese. Close the sandwich, and press slightly with your hand to compress the sandwich. We like to serve these with jalapeno kettle chips, spicy sweet pickles and green olives. They’re also great with hummus and pita chips. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and they’re perfect for picnics or roadtrips. If you don’t finish them, wrap them up again and put in the refrigerator. They’re still good the next day!

Note: if you can’t find poorboy buns, a fresh loaf of French bread will do just fine.

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August 11, 2010 · 8:25 PM

Great Gift Giving – Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix in a Jar

Cookie Mix in a Jar

These cookie mix jars make a great holiday, house warming or wedding shower gifts. They’re easy to assemble and fun to give. I made a dozen of these for the girls at Hoegarden weekend. The resulting cookies are fabulous! I love to use Extra Dark Guittard chips, but you can use whatever you like. This cookie mix will keep for up to three months in the pantry.

Here’s what you’ll need to make each jar:
One wide-mouth quart size canning jar
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoons baking soda
¾ teaspoons kosher salt (or table salt)
1½ cups Extra-Dark 70% Cacao Guittard chocolate chips
¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated sugar
One jumbo paper cupcake liner, for a lid cover
One piece of ribbon, for decoration
One piece of cute scrapbook paper, for the instruction card
One hole punch for attaching instruction card to the ribbon

This recipe makes one 1-quart gift jar. It’s important to tap each layer into place so everything settles into clearly defined, lovely layers.

In a mixing bowl, blend flour, baking soda and salt with a whisk until thoroughly combined. Spoon flour mixture into the jar, and gently tap the jar on a kitchen towel to settle the contents. Gently spoon in the chocolate chips, and again tap the jar lightly to settle the contents. If you have a flat-ended utensil that will fit into the jar (or something like a tall narrow jar of green olives), you can use it to gently press ingredients down into the jar. Next, spoon in the brown sugar, and use that olive jar to pack it down. Spoon in the granulated sugar, and tap it down. By now, the jar should be full. Wipe the rim of the jar to make sure it’s clean. Cap with a clean lid and make sure it’s tightly sealed.

To decorate the jar, top with one jumbo cupcake liner. Using your hands, press the top edge of the liner to make sure it conforms to the shape of the jar lid. Print the directions below onto your scrapbook paper, either by hand or on your computer printer. Cut out the instructions, hole punch the top corner, then run the ribbon through and tie it into a pretty bow around the neck of the jar.

Here’s what to print on the directions card:

To Use Your Chocolate Chip Cookie in a Jar Mix:
Preheat oven to 375° F. Beat 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) softened unsalted butter, 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until blended. Add cookie mix and 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional); mix well, breaking up any clumps. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto un-greased baking sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. (Makes about 2 dozen cookies; mix will keep for up to 3 months if stored in a cool, dry place.)

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August 10, 2010 · 11:22 PM

Louise’s Stroganoff Over Baked Potatoes

Stroganoff Baked Potatoes

My mother-in-law serves this simple, delicious stroganoff over steamed rice, but we love it on baked potatoes. It’s the perfect recipe when you have leftover steak and need a quick meal. The mix of steak, mushrooms and buttery baked russets is irresistible.

One 8-ounce can of sliced mushrooms, drained
Three 6-ounce cans of Dawn Fresh Mushroom Steak Sauce
One 0.75-ounce envelope of McCormick’s Brown Gravy Mix (not pictured below)
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups of leftover steak, sliced thin and then chopped
2 jumbo or 4 small to medium russet potatoes
butter for potatoes
salt and pepper, to taste

Scrub your potatoes, rub them with butter and salt them. Poke a few holes in the skins and wrap them tightly in aluminum foil. Bake at 400F for 2-3 hours, or until potatoes are soft and squishy when you squeeze them with a towel or potholder. If you are more comfortable microwaving baked potatoes, feel free. Just be sure not to overcook them, or they can start to turn hard or burn.

Here's What You'll Need

In a small to medium saucepan, combine the drained mushroom slices, all three cans of Dawn’s Mushroom Steak Sauce, the McCormick’s Brown Gravy powder and the seasonings. Dawn’s steak sauce is a little thick when it comes out of the can, but resist the temptation to add liquid! It will loosen up as it heats, and the gravy mix will thicken it back up. Cook the sauce over medium heat until it starts to bubble around the edges, stirring often. Just before serving, add steak and stir to combine. Allow the sauce to sit for a few minutes, just until the steak is warmed through. Serve immediately over buttered baked potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Shopping Note: Dawn Fresh Mushroom Steak Sauce is found on the shelf next to canned mushrooms or by the gravy mixes. The cans are small and the labels are a boring beige, so it’s sometimes hard to find, but it’s worth it.

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August 10, 2010 · 7:04 PM

Meet Ziggy – My Furry Son

My daughter is my first born. She’s a beautiful, creative, loving girl who became a second grade teacher. She and her husband have given us two perfect grandchildren – Jonah Bear and Lilly Bug. They’re an awesome family. She’s a wonderful kid and a world-class mother. We couldn’t be more proud of them.

Our Beautiful Daughter

She likes to say that Ziggy is our favorite child. I’ve tried to explain to her – it’s not that he’s our favorite, it’s that he can’t ask us for money. That’s significant. And Ziggy is the baby. He’s our second child. And her little brother. He came into our lives when my husband (a.k.a. The Complete Package) bought a motorcycle. That was our deal – he got a motorcycle, and I got a dog. Don’t think for a second that I got ripped off. I’d wanted a dog for many years, but he fought me long and hard. A bad experience with a dalmation early in our marriage had taken a toll on him. When he came home with that motorcycle brochure, I think he expected me to freak out a little. I took it as a sign from God. He envisioned a motorcycle on the open road. I saw clouds parting, angels singing and puppies falling from heaven into my arms.

Ziggy - Our Furry Son

A teacher friend who raised Boston Terriers gave me the pick of the next litter, and I was off to the races. Ziggy was a runt – a sweet, snuggly, scrappy little runt. I was there the day he was born, and visited him almost every day until we brought him home at six weeks. He’s named for the white lightening bolt birthmark that was on his head as a puppy and my latent childhood crush on David Bowie. The birthmark has gone away, but my crush on Bowie still surfaces from time to time.

Ziggy is an awesome dog. His problem is that he isn’t aware that he’s a dog. I’m serious! We’ve taken him to two dog parks, but he is indifferent to other dogs. He’s not aware that he’s like them. He doesn’t “greet” other dogs in the traditional way. In fact, he ignores them. He’d rather sit on another family’s blanket and play with their kids. He loves to ride in the car and play with the grandkids (on his own terms). His favorite food is a small vanilla cone from Dairy Queen. He can mow one down in a matter of minutes, including the cone. Granted, it’s not pretty, but the boy loves his ice cream. He knows when you’re sick or sad, cuddling up to comfort you whenever needed. He licks my feet as if I’ve walked through a vat of melted cheese (which I can assure you I haven’t), and when The Complete Package is away on business, he sleeps with me. Not for protection, mind you. He’s eleven now, and his hearing and vision are not what they used to be. No, I like it because he snores and farts and hogs the bed, which reminds me of my beloved. Sorry, honey…..the truth shall set you free.

Ziggy is extremely good natured. He loves Halloween. His favorite part is seeing all the little kids in their costumes. He runs to the door every time the doorbell rings or he hears kids in the yard. He goes out onto the porch to greet each of them and steal a few kisses from willing participants. I bought him a costume once, but he only wore it long enough to snap a quick photo.

Ziggy the Cowboy

The photo quality is not great, but you get the idea. He wore it for about 60 seconds. Just long enough to kneel and snap one photo. I’m sure all of you who think it’s wrong to dress up dogs are laughing and pointing and saying things like “serves you right” but I don’t care. He was adorable. Even if it only lasted a moment. He was a little more accomodating for his Christmas shot. Yes, I bought two costumes. Don’t judge me. He was also in our Christmas card that year, and he was a hit with family and friends. So stuff it, non-dog-dressers. It was worth it. Here’s what you missed if you weren’t on my Christmas card list that year. Keep your negative comments to yourself, or you won’t be on this year’s list, either.

Santa Ziggy

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August 9, 2010 · 9:31 PM

Hoegarden – It’s A “Girls Only” Weekend Named For a Beer

The Hoegarden Crew

I know it sounds weird, but that’s exactly what it is – a weekend retreat named for a beer. Here’s how it all got started. Every year, my large extended family gathers at Thanksgiving. We actually call it Thanxmas, because we celebrate both Thanksgiving and Christmas at the same time. We multi-task so we are free to spend Christmas week with our individual families or in-laws. Anyway, back in 2004, we were all being thankful in Sister #4’s back yard in Garland, Texas with our usual family tradition – one-handed croquet. Leave it to us to make croquet a drinking game, right? Rules require that you must have a drink in one hand at all times, and said drink glass must contain a beverage at all times or penalty shots will be incurred. To make a long story less painful, Big Sister #1 was penalized heavily that night, and her beverage at the time was Hoegaarden Beer. She was new to Hoegaarden, and let’s just say it hit her a little hard. Every time someone sent a croquet ball into vegetation, she would say in a slushy sing-song voice, “Welcome to the Hoegarden!” and giggle profusely.

Shortly after that we decided to hold an annual “girls only” estrogen festival, and Hoegarden emerged as front runner in the naming contest. We dreamed of weekend escapes that would include lots of giggly girly fun and one-handed croquet in a testosterone-free environment. We launched our first Hoegarden Weekend in March 2005, and have kept it going and growing since. Even though we limit it to female family members, that now includes eleven of us from four generations. Because of that, Big Sister #1 hosts each year. For one thing, her house is big enough to hold us all, and she lives near Dallas, which is geographically central for all of us (we’re spread out from Tulsa to Fort Smith to Houston to Austin). Her husband, Saint David, is kind enough to vacate (or escape) with their two sons while we party. We have encouraged the men to retaliate with a “Brogarden” weekend but so far, it’s a no-go.

Hoegarden is filled with food, crafts, spa treatments, food, chocolate, family favorites, more food, some alcohol, funny family photos, board games and food. We choose a different theme each year and plan meals, deocrations and craft ideas around that theme. Our first year was simply “Welcome to the Hoegarden” and we took the garden theme to the max. We each created custom flowered hats and flipflops to wear antique shopping on Saturday.

Hoegarden Hats

Hoegarden Flipflops

We have a lot of fun when we all go out shopping on Saturdays. We’re that large fun group that walks in a pack and can be heard laughing down the block. Larger shops love us. I think smaller antique shops full of old glass get a little nervous. We spend Saturday shopping and eating lunch out, then come home to make family favorites for dinner, share spa treatments and make-overs and play boardgames to disco music until late in the night. I’ll share more photos later from “Extreme Make-Over Night” if I can get signed waivers from the sisters involved (just kidding – about the waivers).

One year’s theme was “HoDown”, which was a hoot. Then there was “Ho Lotta Lovin” around a Valentine’s theme. This year’s theme was “HoDepot” complete with tool belt aprons. We always find a way to tie the theme into our Hoegarden roots. Next year’s theme is island/tropical. We’re calling it “Hawaii Five-Hos” in honor of the five sisters (see my ‘A Tale of Five Sisters’ tab for more). Can’t wait to see what that encompasses. I’m thinking I’ll make my Hanalei Sunrise muffins and work up a good Mai Tai recipe. I’ll also be shopping for luau decorations and some Don Ho music, or maybe soundtracks from “Blue Hawaii” with Elvis (or not). One thing we love in this family is a good creative challenge. I can’t wait to see what the sisters, nieces and grandbabies come up with next! Whatever it is, you can bet it will be tutu fun.

Hoegarden Tutus

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August 9, 2010 · 8:08 PM

Hanalei Sunrise Muffins

Hanalei Sunrise Muffins

Inspired by our summer vacation in Hanalei Bay, Kauai, these muffins take me back to those glorious mornings on the pier. My favorite flavors of the Hawaiian islands are included – coconut, pineapple and macadamia nuts. These start with a mix, so they embrace that laid-back Hanalei attitude. Jonah Bear loves these!

2 pkgs Martha White Pound Cake Muffin Mix (7.4 ounces each)
1 cup evaporated milk (see notes)
1 can crushed pineapple (8 ounces), drained
2 pkgs macadamia nuts (2 ounces each)
1½ cups coconut flakes, sweetened
½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat the oven to 425F. Dump all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir only until dry ingredients are incorporated and no dry mix can be detected. Do not over mix muffins, or they will be chewy instead of light and fluffy. Divide batter into a greased or paper-lined muffin pan. I like to use an old fashioned ice cream scoop to get evenly-sized muffins. Bake 15-20 minutes (depending on your oven), until the muffins are golden brown on top, and a toothpick comes out clean. This makes 10-12 regular size muffins.

Note: In place of evaporated milk, you can use the juice off the crushed pineapple and enough milk to bring it to one cup. Or you can substitute almond milk or rice milk instead of evaporated milk.

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August 9, 2010 · 7:48 PM

Mom’s Creamy Beef Stroganoff

Mom’s Creamy Beef Stroganoff – still one of my favorite meals


My mom’s creamy beef stroganoff has been a family favorite for more than 40 years. It’s delicious, quick and simple to make, and so good you’ll find yourself eating it cold right out of the fridge. It has some of my favorite foods – steak, mushrooms, pasta and sour cream. Now you can make it, too!

12 ounces egg noodles, extra-wide
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup onion, minced
2 cups button mushrooms, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
1 pound sirloin steak, trimmed and thinly sliced
16 ounces sour cream (or lite sour cream)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pinch ground nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon Italian flat-leaf parsley, minced

In a large saucepan, cook egg noodles until al dente. While the noodles are cooking, prepare your sauce ingredients. In a nonstick skillet over high heat, melt the butter; add onions and mushrooms. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are golden brown. Add garlic salt and beef bouillon granules and stir to combine. Add thinly sliced steak and toss just until steak is still medium-rare (it will continue to cook in the sauce later).

In a bowl, combine sour cream, flour and nutmeg, stirring until well combined. Turn the heat under the skillet down to medium, and stir the sour cream mixture into the skillet until all ingredients are combined and the sauce is heated through; remove from heat. Don’t overcook here, or the beef will get rubbery and the sour cream will break down. Toss sauce into cooked, drained egg noodles and stir until well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste (and more nutmeg if you’re a fan). Sprinkle parsley over the top and serve warm.

I like to serve this with warm, buttered deli rye bread and a nice green salad.

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August 9, 2010 · 3:17 PM

Jonah Bear and Lilly Bug

Jonah Bear

This is my little Jonah Bear. He is our first-born grandchild and a source of overwhelming joy. He is the funniest, smartest, cuddliest grandson on the face of the planet, bar none. He’ll be four in December, but he’s already a genius. He can do no wrong, is immensly entertaining, supremely affectionate, and all boy. As one of five sisters and the mother of a daughter, I had no prior experience with little boys. But I have a bad case of the boy bug now, and I can’t get enough. Jonah is a constant revelation. Boys are interesting creatures. They like to get dirty and do groadie things. They think a burping contest is the most hysterical thing ever, and burping the alphabet is a college application level skill set. They love bugs and pirates and matchbox cars and dinosaurs and pirates (lots of pirates). Little boys are awesome. They totally rock.

Lilly Bug

This is Lilly Bug. The baby. Our second grandchild, and a little girl who will take a back seat to no one. She will be one next month, and I find that impossible to believe. We were just in the hospital celebrating her birth a few weeks ago. I swear. I don’t know how the past year could have gone by so quickly. She’ll be in dance class and driving before we know it. Time seems to fly by faster now that she’s here. Lilly Bug is the world’s happiest baby. She wakes up with a smile and spends the entire day laughing and playing. She has her daddy wrapped around her little finger, and has since day one. She’s sweet, curious, laid back, and totally in love with her big brother. Jonah Bear is her idol, and she is his biggest fan. Together they are a force of nature, and I hope this never changes regardless of how fast they grow or how far they go.

Our daughter was an only child. A smart, sweet, funny, independant only child. We can’t thank her and her husband enough for not repeating that pattern. One is fun, but two…oh so much better. Thanks for bringing these beautiful sweet babies into our lives. You complete me.

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July 19, 2010 · 2:42 AM

Got Cork?

I made a new corkboard for my sewing room.  I got the idea from a house we rented in Paradise Valley, Montana on a trip to Yellowstone.  They had one in the kitchen by the phone and used it for posting photos & messages.

 

I fell in love with the concept, and even though I’m not a wine drinker, I started a campaign to collect as many wine corks as possible so I could make my own.  After 2 years, I had only collected half a shoebox full.  Thanks to the miracle of Craigslist, I found a wine collector who had saved 12 years worth of corks from around the world and had decided to unload them for $10.  Imagine my surprise when he handed me a trash bag full.  Seven one-gallon Ziploc bags full, to be exact.  I was stunned and thrilled simultaneously.  I went straight to Hobby Lobby and bought a frame and a black foam backer board and got to work.  It took about 2 hours to arrange and then individually glue each cork into place.

 

I love it.  It looks great, and it’s fully functional.  And it was inexpensive to make, since the frame was on sale.  Total cost was about $35.  Because it’s made with a foam backer board, an open-back frame and natural corks, it’s very lightweight, so it was easy to hang.  I added a metal hook rack (also from Hobby Lobby) below it to hang my scissors and sewing stuff on.  Now it’s fun and functional.  I had made a larger corkboard last year so I could post all my crafting dreams for inspiration, so it’s nice to have a matching set. 

  

 The ribbon rack below the larger corkboard is a metal paper towel holder I found on a clearance rack for $8.  It’s the perfect size to hold spools of ribbon for future projects or gift wrapping.  And I found a black silverware drawer organizer for $4 that holds spools of thread perfectly (under the acrylic sewing platform). As you can see from large jars in the back corner of this photo, I still have gallons of corks left.  I love it when I can be creative and cheap at the same time.  Sometimes the stars just align.

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July 1, 2010 · 8:00 PM

Hello world!

Bear with me – I’m new at this.  I started this blog as a creative outlet and a place to archive some family stuff for my daughter, my mother, my four sisters and the generations that follow.  If you’re not family, you must be a new friend and as such, you’re welcome to join the party.  I’ve got a good life, a great husband, a beautiful daughter who has given us two angelic grandchildren, a furry canine son who worships me, and a house that’s paid for.  What more could a girl ask for?  Okay – a buhzillion dollars, a villa on Lake Como next to George Clooney, and thighs that don’t resemble the oatmeal I had for breakfast yesterday.  But other than that…

I plan to fill this space with family recipes, craft ideas spawned from my new sewing room, snippets of our travel adventures from around the world, boring anecdotes about my perfect grandchildren, stories about how I grew up as Mom’s Favorite in a house with four sisters, and other miscellaneous musings.  Thanks for joining me in this new adventure.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

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