Time Off

Merry Christmas to All!

Kansas City's Beautiful Country Club Plaza

Happy Thanksgiving!

Peace For Paris

We Did It!!!!!

Keep the Line Moving!

Blue October

Still playing baseball here in Kansas City!!!

Easy Empanadas

A favorite around this house is empanadas.   However, I don't always want to drag the mixer and pasta attachment out to make the dough.   In fact, I usually don't want to!!!  So I decided to experiment with a shortcut.   Refrigerated pie crust!   Worked like a charm.   Hubs and I loved it. 

Here's the recipe:

Brown 1 pound ground beef with a small diced red bell pepper, a small diced onion, some minced garlic and a teaspoon or two of ground cumin.   Drain off grease and add salt and pepper to taste and a few sprigs of fresh parsley, finely chopped.   Set aside to cool.

Roll out 2 refrigerated crusts (1 box thawed).  I use Pillsbury.   Roll them somewhat thin.  Using a 4 or 4 1/2 inch circle (I used my 2 cup measuring cup turned upside down) cut out circles.  Put a small amount of the ground beef mix on one half of a circle which has a dab of water wiped around the edge.   Fold over and seal the edges, then crimp with a fork.  Do this with all the crust circles.  Place on a waxed paper lined baking sheet and refrigerate for a short time.  Prick each empanada a couple of times with a fork.  

Add oil to a Dutch oven, deep enough to fry the empanadas.  I used canola oil.   Heat to 350 to 360 degrees.   Fry a few empanadas at a time for about four minutes or till golden brown.  Drain on paper towels. Makes about 14.  There will be meat mixture leftover.   Serve with desired dips such as  fire-roasted salsa, Ranch dip or pineapple salsa.

Can It Really Be August?

to my husband and best friend, Randy!

DOH!

In trying to tidy up my blog list, I inadvertently deleted the whole blasted list!!!!!    Trying to remember all the blogs I want to keep there....   Maybe there is a way to restore the lost list?

Anticipation

Tomorrow night is the opening game of the 2014 World Series.   So very proud and excited for the KC Royals!!!!

Getting In Touch With My German Roots

It's always fun in the fall to dig out a favorite German recipe...what with all the the
Oktoberfests going on around town.  Here's a kraut and sausage dish that even my husband, who does not like sauerkraut, loves!

Sausage Bake With Sauerkraut and Apples

In an ovenproof pan saute 1 large onion (quartered and sliced) and 2 lbs. sliced smoked sausage.   Add 2 large apples (peeled, cored, diced).   Saute 1 more minute.  Add  

2 cups cider, 1 T apple cider vinegar, 4 T brown sugar, 2 lbs. cold pack sauerkraut (rinsed and drained) and 1/4 t pepper.  

Cover and bake at 425 degrees for one hour.

City of Fountains

Celebrating KC Royals blue!

A Long Wait

The KC Royals nailed down a playoff berth last night.  We won the World Series in 1985 and had not been to the playoffs since!    Needless to say...Kansas Citians are celebrating.

Ahh....Comfort

The minute the temps drop a tiny bit, we start to crave warm comfort food around here.  Two favorites are Black Bean Chili and Tuna Casserole.

This dish can be used as chili or a side dish (great on taco night!).

Black Bean Chili

Heat EVOO or grape seed oil in a heavy large pot.   Add 1 yellow onion--chopped, 1 large red bell pepper--chopped.   Cook till softened.  Add squirts of garlic paste.   Mix in 2 T chili powder and a couple dashes cumin.   Stir two minutes. Mix in 3 cans organic black beans (drained but not rinsed), a can of diced fire roasted tomatoes and a squirt of tomato paste.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer.   Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.      Serve with a dollop of sour cream and grated cheddar cheese.

Tuna Casserole

Bring to a boil about 3 quarts of water.   Add about 10 oz. noodles, cook till soft (about 10 minutes).   Drain and return to pan.   Add in 1 family-size water packed tuna, 3/4 cup frozen peas, 1 can cream of chicken soup mixed with 1/2 can milk, 4 oz. cream cheese, softened and cubed.  Pour into a sprayed oven dish.   Top with either crushed potato chips or crushed tortilla chips mixed with grated cheese.    Bake at 350 degrees till bubbly, about 30 or 40 minutes.

Summertime Favorite

Hub's very favorite pie is blueberry!    Summer rewards us with beautiful, juicy, plump, tasty berries...in spades.    This recipe is one I have used for ages and may even have blogged it before, but it bears repeating.

2  unbaked pie crusts (your favorite recipe or store-bought refrigerated ready-to-roll)

4 cups fresh, washed and dried thoroughly blueberries

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/4 t cinnamon

1/4 t nutmeg

Mix dry ingredients in large bowl.   Add the blueberries and mix gently.   Pour into an unbaked pie crust (9" pie pan).  Top with the other crust.  Brush with egg and sprinkle lightly with sugar.   Cut slits to vent.  Put pie pan on a cookie sheet...filling WILL bubble out!    Bake at 400 degrees for 50 minutes.   Let cool.   Slice and top with vanilla ice cream.    Soooooo yummy. 

Natural Beauty

Northern Cali

Just returned from a vacation tour of Northern California.   Wow, love that area:   San Francisco and Chinatown, wine country, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Sequoia, Monterey, Carmel...loved them all!!!

                                                                              

If you're going to San Francisco, you better wear some flowers in your hair...

                                                                           

What a magnificent state!!!