Peep Krispy Bars

I was so incredibly busy this year that I completely forgot to tell everyone how to use up their extra Peeps!

I'm sorry! I had the best intentions, but we had a foreign exchange student staying here then and he left the week after Easter. As soon as he was gone I started to prepare for our family vacation to the beach and just now remembered about the Peeps as we returned from vacation 2 days ago and my oldest daughter brought down her 'leftover' Easter candy, which included all her Peeps, since she doesn't care for them.

For anyone who still has Peeps left (you know, the little chicks and bunnies that are sugary marshmallowy goodness) make Peep Krisp Bars! I made these up about 3 years ago when we had a higher-than-normal average of leftover purple Peeps. Yum!


Peep Krispy Bars

3 T butter
30 Peeps (which, really no one should have that many Peeps... so use part Peeps and make the rest up with marshmallows. You'll need a grand total of 10 oz. which is about 40 large or a package of mini. Adjust accordingly to how many Peeps you have to use up!)
6 c crispy rice cereal

Put the butter and marshallow peeps into a very large microwavable bowl and microwave until they puff up and double their size in the bowl. This takes about 1.5 - 2 minutes in my microwave.

Immediately stir in the cereal with a rubber scraper that has been sprayed with Pam style cooking oil or oiled with canola or vegetable oil. Now place the mixture into a greased or sprayed 9X13 inch pan. As soon as they are cool, cut and serve!

Spinach Garlic Chicken Sausage Revisted

Tonight's menu is Spinach Garlic Chicken 'sausages' and steamed zucchini, yellow peppers and yellow squash in a marjoram butter. Having tried the spinach garlic chicken sausages before, I knew they needed 'help' if I wasn't going to put them into a pasta dish or similar. Tonight I borrowed on the key ingredients I used in the pasta dish I made last time (recipe is on this site) and made them under the broiler.

Spinach Garlic Chicken Sausages


1 package spinach garlic chicken sausages (Target and Costco carry them, as well as some grocery stores)
1/4 c olive oil
1 T fresh minced garlic
salt
fresh cracked black pepper
1 t caraway seeds

Drizzle the chicken sausage with the olive oil, and turn to coat. Sprinkle with the garlic, caraway and salt and pepper. Grill or broil until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side.



Serve with steamed zucchini and squash and yellow peppers that have been seasoned with;

Marjoram Butter


1 stick (1/2 cup) real butter
1 t dried marjoram
1 T lemon juice
1/4 t dried or 1/2 t fresh lemon zest
1 T olive oil
salt
pepper


mix well and let set at least 20-30 minutes for flavors to meld before tossing the hot veggies with. Use as much or little as desired for flavor.

Mini Meatballs in Beer Sauce

It's NFL draft weekend and already 'football' is on the minds of my husband and oldest daughter. Always on the look out for what we call "football food" I found this recipe and thought "my husband will love this!"


Meatballs in Beer


1 lb. ground beef
1 egg
1 small onion, chopped fine
1/2 c cracker crumbs
salt and pepper

Make meatballs by mixing the above ingredients and forming small balls about one inch in diameter. Place on a parchment covered cookie sheet and refrigerate until needed.*


The meantime mix;

1 c ketchup
1 c beer
2 t vinegar
4 t sugar
4 t worcestershire sauce
1/4 c horseradish

Place in a slow cooker/crock pot and cook on hight until it starts to boil. Let it boil about 10 minutes and then add the meatballs. Simmer on low for 2-3 hours until done. (Don't stir them much, as you don't want to break the meatballs apart).



*Note

I like to bake the meatballs while I'm making the sauce. If you want to bake your meatballs before adding them to the crockpot, bake them in a jelly roll pan or a cookie sheet with a lip to hold in the drips. Bake at 375 for about 15 - 25 minutes depending on the size of your meatballs. You can add them hot or cold to the sauce. You can even make the meatballs up the day before and add them to the crockpot about 2 hours before you want to serve them.

Quick Beef Stroganoff

Quick Beef Stroganoff


1 pound steak, cut into small strips
2 T butter
1 small onion, diced
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup white wine
1 8 oz. container sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Quickly cook steak strips in a pan over medium high heat until lightly browned. Remove from pan and cover to keep warm.

Lower heat to medium and cook onion in butter until soft. Add sliced mushrooms and brown them. Return meat to the pan and add salt, pepper, wine, sour cream. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Homemade Neufchatel Cheese

Neufchatel cheese starts from milk, as compared to homemade cream cheese, which starts of course, from cream. You will want a cheese press for this... but if you don't have one you can still make it fashioning your own press from things you might already have on hand; a canner, 9 inch pvc pipe, a thick rubber band and a mason jar. See link here.

Homemade Neufchatel Cheese

1 gallon of milk, room temperature if it's warm, or heat to about 75 degrees
1/3 c sour milk or starter if you have one


Stir for a minute and then add;

1/2 tablet of a rennet tablet dissolved in 1/4 cool water

Stir for another minute

Let it set for 1 1/2 days in a warm place approximately 75 degree's. After about 18 hours you will spoon off the whey on the surface. Put the curd underneath into a cheesecloth bag and hang it up in a cool place to drain. When the curd is dry place it into a bowl and add a little bit of salt to taste. Mix well. Ladle the curd into a cheesecloth lined cheese form and press it smooth with a spoon and top it with another layer of cheesecloth. Top with 6 bricks and let it set for about an hour, give or take. Wrap and chill. Best used right away but can keep for a week if needed.