Lasagna on a Bun

Posted by Donna:

I am so much like my mother. I have old recipe books of hers where she had written "Do" by the recipes that interested her. As I was looking through some of my old and newer Taste of Home magazines, I found several where I had done the same---they had "Do" written beside them.

Today, I'm sharing one of the "Do" recipes with you that I tried today. To my surprise, Larry loved it! He started in about mid-morning asking what we were having for lunch. Instead of telling him what it was, I just told him when I would have it ready. He gets a negative attitude when I say I'm trying a new recipe.

Lasagna in a Bun

3/4 pound ground beef
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
hoagie buns or any other deli-type bread you want to use
3/4 cup cottage cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup pizza sauce
2 T. onion soup mix

Cook the ground beef until done; drain. I always run my cooked ground beef under hot water in order to get a lot of the grease off of it. Stir in the tomatoes, soup mix, oregano, basil, and spaghetti sauce. Cook, uncovered, for about 5 - 10 minutes.

Carefully hollow out the bun bottoms, leaving about 1/4 inch shell. In a small bowl, combine the cottage cheese and shredded mozzarella. Spoon into the hollowed out buns. Top with the meat mixture. Sprinkle with extra mozzarella. Add the bun tops.

Wrap each sandwich in foil. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or so.

The original recipe didn't call for the spaghetti sauce. I liked the meat mixture better with it added. Also, the cheese mixture originally had one egg in it. I didn't see a need to put that.

This is a recipe that can be "played" with---adding maybe some chopped green bell peppers, yellow onion instead of the onion soup, etc. I'm anxious to make it again for that reason. After we had eaten, he wanted seconds. To make the second lasagna sandwich would have required heating it for 20 minutes. Luckily, he changed his mind and decided to have his "seconds" for supper tonight---for which I am most grateful. This recipe will make about 8sandwiches.

Baked Mashed Potatoes with Parmesan Cheese and Bread Crumbs

These were part of the Italian meal we enjoyed last night.  This is a Giada De Laurentiis - Food Network Recipe.  Very good!

Baked Mashed Potatoes with Parmesan Cheese and Bread Crumbs

1 tablespoon butter

4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup whole milk (I used 2%)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan (
Salt and freshly ground black pepper (mine wasn't freshly ground, but I've heard it's great!)
2 tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs (I used Italian Bread Crumbs and didn't measure, just sprinkled them on all over the top.)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of butter and set aside.

Cook the potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water until they are very tender, about 15 minutes. Drain; return the potatoes to the same pot and mash well. Mix in the milk and melted butter. Mix in the mozzarella and 3/4 cup of the Parmesan. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Transfer the potatoes to the prepared baking dish. Stir the bread crumbs and remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the mashed potatoes. Recipe can be prepared up to this point 6 hours ahead of time; cover and chill.

Bake, uncovered, until the topping is golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Italian Peas

Posted by Lori:

"I do not like green peas and ham.  I do not like them Sam I am!" 

(I know it's supposed to be green eggs, but this post is about peas)

Never have.....supposed I never would... but I guess I've changed my mind as of tonight!

My husband bought some frozen vegetables from Schwan's several months ago. One of them was peas.  I finally decided I had to make them - just to get them out of the freezer!  Since we were having an Italian-themed supper, I searched for a pea recipe that would work.  This recipe is from "worshipwarriormt" on Allrecipes.com. 

Wow!  They are great!  "I do!  I like them, Sam I am!  I do, I like green eggs and ham!"  (or in our case tonight, Italian Meat Roll.

Italian Peas
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped (I used 1 teaspoon onion powder)
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 ounces frozen green peas
1 tablespoon chicken stock (I used 1 tablespoon chicken base - found by the bouillon)
salt and pepper to taste (I didn't need any!)
Not on original recipe:  I sprinkled a little bit of Parmesan on top.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic; cook about 5 minutes. Add frozen peas, and stir in stock. Season with salt and pepper. Cover, and cook until the peas are tender, about 10 minutes. (I cooked them longer because I doubled the recipe.)

Here's the rest of our meal:  Italian Meat Roll, Baked Mashed Potatoes with Parmesan and Bread Crumbs, corn on the cob, and Italian Bread.  I'll post the first two tomorrow.  The bread recipe was posted by mom last summer. Click on this link for recipe. Delicious!.

Broccoli Grape Salad

Posted by Donna:

I really like this salad. A friend from church shared this recipe several years ago.

Broccoli Grape Salad

Red grapes, halved
Green grapes, halved
1 bunch broccoli
1 red onion
1/2 cup bacon crumbled
8 oz. can water chestnuts

Dressing:
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup sugar
3 T. cider vinegar

After whisking the dressing ingredients together, pour over the salad and refrigerate a few hours before serving.

Rice Pudding

Posted by Lori:

I don't know why, but I've always liked the thought of rice pudding.....though I'm not sure I've ever had it before - until recently.  As a kid I just really liked rice of any kind.  Back then it was always white rice then, though now it is typically the brown, healthier variety.

I made this rice pudding recipe using leftover rice, after making the Cilantro Lime Rice I posted last week.  It is a great way to use up the leftovers. My children liked the taste of it, but not the texture.  They're kind of goofy sometimes.....like their daddy :)!!  I put that because he doesn't read this blog!  He only reads my devotional blog!

3 cups white rice, cooked
3 cups milk
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup dried cranberries (such as Craisins)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon, divided (if desired)

Combine cooked rice, milk, sugar and butter in a medium saucepan. Add dried cranberries and vanilla. Cook for 25 - 45 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed. (Don't cook too high as milk will curdle.) Mix in 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, if desired. Spoon pudding into a serving dish and dust with remaining cinnamon, if desired.  May serve chilled or at room temperature

Just Ducky Treats

Posted by Lori:
I just saw the cutest little ducky desserts on FamilyFun.com!  I was looking for a recipe that I made several years ago that I was wanting share with you, but never found it.  However, I think you'll like this one!  This would be adorable for a duck themed party or shower - or anytime!

Photo from Familyfun.com

Instructions for Just Ducky Treats:

First spread out a paper cupcake liner and set it on a small plate or in a bowl.

For the body, place a large scoop of vanilla ice cream or lemon sherbet on top of the liner.

Create a neck by topping the body with a spoonful of ice cream and use the bowl of the spoon to flatten it slightly. Place a small scoop of ice cream on the neck for the head. Press on chocolate chips or raisins for eyes.

For a beak, flatten an orange gumdrop and cut it into two pieces. Or you can simply insert a shelled peanut into the ice cream.

Finally, make webbed feet with pieces of fruit leather or dried apricots.

April Fool's Day Foods and Fun

Every April Fool's Day we have some fun with our children. They've come to expect it now and would be disappointed if we didn't do something fun or unexpected.

Here are a few things we've done:

1. One year I made these cupcakes (link to Family Fun recipe). It's really meatloaf muffins topped with colored icing-looking mashed potatoes.


2.  Another year was a combination of look-alike foods:  Fish Sticks, Mashed Potatoes with Gravy, Peas and Carrots.

3.  A favorite year was making real fish sticks, macaroni and cheese, and peas, but serving it at 7:00 in the morning.  We tried to convince the kids it was 7:00 p.m. and that they slept all day, but they didn't believe us!

4.  If April Fool's Day is on a school day, we typically try to do something funny in their lunch boxes.  One year I packed their lunch with plastic play like food.  As they opened up their lunchboxes, I came into the cafeteria with their real lunch.

5.  Another lunch box April Fool's Day trick was they were sent to school with canned goods in their bag, although they didn't know it.  My husband handled everything that year because I was out of town for a few days.  He had mini pizzas ready and gave it to them after they saw their suprise.

6. Last year we woke up all four kiddos and took them to the only convenience store we have in our small town.  They HAD to eat something from there, but it couldn't be breakfast.  It had to be something from their "cooked" section, which (unhealthy, I know....but fun and funny!) was mostly fried lunch-type food:  burritos, egg rolls, chicken strips.  It's really amazing that some people eat this stuff every morning!  Apparently they do, because the little store is selling it that early!

7.  As a special "treat" after getting back home last year, the kids were served "Fakin and Eggs" for dessert.  I can't find my photo of the treats, but they looked just as authentic as this Family Fun photo....although I didn't have a mini skillet for them.

Do you have any ideas for me for this year's April Fool's Day?  It will be here soon!

Tea Dyed Tablecloth

Posted by Lori:

This isn't a recipe post, but an idea that might interest you:  How to dye a tablecloth with tea.

Tonight was an annual ladies' salad supper that I host each spring.  (You can read about the gathering here.)  This morning, as I began getting ready for the event, I realized that I didn't have a tablecloth that would go with the brown/cream paper plates I had bought.  However, I did have a white tablecloth.

I thought about my wedding....22 plus years ago.  I didn't want anything white - only ivory (because I don't think I look good in white and "ivory" was the "in" color....along with country blue and mauve :).  SOOOO, mom and I dyed some of the white things we had for the wedding with tea.

Place tea bags in water and microwave until it boils. 

Allow it to sit for a few minutes to get more concentrated. (I did this process three times adding it to the washing machine as described below.)

Start washer and fill to desired water level.  Add tea...as much as needed depending on color needed. It smelled so good!  Different than the typical laundry load, but good, still!

Place fabric/cloth in tea/water.  Close lid or do what needs to be done to cause washer to begin to spin....but only for a few seconds....just to get the tea/water dispersed and the fabric/cloth immersed.

Allow to soak for an hour or more, until desired color shade is reached.  (Mine could have been a little darker, but I was impatient and in a hurry!)

Dry fabric/cloth and use as desired.

Now, suppose you want to dye it back white or you want it darker.  To make it white, you could bleach it, but you can also use Cascade dishwashing powder!  I remember we did that when working on the wedding items.  And, if you want it darker, just repeat the steps listed above.

Cilantro-Lime Rice

Posted by Lori:

Have you ever eaten at Qdoba, the Mexican restaurant chain?  The first time my family ever had food from Qdoba was at our niece's wedding rehearsal dinner in Nashville.  The food was delicious and we've been excited to see some Qdoba restaurants popping up not too far from us in Oklahoma City/Edmond and Wichita Falls, Texas.

The Cilantro Lime Rice from Qdoba was unusual, but delicious.  This recipe is similar and I really liked it.  The rest of my family wasn't too crazy about it, though!  Be sure to start with the small measurement of the lime zest and juice, as well as the cilantro.  You can always add more, if you want it....but it's certainly hard to take it away once it's been added!

Cilantro-Lime Rice

3 cups cooked rice, brown or white (I did white to be more Qdoba-like, but we usually eat brown because it's healthier.  I also cooked the rice in chicken broth to add more flavor.)

1/2 - 1 teaspoon lime zest, minced from 1 small lime

1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2-3 tablespoons finely minced cilantro

Toss lime zest, lime juice, and cilantro with the cooked rice.  Serve warm or cold.

This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday.

Chicken Burrito

Posted by Donna:

Isn't funny how we ladies are!!!!!!! We're always looking for healthy or good low-fat recipes. However, when we fix them, it makes us want to eat more pie, cookies, or snicker bars. This is exactly what my younger daughter and I did this week. She gets a lot of recipes from sparkpeople.com---they're very healthy and good. Last week, I had gotten a "healthy" recipe from there; so, while she and her three children were here this week, I made the recipe I'm sharing today. Of course, we followed our meal with a non-healthy, very fattening, and very rich chocolate pie. I think the good one off-sets the bad one----from what I gather!!!!!

Chicken Burrito

This recipe makes about five large burritos.

Three chicken breasts---boiled and shredded

Mix the shredded breasts with one package of taco seasoning---plus a little water or rotel to make it not so dry. I used water with mine.

On each wheat tortilla, spread the following in the order listed(down the middle of each):

Refried beans

taco seasoned chicken

cheddar cheese

chopped tomato

chopped onion

Roll up each tortilla, wrap in foil, and place on a foil or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes.

**The other option is to roll up each tortilla and broil it for about 2-3 minutes on each side. This makes the tortilla crunchy--which I just love.

Either way proves to be really good.

We felt so healthy after eating this---that's why we felt like we deserved a piece of chocolate pie---as a reward for being so good!

Blueberry Sour Cream Muffins

Posted by Lori:

My daughter made these muffins for us to snack on tonight.  They are soooooo good!  Much, much better than the boxed variety we typically eat.  She used frozen blueberries instead of fresh and they worked just fine.

Blueberry Sour Cream Muffins

1/3 cup soft butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup fresh blueberries (or frozen)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cream first 4 ingredients.  In a separate bowl, sift flour and baking powder together.  Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk and sour cream.  Fold in blueberries.  Spoon into greased muffin tin and sprinkle with crumb topping. (recipe below)

Crumb topping:
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix together in small bowl.  Sprinkle on muffins as directed.  Bake 20 - 25 minutes.

This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday.

Dieting Under Stress

(*Note:  Mom posted this last week, but many of you may not have seen it due to the way it posted.  Just thought this was something you all might enjoy seeing! ....Lori)

Posted by Donna:

As I was rummaging through "things" that I have saved through the years, I found this cute diet that I wanted to share. It came from a Meal Site Manager from a nearby town.


"This diet is designed to help you cope with the stress that builds up during the day."

Breakfast:

1/2 grapefruit

1 slice whole wheat toast, dry

8 oz. skim milk



Lunch:

4 oz. lean broiled chicken breast

1 cup steamed spinach

1 Oreo cookie



Midafternoon Snack:

Rest of Oreo cookies

2 pints Rocky Road ice cream

1 jar hot fudge sauce

Nuts, cherries, whipped cream



Dinner:

2 loaves garlic bread with cheese

Large sausage and cheese pizza

3 Milky Way or Snickers candy bars



Late Evening Snack:

Entire frozen cheesecake eaten directly from freezer.


Rules for Diet:

1. If you eat something and no one sees you eat it, it has no calories.

2. If you drink diet soda with a candy bar, the calories in the candy bar are canceled out by the diet soda.

3. Food used for medicinal purposes NEVER count, such as hot chocolate, toast, and Sara Lee Cheesecake.

4. Movie related foods do not have additional calories because they are part of the entire entertainment package and not part of one's personal fuel, such as Milk Duds, Buttered Popcorn, Junior Mints, Red Hots, and Tootsie Rolls.

5. Cookie pieces contain no calories. The process of breaking causes calorie leakage.

6. Things licked off of knives and spoons have no calories if you are in the process of preparing something. Examples: peanut butter on a knife making a sandwich and ice cream on a spoon making a sundae.

7. Foods that have the same color have the same number of calories. Example: spinach and pistachio ice cream; mushrooms and white chocolate. Note: Chocolate is a universal color and may be substituted for any other food color.

Now, don't you feel better that you've found the ideal diet!!!!!!!!

Fruit Squares

Posted by Donna:

Years ago, when we still lived in Eldorado, a very good family friend made these fruit squares quite often when we were visiting in her home. We all loved them. Sad part is, she shared her recipe-----probably 30 years ago----and shortly afterwards, I lost it---or thought I had lost it until a couple of months ago. I must admit I haven't made these since relocating the recipe; but, still wanted to share it. They're definitely worth making.

Fruit Squares

Mix together:

2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup shortening
2 T. sugar
1 tsp salt
1 egg yolk that has been blended into 2/3 cup milk

Roll out 1/2 of the dough to fit the bottom of a 15 x 10 1/2 x 1 pan.

Spread with 1 can cherry pie fruit filling---or filling of your choice. Dot with butter. Cover with the remaining top crust and brush with egg white. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 to 35 minutes. Glaze with powdered sugar icing. Cut into squares.

The directions didn't mention making slits in the top crust; but, it certainly wouldn't hurt to make a few before baking. I didn't remember the recipe calling for only 1 can of fruit filling, either. It doesn't seem like enough, but my friend's was perfect the way it was.

This isn't a thick fruit square---it's just right.

Creamy Southwest Chicken

Posted by Lori:
This is a low carb chicken dish, but it is sure to please everyone.  If you stick with a more low fat diet, you can adjust a few things and it will be just fine for you, too.  I ate it just like this, but my family ate theirs with warmed flour tortillas.  We think it would be great inside chicken enchiladas, as well.  Everyone in my family really liked it.  I used a 2.5 pound bag of frozen chicken breast strips, so did 2 1/2 recipes for our family of six.  I had enough left over for a meal for another person.

Creamy Southwest Chicken (recipe from http://www.lowcarbdiets.about.com/)
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup minced onion
2 cloves minced garlic
One 6 to 8 ounce can chopped green chilies (depending on can size) (*I used only one 6 oz. can even though I did more than one recipe.)
1 teaspoon chicken base (optional)
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup shredded cheddar or jack cheese
Olive oil
Salt, pepper

Heat large skillet with oil. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and season with salt and pepper. Saute' until brown on both sides, adding onions about half way through. Add garlic and cook for another minute. If needed, deglaze the pan with a little water or chicken stock. Add 1 teaspoon chicken base if desired. Add green chilies and whipping cream, and simmer until chicken is done and sauce is thickened. Top with cheese, and serve when cheese melts
Optional garnish: avocado slices; cilantro

Makes 3-4 servings

Nutritional Analysis for each of 3 servings: 4.5 grams of effective carbohydrate plus 1.5 grams fiber, 38 grams protein, 18 grams of fat, 347 calories.

Strawberry Cake Skyscraper Cheesecake

Posted by Lori:
Okay, folks!  It doesn't look very pretty, but it tasted delicious! 

I haven't gotten the thing down just right as far as sizes of cake pans and cheesecake pans go, but as long as it tastes good, that's all that matters, right? Unless it's being sold whole or something!  Thankfully, even though this one was being sold at a 4-H concession stand (per piece) no one really knew that it was the "leaning tower of strawberry cake skyscraper cheesecake" they were eating! I stuck mini dowel sticks in it at four places to transport it...but it made it just fine.

Strawberry Cake Layers:
Make this recipe of my mom's Strawberry Jello Cake, except bake in two 9 inch round cake pans for about 30 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes then remove from pans.  Allow to cool on wire racks then wrap in waxed paper and freeze until ready to assemble skyscraper cheesecake.

Cheesecake Layer:
Use the Junior's Cheesecake recipe from my previous "Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake".  Bake, cool, and freeze as directed.

Icing (This recipe is doubled, so if you don't want or don't like too much icing, half it):
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2 cups unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup strawberry preserves (I drained the juice from the remaining strawberries in juice used in the cake.  Then I pureed it in a food processor and used that instead of strawberry preserves.)
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
8-10 cups confectioners sugar
1 pinch salt

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 to 3 minutes, or until smooth.  Add strawberry preserves and vanilla beating until well combined.  Add confectioners' sugar and salt, beating until smooth.  You will want a pretty thick icing for the cake.

To assemble the skyscraper cheesecake follow these directions, also from the same previous post.

Buttermilk Pie

Posted by Lori:
I had heard of buttermilk pie, but had never eaten it until a few weeks ago at a church dinner. It was made by a friend and I asked if I could post it.  I don't care for buttermilk to drink, but it's a great addition to many recipes.  This pie is DELICIOUS!!  Geneva says it's a very old recipe - one that she's been making herself over 50 years and that it was "old" when she got it!  She also says there is a "story" about the pie she's going to tell me.  I can't wait to hear it!
BUTTERMILK PIE by Geneva

3 1/2 Cups Sugar
6 Eggs, well beaten
1/2 Cup Flour
1 Cup Butter, melted
1/2 t. Salt
1 Cup Buttermilk
1 t. Vanilla

Mix sugar, flour, and salt; add to eggs, butter, buttermilk and vanilla. Bake in unbaked pie shells (this recipe makes two pies). Bake in unbaked pie shell 1 hour at 350.

Baa, baa black SHEEP have you any COOKIES?

Posted by Lori:
Every year I try to make animal cookies for our county livestock show 4-H concession stand.  The 4-H and FFA members enjoy eating them, and many adults do, too.  This year I couldn't find some of my cookie cutters.  I couldn't find my sheep or goat.  I may have thrown the goat away, actually!  It had tiny legs that always broke when I used it. 

I looked online and couldn't find a sheep cookie idea that I liked.  I tried duplicating this sheep cupcake I posted last year, but it didn't look very good.  Finally a sheep cake I found gave me the inspiration for the sheep. They turned out really cute!

Directions:

Roll out homemade or bought sugar cookie dough.  Cut with round cutter (I use a biscuit cutter).  Outline with thick white icing, if desired.  You could skip this step.  I use an icing made of powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Add more powdered sugar to thicken and more milk to thin.  Don't skimp on the vanilla :).  If you want a true white icing, use clear vanilla.  I just don't think it tastes as good, so usually use the regular real stuff!

Form small balls of dough to make the sheep heads.  Flatten slightly and bake until done. Ice these with black icing.

Fill in cookie with white icing (don't thin it). Immediately go to next step so that white icing is still wet.

Place black iced cookie on top in the center.  Immediately go to next step while white icing is still wet.

Smash small marshmallows and place all around the black cookie using the wet white icing as glue.

This is a side track from the sheep, but wouldn't these be cute sunflowers???  Make the centers brown and use the colored marshmallows???  Or suns or other flowers???

Cut a large marshmallow in half (actually, I did a little shorter than half, then cut the other end shorter) hortizontally.  Cut the circle in half to form two half circles for the ears.  Use another half circle piece for the wooly top of the head.  To do this, I took a half circle and cut with scissors several places, but not all of the way through.  Use icing for glue to attach.  For some wooly tops of the heads, I tore mini marshmallows in half and "glued" them in a mound.

Pipe on black ear outlines, white eyes with black pupils, and pink nose/mouths.

You're done!  BAA!  BAA!

This post is linked to Tasty Tuesday and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

Banana Cake

Posted by Donna:

Here's another old recipe I dug up. This was given to me years ago by a teacher friend.

Banana Cake

3/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

Cream the butter and sugar together.

Then add:

3 eggs

3 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp. soda

4 bananas, mashed

1 tsp. vanilla

6 T. buttermilk

1 cup chopped nuts

Mix all together. Pour into a 9 x 13 greased/floured pan. Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for about 25 - 35 minutes.

After the cake has cooled, add the frosting.

Frosting recipe:

8 oz. creamed cheese
1 stick butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 box powdered sugar (about 4 cups)
1/3 to 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Chicken Fried Steak

Posted by Donna:

I thought there might be some newlyweds out there that may wonder about making chicken fried steak for their husbands. Sometimes the simplest of things are the things we wonder about the most.

Chicken Fried Steak

This is what I do for Larry and me.

Two cubed steaks (I buy mine from United. They're usually already tenderized. )

I cut mine into about 1-1/2 inch strips. I then soak them in buttermilk for about 5 minutes. Shake off the excess buttermilk and put them in a flour/salt/pepper mixture. Dip them in the buttermilk again, and repeat the flour mixture.

Fry until they're crispy and done. Since I don't like "grease", I always run my steak ( not Larry's) under hot water to get off the grease; then dab with a paper towel. I also always run my ground beef under hot water (in a colander) to get the grease off after I've browned it.

I always fix chicken fried steak for my older brother when he comes to visit. It's just a down home meal.

Decorating Ideas

Posted by Lori:

I enjoy decorating - a lot!  Today I would like to share with you some pictures of decorating ideas from baby showers, school functions, and church functions.  I always like getting new ideas and thought that you might, too! I'll share more in a week or so (when I don't have a new recipe to post :).

Each year I decorate the teacher's workroom area for Teacher's Appreciation Week.  This particular year was an "Under the Big Top" theme. 

The bright colors were so much fun!  Food is served to the teachers throughout the week.  All teachers and staff, Kindergarten through 12th, get food, but I only decorate the elementary workroom.

This was a baby shower, but I have also used it for the teacher's workroom, as well as a wedding shower.  Baby Chloe, who will be one year old soon has her room done in black, white and hot pink.  These decorations fit perfectly!

This is actually a display stand for merchandise at my little tiny booth-rental store, but it was brand new when it was time to decorate for the shower, so it became a cookie stand.

This umbrella is a favorite of mine.  It's a nice touch for a "shower"!

This is a random photo of my husband dressed up for the school Dr. Seuss celebration last year.  He did the whole lesson for me (read about that on my other blog here.).  Since today is Dr. Seuss' birthday, I thought I needed to share this with you!

Cody's daddy is a sports fan....deluxe!  He'll be one tomorrow, so I thought I would share pictures from his baby shower.  Since our mascot is a tiger, I used a lot of my daughter's stuffed tigers.

A "CODY" pennant, a sports fleece blanket, baseballs, bats, footballs, and helmets....all taken from my boys' room.

You may notice that a lot of the pictures are taken in the same room.  It's our church fellowship building.  The round tables are so much fun to decorate.  We have them on half of the big room.

This was a Senior Saints' Banquet for the older members of the church.  Our Bible class hosts the banquet every February.  Obviously the theme for this particular year was western.  I have a friend who gave me a sack full of denim jean pockets!  She has some, too, so we put them together for large events.

The other half of the fellowship room has rectangle tables.  Since the "seniors" only sit on the round table side, I don't decorate quite as much for the other side.  We want to make them feel especially....special!

I hope you enjoy the pictures!  Happy decorating!