Natural Homemade Living

Creamy Macaroni Salad A childhood favorite summer salad for me is creamy macaroni salad. I add my favorite veggies (or what I have available) and even add canned tuna or chicken. It doesn't take long to put it together but the flavors come together when you refrigerate it at least a couple of hours before you serve it. Ingredients: One box elbow macaroni, 16 oz size 1 c Miracle Whip salad dressing  1 T yellow mustard 2 T dill pickle juice 2 T milk 1-2 T white sugar 1 T ketchup 1 c finely chopped celery 1/2 c diced dill pickles 1 medium cucumber, diced 1-2 medium tomatoes, diced Cook macaroni according to directions on package. Cool and drain by running cold water over it. In a large bowl, whisk together the salad dressing, pickle juice, milk, sugar, ketchup and mustard. Add the rest of the ingredients together and stir to combine. Salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Prior to serving add a little milk if the salad has soaked up the liquid ingre...

I knew it was the perfect time to try this old family favorite recipe when the temperatures dropped to 15º last night and snowflakes covered the patio. Comfort foods are my favorite when the weather is changing. Stay warm!! ❄❄ Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef 1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped 1/2 cup onion, chopped 1 can chili beans in sauce, 15 1/2 ounces 3/4 cup barbecue sauce 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper 1 package corn muffin mix, 15 ounce Directions: Preheat oven to 400ºF.  Cook beef, peppers and onion over medium heat in a frying pan, about 15 minutes. Drain the grease from the ground beef.  Add the chili beans, barbecue sauce, salt and pepper. Heat until the mixture starts to boil. Spoon it into a 9 inch square baking pan or dutch oven. Prepare the corn muffin mix using the instructions on the box.  Pour it over the meat layer. Bake 30 minutes. Makes about 6 servings. Enjoy! Love and peace. Tammi

              Simply Homemade Scalloped Potatoes and Ham                                   Last week at the grocery store they were having a special on ham so I made scalloped potatoes and ham with some of it and froze the rest for soup. I used the cream soup mix instead of the cream soup from a can. It was delicious and just as easy. Here's the link to our recipe for cream soup replacement .    Here's the recipe for the scalloped potatoes and ham: 5-6 potatoes, peeled 2 cups ham cut in chunks, use as much or as little as you like 1 can of cream of celery or mushroom soup, or click on the recipe above, it is equal to one can 2 T butter 2 T flour  1 c milk Salt and pepper to taste Slice potatoes thin, I used my Mandoline Slicer to make them all the same. Cut the ham into small chunks and add to the potatoes in a greased or buttered 9...

My day looked like this, a long to-do list and not much motivation so I put the list away and decided to spend my time in the kitchen. I made an amazingly easy, affordable and delicious meal. Here is my super simple roast and veggies recipe that you can make in a slow cooker or in the oven. 3 - 4 pound beef roast (chuck roast is usually the most affordable, but any roast will work) 2 shallots, chopped in large pieces 3 - 5 cloves garlic, chopped 1 bag baby or petite carrots 2 cups beef broth 7 - 8 baby red or gold potatoes, cut in half 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks Coarse salt (to taste) Coarse pepper (to taste) 1 T oregano 2 T parsley 1 T rosemary 1 tsp thyme Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 9 hours or 5 hours on high.  If you choose to use the oven instead of a slow cooker, place all ingredients in a covered pan and bake at 400° for 1 hour. Reduce the heat to 325° and bake for 3 hours. You will know it's perfect when y...

Dad's Ham and Bean Soup Add this delicious soup recipe to your meal plans. This is one of our favorite soups. It's especially great if you have leftovers from a bone-in ham otherwise you can also use cubed ham. You can freeze your leftovers. This recipe makes 8-10 servings. Directions 4 cups chicken stock 4 cups water 1 ham bone and 2 cups cooked ham 2 cups sliced carrots 1/2 medium onion, diced 1 jar great northern beans with liquid 1 tsp celery seed Salt and pepper to taste If you are starting with a ham bone, add it to the stock and water in a large pot over medium high heat. Bring it to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 1-2 hours. Remove the ham bone from the liquid, cut off the ham from the bone and add it back to the soup. Add more ham chunks if you'd like. (If you are using cut ham pieces you can cook all of the ingredients at the same time). Add the rest of the ingredients, stir occasionally and simmer for at least an hour. I like to simmer m...

One of my favorite winter meals is jambalaya. It is easy to make and freezes well if you have any leftovers. This recipe serves between 8-10. Ingredients: 1 package (12 oz) Andouille sausage, sliced 1 Tablespoon canola oil 1 medium green pepper, diced 1/2 medium onion, diced 3-4 stalks celery, diced 3 Tablespoons tomato paste 1/2 c. water 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning 3 1/2 c. chicken stock 1 1/2 c. rice (not minute rice) use slow cooking rice 2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with juice 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 2 c. shredded chicken, I use rotisserie chicken Directions: Add oil to medium pan or skillet and heat. Add sliced sausage and browned. Cover pan and keep warm, stirring occasionally.  Add the shredded chicken to the sausage and keep warm. In large pan heat a tablespoon of oil and sauté the celery, onion and green pepper, about 15 minutes. Add the tomato paste, water, seasoning, chicken stock, rice, diced tomatoes, salt and pepper. Heat until ...

It is a perfect day to make soup in the Midwest! It’s April and tomorrow is supposed to be snowing, windy and cold. This yummy recipe is adapted from our Aunt Joanne. We adjusted a few things to shorten the prep time. 😀 Ingredients : 8 c chicken stock 2 c rotisserie chicken, diced or shredded 2 cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed 1 c salsa 1 1/2 c corn 2 c shredded Colby-Jack cheese Mix all ingredients except the cheese in a crock pot. Cook on high for two hours. Or you can cook it on the stove in a large pan over medium heat for about 30 minutes. Add the cheese during the last 10-15 minutes. I serve this with crushed tortilla chips, a dollop of plain yogurt (or our Simply Homemade Creme Fraiche ) and an extra pinch of shredded cheese. It’s delicious! Love and peace, ~ Tammi and Angie

This is the perfect chicken recipe for the grill or to roast in the oven! I roasted these in the oven because we haven't quite arrived at grilling season in the Midwest. They are quick to pull together and they have great flavor! Ingredients and Directions : 6-8 chicken drumsticks 3 T melted butter 1/2 c hot sauce (I use Frank's) 1 clove minced garlic 1 tsp lemon juice 1 tsp cayenne pepper Salt and pepper to taste Remove the skin from the drumsticks, rinse and dry with a paper towel. Melt butter and mix together with hot sauce, lemon juice, garlic, cayenne pepper and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Line a baking sheet with foil and preheat your oven to 425F. I take a small amount of the liquid out and use it for basting during the baking process. I do this before I dip the drumsticks so I don't contaminate the liquid mixture. (I'm weird like that). Dip each drumstick into the melted ingredients and place on the baking sheet. Bake for 40-45 min...

It's grilling season in the Midwest so I wanted to share my twice baked potato shortcut with you. This method is faster than baking the potatoes first and is perfect for entertaining or serving at family grill night! Ingredients and Directions: 4 potatoes, I use russets 1 c Greek yogurt 1/3 c ranch dressing or your favorite dressing 1/3 c milk 1 c grated cheese, Colby-Jack or your favorite, and a little extra for topping at the end Optional: bacon pieces, onions, finely diced peppers Wash and dry your potatoes. Poke small holes in each potato using a fork. Wrap in wax paper or a paper towel and microwave on high for about 10 minutes. You will need to adjust this time based on the number of potatoes you are making.  Let the potatoes cool just until you can handle them and cut each potato in half lengthwise. Carefully scrape out the middle and place in a medium size bowl. Using an electric beater, beat on low until the potato insides are mashed....

Natural Homemade Living I wanted to adapt this recipe for those of you restricted to a gluten-free diet. I made these for my granddaughter on Sunday morning and they were awesome! I wanted to make the cinnamon roll pancakes but one of our granddaughters has Celiac Disease so I didn't want to make anything that she couldn't eat. So I experimented and revised my own pancake recipe from the original post. So you will need to substitute the all purpose flour with white rice flour. The texture is great and they taste just like the non gluten-free pancakes! This made 8 gluten-free pancakes. Prepare the cinnamon filling : 1/2 cup butter melted 3/4 cup brown sugar 1 T cinnamon Mix together until smooth and pour into a baggie. It'll get thicker, just let it sit until you're ready for it. Make the glaze : 4 T butter 2 ounces cream cheese (I used the reduced fat) 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract Heat the butter and cream...

Simply Homemade Taco Salad Served With Chips and Beans I decided to make fresh taco salad today since we are currently having a blizzard and taco salads make me think of spring and summer. Today's weather forces you to stay home and do the stuff that has been on your to-do list all winter like writing a blog post or cleaning your closets. I chose the blog post today since I have not posted for a few months. I don't really have a good reason other than the usual distractions of life. The good news is that my sister and I have some great decorating and DIY tips coming together however it is sometimes easier to complete the projects than to actually put them in writing. We'll work on that... So back to the food, if you like simple and fresh, I think you'll like this little recipe. You can make one serving or as many you need so feel free to add all of your favorite ingredients! This is what I had on hand so these are my favorites today. Ingredients:   4-6 cups l...

Simply Homemade: The Best Basil Pesto One of our favorite fresh garden herbs is basil. My sister and I were both making basil pesto around the same time so we decided it would be a great little recipe to share. Fresh basil is great in salads, sandwiches, beverages, soups and pasta dishes. One of our favorite things about making your pesto ahead of time is that you can freeze it so when you are in the middle of winter, you can still bring some summer freshness from the garden into your meal. Ingredients: 4 cups fresh basil leaves 4 garlic cloves 1/2 c sunflower seeds 1/2 c shredded parmesan cheese 1/2 c olive oil 2 T lemon juice Salt and pepper to taste Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. I freeze mine in ice cube trays but Angie had a great idea and uses small muffin tins. After they are frozen, remove from trays and keep in a freezer baggie until you need them. Use one square of frozen pesto for a pasta recipe that serves 4. Enjoy ...

Cauliflower Cheese Soup If you are looking for a simple, easy and delicious recipe especially for these cold winter days, this is your recipe! Last week in our Bountiful Baskets we received a huge head of cauliflower. I am not necessarily a raw cauliflower lover so I decided cauliflower soup would be a great option. I think living in the Midwest, you learn to love soup when the outside temperatures are hovering below the freezing level. The taste testers absolutely loved this soup, so I thought I'd pass it on. It's great for non-meat eaters and it is also gluten-free. Ingredients: 1 large head of cauliflower, washed and trimmed into smaller pieces 1 medium size shallot (or small sweet onion), diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 Tbsp butter 2 quarts chicken stock 1 cup milk (I used 2%) 1/2 c plain yogurt 1 c Monterey Jack cheese or your favorite cheese, shredded 2 Tbsp parsley flakes Salt and pepper to taste Directions: I used a large soup pot to melt the butter ov...

My daughter gave me a great idea for a quick meal. You can choose your own ingredients, use gluten free, organic, homemade, fresh from the garden...the list can go on and on. These little pizzas only take a few minutes to put together and they are delicious! Ingredients: English muffins or bagels 2 T Pizza sauce or pasta sauce per serving 1 tsp garlic powder Mozzarella cheese, fresh is the best Tomatoes Fresh basil Toast muffins or bagels Spoon about 1 tablespoon of sauce on each half of muffin Lay 1 slice of fresh mozzarella cheese over the sauce Lay 1 basil leaf over cheese Slice tomatoes and place on top Sprinkle lightly with garlic powder and salt and pepper  Heat muffins until the cheese melts. If you use the microwave, it takes about 30 seconds. These are great for camping too so if you have a grill, just place them on a hot grill for a couple of minutes. Have a great weekend and enjoy! Love and peace, ~ Simply Tammi

This is a great little recipe when you don't have much time to cook, or if it's a little too warm to start the oven. My supply of fresh ingredients is running low so I experimented with what I had on hand. Use your favorite fresh veggies for this healthy recipe. I used gluten-free penne pasta and my family grated some fresh parmesan cheese over the top. Ingredients : 1 bunch of fresh asparagus, I use the tips 12-14 grape tomatoes 2 cups sugar snap peas 2 T olive oil Garlic, 1 clove, minced or 1 tsp garlic powder 1/3 c vegetable stock Fresh basil, I cut 2 leaves Penne pasta (12 oz box) Salt and pepper to taste Freshly grated cheese, optional Directions : Boil the pasta in salted water about 7 minutes, uncovered. In a skillet, add the other ingredients, garlic and oil first, then the stock. Add the fresh herbs and veggies to the skillet and heat over medium heat about 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the pasta is cooked and drained, add the veggie mixture. ...

My favorite food choices are often related to family memories, so I wanted to share one of our favorite grilled fish recipes. Our Dad used to take us fishing and we grew up eating the fish we caught ourselves. Then came the time when we had to start buying fish, I searched for types of fish that didn't taste too "fishy". It's hard to accomplish that in the Midwest, we don't always have many choices. We were introduced to orange roughy during a trip to San Diego where my great-uncle treated us to some of the most wonderful seafood we had ever eaten at an establishment called Anthony's. It was the first time we had eaten orange roughy and it was white, flaky and not too fishy tasting. After a few experiments, this is my favorite method to prepare it at home. Serves 4 or 2 with leftovers! Ingredients: 4 orange roughy fillets 1/4 c fresh cilantro, I use a small handful * if you are not a cilantro fan use fresh dill, about 1/4 c chopped 2 tsp garlic powder o...

I am so excited to share this recipe! I have been recording past episodes of the Nate Berkus Show and I was so happy to find Jamie Oliver and one of his healthy chicken recipes. So I had to try it immediately and guess what? It was awesome! The ingredients are fresh and healthy, which I love! You probably know that I adapted the recipe with ingredients I had on hand. I also grilled my chicken instead of using the broiler. So get your food processor out of storage and try our new family favorite! Satay : 1/2 - 3/4 bunch of cilantro, even the stalks 1 red chili pepper or 1/4 tsp chili pepper flakes 1/2 clove garlic 1/4 cup peanut butter, (homemade peanut butter is my favorite) Soy sauce to taste 1 inch piece of fresh ginger root, peel and slice 1 small shallot or 1/2 medium red onion 1 lime, zest first then squeeze the juice into the mixture Place all of these ingredients into the food processor and mix until they resemble a paste-like texture. Take about 1/2 of the sauce...

My good friend, Jennifer, shared this recipe a few years ago and I've been making it ever since! I like it because it is simple to make and I usually have all of the ingredients on hand. My taste testers love this! Marinade Ingredients : 4 T soy sauce 2 T corn starch 3 cloves garlic (minced or chopped) or garlic powder (to taste) Veggies, Pasta and Chicken: 2 chicken breasts, sliced or cut into pieces (remove bones and skin) 1/2 package or 2 cups low mein noodles or your favorite pasta (linguine, fettuccine, spaghetti, or egg noodles) 1 package of frozen Oriental stir fry vegetables or 4 cups if you use fresh ingredients Directions : Mix marinade ingredients together and place in a baggie, add the chicken (uncooked) and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes cook chicken and marinade in a large frying pan for about 5-7 minutes.  While chicken is cooking, boil noodles and veggies together about 8-10 minutes. (I use my pasta pan). Drain veggies/noo...

We love this idea, eating a whole meal with your fingers! You can start off with some homemade chicken strips or chicken tenders! These are a favorite for kids of all ages! My family likes to sprinkle a little hot sauce over them at meal time and a few of them dip them in ranch dressing. Yummy! Ingredients : 2-4 chicken breasts, cut into strips or you can buy the chicken tenderloins already cut 2 c corn flakes cereal (I use gluten-free or organic), crushed 1 c buttermilk or milk of your choice 1 egg Directions: I start by placing my corn flakes in a plastic bag and crushing them using a rolling pin. If you roll it back and forth a few times, your cereal will be crushed. I rinse my chicken pieces with some water and place them on a paper towel to dry off. In a pie plate, I add an egg and the milk. Using a fork, I whisk them for a few seconds. Dip the chicken pieces in the egg and milk mixture. Place your chicken strips (about 2 at a time) in the cereal bag and shake t...

Turkey is an inexpensive source of protein and is a nice change from red meat. I roasted a turkey last weekend and had some leftover so I decided to make sliders. We don't make the typical sliders here because not everyone likes them so I modified ours and even used some non-homemade ingredients. Sometimes I have to do it that way! Ingredients : Roasted turkey, cut up or I just separate into pieces using my fingers Frank's hot sauce (or buffalo sauce of your choice) Cheese (your choice) Lettuce Ranch, Caesar or Blue Cheese dressing Pretzel roll slider buns or your favorite buns Directions: I reheated my turkey leftovers in the oven for about 30 minutes, covered. Once the turkey was warm, I used about 1/2 bottle of Frank's sauce and stirred it into the turkey. Place this in a pan on the stove over medium heat for about 15 minutes. You are ready to put your sliders together using garnishes of your choice. This also works great with chicken, check out Angie's...