Heartfelt Home Creations ~ Most Definitely!

This week the creativity bug really hit me!! I've been working on projects and cooking up a storm!! I've truly made some "heartfelt home creations"!! Here's what I've been up to:

My garden's been providing us with a lot of vegetables lately, so I've been blessed with being able to try a few new recipes. On Monday, I decided to put my apron on and start cooking. I managed to bake up 2 loaves of white bread, 2 pizzas with homemade dough and using tomatoes and garlic from my garden to make the sauce, a loaf of lemon blueberry bread so I could utilize the blueberries I picked the week before, and 5 small jars of garlic dill pickles - again  using veggies from my garden!! (See links for recipes.)

And then there were the crafts!! I found some yarn left over from past projects that have already been finished. Well, rather than have the yarn sit there taking up space, I decided to put on my creativity hat and start crocheting for a few days! I just started working and before I knew it, I had created not only my own pattern but also a "centerpiece mat" to use in my dining room. When that was finished and I had just a little more yarn left, I made up a little flower coaster that fits nicely under my candles.  After all of that was complete, I even managed to get some scrapbooking accomplished. 

So, if your not into crafts and cooking and things like that, you might be thinking, "Ok, glad you got some things accomplished."  But aside from sharing what I created this week, I also wanted to share this little tidbit with you and ask the following question:

What have you done today to get those creative juices flowing?

Sometimes we get all caught up in this technology based, fast paced society (myself included). Sometimes I think we need to just sit back and see what kinds of things we can do for ourselves.  How often do we run out to the grocery store for the things we need? Making the bread and other goodies for my family and I to eat reminded me of how "this is what my grandmothers and great-grandmothers did". I look at my crocheted projects and think "Yeah, I could've just went out to a store and bought them, but it's so nice having something that I made and can use."  Not to mention the fact it seems to be a bit of therapy for me as well. Gives me the chance to unwind a bit. And if you have little hands that are willing to help and learn right along with you, that makes it all the more worth while!!

So, if you need a challenge or a change of pace this week, consider creating something! Cook something up in the kitchen, finish that craft project that you've had stashed away in the closet to be forgotten or start a new one. Have you wanted to "someday" teach yourself how to knit or sew or maybe even make your own candles? Why not start today?

 Enjoy yourself! It's alot nicer when it's "created for your home and from your heart"!!

~ Recipe of the Week ~

~ * Lemon Pepper Zucchini Pasta * ~

I harvested my first, descent-sized zucchini from my vegetable garden the other day and decided to cook it up for supper. I learned how to make this quick and easy meal from a dear lady whom I rented from and enjoyed getting to know ~ Eleanor Lowe!! So it is to her I give all props to for this yummy meal!!

Preparation and Cook Time: 20 - 30 minutes

Ingredients
(Since this was a hands-on recipe, I don't have exact measurements for ingredients, so the best advice I can give is to add the seasonings in amounts that you will enjoy!!)

1 zucchini
1 box of spaghetti (or type of noodles that you prefer)
1 Tablespoon Lemon Pepper seasoning
1 to 2 diced cloves of garlic
1 to 3 scallions diced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 stick of butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup of lemon juice (not necessary unless you want a little extra zing!)
Grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:
1.) Boil water in a 2 - quart sauce pan. Add spaghetti noodles and cook until tender.

While noodles are cooking:

2.) Slice zucchini into slices no bigger than 1/4 inch in thickness, then cut each slice in half or in quarters (depending on how big you want your zucchini pieces).
** Leave skin on zucchini pieces for an added bonus of vitamins and nutrients! **

3.) Melt butter in a frying pan and add zucchini pieces and the diced garlic and scallions.

4.) When the vegetables start to become tender, add salt, garlic powder and lemon pepper seasoning.

5.) Drain noodles and return to sauce pan.

6.) Add zuccini mixture to noodles in sauce pan and mix well. (*Here is where you would also add in the lemon juice). Cook on medium to low heat for about 5-10 minutes so that the noodles soak up the flavorings from the seasonings and nutrients from the vegetables.

7.) Serve with grated parmesan cheese on top, and perhaps some fresh garlic bread.

Let me know if you try this recipe, and how you like it! Enjoy!!

~Recipe of the Week ~

~* Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup *~

Today for lunch, I was in the mood for something easy to make, something homemade, and something different. After looking in my cupboards and refrigerator to see what kind of ingredients I had, I found the package of fresh mushrooms I purchased at our local grocery store the other day. Hmmm... how about some mushroom soup?  Since had never made mushroom soup before, I decided to pull out what I consider to be my cooking bible -- "Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook" (Copyright 1950. General Mills, Inc.). After flipping through the "Soup" section of the cookbook, I came across this recipe and was DELIGHTED to find that it was something quick, easy, homemade, AND I had all of the ingredients already in my kitchen! Yay! And now I share this recipe with you!

-- Side note: I made this with a small salad made up of veggies from my garden, and it turned out to be a very satisfying, light lunch! Let me know if you give this recipe a try!!

Preparation and cook time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:
3 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. (a pinch) of pepper
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sauteed finely chopped  mushrooms
1 tsp grated onion
~ paprika and onion salt added to taste

Cooking Instructions:
~ Sautee chopped mushrooms in a little butter.
1.) Melt butter over low heat in heavy saucepan.
2.) Blend in flour, salt and pepper.
3.) Remove from heat and stir in milk and chicken broth.
4.) Bring to boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly, then add sateed mushrooms and grated onion.

5.) Reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes.
6.) Serve hot with a pinch of paprika and onion salt for garnish, along with perhaps a bit of parsley for added color.

Cooking tip:  When making homemade recipes, it's fun to use items you might already have available at home. I enjoy using fresh ingredients from home when available, instead of store-bought or processed items. For example, instead of using a can of chicken broth for this recipe, think about using chicken broth saved from the last time you made homemade chicken soup (an item that is easy to store and can be frozen for future use). Also, onions are an easy vegetable that can be grown in a home garden or even planted in a flower pot if you don't have the space. You can also try growing your own mushrooms, or when in season, locate a local farmers' market or local roadside stand. I always find it exciting to use ingredients I've grown or made myself -- it really adds to the "Homemade" aspect of the recipe!

Enjoy your soup, and don't forget to leave a comment if you try it out for yourself!

~*~*~*~*~

*Please note: I was not asked or endorsed in any way by General Mills, Inc. for mentioning this Betty Crocker cookbook or the recipe written above. The cookbook was given to me as a gift from my mother, and I use it for my own culinary enjoyment.

~ Recipe of the Week ~

* Jamie's Chocolate Chip Cookies *

Do you LOVE chocolate chip cookies? Well, here is the BEST chocolate chip cookie dough recipe I have come across yet!! I can't take credit for this recipe, but I would like to give a shoutout to one of my dance students -- Jamie L. (and her mom for copying down the recipe for me!) -- who shared these delicious delights with us one night at dance. I was finally able to make these yummy cookies with my son today, and so of course I HAD to share it as my "Recipe of the Week" this week!! Believe me when I say, you can't eat just one, I PROMISE!!!! ENJOY!!!

Preparation and Cook Time: 20 minutes
Makes approximately: 48 cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 - 12 oz bags of chocolate chips

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
1) In a large mixing bowl, cream together the shortening and brown sugar.
2) Add the 2 eggs and vanilla, and mix well.
3) In a separate small dish or cup, dissolve the baking soda in 1 tablespoon of hot water; then add it to cookie dough mixture.
4) Add salt and flour and mix ingredients together.

5) Finally, mix in the chocolate chips.

6) On a greased cookie sheet, scoop out cookie dough (approximately 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie) onto the cookie sheet -- fitting about 12 cookies depending on cookie sheet size.

7) Bake the cookies in the oven for 10 minutes or until the bottom of the cookies are slightly browned and the insides are thoroughly cooked.

8) Remove cookies from oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack.

Serve with a nice, cold glass of milk and ENJOY!!!!

*~*~*~*

~* Recipe of the Week *~

~* Quick and Easy Homemade Pizza *~

My family just LOVES pizza! It's easy to order, cook, heat up, or make yourself. Plust the variety and amount of toppings you can put on a pizza are so numerous that you can cator it to whatever everyone's hungry for!

Last night, my husband and I decided to make our own pizza. Ok, so we didn't make our dough and sauce from scratch ... we did it the quick and easy way, and it was just as good if not better than the frozen pizzas! Here's what we did:

Prep Time: 10 minutes   Cook Time: 15 minutes 

Ingredients: (Note: you can use any kind of ingredients you prefer, this is just what we used this time)
1.) 1 packet of ready to make pizza dough mix (dry mix or pizza dough found in dairy section)
2.) pizza sauce
3.) mozarella cheese, parmasean cheese

4.) turkey pepperoni 

Preparation and Cooking:
1.) Preheat Oven 450 degrees (or as directed by pizza dough packaging)
2.) Lightly coat 12 inch pizza pan with cooking spray (or olive oil)
3.) Follow directions on pizza dough packaging, then spread dough out to cover pan
4.) Spread pizza sauce over pizza dough on pan, leaving about a half inch border of dough around outside of pizza for the crust
5.) Add toppings of your choice. We added parmasean cheese, mozarella cheese, and turkey pepperoni.

6.) Let bake in oven for 12-17 minutes, until crust is to desired "crispyness".
7.) Let cook, cut pizza into slices, and serve!

And there you have it, delicious homemade pizza the quick and easy way!!

Enjoy!!!

(I know we did!)

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~* Recipe of the Week *~

~* Oyster Stew with Noodles *~

Need a quick meal that's cheap and easy to make? Try this little rendition of oyster stew and noodles that I sometimes cook up!

Servings: 2-4 (depending on amount of noodles made)
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:
~1 can of Campbell's condensed Oyster Stew

~Milk or water (depending on directions given on soup can)

~1/2 box of thin spaghetti noodles (or noodles of your choice)

~Optional Seasonings: Salt, Lemon pepper, Minced garlic, Minced onion


Preparation and Cooking:

1.) Cook noodles in a pot of boiling water until they are tender. Put noodles in a collander to drain.

2.) While noodles are cooking, prepare and cook the oyster stew, following the directions given on the can.

3.) When oyster stew is finished cooking, keep on low heat and add the noodles.

4.) Stir soup and noodles until they are mixed together well.
-- I like having more stew than noodles so that it can be served in a soup bowl.

5.) If you do not want to serve it as a "stew" or "soup", then instead of adding the noodles into the oyster stew, put some on a plate and pour the stew over top of the noodles.

6.) Add minced garlic, minced onion, salt, and lemon pepper to taste if desired.

**Goes great with garlic bread!**

And there you have it, a quick and easy yet tastefully satisfying meal that your whole family can enjoy for under $5.00!! If you try this recipe, we'd love to hear from you, just comment below! My toddler loves it!  Enjoy!!

*Please note: I was not in any way asked, influenced, or paid by Campbell's Soup Company or any other third party company to use their product. This recipe is just something that I have put together myself, using this particular product.

~* Recipe of the Week *~

~* Homemade Pierogies *~

This is truly one of those recipes "made from scratch", passed down to me from my grandmother, and from her mother before her, and so on. This delicious recipe makes about 11 pierogies with a potato, cheese and onion filling.  Make sure to read the entire recipe before you get started that way you can manage your cooking tasks efficiently and effectively! (My grandmother wrote the recipe herself -- it's one of those recipes that were passed down to her and learned by watching and doing, it wasn't written down.) I always admired my grandmother for how she could have countless pots and pans cooking at once while prepping other parts of the recipe. I think it's an art that's slowly being lost in our fast-paced world. So, tie on an apron, and as you make this delicious homemade pierogi recipe "the way Grandma used to", take the time to remember some of the "traditional" and "old-fashioned" things your mom or grandmother used to do. Enjoy!

Part 1: Dough

Ingredients--
1 cup flour
1 egg
4 tbsp margarine
1/4 tsp salt

Preparation:
1.) Put egg in a liquid measuring cup and add water to make it a little over 1/4 of a cup. Beat with a whisk.
2.) In a mixing bowl, add salt to flour, "cut in" margarine and work it with fingers to look like cornmeal.
3.) Add egg mixture, mix together. Add a little more flour if needed and, using fingers, make it into dough.
4.) Let dough rest for 5 minutes. Then knead it with hands until it's smooth and elastic.

5.) Roll out dough.

6.) Cut out circles. (She uses a 1 lb. empty coffee can.)
7.) Roll out circles to make bigger and fill with filling in center of dough. Wet edges of dough, then fold in half and press close (makes a half circle shape). Take fork dipped in flour and press fork all around edge of peirogi to make a better seal.


Part 2: Potato, Onion and Cheese Filling
Ingredients:
2-3 slices each of Cooper, Sharp and American Cheese
4 potatoes, or as much as you'd like depending on how much filling you'd like to have
Pinch of salt
1 small onion
1 stick of margarine or butter
Pinch of white pepper

Preparation:
1.) Cut potatoes in quarters.
2.) Cook in a pot of water until done, with a little salt.
3.) Mash potatoes when done. Then put in a few slices of the cheeses over top of potatoes.
4.) Put lid back on pot and let cheese melt a little.
5.) Mash again with a small chopped onion that has been sauteed in margarine or butter.
6.) Mash smooth. Add a little white pepper to it for added flavor.

*You can also use instant potatoes. Make potatoes as directed on box. Put diced dried onions from jar (ex. McCormick Minced Onions) in the milk and water mixture. Put potatoes in as directed. After the 5 minutes, add cheese to it. Put lid on an dlet melt and then mix altogether. Add a little white pepper.

Part 3: Cooking the Pierogies

Preparation:
1.) Have a roasting pan on stove filled with water. Sprinkle salt in water and a little olive oil in it.
2.) Bring to boil, then put about 11-12 pierogies in.
3.) When it boils again, turn down heat to a slow rolling boil.
4.) Cook about 15 minutes on low boil.
5.) Keep turning the pierogies over with a wooden spoon.
6.) When pierogies are done, put in a colander. Run cold water over them slowly and hard. Let drain, then put on a cookie sheet.
7.) Pour melted butter over top. Let cool.
8.) Then pan fry the pierogies in butter and onions if desired.

And there you have it. A delicious, old-fashioned pierogi recipe "the way Grandma used to make it". I know I enjoy teaching my son how to make them so that our family recipe may be passed on to another generation and hopefully many more to come! Enjoy this wonderful Polish recipe!!

~* Recipe of the Week *~

~* Pancakes from Scratch! *~

Our son helped my husband make pancakes for breakfast yesterday. My husband doesn't share in the household cooking tasks very often, but when he has a day off and is in the mood to make breakfast, I gladly hand over the kitchen!  Besides, it was great to see some father-son bonding time!!

Here's how my husband makes his yummy pancakes:

Preparation and Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:
~ 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
~ 3 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
~ 1 tsp salt
~ 1 tbsp white sugar
~ 1 and 1/4 cups milk
~ 1 egg
~ 3 tbsp butter (melted)
** Special ingredient my husband likes to add: ~1 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation:
1.) In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
2.) Make a "well" in the center of dry ingredients and pour in the milk, egg, melted butter and vanilla.
3.) Mix until a smooth batter is created.

Cooking:

1.) Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium to high heat.
2.) Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake.
3.) Brown pancake on both sides.

Serve with some yummy warmed syrup, jam, or butter and ENJOY!!  I know our son does!!

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~* Recipe of the Week *~

~* Chicken Corn Soup *~

Want a soup that's light, a great source of protein, and is ideal for storing in the freezer for another day? Then you'll love this easy Chicken Corn Soup recipe!! 

My mother-in-law and I made some a month ago, and I'm still enjoying the leftovers I have stored in my freezer!!  Here's the recipe:

Total Preparation and Cook Time: 2-3 hours (depending on type of ingredients used)

Ingredients:
~ 1 whole, small chicken (or any amount of chicken you desire -- example: boneless chicken pieces, leg quarters, etc.)
~ 6 potatoes
~ 8 medium- or large-sized hard boiled eggs

~ 2 and 1/2 lbs of corn (we used the 1 lb bags of frozen corn for convenience sake)

~ 2 chicken boullion cubes
~ Salt, crushed black pepper, and chopped parsley to taste

** You may need to adjust the amount of ingredients depending on what size soup pot you use and how much soup you would like to make.

Preparation:

1) Fill a large soup pot with water, and bring the water to a boil.
2) Boil small chicken in pot of water until chicken is cooked thoroughly and the meat is tender and "falling off" the bone. (SAVE the water to use as the broth!!)
3) If you did not boil the eggs ahead of time, you can cook them while the chicken is boiling.
4) While chicken and eggs are boiling, peel and dice potatoes. Potato pieces should end up being the size of a cube of sugar.
5) Put potatoe cubes in a bowl and heat in microwave on high for about 3-5 minutes to soften the potatoe pieces a bit.
6) Peel hard boiled eggs and cut into quarters. Then cut each egg quarter in half.

Cooking:
1) When chicken is done boiling and is cooked thoroughly, remove it from the pot and separate the meat from the bones, skin, and fat.
2) Cut the pieces of chicken into desired sizes (I just use my fingers and tear the chicken into 1-2 inch strips while pealing chicken away from the bones, etc.)
3) While prepping the chicken pieces, add 2 boullion cubes to broth left in pot. Add more water if desired.
4) Add egg pieces, potatoes, corn and chicken to broth.
5) Bring soup to a boil. Then cook soup on medium to low heat and cover with lid.
5) Cook together until potatoes and corn are tender. Stir occasionally.
6) Add salt, pepper, and parsley to taste, if desired.

Serve with a few slices of bread and butter or some crackers as an appetizer, or as a quick meal. I was able to fill 15 two-cup Ziploc storage containers using the amount of ingredients listed in this recipe.  

~* If you try this soup recipe, leave a comment so we can  hear how it turned out!  Enjoy!! *~

~* Recipe of the Week *~

BBQ Spare Ribs!

Last night, I decided to make something "different" for supper. My father-in-law gave us some spare ribs he had in the family freezer. I decided to dig them out of our own freezer and cook them up last night for dinner.  As it turns out, my husband loved them (and he's a very picky eater!).  If you try this recipe that was handed down to me from my grandmother, let me know how you liked it!

Total Preparation & Cook Time: 1.5 hours

Ingredients:

Spare ribs (a rack of about 6 ribs)

Sauce:

~ 3/4 cup ketchup

~ 3/4 cup water

~ 2 Tbsp. vinegar

~ 2 Tbsp. Worchestershire Sauce

~ 1 tsp. sugar

~ 1/2 tsp. paprika

~ 1/2 tsp. pepper

~ 1 tsp. salt

~ 1 tsp. chili powder

Preparation:

 1) On a broiling pan in your oven, broil spare ribs on one side for 10-15 minutes. Turn ribs over and broil other side for another 10-15 minutes. *Make sure the ribs don't get too dark and crispy!

** While spare ribs are broiling, you can make the sauce:

1) Put all sauce ingredients into a 2 quart sauce pan.

2) Bring "sauce" to a boil, then let simmer for about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.

~ When spare ribs are done broiling, preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

~ Put spare ribs in a glass baking dish.

~ Pour sauce over spare ribs -- be sure to only use 1/2 of the sauce.

~ Bake in oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

~ After the first 30 minutes, remove dish from oven.

~ Turn spare ribs over and pour remaining sauce over them.

~ Put dish back in the oven and cook for another 30 minutes.

** I always double the sauce recipe in order to guarantee enough sauce since rib rack size always varies.**

Last night I made these BBQ Spare Ribs with a side of steamed mixed vegetables and some cheesy scalloped potatoes. 

~* Enjoy, and Happy Cooking! *~

~* Recipe of the Week *~

It's winter, which means it's the perfect time to make all of those homemade soups and stews to warm our bellies and our hearts!!  I hope you try and enjoy some of my homemade favorites!!

Homemade Zuppa Toscana:

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups (650ml) chicken stock or broth

1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream

1 medium russet potato

2 cups (475 ml) chopped kale

1/2 lb ground spicy Italian sausage

1/4 tsp (1 ml) salt

1/4 tsp (1 ml) crushed red pepper flakes



Preparation:

~Combine the stock and cream in a saucepan over medium heat.

~Slice the unpeeled potato into 1/4-inch slices, then quarter the slices and add them to the soup

~Add the kale

~Saute the sausage in a frying pan until browned. Drain thoroughly on a plate with paper towels.

~Add the sausage to the soup.

~Add the spices and let the soup simmer for about 2 hours. Stir occasionally.


** When I make it, I cook everything in a large crock pot on high until the potatoes get soft. Then I add the kale and cook it until it is softer as well. Make sure you check on the soup and stir it occasionally -- sometimes the cream and chicken broth get separated if the soup sits idle too long while cooking.


Goes great with homemade bread or garlic bread! Add a bit of grated parmesean cheese on top of the soup when serving for extra flavor. I double the recipe and then save some in containers in the freezer.

~* Enjoy!!!! *~

Welcoming in 2010!!

It's HERE!!! 2010!!!!

Have you made your "new year's resolutions"?  Have you stuck to your resolutions so far?

This year, Heartfelt Home Creations is planning on getting off to a good start!   We're putting our heads together and coming up with some great things at HHC for 2010!!

* Starting in February 2010, HHC will begin listing new Recipes, Ideas for Crafts, more ideas for "Being Green", and will feature Homemade Crafts and Decor on our website!! 

* Also, we want to hear more thoughts and ideas from you, our HHC blog followers and customers. Starting February 1st, every Monday we will feature on our blog a new poll for you to participate in. This will help us get to know more about what our followers and customers like and enjoy reading about, learning about, and trying out!

*Another added feature will be monthly Discussion topics that we will post to our Facebook fan page! So be sure to check back with us on the 1st of Every Month!!!  We'd love to hear from you!!!

There are still more changes and features to come! So, check back with us often and share our Blog and Website with your family and friends!!  Then Together, we can help make your house a "Heartfelt Home"!!

Best Wishes for the New Year!!
~ the Staff at Heartfelt Home Creations ~

Parched Corn -- an Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving Treat!

Want a very old-fashioned treat you can make yourself and share with your family on Thanksgiving?
Here is a recipe for "Parched Corn" that I found in

"The Little House Cookbook

-- Frontier Foods from Laura Ingalls Wilder's Classic Stories"

by Barbara M. Walker.

      This particular recipe is for the parched corn snack mentioned in Laura's book: "On the Banks of Plum Creek".  Laura and her sister, Mary, were given 3 grains of parched corn (similar to eating 3 salted peanuts), and as they ate, were supposed to remember the Pilgrims and the hardships they (the Pilgrims) had experienced and how thankful they must have been for the Thanksgiving Feast. Laura and Mary were given their parched corn treat after enjoying their own Thanksgiving dinner.

So try something more "old-fashioned" this year when making your Thanksgiving treats!

"For 1 cup of parched corn you will need:
Field corn, 1 ear dried, or sweet corn, 1 cup dried
Butter, 2 tablespoons
Salt
Skillet, 10-inch

If you are using field corn, shell it and remove chaff by tossing handfuls back and forth; do not wash! Heat butter in skillet over high heat. Cover the pan with kernels, reduce heat slightly, and stir constantly as kernels brown, puff up, and crackle. Cook 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, salt to taste, and serve." (Walker 212)


Walker, Barbara M. The Little House Cookbook. New York: Scholastic Inc, 1979.