Chicken Kale Quinoa Soup

This recipe is so good for your body and your soul.  It's loaded with healthy proteins from the chicken, quinoa, and chickpeas!  There is lots of vegetables to give you precious vitamins and minerals.  It's hot and steamy.  Top it with a little parmesan cheese.  You will think you have died and gone to heaven.

Anna Pearl's Chicken Kale Quinoa Soup

Makes 6 servings

1      Tbls. Olive Oil
1      Yellow Onion, diced
1      Green Pepper, diced
4      Garlic Cloves, finely diced
2      Chicken Breasts, Boneless, Partially Frozen,     diced into bite-sized pieces
2      Quarts Water
1      Knorr Chicken Bouillon Cube
2      Teas.  Italian Seasoning
2      16 oz. cans Tomatoes, diced
1      16 oz. can Chickpeas or Garbanzo Beans
1      Bunch Kale, chopped
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Parmesan Cheese to garnish

In a Dutch oven, heat olive oil.  Sauté diced onions until translucent.  Add diced green pepper.  Sauté for 4 minutes.  Add diced garlic and sauté for an additional 3 minutes.  Transfer onion/pepper/garlic mixture into a stock pot. 

Place chicken into Dutch Oven.  Sauté until no pink shows in center.  Add to stock pot.  Add a little bit of water to the Dutch Oven, stir around, and pour into the stock pot.  

Add Water, Bouillon, Italian Seasoning, Tomatoes, Chickpeas and Kale.  Bring the soup to a boil.  Lower the heat and let simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until kale is tender.  Top with Parmesan Cheese to garnish.

A Simple Tutorial For Freezing Rhubarb

1.  Cut Rhubarb when the stalks are red.

2.  Trim leaves off of stalks.

3.  Cut the stalks into 1" pieces.

 

4.  Mix 1 cup sugar with stalks.

5.  Place 2 cups stalks in zip type freezer bags, making sure to press out as much air as possible.

 

 

6.  Freeze.

 

Note:  My recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Pie calls for 2 cups of rhubarb.  This is the reason why I put 2 cups in the bags.  Substitute to match your recipe.

How to Fillet a Fish

We are so blessed to live in an area where trout fishing abounds!  We recently caught a mess of Rainbow Trout at Viva Naughton Reservoir near Kemmerer, WY. 

 

The fish below was about 14 inches long and had a nice size girth.  We decided we wanted to fillet the meat for dinner.  Fresh caught wild Rainbow Trout is packed full of healthy Omega 3 oils.  It is so good for your body and it tastes divine!

 

 

A flexible fillet knife that is really sharp is the best tool to use for this particular task.  If you don't have your fillet knife handy, you can still make the cut!  Hunky Hubby used his Leatherman!

 

It really isn't necessary to clean the innards from the fish, as you will just be using the meat portion during this process.  You can save the unused portion of the fish to make a nice fish based fertilizer tea for your garden.

 

Notice the Chihuahua lounging in the back ground. :)

 

Right behind the head, the meat starts.  Make a cut all the way from the top to the bottom of the head.  Don't cut all the way through.  Cut until you feel the knife hit bone.

Make a cut along the backbone,

 

lifting the meat as you go.

 

 

Once you complete the backbone cut, continue to lift the meat and cut through to the underside of the fish.

 

 

When you reach the bottom of the fillet, you will notice that the meat is thinning.  Cut the fillet off.

 

Repeat this process on the opposite side. 

 

You have just created two beautiful fish fillets that will cook up nicely on the grill, frying pan or in your oven.  What the heck, throw them in the smoker!

Stay tuned for Anna Pearl's Favorite Rainbow Trout BBQ Rub!

 

 

We shared this post at the following Blog Hops:

 

Our Simple Homestead Blog Hop!

 

Homestead Blog Hop

 

Friday Features Blog Party

 

Weekend Blog Hop

 

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

While looking for a muffin recipe, I came across the cutest blog http://timbercreekfarmer.com.  Their recipe was for banana muffins. I adapted it below to include zucchini and whole wheat flour.  Please visit their blog for the recipe for the banana muffins.  It is really good.

Zucchini Muffins

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1  tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
3 cups shredded zucchini
1/4 cup milk

Mix dry ingredients in a small bowl.  In a large bowl, cream the butter, shortening, and sugar together.  Add the egg and milk.  Mix well.  Add the dry ingredients and the zucchini, alternately to the butter and sugar.  Mix until combined.  Do not overmix.

Grease muffin tin or add cupcake liners.  Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.

Bake muffins in a preheated 350 F oven for 15 to 18 minutes until the center is baked when tested with a toothpick.

Cool on a baking rack.

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Tuesday with a Twist

Together on Tuesdays!

Dinner and a Gift

Let's face it!  There are days when you have a little extra time.  They are few and far between.  In fact, they are so rare that one might be tempted to just sit and wonder that it is actually happening.  Most days, it is just crazy! 

It was just one of those days when I came up with the "Dinner and a Gift" concept.  I actually found myself with nothing pressing my time.  I knew I needed to make dinner and decided that I would make dinner for a family who had just had a new baby.

I wanted to make Stuffed Peppers.  However, I didn't have enough peppers for both families.  Therefore, the following recipe was developed.  It allows for two dinners out of one cooking session.  Enjoy!

Stuffed Peppers and Beefy Spanish Rice

3 large green peppers
1 pound ground beef
2 Tablespoons chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups cooked rice
1 can chopped tomatoes with chilies (15 ounce)
1 can corn
3/4 c shredded mozzarella cheese, split in half

Cut thin slice from stem end of each pepper.  Remove seeds and membranes; rinse.  Cook peppers in enough boiling water to cover 5 minutes; drain.

Remove the stem from the thin top pieces of the pepper and chop the remaining pepper.

Cook and stir hamburger, chopped pepper and onion in a skillet until hamburger is light brown; drain.  Stir in garlic salt, cooked rice, and the can of tomatoes; heat through.

Divide the mixture in half, reserving half for the Beefy Spanish Rice.

Stuffed Peppers

Stuff each pepper with hamburger mixture; stand upright in an ungreased baking dish.  Cover; cook in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.  Uncover; cook 15 minutes longer.  Sprinkle with cheese.

Beefy Spanish Rice

To the reserved meat/rice mixture, add 1 can of corn.  Mix well and place in an ungreased casserole dish.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Add the cheese and cover until cheese is melted.

We linked with The Weekend Blog Hop

An Old-timers Canned Elk

 

Hunky Hubby's family has been canning wild meat for many years.  Homesteading their family ranch in 1905, they had to make do in a very harsh Wyoming environment.  Elk and deer are plentiful in the area.  Their meat provided nourishment for many pioneer families.  It was much more economical to kill and eat wild game, as opposed to consuming beef or lamb that could be sold at market.

 

Many years ago, Awesome Mother in Law taught us to process wild meat for freezing and canning.  There are two methods that she used for canning.  The methods differ in the meat preparation before they go into the bottle. 

 

The first method is easy and does not take a lot of prep time.  It is called Raw Packing.  Simply cut the meat into bite size chunks.  Place the chunks into clean, sterilized bottles.  Add 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Do not add water.   Place clean lids on top of the bottle and secure with caps.  Make sure that neither the meat nor the water are touching the lid.  Pressure can the meat at 15 pounds for 90 minutes. 

 

 

The second method that my dear Mother in Law used is a Hot Pack method.  Into a large mixing bowl, add 2 cups of flour, 1 TBLS. Garlic Powder, 1 TBLS. Onion Powder and 1 Teas. Paprika.  Cut the meat into bite size pieces and dredge in the flour mixture.  Add two TBLS bacon grease to a large cast iron frying pan.  Heat the grease and add the meat, searing on each side.  The meat should only be seared and not cooked through.  As the searing is completed, add the meat to a clean, sterilized jar.  Add 1/2 Teas. salt to the top of each bottle.  Once all the meat has been seared and placed in the jars, add 2 cups of water to the frying pan.  Allow the water to boil while stirring and scraping the goodies from the bottom of the pan.  Allow this mixture to reduce.  This will provide a sort of rue for your broth.  In a large pan, add the rue, 4 TBLS dried minced onion and as much water needed to fill the number of jars you have.  Bring to a boil.  The broth will taste weak, but the meat and salt will flavor it more during cooking.  Pour the boiling broth over the meat in the jars.   Place clean lids on top of the bottle and secure with caps.  Make sure you leave at least 1 inch between the top of the meat and the lid.  Pressure can the meat at 15 pounds for 90 minutes. 

Make sure that you give the bottles lots of time to cool before you move them.  They are very hot, so be careful!  We write the species of meat and the year of canning on the top of the lid.  For best quality, use the meat within a year of canning.  They will keep for many years, though the quality will be diminished.

 

This meat can be used for stews and soups, meat and gravy dishes, or mixed with mayo and pickle relish for a yummy sandwich spread.  we have been consuming this meat for over 30 years.  We have never had a bottle go bad, using these methods.

  (Please note that we are at 6500 feet elevation.  According to Go Presto.com, the pounds of pressure must be adjusted for the elevation.  The processing time will stay the same.) 

Disclaimer:  We don't profess to be home canning experts. We are simply sharing the way that we have been taught to do it.   Please research safe canning practices before you attempt home canning or pressure canning.  Here is an excellent resource for more information. Canning Wild Meat - University of Wisconsin

I shared this post at the Weekend Blog Hop

I shared this post with Old-fashioned Friday Blog Hop!

Hamburger-Green Bean Casserole

This is a favorite casserole of Hunky Hubby and my two kids.  Even after growing up and moving out, they come home and want this yummy dinner.

Ingredients

2 Tbls   Olive Oil
1           Small Onion, diced
2           Cloves garlic, finely diced
1 lb.      Hamburger, browned and drained
                                         6       Russet Potatoes, sliced thinly
                                        1 can     Cream of Mushroom Soup
                                        1 can     Green Beans
                                        Salt and Pepper to taste.

In a cast iron frying pan, add the olive oil.  Over medium heat, add the onion and sauté until tender.  Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.  Add the hamburger, breaking it into small pieces as it browns.  Once no pink is showing in the meat, remove from heat and drain the fat. 

Spray a casserole dish with Pam.  Add meat mixture to the bottom of the pan.

Clean potatoes well.  Leaving the skins on, slice thinly and layer on top of the meat mixture. 

In a small mixing bowl, add the cream of mushroom soup.  Open the can of green beans and drain, reserving 1/2 the liquid.  Add the liquid to the soup and mix well.

Spread the green beans on top of the potatoes.  Pour the soup mixture over the top of the casserole.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Cover with lid or tinfoil.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour.  Mix the ingredients well before serving.

Colcannon

My family were Scandinavian.  It is well known that is cold in Scandinavia.  There are just so many things that will grow where the summers are short and the winters are long. In places like this, cabbage is king!

The following recipe came from a PBS Show that I watched a while ago.  Mind you,I didn't write the original recipe down.   I kept it in my little brain for weeks before I tried to re-create it.  Since I can't remember the show or the original recipe, I would like to say this is my version of Colcannon.

This meal would have been very hearty and would have filled the tummies of any Viking!

Colcannon

Feeds 4

Ingredients

1 whole head of green Cabbage, shredded
1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic,finely chopped
1/2 cube sweet cream butter, salted
1/2 lb bacon, chopped
6-9 potatoes, cubed
1/8 cup milk
2 Tbsp sweet cream butter,salted

Wash and peel the potatoes. In a medium saucepan, boil the potatoes until tender.  Mash the potatoes, add 1/8 cup milk and 2 Tbsp butter.  Mix well and set aside.

In a large frying pan, cook the bacon until crisp. Set aside.  To the frying pan, add 1/4 cube of butter. Add onion and saute until tender.  Add garlic and saute for one minute.  Add cabbage and saute until tender.  Stir in the bacon.

To serve, place cabbage mixture on a plate.  Place a scoop of the mashed potatoes in the center of the cabbage.  Make an indention in the potatoes and place 1 tsp of butter in the indent.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Watch your Vikings devour this yummy dinner!

Anna Pearl's Baking Powder Biscuits

Heat oven to 400 degrees

Ingredients

2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons BP
3/4 t salt
5 Tbsp Softened butter or Margarine
3/4 c milk

Directions

In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Using a butter knife or a pastry blender, cut in the butter until crumbly.  Add the milk and mix well.  The dough should be a little sticky.

 

Sprinkle 1/2 cup flour onto the counter top and plop your dough right in the middle.  Knead it until the dough is firm.  You can either use a rolling pin to roll the dough out about 1/4 inch thick.  Cut with a cookie or biscuit cutter.

Here is where Anna Pearl make this recipe special!  Place a biscuit on an ungreased baking sheet.  Spread a thin layer of butter on the top of the biscuit.    Place another biscuit on top of the butter.  Repeat this process until your sheet is full or you run out of dough!

Bake 12 to 15 minutes, checking regularly to see if the color is golden brown.  These belly-fillers are best if served warm and would really appreciate being covered in a nice sausage gravy.

Anna Pearl's Oldfashioned Oatmeal Cookies

I am in absolute love with Oatmeal Cookies.  My Mom made those cookies that you dream about.  They were big!  They were chewy!  They were AMAZING!

Below, I have tried to re-create her recipe.  I don't have her lovely hands that measured out each ingredient carefully.  She always used a knife to level off each measuring cup  and spoon.  I don't have her smarts, as she always used the measuring cup with the butter or shortening in it to measure the sugar.  She used her rubber spatula to scrap out the sugar/butter mixture into the bowl.  Waste not, Want Not!  This also made the measuring cup easier to clean.  I don't have her by my side, showing me how to mix things just right.

However, I do have the things that she taught me.  One of those things is to love.  So, lovely readers, here's my Mom's recipe for Anna Pearl's Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies.  (My Mom was Anna Pearl's daughter.  Her name was Sylvia and she looked just like Ingrid Bergman.  That's what my Dad said.)

Anna Pearl's Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies

Preheat oven at 375 degrees.  Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray or line the pan with parchment paper.

1 cup softened butter (Please don't substitute with margarine.  Remember, these are old fashioned)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar

Measure out the butter first, then the sugars.  Using a Pastry cutter or a butter knife, cut the sugar into the butter until it is crumbly.

2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a small bowl, whip the eggs and vanilla until frothy.  Combine the eggs with the butter/sugar mixture and mix well.

Makes servings USMetricAdjust Recipe (Help)

  
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
 

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Mix well.  Add to butter/sugar/egg/vanilla mixture.  Mix well.

3 cups quick cooking oats                                                                 

Fold the oats into the mixture and make sure that all oats are coated with mixture.         

Using a teaspoon, spoon mixture about 2 inches apart onto baking sheet.  Bake for 8 - 10 minutes.

   

                       

                                                   

Anna's Chicken Taco Soup

 

6 chicken legs, boiled and cubed

3 cups water

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 can corn
1 can navy beans
1 can tomato sauce
1 quart tomatoes
1 can green chilies

1 teaspoon cilantro
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a medium pot, add chicken legs and water.  Boil lightly for 1 hour. 

In a stock pot, add olive oil.

Add onion and sauté for 1 minute.  Add green pepper and sauté for 1 minute, Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.  Add celery and sauté for 1 minute. 

 

Add the corn, navy beans, tomato sauce, tomatoes, chilies, cilantro, chili powder, paprika, salt, and red pepper flakes. Mix well and cover.  Cook on low until the chicken is done.

When chicken is cooked, remove it from the water and let cool.  Remove the meat from the bones.  Dice the chicken and add to the soup.  Allow to warm the chicken for 10 minutes.

Serve with shredded cheese on top.

Serves 4

Cheeseburger Pie with Green Chilies

Pastry Ingredients

 

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shortening

4 tablespoons cold water

 

Filling Ingredients

 

1 pound lean ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup milk

 1 small can green chilies

2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese, divided

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Pastry: In a medium bowl, mix 1 1/3 cups flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cut in shortening. Add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring well as you add it. Mix lightly. Pat into bottom and sides of an 8 inch pie pan. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
3. Filling: Crumble ground beef into a large skillet and over medium heat for 1 minute. Add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is browned.  Drain grease. 
4. Sprinkle filling with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup flour. Stir in chilies, milk, and 1 cup shredded cheese. Spoon mixture into pastry shell.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle top with remaining 1 cup cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes.

Dog Treats

We have been looking for some natural treats for our extremely spoiled canines.  We don't want to continue to give them the preservatives and chemicals that they get in from store bought treats. The question was what do you feed a Chihuahua, a Black Lab, and a Blue Heeler that they all will like?Wait, they are all dogs, right? We converted a cookie recipe to the one listed below.  Even the cat loves them!
 

Ingredients

• 2½ cups whole wheat flour, oat flour, rice flour or coconut flour
• 3/4 cup chunky peanut butter peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons honey or agave
• 1 egg

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350F.  Combine flour, baking powder, and egg. Add peanut butter, water, honey or agave.  Stir with a wooden spoon until mixed.  Spread about 1/4 c flour on your countertop and roll the dough out about ½ inch thick.  I used heart and flower cookie cutters. Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool and your dogs will love you!

Mindlessness and Menapause

Well, my friends....you may have noticed that I have been missing for quite a while.  To be frank, I have temporarily lost my mind due to symptoms of menopause.  I haven't been able to function as a human being for a few months now.  The mood swings, the lack of focus, and the hot flashes have been all I could handle.

As the symptoms seem to be subsiding, I am going to try to get back to my blogging.  I have really missed sharing my thoughts with all of you!

There will be some pretty cool changes coming to Anna Pearls Attic very soon.  I have joined an affiliate program.  They offer country lifestyle products for reasonable prices and I am excited to start that adventure.  Watch for the links to appear in the very near future. 

Another of my goals is to include more recipes and tutorials.  My mother was an amazing cook and she taught me all she knew.  Since we lost her four years ago, I would like to honor her by sharing some of that knowledge with you.

I am committed to the blogging process and promise to continue to "wow" you with my creative genius! "Not!"

~Anna Pearl's Grand-daughter~

Buffalo Bread

I made this bread for my family last night.  It is a sweet, moist bread mix.  I had to borrow a beer from a neighbor.  It also said you can use 7-up if you don't like the beer taste.  Not my choice of beer, but beggars can't be choosers, can they?

 

 

Manufactured by Bounty Foods for Wind River Hotel and Casino 10869 Hwy 789, Riverton, WY.
                                                 http://www.bountyfoods.com/products.html

Caramel Dumplings

One of our favorite desserts is Aggie Caldwell's Caramel Dumplings.  Aggie was my father's foster mother.  We always called her Grandma.

To start this yummy recipe, measure out 3/4 cup sugar, 2 3/4 cups of hot water, 1/2 cup sugar and 1 T butter or margarine.

Place the 3/4 cup sugar in a cast iron dutch oven or frying pan.

Heat the sugar until it is melted and carmelized.

Once carmelized, add the butter and stir until melted.

Add 2 3/4 cups hot water and the other 1/2 cup sugar.  Let it simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.

To make the dumplings, Measure out the following:  1/2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup milk, 1 teas. vanilla, 1 T. butter, 1 t. baking powder, 1 1/4 cup flour, and a pinch of salt.

Cream the butter and sugar together.

Mix the rest of the ingredients together with the butter and sugar mixture until a soft dough is formed.

Drop the dough by the teaspoonful into the caramel syrup.  Cover and cook on medium for 2o minutes.

The end result will be an uber rich dessert they will please everyone at the table.  Serve with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or fresh heavy cream.  Best if served while hot.

A New Twist on an Old Recipe

Snicker-doodle Muffins

When I saw this recipe, I knew I was going to run to the cabin kitchen and make them right up.  Snicker-doodles are one of my favorite cookies and I love to make them.

 The original recipe called for 2 sticks of butter.  I didn't have that much butter on hand.  I substituted 1 cup of shortening.  They turned out just fine, although I know the butter would make them absolutely divine.  

Hunky Hubby came home to a house smelling of cinnamon.  He was a happy hubby.

The Ingredients

The Finished Product

The Recipe

Snickerdoodle Muffins
slightly modified from http://www.eatmedelicious.com/2007/12/snickerdoodle-muffins.html
 
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/4 cup sour cream
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar and 1 TBSP cinnamon mixed together for rolling*

1.Cream the butter and sugar until soft about 3 to 5 minutes. Add in the vanilla. Add in the eggs one at a time and mix until each is incorporated.

2.In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cream of tartar and nutmeg.

3.Add the flour mixture and the sour cream alternately to the egg-butter mixture in the additions. Start with the flour and end with the flour. Scrape the bowl occasionally.

4. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out muffin batter one at a time and drop into a shallow bowl filled with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll the muffin around in the mixture until it is covered completely in cinnamon sugar. Place muffin into muffin tin. Depending on the size of your tins, you should get about 12 to 14 muffins. Bake them for approx. 20-22 minutes in a 350F oven or until they are golden brown.

Starla's Yummy Spinach Salad

Starla's Yummy Spinach Salad

Topping
1 sm. bag     Almonds, sliced
1/2 cup         Sugar

Salad
1 bag            Fresh Baby Spinach
1 cup            Celery, sliced
2 cups          Strawberries, sliced
1 sm. can     Mandarin Oranges
1 cup           Grapes, Red Seedless, cut in half
1 cup           Avocado, cut in tiny chunks

Dressing
1/4 cup       Sugar
1 teas          Salt
1 teas          Dry Mustard
1/3 cup       Red Wine Vinegar
1 cup          Canola Oil
1 1/2 T        Poppy Seeds
2                  Green Onions, chopped

Topping:  Place sugar in a frying pan and cook until caramelized to a light brown.  Add almonds.  Spread thinly on waxed paper.  Allow to cool. Break up to sprinkle on top of salad when serving.

Salad:  Mix ingredients in a large bowl.

Dressing:  Mix ingredients and cool for two hours.  Pour 1/4 cup of dressing on salad and mix.  Serve the remaining dressing on the side.