Homemade Pimento cheese spread

I love, love, love cheese, pretty much any kind cheese and on or in just about everything.  My husband calls me a rat when it comes to cheese.  I also love pimento cheese sandwiches and homemade pimento cheese spread is so much better than the containers you get at the store.  I like to use a combination of different kinds of cheese instead of just cheddar.  My favorite combination is 1 block Gouda, 1 block white cheddar cheese and 1 block extra sharp cheddar cheese plus cream cheese to make it creamy. I use my food processor to shred the cheeses and mix them up with the cream cheese then transfer everything to a bowl to add the mayonnaise and seasonings.  The spread will keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. Unfortunately, it won't keep it's integrity when frozen but this last batch I had so much left over that I froze about 2 cups in a freezer bag to use as a cheese sauce the next time I make macaroni and cheese or some other pasta.

Here's the recipe:

1 8 oz. block sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 block Gouda cheese, shredded

1 block white cheddar cheese, shredded

1 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 c mayonnaise

4 kinds of cheese

1 8 oz. jar pimientos, drained

2 T sofrito (pureed onions, garlic and peppers, recipe on previous blog post)

1 t Worcestershire sauce

1 t yellow mustard

seasoned salt and pepper to taste

Shred cheeses in food processor and mix with cream cheese, add mayonnaise and seasonings until well blended.  Keep in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Also makes great grilled cheese sandwiches.

Enjoy,

Bamah

pimento cheese sandwich

Lamb and sweet potato chili

This month I'm sharing a new recipe I found for lamb and sweet potato chili.  It's super easy to make and so delicious.  Last month our local farmer's market held an Instant Pot challenge where several of the vendors made different recipes using local products from the market in Instant Pots at the market and customers got to taste them all and judge the winners.  My favorite entry was lamb and sweet potato chili made by Limerick Farms which raise and sell their own lamb meat.  They are located in Tipton, Oklahoma and come to the Lawton Farmer's Market weekly.  We've been buying their lamb meat for over a year and have really enjoyed it.  I've used the ground lamb in my chili before along with ground beef and pork but had never made chili with just the lamb.  Sweet potatoes in chili was also new for me but they added a sweetness and thickening and I loved it so much I asked them for the recipe.  We had a soup luncheon after church on Super Bowl Sunday and I made my version of this chili and it was a big hit.  I had several people comment on how much they loved it and wanted the recipe.  It was almost all eaten up, there wasn't even a serving left.  I'm going to share both Limerick Farms recipe and my version.  I used different peppers and added more sweet potatoes and seasonings. Here's the recipes:

Limerick Farms lamb chili with sweet potatoes and poblanos

2 t. olive oil

1 pound ground lamb

1 onion, chopped

2 poblano peppers, seeded and chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T chili powder

2 1/2 c lamb stock or beef broth

2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

1 large sweet potato (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/3 inch cubes

2 (14 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, swirling to coat the bottom. Add the lamb and break it up into chunks.  Stir in onion, poblano peppers and garlic, saute until the excess water evaporates, the lamb is browned and vegetables are soft and tender, 15 to 20 minutes.  Stir in chili powder and cook about 30 seconds.  Stir in stock, tomatoes, 2 t salt and a big pinch of pepper and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover the pot and cook for 30 minutes at a gentle simmer.  Uncover the pot and stir in sweet potatoes and beans.  Continue simmering until the sweet potatoes are tender and the flavors come together, about 30 minutes more.  For a thick chili, leave the pot uncovered at this point, or partially cover for a soupier consistency.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  Serve chili topped with optional garnishes of chopped cilantro leaves, lime wedges, diced avocado, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and broken tortilla chips.

Bamah's version

2 pounds ground lamb, browned in skillet

1 onion, chopped, (I also added a handful of green onions from my freezer)

1/2 c sweet peppers, chopped
2 to 3 T sofrito (recipe in previous post)
1 to 2 t red chili flakes

2 to 3 T chili powder

1/2 to 1 t seasoned salt and pepper
1 can tomatoes (I used 1 pint jar of my home canned tomatoes)

1/2 c salsa (I had a half of a jar of salsa I had canned in the refrigerator I wanted to use up)

2 1/2 c beef broth, can also use water and beef bouillon cube

Empty pot after church luncheon

3 sweet potatoes, cubed

2 cans black beans, liquid included

Brown ground lamb in skillet and set aside.  In large soup pot, add onions, sweet peppers, sofrito, chili flakes and 1/2 c water, cook on low until veggies are tender.  Add remaining ingredients plus 1 to 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 1 to 2 hours until vegetables are all cooked and chili has desired thickness.  Top with shredded cheddar cheese.

Enjoy,

Bamah

Feeding the Soul

Clapton in front of Lake Rush

January is typically a time of reflection so I'm going to do something a little different for this month's post.  I gave up making resolutions several years ago but last year I listened to several different podcasts that discussed goal setting and keeping track of them on a monthly basis so I set several goals for the year and tracked them every month in a little notebook.  This month I looked back at my goals to see how I did, several were completed, the majority I at least worked on consistently and a few weren't addressed at all.  I set new goals for this year most of them the same as last year, things like reading so many books a month, crocheting items to use up my yarn stash, organizing and cleaning out areas in my house, writing monthly blog posts and things of that nature.  One of my favorite goals from last year that I'm continuing with this year is visiting and keeping track of visits to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge that is about 25 miles from us.  It is part of the National Wildlife service, with over 59,000 acres of mountains, prairie and abundant wildlife to include buffalo, longhorns, elk, eagles,  and prairie dogs to name a few. 

 The scenery is breathtaking, views of lakes, mountains, and prairies.  There are a wide variety of hiking trails, plus various outdoors activities.  They also have a really nice visitors center and gift store.  My family and I have been going out to the wildlife refuge for years, ever since my girls were little and it's still a family favorite activity.  My oldest daughter, Tabitha, calls it refuge therapy and she often goes out by herself to photograph and video various scenes in all seasons.  We also take our dog, Clapton, out in remote areas so he can run around and explore without being on a leash, it's his favorite place to go. 

Prairie view

Longhorn grazing next to road

A couple of Sundays ago, when I got out of church and the sun was shining and the temperature was 69 degrees, which is fantastic for January, I decided that Clapton and I needed a little refuge therapy.  My husband and daughters had gone out of town so I was spending a quiet weekend alone with our animals.  I drove out with Clapton who was  very excited in the back seat and we found a remote lake that we hadn't been to before.  There was just us and a man fishing so we had the place to ourselves to walk around and I took pictures. We then drove over to another area that is a favorite of ours that has great vistas and I walked a bit while Clapton explored on his own. It was such a beautiful day and we really enjoyed ourselves.  I felt a peace come over me after spending a hectic week at work.  Being out in nature is really therapeutic for me which is why I decided to take advantage of the weather and just go.  This year I've decided that I need to visit each month if possible, even for an hour or so, just to feed my soul and enjoy God's creations.  Last year we went out at least 10 times during the year, mostly in Spring and Fall, but there's things to see and do in every season.

Clapton on the prairie

My hope for you in 2018 is to find things in your life that feed your soul and that you take the time on a regular basis to take advantage of the beauty around you.  If you're a nature lover like me, find a local park, National park or wildlife area near you to visit.  Another thing I like do is to visit National and State parks when I'm traveling so I include nature time in my tourist schedule to just have time to unwind.

This year take some time to indulge in your favorite pastime in order to feed your soul. It will be time well spent.

Enjoy,

Bamah

View of Lake Rush

Mountain and prairie view

I liked the contrast between the bare branches of the tree to the blue sky

Apple Pear Zucchini bread with Gluten free options

Apples are in season now, also pears and

zucchini so this bread is a great recipe to share this month. I made it this past weekend with 1 zucchini, 1 pear and 1 apple and made it low sugar and gluten free for my daughter. The recipe calls for 2 cups of chopped pears or apples and 1 cup shredded zucchini but I like more zucchini than fruit so do 2 cups zucchini and 1 cup fruit.  I've made it with just pears and zucchini and also just apples and zucchini but I really like to combine apples and pears.  It's a very versatile recipe.  The recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of brown sugar but works well with a low sugar option.  I cut the sugar by more than half and just added 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 2 T sugar and 1/4 cup of honey, it is still very yummy and sweet enough. I also did mine gluten free substituting flour for Bob Mills Gluten free flour which measures cup for cup.  It had a slightly different texture but tasted great, the recipe makes 2 loaves and I took one to work and they loved it. The bread also freezes well. I shredded the zucchini, apple and pear in my food processor which worked great and super easy. Here's the recipe:
Apple Pear Zucchini Bread

flour mixture

1 cup chopped or shredded apples and or pears
2 cups shredded zucchini
1cup sugar (low sugar option 2 T)
1/4 cup honey
1 or 1/2 cup brown sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups flour (gluten free option Bob Mills gluten free flour is cup for cup)
2 t pumpkin pie spice
1 t cinnamon
 1/2 t nutmeg
1 t baking soda

wet ingredients

1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
can also add 1/2 cup chopped pecans




In a large bowl, combine 1st 7 ingredients.  Combine flour. spices, baking soda, baking powder and salt in small bowl and then stir into wet ingredients until blended. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes, remove to wire rack to cool completely.  Makes 2 loaves.

Enjoy,
Bamah

combined ingredients ready for loaf pan

Shepherds Pie recipe

This month's recipe is my easy, versatile shepherds pie.  It's not really a pie, although you could add the mixture into a pie crust and make a savory pie, it's really a casserole.  This is a family recipe from my grandmother that I grew up eating and have made myself for years.  I've changed it up some, mostly using more fresh vegetables and also different kinds of ground meat besides hamburger meat.  The basic recipe is a layer of browned ground meat, my grandmother always used hamburger meat but when I made this last weekend I used a pound of ground lamb and a pound of ground pork.  The second layer is vegetables, typically carrots, onions, corn and peas, but I added broccoli, squash, sweet peppers, eggplant and garlic.  You really can add any vegetables you like, and instead of an actual veggie layer, I just added them into the meat mixture, seasoned with seasoned salt, pepper, Tastefully Simple spinach and herb mix, Worcestershire sauce and Tastefully Simple bayou bourbon glaze.  It's best if the meat has some kind of sauce added to it so it's not dry. Pour into casserole dish and add layer of mashed potatoes, sometimes I add cooked rice instead and top with shredded cheese.  Another option to mashed potatoes is mashed cauliflower, or turnips, I like to add turnips and cauliflower to potatoes and mash them all together.  Bake in oven for 20 to 25 minutes at 350 until bubbly and cheese is melted or heat in microwave for 10 to 15 minutes.  Another great thing about this recipe is that you can do it in sections of time or delegate to others. The meat can be cooked  and set it aside or frozen for later, my husband cooked mine while my daughter and I went out on an errand. I used vegetables that I had previously cut up and frozen plus fresh ones from the farmers market.  My daughter cooked the potatoes before we went out then mashed them when we got home while I cooked the vegetables and added the cooked meat to them and put the casserole together.  It could also be done a day before and put in the refrigerator prior to cooking and then cooked the next day.  I made 2 medium casseroles, 1 for our dinner and the other my daughter took back with her and cooked later. The possibilities are endless, which is my kind of cooking. Plus leftovers heat up great in the microwave.

Here's the recipe:

meat and veggie mixture

Shepherd's Pie

1 to 2 lbs. ground meat, lamb, hamburger, pork or any combination, browned

1/2 c chopped onion

1 clove minced garlic

1/2 c chopped sweet peppers,

1/2 to 1 c chopped broccoli

1/2 c chopped carrots

1/2 c corn

1/2 c chopped eggplant

1 c fresh or frozen English peas

2 T Worchester sauce

2 to 3 T bayou bourbon sauce or steak sauce

1 t each seasoned salt, pepper, parsley or herb mixture

2 to 3 c cooked mashed potatoes

1 to 2 c shredded cheddar cheese

In large skillet, brown meat, drain off grease, add Worchester sauce, bourbon sauce, seasonings, eggplant, onions, garlic and carrots and cook until almost tender.  Add rest of vegetables and continue cooking, adding peas last until all tender and combined, checking seasonings.  In casserole dish, layer meat and veggie mixture, cooked mashed potatoes and top with shredded cheese.  Bake in oven at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted or heat in microwave on high for 10 to 15 minutes until bubbly.

layer of meat and vegetables

Enjoy,

Bamah

mashed potatoes with turnips added

final layers prior to cooking

Bubbly, yummy goodness

Farmers market tourist

Hillcrest farmers market

June is a busy summer month with lots of activities, summer produce and vacations.  It's the beginning of peak seasonal crops at local farmers markets and what better way to experience the flavor of summer than to take advantage of local produce.  One of my favorite thing to do is combining traveling/vacation time with my love of farmers markets by checking out farmers markets at the places I travel to.  This June I made two trips with my family, one to Little Rock, AR and also to North Carolina where I also visited Norfolk, VA and the Outer Banks.  We went to 2 different farmers markets on each trip and I'm sharing my pictures and experiences on this post.  My oldest daughter, Tabitha, was with me on both trips and called me a farmers market tourist. I loved it so making that the title of this post.

We visited family in Little Rock, AR the third weekend in June.  Before going, I looked up farmer's markets online and found 2.  Hillcrest Farmers market on 2200 Kavanaugh Blvd on the sidewalk in front of Pulaski Heights Baptist Church.  It's open on Saturday mornings from 7 to 12.  It's medium sized with a great variety of vendors, probably somewhere around 20  (I didn't count). It was really similar to the Lawton's Farmer's market but without food trucks, although there was a small coffee truck.  It was mainly local farmers with produce, flowers, baked goods, local honey, homemade hummus, and more.  I bought honey, rolls, corn on the cob, tomatoes, pickles, flowers and fresh pinto beans plus several kinds of fruit.  We had a blast there, visiting with various vendors and it was our favorite because it was more local. My daughter and I both had on Oklahoma T shirts and several vendors noticed so asked questions as to what brought us there and were thrilled that we'd chosen to visit them on our trip. We really enjoyed this one and took a lot of pictures.  They had tomatoes as big at Tabitha's hand and so many fresh flowers.




 

River Market by Riverfront park

The second Little Rock farmer's market we visited was the River Market in an open air pavilion overlooking Riverfront Park in the downtown area.  It's open Saturdays from 7 until 3.  It was much larger with more commercial vendors, crafts, local products plus produce. It was fun and we bought granola and local rice mixes but liked the Hillcrest one better. It had a lot more commercial feeling instead of local but was glad that we checked it out. We did enjoy walking around Riverfront park and looking at the Arkansas river.






5 Points Community farm market

The 4th week of June my oldest daughter, Tabitha, and I flew to North Carolina to visit my youngest daughter, Aubree, who lives in Hertford about an hour away from the Outer Banks.  She is a travel occupational therapist who contracts through the company she works for with facilities all over the US moving every 3 to 6 months.  I've passed my love of farmers markets on to my girls so Aubree always finds local markets at every place she lives. She found an indoor farmers market in Norfolk, VA an hour from her called Five Points Community Farm Market. It was open Thurs through Sunday during the day but sadly it closed this month.  We went on a Friday and ate lunch at their café with local ingredients which was fantastic plus did some shopping. They had a great little spice shop where the owner made her own spice blends so I bought several spices.  I only bought produce that we could eat on our trip, mainly fruit since we were flying home.  It was a lot of fun walking around and seeing what they had plus Aubree shopped for herself.





5 Points community farm market I loved this cute



Edenton farmers market                                                                                         yummy lunch at 5 Points

The final farmers market I went to on my travels was on a Saturday and Aubree took me to her favorite local farmers market in Edenton, NC about 30 minutes from her home.  It's open on Saturdays during the summer months from 8 to noon. It was rather small (10 to 15 vendors) but they did have a nice variety of local meat, eggs, cheese, homemade soap, plants and produce. I bought homemade soap to take back with me and fruit to eat on our trip.  Again, with flying home my purchases were limited but we enjoyed visiting with the vendors and Aubree introducing us to her favorite ones which is always fun.

Edenton farmers market

I hope I have inspired you to become a farmers market tourist and check out local farmers markets wherever your travels take you. I have found it easy to just type farmers market and the city I'm visiting online and find the information I need. Next month my family and I will be traveling to Meridian MS for a family reunion and the Meridian farmers market is on our agenda.

Enjoy,

Bamah

 

lovely plants at Edenton



French Onion Soup and Caramelized Onions recipes

Onions are in season now at our local farmer's market and this soup recipe is a great way to use all kinds of different onions.  I like to use a mixture of onions for my soup, spring onions, sweet purple ones and large white sweet onions.  I also like to add a little cabbage either green or red or both to my soup which is also in season now.  I cook the cabbage along with the onions, low and slow until they are golden brown and sweet tasting.  The key to really good soup is to caramelize the onions which is cooking low and slow for at least 30 to 45 minutes. You can do it in a large pot on the stove but you really have to watch it so the onions don't burn.  Another option is to use the crock pot but this will take 10 to 12 hours for the onions to be done.  Caramelized onions are so easy to do in the crock pot and freeze beautifully for toppings, or to add to recipes later.  Just freeze in small batches or in ice cube tray and then transferred to freezer bag when frozen. Just add thinly sliced onions, a little olive oil or butter (or both) and salt, I use seasoned salt in my cooking. Some recipes call for sugar but the onions are sweet enough without adding sugar so I don't add any, a little balsamic vinegar is good too. Another key to really good soup is to use a really good beef broth, sometimes I use veggie broth in a pinch and add beef bouillon to it but beef broth is the best.  I make all my own broths and freeze them in quart freezer bags.  Also to make the soup broth really rich and flavorful red wine is a must, it doesn't take much 1/2 to 1 cup, I usually just pour a little in and taste as I go so don't really measure it. This soup also freezes really well and can be used later as is or with beef and/or noodles added later.
Here's the recipes:


Caramelized onions

sliced onions

8 to 10 med/large onions

3 to 6 spring onions

2 to 4 T olive oil

2 to 4 T butter (need 1 T of oil/butter per every 2 onions so any combination works)

1 to 2 t salt or seasoned salt (1/4 t per every 2 onions)

1 to 2 T balsamic vinegar, optional

DO NOT NEED TO ADD SUGAR

Place everything in crockpot and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours. Add additional ingredients for French onion soup or let cool and freeze.  Some recipes call to drain the onions and freeze the liquid separate for soups, I didn't, I just froze it as is in ice cube trays until solid then placed cubes in quart freezer bag.

caramelized onions

French Onion soup

3 to 6 med or large onions, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 to 3 T butter
1 to 2 T olive oil
1 to 2 t each seasoned salt, pepper, parsley
1 c red wine or port
4 c beef broth
1 to 2 T Worcestershire sauce
optional added vegetables, 1/2 c sweet peppers, chopped, 1 c chopped red  or green cabbage

thick slices French or Italian bread, toasted
Swiss, mozzarella or gruyere cheese or any combination

In covered pan cook onions and garlic in butter and olive oil over very low heat for 45 min to 1 hour until very tender and browned, stirring occasionally.  Or just used caramelized onions cooked in crock pot and add minced garlic, seasonings, broth, wine and Worcestershire and cook about 45 minutes until all heated through and vegetables are tender.
To serve, place soup in serving size bowls that are oven safe, top with toasted bread and cheese.  Broil in oven for 2 to 3 minutes until cheese melts.
Can also be heated up in the microwave until cheese melts but it's not
as good as in the broiler.

French onion soup with added veggies

Enjoy,
Bamah





is best to put the soup in oven safe bowl, top with bread and cheese and broil

Cheesy, yummy goodness