Brown Sugar Molasses Ranch Beans

My DH's favorite meal always includes my "Baked Beans". I do them several different ways. Sometimes I start from dried beans and go all the way to the finish while other times I start with canned baked beans and "doctor" them up so they are yummy and delicious. In this recipe I will use canned baked beans along with brown sugar, mustard, molasses ketchup and hamburger to make a hearty dish that is great with just about anything....especially summer grill food.

Shopping List:

1 large can baked beans

2 tablespoons Honey Mustard

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup dark molasses

1/2 pound hamburger meat

Now we cook:

Start by placing the 1/2 pound hamburger meat in a skillet.

Brown the meat .

Remove from skillet and put on paper towel lined plate to drain.

Open can of beans and put in a large mixing bowl.

Add honey mustard, molasses and ketchup. Stir to mix.

To this mixture add the drained ground beef and brown sugar.

Spray a 2 quart baking dish with baking spray and fill with the bean mixture.

Place in preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until bubbly and browned.

Remove to cooling rack. Enjoy with ....hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, steak...You be the judge!!

Delicious served hot, warm or at room temperature if you are on a picnic. This hearty dish can be a meal in itself with a salad and a crusty piece of bread!!

Time to play Nana....then we will eat!! My DH is through his sinus surgery today and I am waiting for him to return from the PACU. Hopefully this will help him to feel better and we can move forward on getting him to Dallas and reinfusing him with the donor cells so that he can start to make blood on his own again!! Every day is a new day with new challenges but we are hopeful that we can turn this corner and move to a brighter place very soon!!

Happy Trails,

Mtn Mama

Work in Progress Wednesday

Holy Toledo Batman!!

I resumed work this week on my "Holy Toledo" quilt that I started back in April. I am usually pretty good at staying with one project until at least the piecing is done but lately things have been crazy. With my DH being in and out of the hospital I have had to put a lot of things aside. This week after returning from the hospital at 10 p.m. I have been sewing a little. I picked up the basket with the "Holy Toledo" pieces in it and went to work.

So far I have four rows sewn together. My Mind won't let me finish all the blocks before starting to put them together. I just HAVE to see what it is going to look like early in the game. Anyone else out there with a curious mind like me? Maybe it's my ADHD kicking in but I love to have several stages of the quilt top in progress at one time.

Here are the next three rows ready to be sewn together.

In the basket are the remaining large half square triangle blocks that need to be finished. 24 to be exact. I am trying to finish 8 a day. That makes three more days!! Yeah!

along with the quilt blocks in progress I am also started to piece the borders.

IThis quilt is going to be quite colorful with lots of "motion" when it is finished. Hopefully in a week ....or maybe two!! That will depend on when we can get my DH back to Texas for a much needed second bone marrow transplant. That's our priority now!!

Today I got to meet this little lady at the airport with her mama. They came to help while Papa is sick.

She flew all the way from Minneapolis to see Nanna and Papa. She has changed so much in the month and a half since we saw her last. After visiting Papa in the hospital we took her back to our house where she and Nana played in the backyard swinging and swimming.

What joy she brings to us at a time that we need it!!! Thank you Lord for the blessings of children and grandchildren!

Hope to repeat all of this again tomorrow.....including some sewing time!

Happy Trails,

MtnMama

Design Wall Monday

Design Wall Monday

I have finally gotten time to FINISH several projects that have been laying around since December. I was able to play with my new mid-arm machine, Miss Lizzy, and accomplish all of these pretty pieces.

 

Today I spent the morning finishing these beauties!! Quilted and bound!!

I know this has been in my drawer for over 5 years. I feel so proud to call it FINISHED!!!

Lots of Christmas gifts to put away for Dec. I guess you could say I am celebrating Christmas in July!!

Well there may be lots of Christmas going on around here but I am still enjoying all the wonderful, fresh tomatoes that I have been blessed with.

After all that sewing this morning I made a super LUNCH..... Turkey bacon, Tomatoes, and baby Spinach on wheat with light Mayo....a guiltless pleasure which tasted out of this world!!

This was my "happy" text for today!!!! A FACE you gotta love!!!

She will be arriving on Wednesday. Better stay busy sewing till then because you know everything else will stop when that plane lands in Tulsa!!!

Happy Trails,

Mtn Mama

 

Grilled Corn and Tomato Jamboree

This week I was visited by the tomato fairy twice!!!  

 

My son-in-law stopped by last Friday on his way back to Minneapolis with a bag of tomatoes from his parents garden!!! YUM, YUM!! While he was talking with Jeff I ran to Sam's and bought fresh buffalo mozzarella. Basil fresh from my herb garden and the best olive oil that came from my "adopted" tree in Italy rounded out the ingredients for Friday night supper.

 

Caprese Salad

 

 

Sunday night my neighbor , Tomato Fairy # 2, brought over a box of tomatoes from her in-laws garden.

 

I LOVE homegrown tomatoes. My 84 year old Dad still raises the best tomatoes and green beans. I love tomatoes and .....just about anything but this tomato and corn salad is a real favorite!!! Hope you enjoy it too!!

 

Grilled Corn and Tomato Jamboree

 

 

I found this recipe over 10 years ago in a cookbook written by Mary Englebrett and her husband. Actually the husband is the cook and she is the illustrator.

 

As with most of the recipes that I use...I tweaked it to be my own. Here's the salad the way I make it.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!!

Shopping List:

4 ears of fresh corn

8 medium tomatoes, ripe and cut into a 1/4 inch dice

1 medium red onion, cut into a 1/4 dice

1/4 cup chopped herbs.....today I used fresh basil and oregano

The Salad Process:

Place the 4 ears of corn that have been shucked and cleaned into a plastic ziplock bag with 4 tablespoons of water. I leave the bag open. Do not seal. Place in microwave on high for 5 minutes. Be careful of the steam when turning the bag and microwave for 4 more minutes. Remove corn from microwave and place on grill that is on high. Turn frequently until you have achieved the amount of char right for you.

 

Cut the corn off of the cob when it is cooled.

Prepare the tomatoes by dicing them into the 1/4 inch dice and placing them on paper towels so that the water is absorbed before mixing the tomatoes into the salad.

Dice the red onion and mix them with the tomatoes.

Dice the Herbs.

Mix the corn, tomatoes, onion and herbs together in a large mixing bowl.

Mustard Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon champagne vinegar

1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard

3/4 salt, or to taste

Freshly ground pepper to taste

 

In a jar combine the oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper.

Cover and shake to blend well.

Pour over the salad and toss together to mix.

This salad taste as good as it looks!!! It is great as a side dish to any summer supper. You can use it as a dip with crackers or sturdy chips. Put it on grilled bread as an appetizer or tapa. Enjoy it anyway you like!! I promise you will make it over and over again while the corn and tomatoes are in season and fresh!!

Later on in the week I stumbled onto a quilt group online that were organizing quilts to go the victims in Colorado who had lost their homes in the fires. There was a quilter in Tennessee that said she would quilt 5 quilts if people would send tops. So I pulled out my "Simply Divine Nines". The top I made back in March but had not gotten around to quilting it. I found the backing fabric and packed it away for the journey to Tennessee.

All folded and ready to go!! It arrived yesterday and will be quilted today and sent out to the organizer in Colorado at the end of the week. Being so busy with Jeff I am just happy that I had this tucked away and could "tag team" on this very worthwhile project!!! Thanks to all the quilter out there that are so generous.

Kristy officially started as "Dr. Kristina Smith" this past week at Saint Anthony's Hospital. She now wears the "Long White Coat". So PROUD of you Kris!! Here's to a great year of learning and helping others!!

Last but certainly not least I got this as a text message early this morning:

What an uplifting message!! Jenny and Ella will be in Tulsa on Wednesday. They are coming for a while. Jenny has a high school friend getting married on Sat in OKC. They will head over there and see "Auntie Kristy" and stay with her. Then hopefully they can stay and help me when we have to get Jeff to Dallas. This past week has been challenging. Jeff is currently back in the hospital. We are trying hard to get all the "Pre-Transplant" tests done so that upon B/CB/S approval we can head to Baylor and get this "Mini Transplant" underway.

Hope you are enjoying the "fruits" of summer.....especially the tomatoes!

Stay cool!

Happy Trails,

Mtn Mama