Shrimp Creole

We love shrimp around here, so whenever I stumble across a recipe for shrimp we HAVE to try it. This one comes from my grandmother, found in the loads and LOADS of recipes she past down to me. THANKS GRAMMY!


3 tbsp. olive oil
2 small onions
1 celery stalk
1 bell pepper
1 tbsp. garlic
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 8oz. can tomato sauce
3/4  tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 1/2  tbsp. worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1c hot water
1 1/2lb shrimp peeled
1. Chop all veggies, heat oil in large heavy skillet. Cook veggies over low heat until tender, add tomatoes and tomato sauce, salt, sugar, cayenne pepper, and worcestershire sauce. Simmer uncovered 25 mins. stirring occasionally to keep from sticking.
2. mix cornstarch in hot water. Stir cornstarch mixture into pot and cook about 3 mins.  Add shrimp and simmer until done. (shrimp will turn a pink color)
serve hot over rice!

YUM!

Cheesy Chicken Penne

I found a new recipe tweaked it a little and the outcome was an awesome meal if I do say so myself!
6 tbsp.. butter
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2  cup + 2 tbsp.. flour
6 cloves garlic minced
6 cups milk
1 lb. penne pasta
8 oz.  mushrooms
1 cup sun dried tomatoes packed in oil
2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend
1 1/2 cups shredded parmesan cheese
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs cubed
salt & Pepper
1. preheat oven to 400. Spray deep baking dish. Cook pasta just short of aldente, drain and set aside.
2. While pasta is boiling heat oil in skillet season chicken cook until done, set chicken aside. Toss mushrooms into skillet and sauté.
3. In heavy pan melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and garlic; cook until garlic starts to brown, stirring frequently.
when garlic starts browning gradually add milk bring to a simmer. Keep stirring as sauce starts to thicken.
add mushrooms and tomatoes cook for about a minute. remove pan from heat and gradually stir in Italian cheese and parmesan cheese.
4. add chicken and cooked pasta to baking pan season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour mixture to top of chicken and pasta.
5. Bake uncovered until golden and bubbling about 25 minutes.
serve with garlic bread or breadsticks.

Cilantro Lime Chicken and Salsa

“slow cooker”

I found this recipe on pinterest, and like others I put a twist to it and made it my own. The family really enjoyed it so I thought I would share.

ingredients:

24 oz. lime flavored salsa

juice from 1 lime

1 bunch fresh cilantro chopped

1 can green chilies

1 can pinto beans

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs

taco seasoning

1. In slow cooker mix together: salsa, lime juice, cilantro, taco seasoning, green chilies, pintos, and empty salsa jar filled with water.

2. season your chicken to your taste and then add to mixture in cooker. Coat with mixture. water should be to top of chicken add more if necessary.

3. cook cover on low for 6 hours.

serve over rice and enjoy!

Lentils

This is a favorite around here, so I decided to share it with you guys. I was scared of lentils at first but after trying them, at my mother-in-laws, on my husbands behalf I had to come up with my own way of fixing them, so if you are “scared” just try it I promise you will love it!
Ingredients:
2 cups lentils
2tlbs. olive oil
2 small onions chopped
4 small garlic cloves chopped
1 can Rotel tomatoes (or any chopped tomatoes)
handful of cilantro leaves
10 cups water
salt to taste
8-10 slices of bacon
1 can green chilies
1. heat oil in soup pot, add onion and garlic cook till tender.
2. Add all remaining ingredients, undrained, except bacon.
4. Bring to a boil, meanwhile cook bacon stripes until crispy.
5. Reduce heat and simmer loosely covered, add bacon in pieces. cook for 30-45 minutes.
Serve over rice or as a soup.
Garnish with a Mexican cheese and sliced avocados for a richer taste.

Friday Book Basket

Well we are back after a much needed break, a break I took for my sanity and get get things better organized. I did not do such a good job of this over the summer. We all learn from our mistakes right? Anyway we are now off to Europe, Norway being our first stop. So here is our regular book basket posting although a couple days late .  but in any case thanks for reading with us here at Our Days at CA.

Christian Heroes: Then & Now George Muller (Prince’s Lit reading)
Norway (countries of the world)
Thor’s Wedding Day
Seven Natural Wonders of Europe
East of the Sun & West of the Moon
Master Maid
The Race of the Birkebeiners
Snow Treasure *
Odd and the Frost Giants
A Gift for Mama *
Heidi *
The Long Way to the New Land *



*recommended by the Hazells

Taco Casserole

Here is another recipe we used while studying Mexico. It was a big hit with everyone!

Ingredients:
3 pounds of ground meat
1 package taco seasoning
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
1 medium can green chilies
1 can of dice tomatoes
1 medium onion chopped
1 can refried beans
fiesta blend shredded cheese
1 cup red Spanish rice (see recipe)
1 cup masa (corn flour) separated

optional garnishes- fresh diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce

1. brown the ground meat in a skillet and drain pre-heat oven 350
2. return the meat to skillet, add green chilies, onions, diced tomatoes, and all seasonings. cook until onions are wilted.
3. sprinkle the bottom of a casserole dish with 1/2 cup masa, then add a layer of cheese, spoon half of the meat mixture into dish, top with remaining masa, spoon in rice, layer again with cheese.
4. add the refried beans to remaining meat mixture cook for couple of minutes.
5. spoon the remaining meat mixture to top and sprinkle top with cheese.
6. cook at 350 for 45 minutes
serve with garnishes


Enjoy!

Book Basket Friday

Ok So I am late posting this, but when am I ever on time ;) We have finished up Mexico but we are taking a week off from ECC because of Halloween on Monday, instead we are going to do a little unit on Halloween, then we will pick up on Canada the next week. I thought I would go ahead and post the Canada books so I am head and not behind!
Remember my list is our basket, recommended and what we found to supplement  the recommended  ones, you may want to preview some of them before adding them to your stack. Good luck searching, and thanks for reading with us here at Our Days  At CA!

Canada the Culture *
Canada A to Z
Canada Major World Nations
Many Nations an Alphabet of Native America
 M is for maple: a Canadian alphabet
My Arctic 1,2,3 *
Immi's Gift
Wolf Island
Goose's story
The Magic School Bus Meets the Rot Squad
The Magic School Bus Food Chain Frenzy
Flat Stanley's the Intrepid Canadian Expedition
Anne of Green Gables *
Anne of the Island
With Pipe, Paddle, and Song



* recommended by the Hazells

Mommy's Pozole

Ok so I know different families have "their" own recipes for family dishes. And since we are studying Mexico on our trip around the world with MFW, I thought I would share some of our family recipes with you guys.

Mommy's Pozole

ingredients

1 small bell pepper

8 ounce bacon chopped

1 tablespoon bacon drippings

2 pound pork loin, cut into stripes

1 medium onion diced

10 cloves garlic minced

1 can green chilies

2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 bunch chopped cilantro

8 cups chicken broth

2 cans diced tomatoes

2 29 ounce cans of white hominy drained

optional garnishes

cabbage

radish

avocado

tosados

1. cook and stir the bacon in a large pot over medium heat, until it begins to crisp. Drain keeping 1 tablespoon of bacon fat.

2. heat pot to medium high and add pork stripes. cook stirring periodically until browned. remove pork and reduce heat. 

3. stir in onion and garlic, cook until onion has softened and beginning to turn brown. 

4. stir in the bell pepper, green chilies, cumin, chili powder, salt and cilantro. cook for a few minutes make sure mixture is complete mixed together.

5. pour in the chicken broth and diced tomatoes. stir in the bacon and pork stripes, bring to a simmer. reduce heat cover and simmer 1 hour.

6. stir in the hominy, recover and continue cooking until pork is tender.

serve hot with or without optional garnishes.

Main dishes

Here is a list of our recipes, that would be considered main dishes. Again sorry for the post listings as soon as I figure out how to do a multi-level drop down menu I will repost them.


Pozole

Taco Casserole

Cilantro Lime Chicken and Salsa


Shrimp Creole