Sausage Rice Casserole

This is a yummy casserole my Mom made for us. I thought I'd share it here with her notes.

I tried this recipe from Taste of Home's Dinner on a Dime, page 154. The person submitting the recipe said, "I fiddled around with this dish, trying to adjust it to my family's tastes. When my pickiest child cleaned her plate, I knew I'd found the exact right flavor combination."

2 packages (7.2 ounces each) rice pilaf
2 pounds bulk pork sausage (I used 1 1/2 pounds and it was enough for us)
6 celery ribs, chopped (I only used 3)
4 medium carrots, sliced (I didn't add this at all)
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Prepare rice mixes according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the sausage, celery and carrots over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain on 3 paper towels.

In a large bowl, combine the sausage mixture, rice, soups, onion powder, garlic powder and pepper. Transfer to two greased 11x7x2-inch baking dishes.

Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Cover and bake the remaining casserole at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake as directed.

Yield: 2 casseroles (6-8 servings each)

Flour Tortillas

I made these today so I could make the "Chicken Ole" recipe from a few posts previous. The "Chicken Ole" was yummy and it was nice to not go to the store just for tortillas.

4 cups flour
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/3 cup warm water
salt

Cut shortening into flour until mixture is crumbly. Add salt and warm water. Work water into flour mixture with spoon, then with hands. Divide dough into 2 1/2 inch balls (I just divided the dough into 12 portions) and roll thin with rolling pin on floured surface. Cook on hot griddle, turning when surface begins to bubble. Makes 10 to 12 tortillas.

Blackberry Fizz

Bryn saw this recipe in one of my cookbooks and begged me to try it. So yesterday I completed the process. This is a picture of 3 of the 8 pints I made. (I don't know why, but seeing the results of my canning always gives me a great thrill and contented feeling.) I had about 1 cup left over that we mixed up and tried. It was pretty tasty. Bryn liked it and so did Bryce, though he said that it wasn't quite the flavor he was expecting.

3 qts. fresh or frozen blackberries
4 cups water
3 cups sugar
1 Tbsp. whole cloves
1 Tbsp. whole allspice
2 cinnamon sticks (4 inches), broken
Lemon-lime or white soda

Crush the blackberries in a large kettle. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes. Strain through a jelly bag (or cheesecloth), reserving juice and discarding pulp.

Add water to juice if necessary to equal 2 qts.; pour into a large kettle. Slowly stir in sugar until dissolved. Place spices in a cheesecloth bag; add to juice. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Bring to a boil; remove the spice bag and discard.

Pour hot into hot jars, leaving 1/4 headspace. Adjust caps. Process for 15 minutes in a boiling-water bath. To serve, mix about one-third concentrate with two-thirds soda. Yield: about 4 pints concentrate.

Peanut Butter Apple Dip

This is a quick and yummy dip I made last Friday for Bryn's class Valentine Party. I used reduced fat cream cheese and 3/4 cup brown sugar because I didn't feel like going downstairs to open a new package of brown sugar just for 1/4 cup.

1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
sliced apples

Combine the first four ingredients and beat until smooth. Serve with sliced apples.

Pizza Dough

I finally used the dough setting on my food processor to make this dough for our pizza tonight. It was so quick and awesome. I'm so glad I decided to purchase my food processor. It has become a fabulous tool in my kitchen. I made the dough in the morning and then placed it in the fridge for a slow rise. It was beautiful when I dumped it out of the bag to make pizza at suppertime. My sister said she usually makes two 12" pizzas with one recipe. If she wants to make a larger pizza, she will us 2/3 of the dough and use the rest to make breadsticks, which she rolls in melted butter with garlic bread seasoning before rising and baking.


2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/4 cups warm water
3 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

In a 2-cup liquid measure, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until foamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Insert dough blade in food processor work bowl and add flour, salt, and 2 teaspoons olive oil.

With machine running on dough speed, pour liquid through small feed tube as fast as flour will absorb it. Process until dough cleans side of work bowl and forms a ball. Then process for 30 seconds to knead dough. Dough may be slightly sticky. Coat dough evenly with 1 teaspoon olive oil; transfer to a plastic food storage bag and seal the top. Let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes. While dough is rising, prepare any pizza toppings.

Use dough according to pizza recipe.