My Apologies

About mid-morning I realized I had not made a blog post.  That really wasn't so bad as I reasoned that posting before lunchtime would still work.  I did have a specific recipe in mind too.  Then the weather got in the way.  I took a couple of steaks from the freezer for dinner then headed outside for a few minutes.  It was absolutely gorgeous outside so I decided to do a bit of yard work.  That turned into cutting the grass (all of it) then playing with the pressure washer (gosh, my windows are sparkling) followed by a quick bath only to realize I still had not posted.  The thing is anyone who has followed this blog has seen on multiple occasions how we grill steak.  The intended recipe with ingredients is still sitting on the counter so I will post that later this week.  In the meantime, I do apologize for not having a new and wonderful culinary dish today.

On another culinary note, oh my gosh would I ever love to have been a fly on the wall of the royal wedding feast!  I heard nothing as to her cake or dinner plans.  I would just love to know what they served right down to the last detail.  I mean every last detail...

Banana Nut Cheerios Energy Bars

We have never been much in the way of dry cereals for breakfast.  In fact I can't remember when we had dry cereal for breakfast.  When I use dry cereal it tends to be as an ingredient in baking, cereal or no-bake bars and snack mixes.  Cereal bars are easy to make, no muss, no fuss and no bake treats ideal for tucking into lunches, after school snacks, and entertaining.   I'm always on the lookout for another cereal bar recipe. 

A few days ago I was browsing the recipes  when I came across a recipe for Banana Nut Cheerios Energy Bars I knew I just had to try.  I usually have plain Cheerios in the pantry but not the flavoured ones so I bought a box of the Banana Nut Cheerios specifically to try these bars.  I made two substitutions to the recipe.  Rather than use a nonstick cooking spray which I don't use to begin with I greased the baking dish with a little butter.  I used a dried fruit medley trail mix in place of the dried cranberries.  This is a mix I got from Bulk Barn that consists of raisins, currents, cranberries, papaya and dates.

The recipe gave a yield of eighteen 1" x 2"  mouthwatering bars.  This is a definite keeper recipe!  Not only are they easy and quick to make the bars are delicious.  At the same time there is room for a bit of tweaking.  I think the bars would be quite tasty with flaked coconut added and you can certainly substitute the dry fruit added as I did.  The almonds and sunflower seeds add a nice crunch while providing extra protein.  Aside of lunches and snacks these bars would be excellent for carrying along when hiking the trails!

Kitchen Quick Tips - Leftover Pickle Juice

Use leftover pickle juice in a marinade or create your own salad dressings.  The juice can also be used to pickle eggs or make quick refrigerator pickles.

Ham and Mushroom Casserole

Ham is a rather frugal meat in that it is mainly all meat.  Even a bone in ham is cost effective as the meat can be cut from the bone then the bone used to make a ham based soup with the meat used for another dish.  That is what I did with the leftover ham from our Easter dinner.

Quite often my casserole start off the same way as my soups, based on one ingredient as the inspiration.  I had a fair amount of leftover ham so ham was the inspirational ingredient in the casserole I created.  I wanted a creamy end result so turned to my favourite ingredient, condensed cream of mushroom soup.  The other ingredients just came together.  The end result was a rich, sinfully creamy casserole that got two thumbs up from my husband.

I served the casserole with quick biscuits.  These are a long time stand-by when I don't have fresh made bread.  I actually started making the quick biscuits as a newlywed.  They can be made using a homemade baking mix, regular Bisquick or Bisquick Heart Smart™ baking mix.  I discovered the Bisquick Heart Smart™ baking mix during our first trip to the vacation home.  Unlike our permanent residence where homemade mixes are the norm, it is more cost effect to use small package commercial mixes that can be used up while we are there.  We rent our vacation home out when we aren't there so can't store a lot of food.  Logistically we can only bring food home with us if we drive as we are too restricted when flying.   
These biscuits are ever so easy to make!  I mix about 2 cups of the baking mix with enough milk to form a moderately stiff dough that can be dropped by the spoonful onto a greased baking sheet.  I drop by the desert spoon (3 tbsp) spread about 2 inches apart.  I bake at 375ºF until golden brown.  Sometimes I stir in shredded cheese which is always a hit. 

Ham and Mushroom Casserole
by:  Garden Gnome

2 c cooked ham, diced
1 c frozen sweet peas
1½ c sautéed sliced mushrooms
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
¾ can milk
½ tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1 tsp prepared mustard
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
4 c cooked elbow macaroni

Heat oil and butter in frypan.  Sauté the mushrooms in the oil and butter until golden brown.  Remove from heat and drain.  Cook macaroni in salted, boiling water until al dente.  Drain.  Measure out 4 c into large mixing bowl.  Add remain ingredients.  Stir well to mix.  Pour into 2 qt baking dish.  Cover with tin foil.  Bake at 275ºF until warmed through and cheese starts to bubble.  Remove tin foil.  Increase temperature to 350ºF and bake until just turning golden brown on top.