Beef – Sliders

Frozen hamburger sliders – yum

  • Put meat in the fryer while frozen – do not thaw
  • Salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder top
  • Air fry on 375 for 15 minutes
  • Flip halfway through and salt, pepper, garlic and onion
  • Finish cooking

Chicken Wings

To fry the chicken

  • Chicken wings – as many as you want
  • Olive Oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Garlic powder
  • Paprika

For a great sauce

  • Butter
  • Fresh garlic (or minced garlic in a squeeze bottle)
  • Honey
  • Soy sauce
  • Siracha or Pete’s (optional)

To fry the chicken

  • Coat with olive oil
  • Put in the air fryer
  • Sprinkle top with salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika
  • 375 or 380 for 15 minutes
  • At half way point, flip chicken, more oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika
  • Finish cooking

For sauce

  • Mince garlic and lightly fry in some butter (or add the minced from the bottle)
  • Stir in honey, soy sauce and siracha or Pete’s (optional)

Baked Potato

  • Cut potato in half
  • Face the halves up on a baking sheet
  • Spray with olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Turn over so face is down
  • Olive oil, salt and pepper
  • Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes

Bread-Banana-gf/df *

3/4 cup oats, quick or old fashioned

1 cup mashed ripe banana

1/4 cup nut butter

Forgot to use, this was the sub for 2 eggs…2 Tbsp ground flax seed + 6 Tbsp water – let sit until it becomes gel-like consistency

1/4 cup coconut palm sugar, for me i substituted 1 single serve cinnamon applesauce and thought the sweetness was still good.

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9 x 5 bread pan or line it with a sheet of parchment paper leaving a few inches of overhang for easy removal.

Add the oats to the bowl of a high speed blender or food processor and process until a find powder. about 2 minutes. Add all the remaining ingredients except for the chocolate chips and continue processing until the batter is smooth and creamy, about two minutes.  Fold in the chocolate chips by hand.  Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and top with more chocolate chips if desired.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes (I ONLY BAKED FOR 20) until the top of the loaf begins to turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Allow the loaf to cool for five minutes before removing. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for 3 months.

April 2025 – loved this, even Joe liked it. Forgot to add the egg substitute. Maybe less cinnamon. ONLY BAKED FOR 20 MINUTES. MAY 2025 substituted one individual serving cup of applesauce, cinnamon. Eliminate did the cinnamon and the recipe. Sweetness was still very good. Should have cooked a few minutes longer than the 23 minutes that I did.  OR  could try asking 1/4 cup more of oat flour. Although it still tasted very good!!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

Cookie Cake

  • 3/4 cup (168g) butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (112g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup (52g) sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (260g) all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt (I cut it down to 1/4 since I used salted butter)

Chocolate Buttercream

  • 1/2 cup (112g) butter, room temperature
  • 1 3/4 cups (201g) powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup (29g) cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1-2 tbsp heavy cream (I used half and half and could have used more)

Cookie Cake:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Prepare a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper in the bottom and baking spray on the sides. (I used a springform pan.) Set aside.
  2. Combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
  3. Cream the butter and sugars together in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until light in color and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. You should be able to see the change in color and texture and know it’s ready. Do not skimp on the creaming time.
  4. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
  5. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until the dough is just well combined. Do not over mix. Once it’s well combined, use a rubber spatula to help it come together to form a more cohesive ball.
  6. Fold in the chocolate chips. The cookie dough will be thick.
  7. Press the cookie dough evenly into the cake pan. Press a few more chocolate chips into the top of the cake, if desired.
  8. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the edges just begin to turn golden.
  9. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely in the cake pan, then transfer to a serving plate.

Chocolate Buttercream:

  1. To make the buttercream, add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until well combined and smooth.
  2. Add about half of the powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth.
  3. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and a tablespoon of cream and mix until well combined and smooth.
  4. Add the rest of the powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth. Add more cream to get the right consistency.
  5. Add the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip and pipe swirls of frosting around the outer edge of the cake.
  6. Store cookie cake in an airtight container. You can store it at room temperature for about 24 hours, then store in the fridge. Without the buttercream, it can remain at room temperature. I recommend serving at room temperature, since the cookie will firm up when cold. Cookie cake is best eaten within 4-5 days.

Note: Made this for Joey’s Birthday in 2025.  Really good. The buttercream tasted like fudge.

Reference: https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/chocolate-chip-cookie-cake/

Repotting a dying plant

  1. Trim off dead leaves
  2. Pull plant out of pot and shake off soil from roots
  3. Add fresh soil to the original soil
  4. Add 2 Tbsp of Oats (helps boost the soil)
  5. Add 1 Tbsp Epsom salt (adds magnesium and prevents transplant shock)
  6. Mix it up
  7. Using a larger pot, add 1/2 of the mixture
  8. Place the plant into the pot and then add the rest of the mixture

French Oven Soup – Devons

5 cups thinly sliced Bermuda Onions (I used 6 lbs sweet onions at Sam’s club)

¼ Tbsp. sugar (I used 2 Tbsp sugar for 6 lbs sweet onions)

1 Tbsp. oil or bacon drippings

4 Tbsps. sweet butter which is unsalted butter (I used 2 Tbsp regular butter)

2 Tbsp. flour

3 – 10 1/2 oz Cans condensed beef or chicken broth (I used low sodium beef broth and added low sodium better than bouillon. Recently I have been using the boxes of beef broth and they are good.)

3 soup cans of water

1 tsp. salt (I didn’t add because there was a lot of salt in the broth)

Fresh ground black pepper

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 clove minced garlic

2 dozen French bread sliced thin and dried in oven (it is better w the bread toasted!)

1 ½ cups Swiss cheese grated (I prefer Gruyere Swiss from Aldi or Sam’s club)

Lay out onion slices on tray with paper towels underneath. Sprinkle with sugar (you can add a little extra). Try to let the onion slices sit out early in the day before you cook the soup.  Sautee the onions slowly in the oil and butter until golden. Sprinkle flour over onions. Let the soup cook, 15 to 20 minutes max so the onions don’t get too soft.

Put 4 to 5 slices of bread in an oven safe bowl.  Cover slowly with soup and fill to brim. Sprinkle cheese around top and all around edges of bowl. (I did individual bowls and baked those which I liked better). 400 degree oven for 35 minutes.

Note: Soup can be frozen and is actually really good.

Note: When I made this I doubled it once and then tripled it the 2nd time. 4 Tbsp of butter was too much per recipe, so I would cut that in half (I ended up taking the butter that solidified off the top once it was refrigerated). It is better with the bread toasted!

Rice in Rice Cooker

Soak then rinse the rice

For every 1 cup of rice add about 1 1/4 cup water

3 cups rice use 4 cups water

Pasta – Alfredo Sauce – No Fail

1/2 cup butter
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups whole milk
1 cup grated Pecorino Romano
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 lb. pasta or mini penne

pre-cooked chicken from Costco (optional)

Heat butter on low, add minced garlic (if using fresh), pepper, cream cheese and whisk. Preheat milk in microwave. Then add milk and pecorino romano, whisking til smooth.

Add pre-cooked cut up chicken.

Serve over pasta.  If adding the chicken, it works really well with the mini penne or regular penne pasta.

Note:  I make this recipe in a batch of six at one time for Victory Group’s Christmas.  It never fails.  We serve 12 recipes over 10 lbs of penne pasta.

 

 

Butternut Squash Soup

1 medium squash

1 Tbsp. olive oil

21⁄2 cups Unsweetened Coconut milk

2 cups vegetable broth (I used chicken broth)

1⁄2 Tbsp. garlic powder

1⁄2 Tbsp. onion powder

1 Tbsp. maple syrup

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper

directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut squash in half, length-wise, remove seeds and lightly cover with olive oil, sea salt and pepper.
  2. Place cut side down on parchment paper and bake for 50 minutes.
  3. Once squash is done, add coconut milk, vegetable or chicken broth, onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper to a deep pan and cook on high until boiling.
  4. Add butternut squash, maple syrup and sea salt, then turn heat down to a simmer.
  5. Using an immersion blender, blend all ingredients until smooth.

Delicious!