Dinner Rolls

These easy dinner rolls are awesome.

• 2 cups warm water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp dry active yeast
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 5.5 cups flour

1. Pour water, sugar and yeast in bowl and wait 5 minutes until foamy.
2. Add olive oil egg milk and stir. Slowly add flour. Dough will still be sticky but will form a ball.
3. Put dough in a greased bowl for an hour to rise.
4. After an hour cut dough into 12 equal buns and place in a greased pan. I use a glass 9×13 pan.
5. Let rise again for another 45 minutes and then bake at 340 for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Lobster art show

I know, not my usual foodie post. It has been a busy week including the big reveal of the giant lobsters painted for the lobster capital of Canada. I was kindly invited to paint a giant lobster for Barrington Nova Scotia. The beast was over 7 feet tall, I used many tubes of paint, and hours and hours of work.

We were featured in newspapers across Nova Scotia for our work. My lobster is named the log drivers waltz. Check out the newspaper article here.

Instant Pot BBQ Meatballs

I didn’t know if my instant pot would agree with a meatball recipe, but yay it worked! And it was really good!

Ingredients

• 2lbs ground beef
• 1 pkg onion soup mix
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 cup Ketchup
• 1/3 cup soya sauce
• 1tsp Worcester sauce
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1tsp garlic powder
• 1tsp onion powder
• 1tbsp parsley flakes

Directions

1. In large bowl combine hamburger, onion soup mix, bread crumbs, and egg. Make into balls and place at the bottom of the instant pot. Pile them on top of each other if you need to.
2. In another bowl mix ketchup, soya sauce, Worcester sauce, sugar and spices.
3. Pour sauce mix over the meatballs in the instant pot.
4. Turn the instant pot on the meat setting for 25 minutes.
5. Serve over rice.

Chocolate Macaroons

Sometimes (ok often) I crave chocolate. I try my best to not purchase chocolate bars and junk on a whim when shopping. That’s the frugal in me who is to cheap. This recipe I stole from my mother in law and it satisfies that chocolate need. You do have to be prepared and fast for this recipe because it does harden fast.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• pinch salt
• 6 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 cups oatmeal ( I like to use 1 cup coconut and 2 cups oatmeal) Be sure to set the oatmeal/coconut aside in a bowl ready to use.
• 

Directions

1. In a pot mix butter, sugar, cocoa powder, salt and milk on medium high.
2. Bring to boil stirring constantly.
3. Boil for 4 minutes while stirring constantly.
4. Take off stove and pour in oatmeal/coconut.
5. Quickly stir to make sure all oats are covered and drop spoonfuls of mix on cookie sheet or piece or parchment paper. This is where you have to be fast because these set fast.

Paintings

Thought I’d share a bit of my art work here. This is what I do in my spare time to make a little extra money. This is what I breathe and keeps me sane.

Maple Sugar Candy

Lord have mercy, I am in love. So, I was messing around in the kitchen and ended up on a happy mistake. I thought instead of using corn syrup as I do in my barley candy recipe I’m going to use maple syrup and make some hard maple candies. Well let me tell you it failed wonderfully. I ended up with maple sugar candy that melts in your mouth. I used a pure maple syrup that I had collected and boiled down last year. I am sure any pure maple syrup will do the trick. And maybe store bought? But I’m not 100% sure on that one… I’ll have to try that next.  My maple syrup is a light to medium colour. 

Ingredients

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup water 
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup icing sugar

Directions

1. In a medium size pot mix maple syrup, sugar, and water.
2. Turn heat on medium and stir constantly until liquid comes to a boil.
3. Place candy thermometer in pot and let boil untouched until candy reaches 300 degrees.
4. Remove pot from heat and let sit for 1 minute.
5. Add cream of tartar and stir. It will bubble up.
6. Pour candy onto a cookie sheat covered in icing sugar. The icing sugar helps prevent candy from sticking.
7. After 5 minutes break into pieces.

Waffles

My son likes a quick easy breakfast in the mornings, so I often do up a double batch of waffles. They are definately cheaper than buying them and all the boy has to do is pop a frozen waffle in the toaster. A couple of years ago my friend Jacquie bought me a 4 waffle, waffle maker, which makes my life so much easier than trying to make one waffle at a time. 

This recipe is a double batch and can be split in half if you need to. this recipe makes 26 large waffles.

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup oil
• 1tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 cups flour 
• 8 tsp baking powder

Directions

1. In a large bowl add eggs, milk, water, oil, vanilla, and sugar. 
2. Mix well
3. Slowly add flour while mixing.
4. Add baking powder and mix well. 
5. Pour into waffle iron and cook
6. Serve or freeze. I freeze waffles in large zip lock bags stacked on top of each other with around 12-16 per bag.

Instant Pot Beef Stew with Dumplings

This recipe is a new favorite. In the instant pot it takes a stew that needs to cook all day, into a 40 minute meal. And it makes enough to feed my family for 2 meals. Its a cheap and wholesome winter comfort food. I make it in my 8qt instant pot.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of cubed bite size pieces of beef or pork
• 8 medium sized potatoes peeled and cubed
• 6 medium sized carrots cut into bite sized chunks
• 1 can diced tomatoes 
• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 2tsp garlic powder
• 2tbsp onion powder
• 1tsp celery salt
• 2tbsp parsley flakes
• 3 beef bullion cubes
• 4 + 1 cups water
• 1/2 cup cornstarch

Dumplings ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 tsp baking powder 
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 cup water 

Directions

1. In instant pot put meat, and cubed veggies.
2. Add frozen veggies,  diced tomatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, and celery salt.
3. Dissolve beef bullion cubes in 4 cups of boiling water
4. Pour beef bullion into pot.
5. Turn instant pot on the meat setting for 25 minutes.
6. While stew is cooking, in a bowl stir 1 cup water and corn starch. place aside.
7. In a seperate large bowl we will make dumpling mixture. Add dry ingredients to bowl and mix.
8. Add melted butter.
9. Slowly add water while mixing. Mixture should be sticky.
10. When stew is done cooking let out steam and add cornstarch and water mixture and mix stew. 
11. On top of the stew plop dumpling mixture with a tablespoon use all mixture in tables spoon size pieces.
12. Turn instant pot back on the meat setting for 5 more minutes.
13. Release steam and serve.

Instant Pot Easy BBQ Chicken

For Christmas I bought myself an Instant Pot. I have wanted one for awhile but the thought of spending that kind of money on myself hurts my head. Then magicly one came up for 50% off on Amazon. I took the plunge. I have been spending the past few weeks trying to perfect some recipies. My recipe for BBQ chicken cam out pretty darn tasty.
Ingredients

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup soya sauce
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp of Club House Garlic Plus seasoning
• 1/4 cup water
• 4 frozen skinless boneless chicken breasts

Directions

1. In a bowl mix together the ketchup, soya sauce, sugar and seasoning.
2. In your instant pot place frozen chicken in.
3. Cover chicken with home made BBQ sauce.
4. Pour 1/4 cup water into bottom of pot.
5. Put the cover on and cook in the Meat setting for 25 minutes.
6. After cooked take chicken breasts out and shred with 2 forks.
7. Put back into bbq sauce mixture.
8. Serve.

Butterscotch Candy

Another Christmas treat. Just like Grandma made. Easy to make and always a hit with the kids.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 1tsp pur vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup dark corn syrup
• icing sugar to coat finished candy with

Directions

1. Put sugar, water, corn syrup, vanilla and butter into a pot.
2. Turn on medium heat and stir constantly until boiling.
3. When it starts to boil, put in candy thermometer, and without stirring let candy heat up to 300°
4. When liquid candy reaches 300° remove from heat and let stand for 1 minute.
5. Pour candy onto a light icing sugar covered silicone baking sheet.
6. Let sit for 2 minutes till it cools enough to cut into pieces with scissors. 
7. Coat with icing sugar so pieces not stick to each other.