The Daily Dish Recipes

Leftover ham from the holidays? I have a great recipe to help use up some of the ham and make a meal that is fit for a king. Plus, the kids love it, so you can’t get any better than that. Usually I sprinkle some cheese over the top of it just before serving and its absolutely perfect.

Ham and Potato Chowder Recipe

1/4 c. melted butter
1 med. onion, minced
3/4 c. diced ham
1/2 c. chopped celery
2 c. finely diced raw potatoes (we use different kinds each time - sometimes whatever we have leftover)
1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. pepper (depends on how strong you want it)
4 c. milk

In a large saucepan, melt the butter and then saute the onion and celery. Add the ham and saute as soon as the onion starts to turn “milky/clear”. Add the potatoes and cook about 10 minutes or so longer. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the flour, the salt and pepper. Mix well. Add the milk and return to the heat. DO NOT LET BOIL. Stir and allow the mixture to warm slowly. Needs to be served immediately because chowder will continue to thicken upon standing. If this happens, you can add some warm water to the chowder to thin it out a little and give it the desired consistency. Enjoy! Double the recipe if you would like to freeze a batch. Chowder will be thinner when you serve it next time. Can be refrigerated for about 2-3 days if stored in an airtight container. Delicious!

When I was growing up, I remember going to my friends house and getting the chance to make a really yummy snack with her mom. As soon as my kids were old enough, we made our first batch ourselves and have never stopped. They love Puppy Chow Snack Mix and know how to make it themselves now. This is the recipe we use:

Puppy Chow Snack Mix Recipe

1 stick of butter
1 small bag chocolate chips
1 c. peanut butter
1 box Chex Rice Cereal (we have also used Crispix)
1 box powdered sugar

In a large pot or saucepan over low heat, melt butter, chocolate chips and peanut butter. Mix well. Add the cereal and mix, coating all pieces. Pour the entire warm mixture into a paper bag with the powdered sugar. Close tightly and shake to coat. Turn the coated mixture out onto a piece of waxed paper, spreading out thin to allow to cool. Can be stored in an air-tight container, shake before eating. Looks really cute served in a clean dog bowl at parties or just because. Yummy!

I have always loved Green Bean Casserole since I was very young. When I got older, I longed for a less “processed” way to make it, including having fresh ingredients. I have made green bean casserole the traditional way, and just used fresh green beans, but when I stumbled across this recipe for a ‘totally from scratch’ green bean casserole, I jumped on it. I love preparing this for special holidays, and I do switch it out (depending on time and volume needed) with the traditional recipe, but either way - it’s still good.

Special Easter ‘Made From Scratch’ Green Bean Casserole

2 packages frozen French cut green beans (you can use fresh green beans if you desire)
8 oz. package of crimini mushrooms, quartered (sometimes I use sliced and chopped portobella mushrooms)
3 Tbs. butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 c, milk
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
1 can French fried onions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Place the green beans into a saucepan and fill with about a 1/2 in. of water. Bring the water to a boil and steam the green beans until they are tender but still a nice bright color. Approximately five minutes or so. Drain them. Add the mushrooms and toss together.
In a larger skillet, melt the butter over med. heat. Add the onion and parsley and then cook and stir until the onion is tender. Using a whisk or fork, whisk in the flour until well blended and then mix in the salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the milk, stirring constantly so that no lumps form and add and stir in the sour cream. Warm on medium until the sauce begins to bubble. Now add the green beans and mushrooms, stir to coat.
Now, remove the skillet from the heat and add some Cheddar cheese and French fried onions, saving a little of both to sprinkle over the top. Spoon entire green bean mixture into a casserole dish and then top with the remaining french friend onions and cheese. Bake in a preheated oven until the cheese melts, about 15 minutes. Absolutely fantastic with ANY meal!!

Well, after a long and impatient wait, we have a litter of six puppies that arrived safe and sound. I am so excited about being a “grandma” and the pups are so amazing.
They are little Shih-tzu puppies and are doing great on day 2. If you want to see more, you can visit my other blog to see pics I took today. Feel free to give me a shout out. In the meantime, stay tuned for some yummy recipes!!

My article yesterday seemed to garner a lot of attention, as in our economy we are always looking for cost cutting strategies while still enjoying a few luxuries here and there. It is important to pick and choose your luxuries carefully and not to overspend.

In the previous coffee related article, I referred to Gevalia Coffee,  however recently I had the opportunity to try another home delivery coffee service, called Seattle Coffee Direct. This is my review of the service, product and investment.

Because this was an experiment and not a true desire to obtain coffee monthly, we used a special credit card we have for such items. I review a lot of products, so we have a separate card set up for these situations. Let me first tell you, this was to our advantage in the long run, which I will explain in a bit.

It’s simple to just go to their website to sign up, and your coffee will be there in mere days.  And I was intrigued by the companies claim of the “finest micro coffee roasts from around the world”, boasting of a “variety of flavors and blends straight to your doorstep”. I will admit I was impressed with the selection of flavors. We signed up for the current offer which was a 5 for $5 each offer - the problem is, it wasn’t 5 bags of coffee for $5.00 each, which might be worth it. It was 5 items for $5.00 each. I will say, they had lightening fast service and was surprised when the doorbell rang a couple of days later.

When the initial shipment arrived, there was not a coffee pot/coffee maker in the box, so already I was impressed (the fact is that I don’t need another one - and I love my coffee maker!). The shipment contained two travel coffee mugs, two standard coffee mugs and two different blends of their coffee - Cocoa Mocha Twist and Hawaiian Hazelnut. I have also had the pleasure of trying Dutch Chocolate, French Vanilla and Kahlua). I was excited to try the coffee, but I refrained until morning. That evening I checked my credit card statement and was a little surprised to see a $34.68 on the card we used. I went and back and went through the package again -It bothered me that I could purchase the same travel mugs at Walmart for about $3 and that the two mugs I received look exactly, and I mean exactly, like those that can be purchased at the dollar store. That in itself seemed like a rip off when you take a good look, but what surprised me further, was the cost of shipping and handling that had been added. Nearly $10 for a pretty small box. Okay. I was still on board though.

When I opened the coffee pouch the next morning, I was a bit surprised by how much coffee was in the package. It is certainly more than the competing company, and had a much stronger aroma. My mouth was instantly watering and the coffee couldn’t brew fast enough for me. I will state that the coffee is delicious. But that is all I’m going to say, because it is important that you do not misunderstand that it was not worth the cost of the product.

However, I happily enjoyed the mouth watering flavors each day for a week and a half until the doorbell rang again. Low and behold, another shipment - two more 12 oz. pouches of coffee. Checking the bill, another $36.95. Whoa! Hold on here - so this is for 2 pouches of coffee, plus shipping and handling? I don’t think so! That makes my coffee drinking come up to $444/year at that cost! And possibly more since I went through those FOUR pouches in a month (the two initial shipments and the two “scheduled” shipments - for the record, I did not schedule them for a week and a half later - it clearly stated that 3 weeks later I would receive another shipment which made me think 1/month - not so much), and that cost for four pouches/month would come up to $886/year. That’s FAR worse than Gevalia and you get a coffee maker from them! (sorry seriously just making light of an incredibly ridiculous situaiton)

At this point, I got curious and researched the company further. I found an unbelievably large amount of websites with thousands of complaints pointing to their unethical behaviors in not disclosing full cost for future shipments,  sending more than the stated amount and an even larger number of complaints stating that the company was difficult to contact. At this point, I was thanking my lucky stars that we had decided to use our “review credit card” for the purchase, since the company knows me so well and knows how often we have had to dispute charges. It’s my job, what can I say.

I immediately looked on the statement for the phone number, and called the one listed (888-217-2233) expecting a long delay on hold (one complaint said it was almost 45 minutes), and the possibility of reaching a voice mail service (there were a lot that stated this). Well, that’s the one positive I can give the company at this point - in my experience, their customer service was very good. I was on hold less than 3 minutes and a real live person picked up at the other end. Within two minutes of the gentleman coming on the phone, I was back off. I waited two months to write this review, for the specific purpose to be sure it had indeed been cancelled and that no further charges would appear. That was exactly the case and my short lived stint as a Seattle Coffee Direct customer was ended easily and indefinitately with no further contact.

So, my final review? Superb coffee. Great customer service. Overly expensive product. Is it worth it? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

Please be sure and read other’s complaints here. Also, feel free to add your own complaintas and experiences with this company.

Coffee isn’t exactly the cheapest beverage out there. If you enjoy coffee a lot though, there is nothing like a steaming hot cup to wake you up in the morning. Many people rely on coffee to get themselves kick started each day, and yes, I am one of those people.

More than likely, if you are an avid coffee drinker, you have probably heard of Gevalia coffee. It’s the coffee that is delivered to your door once or twice a month, and your initial sign up will probably provide you with a free coffee pot or coffee maker. Gevalia has been around for years and is pretty good coffee.

There are several problems with coffee delivery including the cost and the fact that the frequent delivery can garner you a stash of coffee over time that would put your local coffee house to shame. These two problems, in and of themselves, are enough to say that it isn’t worth it. However is the flavor of that coffee worth it? Not necessarily.

First of all, the cost of home delivered coffee can be outstanding over time. Ed Franklin, a long time coffee drinker, recently shared the cost of his Gevalia coffee deliveries for one year.  The results might surprise you. First, Ed didn’t seem to mind the fact that he was paying for shipping and delivery, as it was expected. That, all by itself seems like wasted money. Second, he didn’t seem to mind the fact that I had six flavors to choose from as he offered me a pot of coffee to test the Gevalia. Six flavors, and plenty of pouches - now this of course is because he is the only one in his home to drink coffee. Seems a bit like overkill. The coffee just adds up and even drinking a pot a day isn’t going to allow you to finish it quickly if you’re the only one. The boxes are small, however so if you share with others - it might be alright. However, the cost that Ed Franklin pays for this coffee each month is absolutely paramount. His cost roughly comes to $40/month for two-four (1 lb) boxes and shipping and handling. So, his cost for coffee in 2008 as was proven on his credit card statements? A rounded $547. Even Mr. Franklin was surprised at how much he spent.

In my neck of the woods, a 2lb. Folgers canister is approximately $6.99. I go through roughly a 2 lb. canister each month unless I am cooking with it. My cost at the end of the year with tax? Still under $100, even if I do cook with it.

Consider purchasing seasonings, syrups, powders, extracts and creamers to flavor your coffee.  The cost is such a considerable difference, and you control how little or how much flavor you want.

In other words, expensive coffee is not worth it. It tastes great, but you can make a delicious cup yourself by tweaking your ingredients.

Do you  have a favorite flavored coffee combination you make from scratch? Please let us know.

I love super easy meals for dinner, especially on those days where we would rather be doing something else and not stuck in the kitchen. Hamburger meat recipes seem to come in handy, because ground beef is so easy to work with and cooks pretty quick. This great hamburger meat recipe was a hit the first time I made it, and it tastes great!

Hamburger and Green Bean Casserole

2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
1/2 - 3/4 c. bread crumbs (I use croutons sometimes and the flavor is amazing!)
1/4 c. onion, chopped
1 egg
1 lb. ground beef
salt, pepper and garlic to taste
2 cans green beans

In a large bowl, combine mushroom soup with bread crumbs, onion and ground beef. Add the green beans. Add egg and mix well. Add seasonings to taste. Fill a casserole dish with mixture and top with extra bread crumbs if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

This is super easy to prepare, and is great for potlucks and parties.

Substitution Note: Sometimes if I don’t have an onion on hand, I will substitute the onion and bread crumbs for French Fried Onions like you would put in a typical green bean casserole. We buy the bags in bulk, so I almost always have them on hand to add a little flavor to a dish! Tastes great and honestly works exactly the same way!
Also try changing the meats and use chicken instead. Makes a whole different meal!

With strawberry season rapidly approaching, fresh strawberries should be abundant. Time to roll out a few of my most delicious, favorite strawberry recipes. This one is a favorite at our home!

Strawberry Party Roll Recipe

1 3 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 lb strawberries, sliced
1 c. whipped cream
1 1/4 c. mini marshmallows
1 jelly roll cake - prepare chocolate or vanilla in a jelly roll pan
powdered sugar

Place the cake on a towel and roll into a roll until the filling is finished. In a bowl, blend the cream cheese, sugar and strawberries.  Fold the whipped cream and the marshmallows into the bowl. Unroll the cake and spread the filling on the cake as if icing it, but don’t get it on the sides. Re-roll the cake and chill for about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, slice and serve.

This is perfect for summer bbq’s and spring picnics! We love it anytime!

Once again it is time for my Monday Madness Recipe Roundup - I am happy to announce that it is back and will be posted every Monday. There is absolutely no official criteria to get on this post, except that I have to come across a new recipe (from the past week, with only a few exceptions) on your blog. Your blog DOES need to have a date on it, so I can verify when it was posted. Usually the roundup is formed when I just accidentally find a recipe I just need to try. I need to keep them all in once place, and this works. Then I can share them with others as well and provide a bit of linky love.To see past recipe roundups, click here.

Mom’s Kitchen Cooking always gives me trouble (it’s the good kind!) with her amazing and delicious recipes, because trying to pick just one is quite difficult. This week she actually got my tummy rumbling with a great recipe for a super Easy Chicken Parmesagna .

My New 30 must think the way I do with food, because so many of her recipes are the exact type my family and I would be trying. She has a delicious recipe posted for Shrimp and Angel Hair Pasta . Two of my favorite foods combined - pasta and seafood… it doesn’t get any better than that!

Unless you’re looking for dessert:

JennCooks posted a really yummy looking Cherry Fluff Recipe that got attention from my kids when they saw it. They are off for Spring Break this week and guess what we’re going to try out one day?

But I digress, because dessert, while tastey, is not what I am all about!

I had several to choose from over at Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice as always, but I couldn’t get past the delicious recipe she had for Cajun Shrimp Alfredo. I love spicy, and she did spicy! Oh yum!! I’m hoping I can convince my picky eater to try it if I remove the shrimp ahead of time!

Looking for a delicious twist on breakfast? The Chocoholics Diary shared an absolutely scrumptious sounding recipe for Hershey’s Chocolate French Toast . I know I’d like to give that one a try!

Several months back, a reader (Jill Stryler) shared a recipe she had found, for Homemade Bran Muffins. It has been forever since I have had really delicious bran muffins and I am kinda picky about them, because they do have to have a sweetened flavor. Plus, I want my kids to be able to eat them. Well, this is the recipe she shared and I have to give her a big shout and a special thank you because my kids love them and so do I! (She needs a blog so I can give her real credit!)

Easy Homemade Bran Muffins Recipe

2 c. bran (not cereal, real bran)
1 c. sugar
2 1/2 c. flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. oil
2 c. buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten
2 Tbs. molasses

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients (bran, sugar, flour, baking soda and salt). In another bowl, combine the oil, buttermilk, eggs and molasses. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well. Fill each muffin cup of a greased muffin pan about 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 350′F for 15-20 minutes. Check with a toothpick, and when toothpick comes out clean - muffins are ready.

For some reason, each time I make this recipe I wind up with more or less than I did the last time. It seems to make about a dozen to a dozen and a half muffins.