Tag: Food

Homemade Strawberry Simple Syrup + 2 recipes to use it in

Since we have soooo much time on our hands I have been taking that opportunity to experiment in the kitchen. Some experiments have not worked out and will never see the light of day but some worked out like this Strawberry Simple Syrup! This syrup is sweet, delicious and only requires 3 INGREDIENTS!!! You can also switch out the fruit and make it whatever your preference is. I’ve made raspberry and will be trying blueberry and pineapple real soon. Let’s make it!!!

Ingredients:

  • 1 to 1 & 1/2 pounds of strawberries cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1 to 1 & 1/2 cups of sugar (depending on your preference of sweetness)
  • You’ll also need a mesh strainer. You can get these from the dollar store.

Directions: Place cut strawberries in large pot (make sure it’s a big enough pot because the mixture will boil over and the clean up is not fun. Ask me how I know) and add sugar and water. Stir til combined. Turn on heat to med high until mixture begins boiling. Turn heat to medium & boil for 15-20 minutes. Turn on low and let simmer an additional 10-15 minutes. Turn off and let mixture cool enough for you to handle. Strain mixture thru strainer. Mash pulp in order to get all the juice. Set pulp aside for strawberry lemonade recipe. Transfer to container and let cool. Mixture will thicken as it cools.

You can use this syrup on pancakes and waffles, ice cream, in smoothies and in drinks. I am sharing 2 drink recipes below.

Semi-homemade Strawberry Lemonade: (2 quart recipe)

Ingredients:

  • 2 can of frozen lemonade concentrate (This is found in the freezer section of the grocery store)
  • 1/2 cup of strawberry syrup
  • Pulp from strawberries
  • 2-3 lemons (1-2 for juice and 1 to slice in drink)
  • 1/2 cup of sugar (optional)
  • Water

Directions: Pour lemonade concentrate in a 2 quart pitcher. Add pulp and sugar if using. Add 4-6 cans (use the can from the lemonade concentrate) of water (I would taste for flavor after the 4th can of water). Mix in strawberry syrup and the juice of 1 to 2 lemons. Add one sliced lemon for decoration. Pour over ice but 8 would not add ice directly to this mixture in order not to water it down.

Sunrise Mimosas

Ingredients:

  • Orange juice
  • Pineapple juice (I sometimes mix the orange and pineapple juice as two equal parts to a separate pitcher for the kids to enjoy)
  • Sparkling Rose’ (my preference) or Champagne or Prosecco
  • Strawberry Syrup

Directions: Add orange and pineapple juice halfway to a champagne flute. Add whichever alcohol you are using. Top with the strawberry syrup. It will sink to the bottom and look similar to a sunrise. This is a great drink to impress your brunch guests and we thoroughly enjoyed it on Easter Sunday! Check out our Easter Brunch Prep & Vlog YouTube below.

I hope you try this syrup. It is super easy to whip up while you are making breakfast one morning. You can also use frozen fruit if fresh isn’t available. I can already tell this will become a staple in our household! If you try it please tag me on IG @severalpeoplesmama

Love Ricki

Spaghetti Mac – Cook with Me

Hi y’all! I am sharing my recipe for Spaghetti Mac which is an easy alternative to plain old spaghetti and something ALL my kids enjoy. This recipe will give you an easy meal that can stretch your budget! I have also included my cook with me video so visit my YouTube channel to see how I made it!

Ingredients:

    1-2 lbs of ground beef or turkey. You do not need a lot of
    meat for this dish so this is a great way to stretch your
    budget!
    1 jar of prepared spaghetti sauce or marinara (use more if that’s your preference)
    ½ cup of onions ( I used frozen)
    Seasonings – Tony’s creole seasoning, garlic and herb or
    Italian seasoning, garlic powder and onion powder and
    ranch dressing mix but you can use whatever you like!
    1 package of elbow macaroni·
    8 ounces of processed cheese product (Velveeta) cut into
    1 inch cubes
    1-2 cups of shredded cheese. I used Colby Jack but
    Mozzarella or any other cheese would be good as well.

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil pasta in a pot of water per directions. I add oil and salt to my pasta so it won’t stick but that is optional. Brown ground meat in a pan with onions. Drain fat and then add seasonings and sauce. Simmer on low. Drain cooked pasta and add to casserole dish or 9×13 pan (spray pan first to prevent sticking). Add half of cubed of cheese and stir throughout the pasta. Add sauce and stir to combine. Add shredded cheese on top and rest of cubed cheese. Place in oven for 15-20 minutes in order for cheese to melt. Once finished baking, let sit for 10-15 minutes so the casserole can set. Serve with a salad or fav green vegetable!

Check out my YouTube video here:

Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana and Homemade Breadsticks

Yesterday I decided to try my hand at making a soup I’ve made a few times before, Zuppa Toscana in the Instant Pot and it turned out delicious and super easy. I am sharing that recipe below as well as homemade breadsticks made by scratch but took no time to whip up with a stand mixer. I would suggest if you can make your breadsticks an hour before you start the soup as they need time for two rises. Let’s cook!!!

Ingredients for Breadsticks:

  • 2 cups of warm water (not hot)
  • 2 tbsp of sugar
  • 1 packet of fast acting yeast (this equals 2 1/4 tsp)
  • 2 tbsp of butter
  • 4-5 cups of flour
  • 1 tsp of salt
  • 1/2 stick of butter melted
  • 1 tbsp of minced garlic
  • 1 tsp of garlic salt
  • Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions for Breadsticks:

Add water and sugar to mixing bowl of stand mixer and stir. Add yeast and stir and let stand 5-10 minutes until yeast is foamy. Add butter, salt and 3 cups of flour. Mix with paddle until dough starts forming. Change out for dough hook and then add more flour a cup at a time as needed. You want dough to not be sticky but you don’t want it to be dry. It should not stick to your hands when touching. Take dough and form in the shape of a ball, spray or oil your bowl and then add ball and cover with towel. So my dough rises nicely. I place my bowl on my stove and turn my oven on to 170 degrees and the heat is just enough to help it rise nicely. Once doubled in size punch down with fist. Remove from bowl and shape in a rectangle. With a sharp nice cut into strips vertically. Place strips on well oiled cookie sheet. Turn stove up to 350 degrees and set cookie sheet on stove covered while you make your soup. After a 30 minute rise remove towel and place the breadsticks in the oven for about 15-20 minutes. Combine melted butter, minced garlic and garlic salt and pour over breadsticks after they come out of the oven. Top with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Ingredients for soup:

  • Ground sausage (I use breakfast sausage)
  • 3 peeled potatoes
  • 1/4 cup of onion
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tbsp of olive oil
  • 3/4 cup of heavy whipping cream
  • 4-6 cups of water ( or you can use 3 cups of chicken broth)
  • 1-2 chicken bouillon cubes
  • 1 bag of spinach or you can use the traditional kale
  • Seasonings – I used Italian, ranch, seasoned salt, garlic and onion powder and basil

Directions for soup:

Turn on sauté function on Instant Pot. Add olive oil, onions and garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add ground sausage and cook til browned. Once browned you can drain any excess oil. Add water and chicken bouillon cubes or chicken broth if using. Add potatoes and seasonings. Place lid on and set o high pressure for 10 minutes. When finished let natural release for 5 minutes then switch to quick release to release rest of pressure. Add heavy whipping cream and stir. Add spinach and kale and let sit on warm for 5 minutes while spinach wilts. Taste for seasoning and add if necessary. Top with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil if desired. Serve it up with the breadsticks and salad for a complete meal.

The soup can easily be made on the stovetop just let lightly boil on stove for 15 minutes so potatoes can get tender before adding heavy whipping cream and spinach.

I hope you make and enjoy both recipes and as always if you make it tag me on IG @severalpeoplesmama

Love Ricki

Easy Homemade Granola

Sunday in addition to the breakfast casserole I decided to make homemade granola. My oldest daughter who is almost 21 and lives near her University, was mad upset!!! She was like you haven’t made granola in years and now you decide too??? Sorry blame it on the pandemic and the fact that I’m home all day! You guys who watched me make it on Instagram asked for the recipe so I wrote it out below. And also so I could send this to my daughter and she can make it herself lol

Ingredients:

  • 3-4 cups Old Fashioned Oats
  • 1/2 to 1 cup of brown sugar depending on how sweet you want it
  • 1 cup coconut oil (if you don’t like coconut oil you can use canola or vegetable but I would only used 3/4 cup because it tends to be thicker)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 1/2 cup of honey
  • 1 tbs of vanilla extract
  • Optional: 2-3 Tbs of syrup
  • Add ins: Nuts, dried fruits ( I would add nuts directly to the granola prior to baking because the toasting brings out lots of flavor)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Melt coconut oil in the microwave until warm and liquid about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Mix in honey and vanilla extract and syrup if you’re using it. In a large bowl mix oats and brown sugar and salt. Mix in liquid until it coats the oats. Add in your nuts and dried fruits, I used pecans and dried cranberries. Spread mixture in an even layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20-25 minutes stirring every 5 minutes so it won’t burn. Once you take it out the oven let it set for about 5 minutes to harden.

You can eat this granola on its on as a snack, as cereal or on top of yogurt and fruit as a parfait. I also add more dried fruit, nuts, candy, etc to make a trail mix! Customize it for your taste!!!

This is a great alternative for snacking vs chips and junk food. If you make this make sure to tag me on IG @severalpeoplesmama

Love Ricki

Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

Listen!!! I was brunchin’ Sunday- Quarantine style! I don’t even like sausage but this casserole was so delicious and sooo filling!!! You could have this for breakfast, lunch or dinner. And you can use any combination of veggies as well. Let’s get cooking, shall we?

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound of breakfast sausage ( I also added some leftovers Italian sausage I had in my freezer)
  • 1/2 onion diced
  • 1 clove of garlic minced
  • 1/2 cup of mushrooms chopped
  • 1 bag of frozen tater tots (no need to thaw)
  • 8 eggs
  • 1 cup of half and half
  • 1/2 bag real bacon bits or cooked bacon (optional)
  • Seasonings of choice – I used onion and garlic powder, seasoned salt, ranch and Italian and roasted garlic seasonings
  • 1-2 cups of shredded cheese of choice

Directions: Spray 9X13 pan with cooking spray and layer the tater tots on the bottom. In a separate pan brown sausage, add onions, garlic, mushrooms. If you have peppers or spinach this would be good to add as well. Drain fat and add meat mixture on top of tater tots. I also added some leftover bacon bits but this is optional. Mix eggs with half and half and seasonings. Pour over tater tots and meat mixture. Let eggs soak into tater tots and meat mixture for at least 30 minutes. Don’t skip this step. You can actually make this the night before and bake in the morning. Top with cheese and back on 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Let set for 15 minutes, cut into squares and serve.

I topped mine with salsa. Sour cream and avocados would work as well or plain ole ketchup!

If you try this recipe as always tag me on Instagram @severalpeoplesmama. You can also see how I made this in my highlights.

Also check out my Grocery Store Vlog and Haul in my YouTube channel!!!

Hope you enjoy!

Love Ricki