All That & A Bag Of Chips

Many years ago, my husband had what he proclaimed to be the BEST potato chip of his life. Now, I have actually heard him say this about a couple kinds, but that's okay. In that moment, in his excitement, that's how he felt.

One of those brands/flavors he can still readily find. In fact, I ordered him a case for our 16th anniversary this year. Nothing says love like a spicy potato chip! But the other, the one I started this story with? We haven't been able to find it for years. At least not in our area. And that makes him sad. To the point that he talks about it quite a bit.

What is this magical chip you ask? It was a Steak & Worcestershire flavor, and for him it was love at first bite. For years, it has been the one he mentions any time we try a new one. The one he longs for. So, how many wife points do you think I scored when I found a way to recreate that for him, kind of?

The minute I saw a new dip by buddy Mandy over at South Your Mouth debuted, I knew I could take that idea, build on it, and recreate those flavors for him!

I couldn't wait to make it for him; and it didn't disappoint. He said it is "spot on" and could not stop eating. Woo hoo!

Need another snack for around the pool? A big bowl of this and a couple bag of chips. Done! I bet it would be super tasty with a big veggie platter too!

Making things for my boys they love gives me so much joy. But nailing something he loved and has been missing? That's just the icing on the cake, or the dip on the chip in this case!

Steak & Worcestershire Dip

16 oz. sour cream

2 1/2 TBS steak seasoning (like Montreal)

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1 TBS Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. dried parsley

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Chill a few hours before serving. Serve with chips, veggies, crackers, etc.

Shared at Weekend Potluck
Shared at Meal Plan Monday

Beef On a Budget

 If you are anything like me, you are always watching the bottom dollar when it comes to putting meals on the table for your family to enjoy. And if you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you know we are "freezer beef" people. We are lucky and blessed to always have fresh beef in our freezer at all times. In fact, we've had to upgrade to two freezers to accommodate it all.

And truthfully, if you are able to find a decent price around you on a quarter or half or even whole beef, I would highly recommend it. Yes, it's not a cheap investment, but in the long run, it will save you money, and the quality is so much better than anything you can find at the grocery store.

But if you are buying beef in the regular store, one of the best values you can find is round steak. It's normally cheaper than other cuts, and  I know most stores around us run a special on it a couple times each month. So keep an eye out for it, and you can not only make this delicious, budget friendly supper, maybe you can stock up too!

This meal is the ultimate "throw it together and come home to dinner" dinner. Not to mention being comfort food! If you're looking for a great side idea, potatoes! I did boiled ones, but mashed would be perfect too. Why? Simple. The gravy. It's SO good, you're going to want to drink it with a straw, but spooning it over some taters seems more appropriate.

 Being this easy should tell you how I could pull it off with Max! Yes, our little guy is now almost 3 months old, and I'm really trying to do more "real" cooking when I can.

Beef doesn't have to be something you only serve on holidays or a treat. You can have a delicious, easy steak dinner any night of the week that doesn't break the wallet!

Slow Cooker Round Steak

2-3 lb round steak, cut into portions
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 (10 3/4 oz.) cream of celery soup
1/4 c. water
Salt and Pepper to taste
Dried Parsley for garnish

Spray slow cooker with non stick spray. Season steak with salt and pepper. Place inside slow cooker. In a medium bowl whisk together water, soup and soup mix. Pour over steak. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. Garnish with parsley before serving.

Steak On A Budget

Are you under the impression you can't have a steak dinner on a budget? Sure, we all know that enjoying a juicy steak made in our own kitchen is much cheaper than our local steakhouse, but if you've been paying attention to beef prices at the grocery store, you know making it at home isn't as economical as it used to be. But I'm here today with a couple tips that will hopefully help you out with that.

As most of you know, we are blessed to have a side of beef in our freezer at all times, so I understand if the thought ran through your mind of "Sure, that's easy for you to say, you've got steaks waiting on you." And yes, you're right. I have everything from T-bones, to Delmonicos to round steak hanging out in my chest freezer. But I'm not naive enough not to pay attention to what the same things are going for in the meat department at the store.

So, you're on a strict grocery budget. But you're craving a grilled to perfect, juicy, flavorful steak. What to do? Well, first off, don't turn your nose up to the less popular, and yes, cheaper, cuts of meat. This recipe is a perfect example of what you can do with them. Secondly, if you know you're fixing a cut of meat that is starting out a "little behind the 8 ball", so to speak, add something to the top that is going to add flavor and texture. Again, this recipe illustrates that beautifully.

We are actually getting to the bottom of our beef supply, and one of the things we still have a surplus of is cubed round steak. Now regular round steak is what I use in all of my soups, so I hoard those packages for cold weather. But for these I figured why not try grilling them; and I took my own advice about the topping. I knew these weren't going to be exactly up to par compared to some of the other steaks we have, but that didn't mean they couldn't be just as delicious.

If you're looking for great steaks to grill this summer, and you can afford the really expensive ones, yay!! (And let me know what time we eat!) But if you're like me and need something a little more budget conscious, check out some of the less common cuts at the butcher and see what mouth watering dishes you can come up with. 

Cubed Round Steak 
with 
Steakhouse Mushrooms

1 1/2 lb. cubed round steak, cut into individual portions*

8 oz. white button mushrooms, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 TBS butter

1 1/2 TBS steak sauce

2 tsp. dried parsley

Steak Seasoning, to taste

Salt and Pepper to taste

Season steaks with steak seasoning, salt and pepper to taste. Preheat grill to high. Spray grates with non stick spray. Grill steaks to desired doneness. Meanwhile, in a large skillet melt butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and garlic. Saute' until mushrooms are browned. Season with salt and pepper. Add steak sauce and parsley. Stir. Lower heat and cook 5 minutes until caramelized. Serve over steaks. *NOTE* I was able to cut 1 1/2 lbs. into 4 medium sized steaks for us.

Shared on The Country Cook

Soul Food Saturday #27

Hello, and welcome to the weekend! We actually have a 3 day one because yesterday was Fall Break from school, so this house is especially cheerful! I hope you have some autumn fun planned over the next couple days. Bekki is in the kitchen today with a great Mexican meal that has had me drooling from the minute I first saw them!

After being under the weather for almost a week my sweetheart finally got his appetite back. He turns to me and says, "This is going to sound strange, but I'm hungry and I really want some MEAT, and anyway we have it is fine by me." So I suggested pepper steak burritos. This is a go to recipe that hits the spot every time I make it. With y­­our favorite toppings along side, you can get the perfect burrito for each person. Today we used fresh cooked salsa, shredded cheese and sour cream. You can customize this to your family and friends preferences.

 

 

Pepper Steak Burritos

2 large chuck steaks (approx. 3c.) cubed

2 red bell peppers, chopped

2 small onions, chopped

5 oz. mushrooms, sliced

2 jalapenos, chopped

1 envelope taco seasoning

2 tbs. olive oil

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 c. cilantro

8-super burrito size flour tortillas

 

In a large sauté pan, add oil, steak cubes, and garlic powder. Cook until all edges are browned.  Add onions, bell peppers and jalapenos, mushrooms, and taco seasoning. Stir to combine, cover and allow veggies to soften, stirring occasionally.

 

When ready to serve, warm your tortillas on a griddle pan or in the microwave. And have your favorite condiments ready, enjoy!

We Are Steak People

Yep. That's a fact. As much as my family loves our veggies, we could never  be vegetarians. And that's not judging those out there who are, more power to you! It's simply a statement of how much we love, no make that adore, meat!

All kinds of meat, from all walks of life. If it comes from a cow, pig, chicken, fish, buffalo, pheasant...I could go on, but I won't, we will eat it! We are most definitely carnivores.

Now, here is a little secret. When I was growing up, I wasn't that big of a beef fan. It wasn't until Adam came along (Mr. give me my steak as rare as it can be. Seriously, I'm talking, show it the grill and walk away!) and showed me there were other ways to eat steak other than "well done", that I really started to enjoy it. See, like many kids, I never had my own steak, I usually shared with my mom. And like many women out there, she was a big fan of "cook it til it's dead"! And that's okay. She liked her steaks well done, and a little bit crispy around the edges, so that's the only way I ate steak for many years. Then Adam explained this wonderful thing called medium rare, and to this day, that is how I love my steaks. In fact, we've even converted mom a little, and she is now a medium steak gal. We learned that many times, you can take a steak that is tender and fabulous and cook it that long, the flavor gets ruined, becoming tough and dry. This is especially true if ordering in a restaurant. If a steakhouse knows they are going to cook it that long, that will choose a piece of "substandard" meat, so to speak. (I am saying this as a former employee of a restaurant.) But if you order one that is less cooked, they know it better come out juicy and tender, so they choice a nicer piece of beef.

And we have passed this beef love onto our son, of course. Now, when he was younger, I will admit, I made sure his meat was very well done. But as he has gotten older and his stomach has "grown up" a little, I allow him to have one that is cooked a little more like ours. (Trust me though, he never eats one that is still mooing, like his father!) Alex needs one thing for his steak....steak sauce! He likes the bottled version just fine (He gets that from his Pa Pa...another meat lover!) but I thought making a homemade version might be fun.

With grilling season in full swing for a lot of us, it's the perfect time to have something yummy to dip that perfectly cooked steak into...rather it's well done (and if that's you, I respect that!)...or pink inside for me....or practically walking off the plate like my husband!

Homemade Steak Sauce

1/2 c. ketchup

1 TBS brown sugar

1 TBS soy sauce

1/2 TBS onion powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 c. water

1/8 c. lemon juice

1/8 c. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 TBS yellow mustard

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered,  for 15-20 minutes until thickened. Allow to cool and then refrigerate until serving. If it thickens too much, just add a little warm water to thin. Serve with your favorite steak!

Shared on Make Ahead Meals May 13, 2013
Shared on Mandy's Recipe Box May 14, 2013
Shared on Lady Behind The Curtain May 15, 2013
Shared on The Country Cook May 17, 2013

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Weekend Company {Guest Blogger Kathy}

Good Saturday morning! I hope you had a great week, and have some fun plans for the weekend. Do you have your tree up yet? Maybe some holiday baking with the kiddies this weekend? However you are spending it, thanks for taking a minute to drop by EMM and see who I am sharing the kitchen with today.

My guest today is a fellow blogger and mama! She is sharing a great DIY gift in a jar that anyone, even men would love! Aren't the guys the hardest to shop for? Well, if you have foodies in your life, be sure to save this one! Please welcome Kathy to EMM for the first time...

Hi! I'm Kathy from Sparkles And A Stove! First, I want to say a huge Texas thank you to Everyday Mom for letting me share this post with you. I am not only a fellow blogger and foodie of hers, but a big fan too! She was one of the first to welcome me to the blog community so EMM has a special place in my heart. I love that her meals are real food for real moms and families. Practical!

 

Speaking of practical, gifts in a jar are practical, but they can also be fun to make, frugal, and fun to receive. But have you ever noticed the gifts in a jar are usually on the cutesy side and not really something for guys? Well, one thing that IS for most guys is steak. So why not combine the two? Gifts in a jar AND steaks! Done and done. Steak dry rub in jar!

 

I made three of these to give to The Quiet Man's (my hubby after the old movie because he's from Ireland...and well, quiet) coworkers and my brother in law who is a bit of a grill hound. They are so easy and inexpensive to do. I made 3 and still had plenty of my spices left over. If you have several to make, you can buy the spices in the bulk section of the grocery store.

 

To make these steak dry rub's in a jar you will need:

3 small jars I got mine at Hobby Lobby for $1.25

Raffia to tie the jars

Avery Labels 5160 (or the 3M equivalent)

To make Santa's Dry Rub recipe you will need per jar:

2 tsp Chipotle powder

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp cayenne

1/4 garlic salt

Place all ingredients in jar(s). Reseal and shake to blend ingredients. Tie with raffia.

To make the labels I went to Avery.com and entered in product number 5160. They are smaller address labels for the smaller jar but if you double or triple the recipe for a bigger jar you can go with a bigger label. I selected the Santa address label but there are lots of choices and styles. I then downloaded the template into Word and chose the two fonts I wanted for the front label, centered the label and copied it 2 more times. The labels come in a sheet of 30 so if you have less than 15 jars to make (2 labels per jar) you can add your address for mailing labels. I then entered the ingredients in a smaller font for the back label of the jar.

Place your labels on the front and back of your jars and you can also have a head start on your holiday labels with the extras! I was so excited about the way they turned out! Even The Quiet man said they're "pretty cool".

And not only is it something the guys will like and they're frugal and easy to make, the kicky chipotle steak rub actually tastes great! We had to do a test run of it, right? :-)

 

Thank you to Everyday Mom for letting me share my steak dry rub gift in a jar and thank you as well for reading and I hope you're able to put Santa's Steak Rub to use...or at least had some fun reading about it. I wish you and yours the very happiest of holiday seasons and Merry Christmas!

 

 

Kathy Penney is a SAHM to 2 little stairsteppers and a former accountant. She has found her calling on her journey of motherhood and is married to her soul mate all the way from Ireland. Kathy volunteers at her son's preschool, is a leader in her church moms' group, and teaches Sunday school to 3 year olds. When she's not chasing or driving kiddos, Kathy enjoys travel, books, movies and concerts. Kathy has also discovered a love of cooking and crafting and blogs about her adventures at Sparkles And A Stove.

Don't Throw It Out

On Monday I shared with you a kitchen mishap, if you will. A recipe that didn't turn out as lovely on the plate as it had in my mind. Oh well, those things happen, and while we didn't eat a lot of it, I wasn't going to let the entire thing go to waste. So I had all these sauteed mushrooms just asking to be used in a yummy way. It just so happened I was planning grilled steaks the next night, so I thought "Mmmmm steak...mushrooms....this seems like a sign from above. I mean how many times have you been at your favorite steakhouse and they asked if you would like to add mushrooms and onions to your steak? I'm guessing a lot! Many times I ask if I can just get the mushrooms on the side instead. They make a great little side dish and that way I can have some of my steak with them, and eat some on their own. Heck, I love mushrooms so much I could probably make a whole meal out of them alone, but that's hard to do when a beautiful juicy steak is staring at me from the case just begging to make it to my plate! I took those leftover mushrooms, added a few new things and presto~ the perfect topper for our sirloin steaks. Don't worry if you missed by blunder on Monday, I will share the entire recipe with you from start to finish. The next time you think you've ruined a meal, take a second look and see if any of it can be salvaged~ you never know what yummy treasures you'll find!

Sauteed Mushrooms {To top steaks}
1 lb. baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
2 TBS olive oil
2 TBS butter
1/2 c. chicken stock
3 shallots, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 tsp dried parsley, plus garnish
2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
2 TBS Steak Sauce (We like A1)
1 TBS grill seasoning

In a large skillet, bring butter and oil to medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Add salt, pepper and chicken stock. Boil for 3 minutes until slightly reduced. Add Worcestershire, steak sauce and grill seasoning. Reduce heat and all to simmer for 5 minutes. Add parsley. Remove w/ a slotted spoon and serve over your favorite steak.

Shared on Lady Behind The Curtain June 6, 2012
Shared on Miz Helen's Country Cottage June 7, 2012 
Shared on The Country Cook June 8, 2012

Steak at Very Good Recipes
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