Simple Beef Stew



Simple ingredients for a delicious stew!

Beef Stew

6 large potatoes

1 Bell Pepper

1 large onion

2 carrots

1 cup Corn

2 stalks celery

1-2 bay leaf

2 cups broth of your choice

2 cupswater

1/2 tsp. salt, pepper and garlic powder for sauteeing

2 Tbsp. oil for sautee

1 Tbsp corn starch

2Tbsp butter

1/2 cup milk

1 Tbsp of the following:

garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, seasoning salt or blend.

Sauteed your beef cubes in the oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Add all ingrediens and meat to a large 4 quart pot. On medium heat cook for an hour. Test tenderness of veggies and beef. Stir corn starch, and milk in a cup until blended. Melt butter until just liquified. Add to milk mixture. Stir into stew and cook for another 30-45 minutes covered on a low-medium heat until stew thickens and veggies and meat are tender.

Let stew cool down when done.

Enjoy!

  

I have been meaning to post this for a while my dollies! The ingredients speak for themselves. Fresh of course is best. Please make some stew for yourself. If it's cold outside, then you deserve it! Hearty is not the word!

I'LL BRING THE RIBS!!!

Hello my lovely foodie family!

Dollies,

I have not forgotten you. In fact, I think of you very often.

Currently, I have been busy with my gourmet treats, work and being a mom (and grand mom too). I am doing brownies and cookies for a few stores. It is a true test of my love and patience for food and work.

I miss blogging and am glad to be back in touch with you!


My hubby and I had a great time on our anniversary. He gave me a printed copy of my cookbook. I know! Where the heck is it? If I could just stick to one thing at a time Dollies, I would be fine but here is a pic of the meal for tonight.

It may not be elegant but it was so very delisheeoso!!!! I'm not just saying it either. It feels so good to be writing to you again.

Anywho,

RIBS AT HOME IN THE KITCHEN

I believe in using the broiler because life is busy!

• Please try liquid smoke if you can. Rub your little ribs in it. It's cheap and it's the real deal on flavor. People usually cannot tell. And unless you are going out for champion BBQer, why drive your self nuts with smokers and grills? Just a couple teaspoons rubbed into your ribs should be enough. Vegans, beef, pork or veal lovers, fish heads, chicken heads, whomever. USE IT!!!
• Next, rub your ribs in your favorite seasonings. You can't go wrong with garlic and onion powder, pepper (to taste), pre-made rubs and paprika. Do not use salt unless it is in a pre-made rub. Use about1 teaspoon each except for pepper, each per pound.
• Place ribs in a foil lined pan under the broiler on the rack furthest away from your heat source.
• Turn them every 1-2 minutes until the meat is chewy but done. Juices should run clear and have a char to them. 
• You can add a little honey or BBQ sauce drizzled over the ribs after they are nearly done. You have to watch sauces closely, the sugar in them can burn quickly. Enjoy!

Love you to pieces,

MJ

Food as medicine!

Checking in with my dollies!!!
I really hope food has been treating you well. I watched a documentary called, FOOD MATTERS. It covered the nutritional value of food. And also how food should be regarded as our source for nutrition and healing instead of medicine. It suggested that we should eat raw foods, at least 60% per meal. What I found to be incredibly worthwhile was the statistics of the last 20 years or so on medication related deaths compared to the less than a dozen deaths due to vitamins that were BTW unfounded. My? people this is not new info but definitely crucial information medicine is a business. Keep that in mind when planning your next meal!

MJ I love you to pieces!!!

Jumping for Monkey Bread!

NEWS AND UPDATES

Personal Stories
OOOOOOOOooohhhh my sweet dollies! I have missed you so very much. I have not posted in over a month. Please, please pray for my kids my son and his wife lost their little baby last month, my grand daughter, and we were devastated. Yet faith and time has a way of comforting us all! Therefore, I am praying for peace.

The Business
It has been really busy for Mama Joy. I really do miss putting recipes on the blog and seeing all the folks viewing us from as far away as Sri Lanka! It feels good to know that people love reading about food :-)
First of all the cookbook is available now via paypal on the website: http://www.chefmamajoy.com/.

Right now my treats are available at the "Liberty Deli" in Northern Liberties and we are expanding this month to the "Wired Bean Cafe' " on Germantown Avenue in Mt. Airy!

The website is live and kicking! We are launching the cafe' fundraiser we believe that you don't have to borrow if you have good investors.

Troy (my hubby) and I are currently interviewing investors for the restaurant/cafe. If you or someone you know believes in food for the soul and gourmet dessert treats, done simplistically...give us a call. All contact information is available at: http://www.chefmamajoy.com/.

Okay, as you may or may not know, I am in a food ministry at my church and we basically learn about food. Every meeting we collect food for the homeless. Last meeting, we had a celebration for the young graduates in our group. Everyone brought dishes from home. A young man brought some Monkey Bread he made.

All I can say is...make it yourself!

It's easy and fun to make and eat...scrum-dill-ee-ishous!!!!!!

Monkey Bread


My kids ate ours before I could take
 a pic so I used this one!



Ingredients:

4 cans refrigerated biscuits
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 sticks butter (3/4 cup)
1/2 cup white sugar  
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins (these are optional, it's great with or without them)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9-10 inch tube pan.

2. Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a medium sized plastic bag. Cut the biscuits into halves or quarters and place six to eight biscuit pieces in the sugar cinnamon mix. Shake well.

3. Arrange pieces in the bottom of the greased pan. Continue layering until all the biscuit pieces are coated and in the pan. If you are using raisins, place them among the biscuit pieces as you are layering.

4. In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the brown sugar over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Pour over the layered biscuits.

5. Bake for 35 minutes. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate. Pull apart and enjoy!

My dollies, Mama Joy has a few minor changes to the one I make, however, this is a great recipe. Please note that is your bread does not "pop" out, feel free to smack your flute or bunt pan a little. There is plenty of butter in this recipe.

Recipe taken from: Monkey Bread Recipe
Photo taken from: Monkey Bread Picture

Jazzy Desserts!

MJ's toffee, walnut, chocolate brownies and chocolate chip cookies

Mama Joy's Treats

Brownies & Cookies
***
Now selling at Liberty Deli
In Northern Liberties section of Philly!

For ordering:
Call 267-269-8615

 

What to Make for Mommy!



HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

My Sweet Dolly Daughters and Sons!


Do not go crazy burning things in the kitchen. All mom's are not alike but I think many of us just want to be loved. Please have any little ones in her life make drawings (make sure they are thought out and not too "thrown together"). My daughters and sons made some sweet thoughtful cards for me! Flowers are a nice touch.

If you are making breakfast in bed. Go easy. Make sure you know what Mommy likes and what is easy for you!

• Fruit with yogurt is good if Mommy likes it. Top with granola or nuts and cinnamon.
• Pancakes are yummy, so use the complete style; it needs only water. So make sure to mix it well and cook on medium heat with a nice lightly oiled or buttered pan. Watch for bubbles to form and flip.  
• If the kids practice a quick song it might jerk a few tears.
• If you don't want to cook, take mommy to a nice diner or restaurant for breakfast.
• If you cook pretty well try something fun like fried chicken and waffles or fish and grits or feta omlet with avocado and sweet potato fries.

My Mother's Day Breakfast was amazing! Daddy made eggs with cheddar cheese and peppers, Italian sausage, bacon, pancakes and a beautiful crystal glass of berry juice. I received beautiful thoughtful cards, gifts and hand made little treasures. I cried a little and smiled alot!

I hope you have the best mother's day ever and show or remember mommy in a special way!

MJ

Curried Brown Rice and Bananas

My loves, My dollies!

Please try this easy dish. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! This dish is great with meat as a side dish or by itself as a main dish. I have missed you so and I want to cook for you more!!! The cookbook is complete! Stay tuned for ordering information. Love you much!

MJ

Curried Rice and Bananas





2 cups brown or wild grain rice

Water to prepare rice (prepare as noted on package)

1-2 bananas, sliced thinly
1 cup raisins, minced
1 small onion, minced
1 carrot, diced small
1/2 cup grean beans, chopped large
1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. Jamaican curry powder
Salt and pepper to taste

In a small cup blend 1 Tbsp.olive oil, curry powder and cinnamon until well incorporated, set asde. Prepare rice. While hot stir in curry mixture, then cover rice with lid. In a medium hot pan, with remaining olive oil, saute' vegetables, raisins, garlic, salt and pepper. In large bowl, mix all ingredients. Enjoy!

Delicious Compromise!

My Darling Dollies!

Thank you for joining me. I have not been far away,  just contem-"plate" ing my next steps. I think if you move without thought and prayer it's like traveling in complete darkness; you definitely will go somewhere but you would probably run into more obstacles.

I started doing Daniel Fast friendly meals a few weeks ago and then I fell off my fast. I did not feel comfortable posting starchy, sweet and meaty meals so I paused. 

A friend suggested that I post my experience so here I am. I love blogging and I don't want to feel guilty about what I post. I have decided to post mostly recipes and articles that can be interchangeable. Let me know if you want to know more or have thoughts on the subject. I am sure I am not the only one who has gone through this.

Other than that I'm doing what I am moved to do.

Breaking Bread

Herb Rolls

My perfectly foodie Doll Babies!

I miss you so very much! Hopefully you have been well. I am certain many of you are still fasting for the Lenten season. I do commend you all. Tonight I am posting a rolls recipe that I made for my family it uses yeast so eat this when you are able if you cannot have it now. I took this from http://www.bigoven.com/.

The site has great recipes from its members. You can join, try the recipes and vote on them as well. If that isn't enough, you can also add the site as an app on your smartphone!

Herb Rolls

3 1/2 cups flour

1 large egg

1/4 cup milk

1 Tbsp. of each:

Rosemary, minced

Dill, minced 

Water

Sugar

Table Salt

Sea Salt

Yeast

Butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350*. The pictures below instruct for the rest of the steps.



Rosemary, dill, butter, sugar,
egg, salt, chives & yeast




Add yeast to 1 Tbsp. warm water. Let sit for a minute
then add eggs, sugar, herbs, salt and milk, blend
then add flour except for 1/4 cup. Blend well.









'


                                                        







make 12 balls out of dough roll in
palms of hands. Place in greased 9"x13"
 pan bake 25 mins or until brown.



Add enough flour to keep dough
from being sticky then knead dough.




My Doll Babies, please know that these rolls are dense and harden quickly. You can steam them or eat them right away. My children were really into them! Please enjoy!

MJ





  







Satisfy your Sweet Tooth

Daniel Fast and Vegan Friendly Dessert

Sweet Potato, Apple, Banana Crunch





Sweet Potato, Apple, Banana Crunch

1 sweet potato

2 bananas (keep peel on)

2 tart apples

1/2 cup Soy Milk

Topping:

1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup almonds
1/2 tsp cinnamon or nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake sweet potato for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until tender, banana 45 minutes or until soft and skin is completely black and apple for 1/2 hour to keep its firmness. Allow fruit to cool. Refrigerate. While fruit is cooling put raisins, almonds and nutmeg in food processor or blender until it turns to crumbs may take 30 seconds or up to a minute, set aside. Slice the fruit and plate. Pour milk over fruit. Sprinkle with topping. Enjoy!

Even if you fall off of your fast, you can always try again,

Love you to pieces and pieces!

MJ 

Good Eatin'!

Good Food, Good You!



Penne Pasta, Plantains and Green Beans



My Dollies! This meal was not hard to make. I must say truthfully I thought that it would be bland. It takes time for your taste buds to adjust to this simple way of eating. That is why I love to cook with garlic, onion, spices like, cumin,cinnamon, nutmeg and curries. Many herbs can make all the difference in the world such as, rosemary, cilantro tarragon and basil! Please get to know your seasoning rack!

Let's dig in shall we?

Wheat Penne Pasta with Tomatoes,

Onion, Green Pepper and Jalapeno

1 box wheat penne pasta

2 cans diced tomatoes with basil and garlic (drain)

1/2 red onion (sliced thin)

several jalapeno peppers (from the jar)

1 small green pepper (sliced thin)

Sea Salt to taste

Prepare pasta as stated on box. Set aside. In a pan with 2 Tbsps. oil (canola or olive) saute' onions and green peppers until tender. Set aside. In same pan heat tomatoes until boiling. Place a few jalapenos in the pan to heat them. Plate noodles. Tomatoes will have juices feel free to spoon tomatoes and juice as you like over pasta. Add sauteed vegetables on top.

Garlicky Plantains

3 plantains sliced (1"-2" thick)

4 Tbsps. Oil (canola or olive)

1 tsp. garlic powder

Sea Salt to taste

In pan on medium heat, add oil. add all plantains to pan. Cook until golden brown on both sides. Remove from pan and place on paper towel to drain. Let cool. Smash all slices until the middles show with your hand or flat strong utensil. Heat oil again, add a little more if needed. Return plantains to pan and cook until a little darker. Drain and sprinkle with salt and garlic. NOTE: Make this last when preparing as a side dish. Serve hot.





Tasty Fasting!

My Sweet Spiritual Friends and Family!

If you are choosing to fast or "sacrifice" certain foods for your faith this and next month, we will be taking a look at healthy choices and more, here at Cooked!
The Daniel Fast
is very popular amongst people of Christian faith and can be challenging in terms of finding the right "approved" foods. Let's go it together and be healthy and spiritually sound!

Organization helps! Doing your special shopping ahead of time and meal planning are good ideas.
Nothing is better than prayer in my book.

These are probably the most key ingredients during this time:

Prayer

Water

Snacks

Tasty Meals

Today I kept almonds, raisins and water close by. 

Almonds are fatty that's true and high in calories but it's not as bad as some other things I will not bring up!

Keep it moving Dollies!

TONIGHT'S DINNER:

Wheat Penne Pasta with Sauteed Tomatoes, Onions, Jalapenos & Green Pepper

Zesty Green Beans

Garlic and Basil Plantains

DESSERT

Sweet Potato & Apple with Sweet Crunchy Topping

Pictures coming tonight!

FASTING TIP:
Save-a-Lot Markets have Daniel Fast Approved: Wheat Penne and Spaghetti pastas for very cheap!

God Bless!
MJ

My Potato Salad!

Who doesn't have THE best potato salad?

Or at least knows someone or three that claims to have the best. While I do love my potato salad, I believe that the issue is that potato salad's beauty is in the eye of the beholder or taster! Some of us like it zesty, other's sweet and yet others may want it a little tangy. "Is that mustard?", "Oh I always use boiled eggs", "You got to sprinkle a little sugar on it". Love it or leave it, here is Mama Joy's Rendition:

MJ's Red Potato Salad

3lbs. Red Potatoes (small soft fleshy variety)

1 cup Hellman's Mayonnaise (registered)

1/2 cup celery, diced small



MJ's Red Potato Salad

1 medium red or yellow onion minced

1/8 cup sweet relish

1 tsp. yellow or spicy brown mustard

1 tsp. Lawry's seasoned Salt (registered)

1 Tbsp. Old Bay seasoning (registered)

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder (halved)

1 tsp. parsley flakes and more for garnish

Optional:
3 hard boiled eggs, diced,
Several cherry tomatoes sliced.

Quarter potatoes then add to a pot with enough water to cover all potatoes. Add 1/2 tsp. garlic powder to water. Boil until potatoes are tender with the prick of a fork. (Some folks like the potatoes hot for the next step, I prefer them to be cooled down a bit). When done, drain and rinse with cold water a couple of times. Drain again. Use a cloth or towel to blot dry if need be. Dice potatoes and place in large bowl. Add all other ingredients except optional items and blend well. If you like, fold in eggs then garnish with parsley and tomatoes.

Hope you love it Dollies!

MJ

Pizza for you!



Crunchy Feta Cheesy Heaven

Wonderfully fresh & crunchy, chewy goodness!



My sweet Dollies! This pizza uses a  pizza dough I bought from Walmart (r) in their frozen foods section. The dough comes in a frozen ball and costs about $1.40 you can get a bunch of these. Thaw the dough completely. It may stick to the plastic small bag it comes in. Carefully remove it with your fingers.

Pizza Ball (thawed)

1 cup feta cheese

1 cup stewed tomatoes or 2 diced Roma Tomatoes

1 tsp basil (dried)

1 clove crushed garlic

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 onion thinly sliced

1/2 roasted red pepper (julienned)

Prepackaged dough is easier

Press out dough with your hands

Fold up & pinch over sides 

Add fresh toppings

Heat oven to 400*. On a greased cookie sheet, spread out dough evenly. Press feta into dough with back of spoon (not too hard). With a slotted spoon, add tomatoes, not juice onto pizza. Spread onions across pizza. Sprinkle on dried herbs and garlic. Brush olive oil onto crust. Bake for 15 minutes. check crust and toppings. If not hot and beginning to brown, return to oven until crust is browning and onions are as well. If you are not satisfied with pizza temp, place pizza on lowest rack then turn oven to broil just until it gets hot. Cheese should be melting. This is so quick, easy and delicious. I am starting to make it as our dinner roll with extras!

Hope you enjoy this Dollies :-)

M to the J

Cooked sees it's 500th hit!

500 times someone checked in on COOKED. Hopefully all saw something cool and some came back for seconds. Love you to pieces!
MJ

The Naked Basics



Fried Chicken no batter, 1 seasoning 

 Yumtastically Crunchy and Savory!

This chicken dish is, fried chicken simplified. The most important element to making any fried chicken, is your oil temperature. All of the secret batter and special seasonings in the world tastes the same when it's burnt! I am still perfecting my fried chicken recipe for our restaurant. It is a frustrating process. Therefore, I have decided to start over.

I found a recipe in a chicken cookbook for fried chicken and became dumb-founded when I saw that there was no call for seasonings, herbs, spices or coatings of any kind.  The pic looked beautiful! I was moved to fry! Well my loves that chicken was juicy, crunchy on the outside yet surprisingly, flavorful.

While I have made naked fried chicken in the past, I did not pay as much attention to the details of this simplistic way of frying chicken as I have here. Please enjoy!

MJ's Naked Fried Chicken

8-12 small chicken legs (rinsed well and patted dry with a paper towel)
In a heavy bottomed frying skillet add enough cooking oil to reach a depth of at least two inches.
Heat oil on a medium heat.
If oil begins to smoke, it is too high, remove it from the heat and let it cool down.
Place chicken in oil. The oil should have a nice medium level of sizzle. If it is roaring, popping spit-firing and splattering all over the place, there is probably water in your pan or your heat is still too high.
Continue to turn chicken every couple minutes so that it browns evenly. Watch your chicken! The entire frying time should be approximately 10-18 minutes depending upon:
Heat
Thickness of chicken
and your pan (skillet)

When chicken is done, remove with tongs shaking off excess oil. Feel free to drain on paper towel. Next choose one of three final steps (this is what makes it MJ's):

Idea #1 Sprinkle Lawry's Seasoned Salt (R) on chicken and serve hot.
Idea#2 melt a 1/2 stick of butter in a small bowl and add Old Bay to it and drizzle over chicken
Idea #3 Sprinkle chickenwith salt and pepper then use a sweet chili pepper dipping sauce to add a little zing!

Woo Hooo Little Dollies! Eat 'em up :-)

Toodles,

MJ

Love Sweet Love!

My Sweet Heart Turtle Dove Dollies!!!!
Did I forget your Valentine sweets????? No just little technical difficulties that kept me away from you :-(
I hope that you can find it in your biggest hearts to forgive me. I love this day with all its splendor and pressure. Soooooo what did I make? Yes! chocolate covered strawberries with  little gold sparkle!!! If you forgot your sweetie, (for whatever reason) There is still time to make up. It's never too late to make up baby! And the best is first ... Ice cream pie! Yep:-)

The finished product sliced from each side

Vanilla & Chocolate Ice Cream Cookie Pie

So easy and very good. The pics explain it all,

6-8 chocolate Oreo® cookies (save 1 tsp for garnish)

6-8 vanilla Oreo® cookies (save 1 tsp for garnish)

1 stick butter

1 small tub whipped topping

6-8 marachino cherries (for garnish)

6-8 chocolate Oreo® cookies or the like. Crumble in food processor. Set aside in bowl then clean food processor.

6-8 vanilla Oreo® cookies or the like. Crumble in food processor. Set aside in separate bowl



1/2 gallon vanilla & chocolate ice cream (slightly melted)

Add 1/2 stick melted butter to each cookie bowl. mix well. In a pie dish , press each flavor of cookie crumb mixture in 1/2 of the pie dish.

Separately blend both flavors of ice cream with a whisk. If you like, add a little bit of the crumbs to whisked ice cream. Spoon in vanilla ice cream over chocolate crumbs and chocolate ice cream over vanilla crumbs.

Spoon entire tub of whipped topping over the whole pie. Sprinkle 1 tsp of eah crumb flavor over the entire pie. Dry of 6-8 cherries and place on top of cake. Cover and freeze for 5 hours. When ready to eat, let the pie thaw. You can heat the bottom of dish in large warm water. (Do not let pie get wet.)




Press cookie mixture into pie dish



Whisk softened ice cream and add crumbs





Freeze pie for several hours





Whipped topping over ice cream














Black and White Dipped Strawberries w/ Gold Sparkle



Stunning stripes drizzled and yummy!



1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup milk or dark chocolate chips
10 medium sized strwberries
10 wooden skewers
Melt your chocolate separately in zap safe bowls at 50-70% power for 20 second intervals, stirring in between. NOTE: You can use candy melts from the craft store which are more forgiving against burns. However, for first timers, you may not want to spend that moolah!

Stick the skewers through the strawberries and dip the fruit as soon as possible. This takes patience and time to master. If you give yourself a little time and mostly "drizzle" at first, you'll be a near "pro" status. I know that you can!

Do I have to say enjoy?
Toodles and smiles,

MJ

Valentine's Dish!

Hello My Love Puppets!


Our dinner is done.

Very filling and savory scrumptiousness!!

Our winning dish is

Lamb Chop (shoulder) Marinated in Merlot Sauce

Sauteed Zesty Asparagus /with garlic, parmesan cheese

Stuffed Mancotti : Spinach, Ricotta Cheese, Mozarella, Eggs, Parmesan Cheese, Bacon and Crushed Garlic-Topped with Chopped Tomatoes, Carmelized Onion, Bacon and Melted Mozarella

The Merlot Marinade Sauce was by Tastefully Simple (R). Our friend Lisa Smith is a represenative of the company. I'm telling you it was a sweet and zesty sauce that brought out the natural flavors of the lamb. Give me a buzz if you are interested in some of her products.

This was very rich, many flavorful notes in the manacotti...just delicious, the bacon gives a smokiness to the filling that is simply mouth watering!

Check in on 2/14/11 for the Valentine's Day Dessert...

Love you all to a million pieces,

MJ

Yummy Dinner Coming Up!

Dollies!!!!

I received a request for the...
Valentine's Day Dinner for Two.
***
You know me I'm putting my spin on it.

If it's Mama Joy's it's got to be saucy, chewy, succulent, gooey and Dee-lish-eee-oh-SO!

I'll let you know...tomorrow. Check Back.

Love and Kisses!

MJ

Blast from the TV past!!!!

This is what I was doing around this time last year!!!! Click on the link below a little funny :-)

CLICK HERE for: Mama Joy 10! Show Game Day Eats

Love you Dollies!!!

MJ

Love, well wishes & contest dishes!

COOKING CONCEPT CONTEST chk it out below!!!!

Dollies, our daughter-in-law needs love today so please send your kind thoughts. She and our son are trying to hang in there! I have prayed and kept positive so this dish goes out to Joey, Raynie, Nelly Belly and soon to be Immy Joy-Joy (My love names of course)!

My people this was supposed to go out yesterday but our family had some little bumps but everything should be ok!

This weekend my crew wanted a quick and hearty, hunger fixer-upper. So it was nachos to the rescue! I made such a lovely dish the day prior that I wanted to share. But, my better half did not like part of the pic. Our rule is if the pic is not "yum" it does not publish... I worked hard on that thing Dollies! Oh well. We will revisit that little dish I call Latin Love again. I just have to get a better pic. :-)

Alrighty! This is a simply easy and delicious little tidbit that we make a few hundred times a year!

You will have to do the proportions on this depending upon your party size however my rule of thumb is  the following amount per 2 hungry people:

JONES FAMILY NACHOS
2 pounds ground beef
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp oil (your choice)
1 jar salsa
2 cups mexican shredded cheese
"enough" sliced jalepenos
1 packet sazon by Goya (r)
1 bag of Restaurant Style Tostitos (r) Torilla Chips
1/2 packet taco seasoning
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp seasoned salt
1 large onion (sliced)

Saute' the onion and cilantro set aside. Mix the ground beef with dry seasoning. Fry up ground beef in oil continuously chopping with spatula until coarse. Drain beef. In a large aluminum baking pan, layer chips, meat, salsa, onions & cilantro, cheese and jalepenos. Broil under the fire for just a moment. Let the cheese bubble and exposed chip corners toast just until brown. YUM-BO-LISH-A-DO-SHOUS!!!!!!!!!!!

Valentine's Day Contest!!!!
Ok If you are still reading, I am having a little contest! I want to make something great for my honey because Valentines Day is our "dating" anniversary. I always make us something special. I wanted to make an amazing dish so I am looking to the community!!!! If you have an idea...please tweet, message me on FB or send a comment here on the blog by 2/10/2011....I will feature the winner here with the dish on 2/14!!! Looking forward to hearing from you!

Love you to pieces,

MJ

Sweet Apple Lovin'!!!

Happy Day, Happy Day my Dollies!

Today we are going to flirt with the sweetest of foodie delights! I hope you enjoy it. We started out early today because Troy and I have a whole lot to get done! The cousins are over so it is a full house. Mama Joy has to facilitate a 1st grade school project, assist in choreographing a dance for the 5th grade Spring Talent Show, do hair (three girls!), and of course more editing to the cookbook!

Anyway my peeps, this little confection is sweet, sweet, sweet.
Forgive me but I made it from "scratch, scratch" which means I just made it up as I went along. Unlike the chili where I took a year long course and read 5 cookbook recipes. This is what I call:

MJ's APPLE CRUNCH CRUMBLE

(An Apple Crumble uses more butter, the Apple Crunch sometimes uses more oats, nuts etc. MJ uses both, hence the name :-)

Filling

5-6 extra large tart apples peeled, and placed in lemon water bath (you will slice later!)

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 Tbsp lemon juice

Dicing cold butter for topping

Crumble Topping

1/2 cup almond slithers

1/2 cup instant oatmeal

1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar

1 stick butter (cold and diced)

1 tsp flour

Preheat oven to 400*

Peel your apples then place in bowl of water with lemon juice.

Do not slice until topping is prepared. Place all crumble ingredients in food processor, pulse until mealy and coarse. If you do not have a processor, chop all dry ingredients with a sharp knife, add diced butter and blend with fork. Set aside. Core and slice apples. In a medium sized bowl, add cinnamon, sugar and flour, mix. Add sliced apples to mix, cover completely. Grease a 9"X13" casserole dish. Place apples in dish. Pour syrup over apples. Evenly pour topping over apples. Bake at 400*for about 40 minutes or until top is brown and apples are boiling. Let cool so filling can set. Eat with Milk, ice cream or sour cream. Enjoy!

Inspired by you,
MJ