The Break Room
Okay, so you have sewn the sleeve on backwards, upside down and have had to rip it out 3 times…You need a break. And if you are like me, you have your kiddos asking “What’s for dinner Moooooommmm?” Or “Are you done sewing yet?”
So when the sewing starts frustrating you and you start making mistakes, it’s time to do something else. Take a sewing break.
I thought I’d share a few of my family’s favorite foods. I hope you enjoy them as much as my ever hungry family does. I’ll add more as time permits. These are easy, time friendly, meals.
KAREN’S BANANA BREAD (This is so moist and delicious! My husband begs for this.)
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 1/2 cups Flour
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- Dash of salt
- 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp (depending on preference) cinnamon.
- 4 well beaten eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup of melted butter
- 6 regular very ripe mashed bananas or 4 large very ripe mashed bananas. (Ripe bananas have much better flavor)
- optional: nuts
- Beat eggs, add vanilla, water, butter in mixing bowl.
- In a separate large bowl, mix all your dry ingredients well.
- Add wet ingredients to the dry and blend until moistened. Do not over mix.
- Now add your mashed bananas and blend into mixture.
- Bake in two well greased 1 pound bread pans at 350 for 50-55 minutes.
- Eat while warm and topped with butter!!! YUM
CHEESEBURGER SOUP (My kids love it when I make this soup)
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1 large chopped onion
- 3/4 cup shredded carrots
- 3/4 cup chopped celery
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried parsely flakes
- 4 tbsp butter/divided
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups diced peeled potatoes (1 3/4 pounds)
- 1/4 cup flour
- 8 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese (you can use Velveeta too)
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- Dash of salt
- 1/4 cup of sour cream
- In a sauce pan brown beef: drain and set aside.
- In same pan, saute onion, carrots,celery, basil and parsley in 1 tbsp of butter until tender (about 10 min.)
- Add broth, potatoes, and beef: bring to boil
- Reduce heat: cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
- Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt reaming butter. Add flour, cook and stir for 3-5 minutes until bubbly
- Add to soup: bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
- Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper: cook until cheese melts.
- Remove from heat and blend in sour cream.
- Eat with warm fresh bread! I can almost taste it now while typing this!
BEEF STEW: (This always goes fast at church potlucks) * Now this is from memory, so I hope I didn’t mess it up.
- 1 pound stew meat **Did you know you could go cheap on this and just make meat balls out of hamburger, cook them and add to the stew? Really good that way too! Just call it “Hobo Stew!”**
- 6-8 potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 large chopped onion
- 4 peeled, diced carrots
- 2 tablespoons vinegar (I use red wine, but you can use any type)
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups of water (or more if you need it)
- salt and pepper
- 3 cans of cream of Tomato soup or 4 if you like more of a tomato taste.
- Brown and cook your stew meat in a large pot.
- You can use Crock pot or stove top. If Crock pot, just add your cooked beef and all the ingredients, mix and turn on your Crock pot. I often use the Crock pot.
- If stove: Add your ingredients and bring to boil, turn down heat to simmer on low and put on lid.
- Cook for 1 hour on stove on low.
- Delicious with corn bread! This serves 8-10
TACO SOUP: This is one of the easiest, tastiest soups! (for my family I double this recipe, except for the beef.)
1 pound of cooked ground beef
1 chopped onion
1 packet taco seasoning
1 can tomato soup
1 cup beef broth
1 cup of cooked pasta of your choice. I use the Bow-Tie pasta ’cause they are cute and fun.
1 cup of water
1 cup of salsa or picante sauce
Sour cream
Shredded cheddar cheese
Tortilla chips
- Brown/cook your hamburger meat till no longer pink.
- Add chopped onion and cook until soft.
- Add taco seasoning according to directions
- Cook your pasta to almost done and drain.
- In stock pot, or large pot, add your meat, tomato soup, cooked onion, picante sauce, and cooked pasta, broth and water. Cook until hot and bubbly on med/low.
- Pour into bowls and top with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and crushed chips! Yummy good.
COMPANY IS COMING PORK CHOPS (You will not believe how good and easy this is!!)
Preheat oven 350 degrees
- 6 boneless pork loin chops
- 1 egg or milk
- Seasoned bread crumbs
- 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
- 1 can of French onion soup
- Whisk egg in a bowl
- Pour about 1 cup of seasoned bread crumbs onto a large plate. You can add more if you need to.
- Dip pork chops into egg and then dip into the plate of crumbs on both side of pork chops, coating well
- Brown the pork chops in oil in frying pan on medium heat on stove top. Only takes 3-4 minutes on each side.
- In a separate bowl mix your can of cream of mushroom soup and French onion soup.
- Place pork chops into large baking dish and then pour the soup mixture over the chops.
- Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.
- I personally make mashed potatoes while this is cooking because it super yummy together.
“To die for good” when placed on top of hot mashed potatoes! Serve also with a nice spinach salad and you have the perfect meal for company! Even people who “think” they hate onions or mushrooms absolutely devour this meal.
I really like idea of adding the onion soup to the mushroom soup. Sounds really great. Dry onion soup mix is also really good added to a can of regular corn and a can of cream style corn all mixed together. That was from Grandma Doris' step-dtr Vera who used to live in Enid. I think it may be 2 cans of regular corn. Either way, it's great.