Grilling & Campfire Cooking Cookbook Review

Hope everyone is enjoying their Memorial Day weekend. Thanks to all the veterans who have served and all in the military currently serving.

Also sending a congratulations out to those who are graduating! Good Luck!!

So, in time for Memorial Day and the beginning of summer, I'm doing an Early Bird Cookbook Review for Gooseberry Patch. The cookbook is GBP Grilling & Campfire Cooking.  I found so many delicious recipes in just the first chapter! My family loves to cook out any chance we get. But, this summer I've decided to experiment more on the grill, and go a little further than hot dogs and hamburgers. This cookbook really helped me get a start on that.

You can also find this ebook at Amazon for $1.99.

Sweet & Spicy Chicken was my first choice. I cut back on the amount of chili powder, only because I know my daughter would not touch it if it's too spicy. Loved the sweet and spicy combination. I've made this twice now, once on the charcoal grill (we ate them as sandwiches), and another time I made them on our George Foreman grill, and we sliced the chicken breasts up for a salad. You can use this chicken for so many different things!

Sweet & Spicy Chicken

submitted by: Kristen Pittis of Dennison Ohio

 

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 Tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp. seasoned salt

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

 

In a large plastic zipper bag, combine all ingredients except chicken. Pat chicken dry; add to bag. Seal bag and rub brown sugar mixture into chicken. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Place chicken on an oiled grate over medium-high heat. Grill for 8-10 minutes on each side, until chicken juices run clear. Makes 4 servings.

 

 

 

Balsamic Grilled Tomatoes

submitted by: Amy Hunt of Traphill, NC

 

4 tomatoes, halved

1/4 c. balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

 

Place tomatoes in a disposable 13"x9" aluminum foil baking pan, cut side up. Drizzle with salad dressing; sprinkle with cheese. Place pan on a grate over medium heat. Cook for 15 minutes, or until tomatoes are soft and cheese is golden. Serves 4.

 

 

 

Grilled Portabella Blues

submitted by: Marion Sundberg of Ramona, CA

 

1/2 c. balsamic vinegar

1/4 c. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, pressed

salt and pepper to taste

4 large portabella mushroom caps

1/2 c. crumbled blue cheese

 

Mix vinegar, oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a large plastic zipping bag. Add mushrooms, seal bag and refrigerate for at least one hour. Drain, discarding marinade. Grill mushrooms over medium heat until tender and golden. Just before removing mushrooms from the grill, spoon blue cheese into the center of each mushroom. Let stand until cheese melts, serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

 

 

 

Yummy Meatball Skewers

submitted by: Sherry Gordon of Arlington Heights, IL

 

28 oz. pkg. frozen meatballs, thawed

2 green and/or red peppers, cut into 1-inch squares

2 c. pineapple cubes

1 red onion, cut into 1-inch squares

1-1/2 c. teriyaki sauce

8-10 skewers

 

Place 3 meatballs on each skewer, alternating with pepper, pineapple and onion pieces. Place skewers on a grill over medium heat. Cook for 10-12 minutes, turning skewers occasionally. Brush with sauce during last 5 minutes of grilling. Serves 8-10.

 

*I soaked our skewers in water for about 30 minutes before placing them on the grill.

 

 

 

Now for a chance to win a free copy of this cookbook!

Leave a comment here on this post or on our Down on the Farm facebook page,

 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Down-on-the-Farm/114521021958455?ref=hl

 

With summer coming, what is your favorite summer activity you look forward to the most this summer?? My daughter and I are planning on taking a trip to Disney World in August, so I have to say that is what I'm looking forward to. (I'm sure I will be the big kid on this trip!!).

 

The giveaway starts right now, and I will be choosing a winner on June 21, on the First Day of Summer!!

Please leave an email address so I can let you know if you are the winner!

Good Luck!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Along Country Roads

 

 

So many reasons why I love living on a country road....

Stuffed Green Pepper Soup

My family and I decided to take the afternoon fishing at our pond. So... I tossed everything for this soup in our slow-cooker, and it was ready when we got in, and we had a hot dinner ready before evening milking.
There are days that just seem to come together like that. :)

 

 

 

Stuffed Green Pepper Soup

 

1 lb. ground beef

2 cups green pepper, chopped (I used 2 green peppers and 1 red pepper, for color)

1 cup onion, chopped

14-oz. can beef broth

14-1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes

10-3/4 oz. can tomato soup

1/4 tsp. pepper

1-1/2 cup cooked rice

 

Brown beef over medium-high heat, drain. Place in slow-cooker. Add remaining ingredients, except the rice. Cook on low for 4-6 hours, until peppers are tender. Add cooked rice and cook for about 30 minutes longer, to heat through. Makes 6 servings.

 

* This is yummy with corn chips & shredded cheddar cheese on top.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gooseberry Patch 101 Super-Easy Slow-Cooker Recipes

Once again I am sharing some amazing recipes from the newest cookbook from Gooseberry Patch. 101 Super-Easy Slow-Cooker Recipes is a wonderful cookbook for the busy family. With spring being here, we have a lot of things going on, getting our gardens ready, kids softball games, graduations. It's wonderful to have our slow-cooker already working for us while we are out and about enjoying our day. And "easy" is always a favorite word of mine when it comes to meal planning.

The first recipe I chose comes from Rogene Rogers of Bemidji, MN.
Apple -Glazed Pork Roast. This was delicious, and served with some steamed broccoli made the meal complete.

 

Apple-Glazed Pork Roast

 

 

4-lb. pork loin roast
salt and pepper to taste
6 apples, cored and quartered
1/4 cup apple juice
3 Tbsp. brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. ground ginger

 

Season roast on all sides with salt and pepper.
Place roast on a baking sheet and brown on both sides
under a broiler. Arrange apples in a slow-cooker;
top with roast. In a bowl, whisk together juice, brown
sugar and ginger; drizzle over roast. Cover and cook
on high for 6 hours, or until roast is no longer pink
in the center and apples are tender. Serves 8-10.

 

 

 

 

The next recipe I chose was from Gracie Smith of Vancouver, British Columbia. My daughter went for seconds, and then declared it her favorite. So, that means a lot to me as a mom!

 

Crockery Chicken Curry

 

 

1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

4 tsp. curry powder

3/4 tsp. turmeric

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 head cauliflower, cut into flowerets

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 c. water

1-1/4 c. plain, non-fat yogurt

1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped

 

Combine chicken, carrots and onion in slow-cooker. In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch and seasonings. Sprinkle cornstarch mixture over chicken mixture; toss to coat well. Add cauliflower, garlic and water to slow-cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Spoon one cup of juice from slow-cooker into a bowl; stir in  yogurt and cilantro. Stir yogurt mixture back into slow-cooker. Serves 6

 

 

 

My third choice came from Stephanie Westfall of Dallas, GA. Easy to put together, and with the colors from the peppers and tomatoes, it looks really nice plated up.

 

Perfect Pepper Steak

 

1-1/2 to 2 lbs. beef round steak, sliced into strips

15-oz. can diced tomatoes

1 to 2 green and/or red peppers ( I use one of each)

1 onion, chopped

4-oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained

1/4 cup salsa

cooked rice

 

Combine all ingredients except rice in a freezer-safe container. Refrigerate overnight, or freeze until ready to use.

 

To Cook:

 

Thaw beef mixture overnight in refrigerator if frozen; spoon into slow-cooker. Cover and cook on low setting for 6-8 hours. Serve over cooked rice. Makes 4-6 servings.

 

 

Giveaway!

Want to add this cookbook to your collection? It's easy to enter. Just post a comment here on this post, and for fun, tell me what is your favorite activity to keep you busy in the spring while your slow-cooker does your cooking for you? Make sure you leave an email address so I can get in touch with you! I don't want the winner to miss out on receiving their book!
Giveaway starts today, May 4. I'm going to pick a winner, using Random.org, on May 26 at 6 p.m.

Good Luck!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tortellini Broccoli Alfredo

 

Tortellini Broccoli Alfredo

 

2 16-oz. jars Alfredo sauce

1/2 cup water

20-oz. pkg. frozen cheese-filled tortellini

16-oz. pkg. frozen broccoli flowerets

 

In a bowl, stir together sauce and water. Layer ingredients in a slow-cooker as follows; 1/3 of sauce, all of the frozen tortellini, 1/3 of the sauce, all of the broccoli. Pour remaining sauce over the broccoli. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, until heated through. Makes 8 servings.

 

 

Spring Has Sprung!