ON THE MENU MONDAY~ Week Of October 11, 2011

LOTS AND LOTS GOING ON HERE!



The winner of StoneGable's Southern Style Home Decor Giveaway is...


Cherry Kay at ENTERTAINING WOMEN

Congratulations Cherry Kay!!!! Please e-mail me your address and the kind people at Southern Style Home Decor will get your new Borrego placmats and napkin right out to you!

Thanks to everyone who entered!




I am celebrating my 2nd Blogiversary this week! And I am celebrating with a FABULOUS, FABULOUS giveaway. Please come back on Tuesday evening for...

StoneGable's  2nd Blogiversary Mikasa Giveaway

It doesn't seem so long ago I was nervously launching  StoneGable by pushing the "publish" button. I as shaky and unsure~ as if "clicking publish" would set off some cataclysmic, domino effect event that would change the world as we know it!!!! Little did I realize then that it did change the world... mine! Blogging has effected my life in countless ways. There is a great and noticeable chasm ... my sane life before blogging and my sometimes crazy life now!

What started out as a blog to impart  homemaking skills and family recipes on my newly married young daughter soon took on a life of it's own!

I'll never forget my very first comment. I was actually startled and jumped with surprise. Someone knows I'm out there... oh, no! It only took reading the kind note to get that "blogger's high". People saying nice things to you... yes, there are a whole bunch of kind, generous people in blogland!

Today is my 511th post! Who knew that a middle aged women in the heart of Lancater County had so much to say.... and more incredible, that so many would care.

The best part of blogging are all the dear readers and blogging friends that visit and support StoneGable, and all the wonderful friendships I have made that would not have been possible without my blog! Thank you for being such a precious part of my life! You have blessed me by your friendship, kind words and gracious well-wishes!  I treasure all you you!

Thanks for visiting, following and commenting these past 2 years!

God Bless You!

Now here's what's ON THE MENU

 

MONDAY
Nani's Sauteed Chicken
Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Carrots
Homemade Applesauce

Recipe: Nani's Sauteed Chicken
Sauteed Chicken is such a flavorful, fall-off-the-bone chicken. This is a recipe that takes be back to my childhood! My Nani made this recipe and so did my Mom. I have made it for decades and now my daughter makes it too! This is a must try recipe!
1 chicken cut up- I prefer using thighs and drummies and just a couple of breasts
1 large onion, peeled, and chopped
4 celery ribs, chopped
chicken stock or water
vegetable oil
salt and pepper

In a large dutch oven, or skillet add oil and heat over medium heat. Add onions and celery and saute until browned, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from pan and reserve.

Add a little more oil, add chicken in batches and brown on all sides. Return all chicken, onions and celery to pan. Add chicken stock till chicken is half covered and put the lid on the pan, crack lid.  Simmer for 45 minutes turning once. Stock should be reduced and a little thicker. Serve stock and veggies over chicken and mashed potatoes.
Printable Recipe

TUESDAY~ SLOW COOKER SOUP DAY
Beef and More Beef Barley Soup
Crusty Bread

Recipe: Beef and More Beef Barley Soup
YUMMY! That's all I can say!!!!!
2 lbs beef lean stew beef cut into small cubes, about 1/2 inch ( I like to use a chuck roast and a beef soup bone)
1 cup chopped onion
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, diced
3/4-1 cup barley
1 bay leaf
8- 10 cups beef broth
1/2 cup good dry red wine
salt and pepper
olive oil

In a large skillet heat oil to medium heat. Add onion an celery. Cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker. Add a little more oil and add beef cubes. Brown on all sides. Add to slow cooker. Add the rest of the ingredient to the slow cooker, cover with lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Printable Recipe

WEDNESDAY
Tuscan Pork Loin With Sage
Roasted Root Vegetables
StoneGable Walldorf Salad

Recipe: Tuscan Pork Loin With Sage
I love to cook with Marsala! I think it goes wonderfully with Fall flavors!
1 lb. pork tenderloin, sliced into 8 pieces
8 large sage leaves
2 slices very thinly sliced proscuitto
1 tsp olive oil
1 TBS butter
1 1/2 cup Marsala
salt and pepper
2 TBS fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Flatten each slice pork medallion between 2 pieces of waxed paper. Lay sage in the middle of each pork medallion. Cut each piece of proscuitto into 4 pieces. Lay one slice on top of each sage leaf and roll the pork up with the sage and proscuitto in the middle.

Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet, and add the pork roll-ups four at a time. Brown on all sides. Remove to a plate and brown the other four roll-ups.

Add Marsala and cook, scraping up brown bits. Simmer until it reduces by half. Return roll-ups to pan and simmer with sauce for 8-10 minutes until done.
Printable Recipe

Recipe: Roasted Root Vegetables
4 yukon gold potatoes, diced in large chunks
4 large carrots, chopped in large pieces
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
2 small beets, peeled and halved lengthwise
1 turnip, peeled and rough chopped into large chunks
3 shallots with skin on
2 cloves of garlic, with skin on
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Meanwhile, prepare veggies. Put veggies on a large rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with a good dose of olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Toss.
Roast in oven for 45-50 minutes until veggies are done through. YUMMY! Taste of fall!
Printable Recipe

Recipe: StoneGable Waldorf Salad
What a wonderful fall salad! This is a "it's not rocket science" recipe. Use a little more or less or what ever you have!
3 granny smith apples
2 pears
1 large celery stalk
1/2 cup good mayonnaise
1 TBS cider vinegar
1 TBS sugar
1/4 cup toasted walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup munchkin grapes or 1 cup red grapes halved
1/4 cup dried cranberries

In a medium bowl mix mayonnaise, cider vinegar and sugar. Set aside

Core and cut apples and pears into 3/4 inch pieces , leaving the skin on. Cut celery ribs into 1/2 inch pieces.
Mix in mayonnaise. Add nuts, grapes and dried cranberries.
Printable Recipe

THURSDAY~ SLOW COOKER DAY
Salmon Pinwheels Stuffed With Lobster (from my grocer's)
Iowa Girl Eats Roasted Potatoes
Roasted Green Beans

photo credit

Recipe: Iowa Girl Eats Roasted Potatoes
WOW! Doesn't this potatoes look scrumptious? YES it does!!!!! I found this image on pinterest and tacked down it's original owner. Sweet Iowa Girl was happy to share! This is a must try recipe. To see this recipe and Iowa Girl's great blog click HERE.

FRIDAY
Dinner Wedge Salad
Parmesan Cheese Straws

Recipe: Dinner Wedge Salad
1 head iceburg lettuce
6 oz. good sharp cheddar cheese, grated
8 slices bacon
1 tomato, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
Bleu Cheese dressing- follows

Preheat over to 425. Put bacon on a sheet pan with a rim. Bake for 15-20 minutes until crispy. Put bacon on paper towel to drain and when cool, crumble.

Rinse and dry lettuce. Take out core. Cut into 4 wedges. (I cut them into 6 and save 2 wedges for taco's)
To assemble. Put wedge on plate. Top with bleu cheese dressing. Sprinkly with cheese then bacon and finally tomato and green onion. Yummy!

Recipe: Bleu Cheese Dressing- This is such a delicious dressing!!!!! Much better than bottled!
1/4 cup crumbled bleu cheese (buy good cheese)
1/2 cup mayo (real)
1/4 cup sour cream (full fat)
2 TBS cider vinegar
1/2 cup chopped green onions- you can use green tops
1 TBS parsley
1TBS dill
1/2 tsp course salt, or 1/4 tsp regular salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 drops tabasco sauce.

I mix it in the blender. But it can also be mixed by hand if you want it chunkier. Can be doubled. Keep in refrigerator. This is also a great dipping sauce.
Printable Recipe

Recipe: Parmesan Puff Pastry Breadsticks
These light-as-a-cloud breadsticks are perfect to compliment my dinner salad. They are easy to make and very very delicious! Be careful... they are addictive! For recipe and a culinary tutorial, click HERE.


SATURDAY
Three Cheese Tortillini With Roasted Butternut Squash
Roasted Broccoli
1 package three cheese tortellini, cooked and drained
1 butternut squash, peeled, and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 onion, peeled and cut into 1/2 moon slices
2 TBS thinly sliced fresh sage  OR 1 tsp dried sage
1 TBS olive oil
salt and pepper
2 TBS butter, cut in small pieces
3 cups Butternut Squash Soup (Campbell's, Wegman's and Wm-Sonoma carries this)
dash of nutmeg

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss squash, onion, 1/2 the sage and olive oil in a large bowl. Salt and pepper liberally. Turn out onto a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 15-20 minutes. Add butter the last 5 minutes and toss. Squash should be golden brown.

Add squash to a large skillet with the soup, a dash of nutmeg and the remaining sage. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add tortellini and cook until it is heated through.
Printable Recipe

SUNDAY~ SLOW COOKER GAME DAY!!!!!
Black Bean And Pumpkin Chili
Buttermilk Sweet Corn Bread Corn Bread

Recipe: Black Bean And Pumpkin Chili
Doesn't this slow cooker recipe sound so yummy! A piping hot bowl as we cheer on our favorite football team (go EAGLES!). I am using rotisserie chicken instead of turkey.
Click HERE for this perfect-for-fall recipe!

Recipe: Buttermilk Sweet Cornbread
1/2 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup white cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease an 8 inch pan.

In a large bowl, beat eggs and add sugar and combine. Stir in butter.
Combine buttermilk and baking soda and stir into egg/sugar/butter mixture.

In a separate bowl combine cornmeal, flour and salt.  Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients in thirds.

Pour batter into pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean when tested.
Printable Recipe

NOW  WHAT'S ON YOUR MEMU...

I can't wait to see all of your delicious dishes. Thank you for joining ON THE MENU MONDAY! 

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