Come On Up To The House

November 26, 2023
by Ashley
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Mai Tai

2 1/2 oz light Rum
1/2 oz Orange Curacao
1/2 oz Amaretto or orgeat
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
3/4 oz lime juice, freshly squeezed

Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake lightly three seconds. Pour into a double rocks glass with crushed ice. Garnish with a lime.

November 26, 2023
by Ashley
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Lime Cordial

This is a homemade version of Rose’s lime cordial.

1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cups sugar
1 1/8 tsp acid blend powder
3/4 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed (about 4 limes)
Zest of 2 limes

Stir sugar and acid together. Bring water to a boil and add sugar mixture. Stir thoroughly to dissolve. Add lime juice and zest. Heat mixture for 1 -2 minutes on high. Cover and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate overnight, then strain out zest. Refrigerate for another day before using. Store in the fridge.

November 26, 2023
by Ashley
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Dried Oranges

I love sparkling water and one of my favorite flavorings is orange. We have been making these for quite a while and they are very simple.

Cut up old oranges into thin slices. Place on a silpat covered baking sheet. Bake at 200oF for 3-4 hours or so. Check on these closer to the end of the cooking time to see if they are starting to dry out. It helps to flip them every half hour. Flipping the slices also gives you the chance to check how dry they are. Some slices will dry more quickly than others so go ahead and remove them. This is especially important to keep in mind if you’re drying various sizes.

They are dry once they aren’t tacky and before they become browned. If the slices begin to brown but don’t feel dry, that’s a sign your oven is too hot! Remove from the oven and let cool completely to room temperature before storing.

We have also dried the orange slices in the dehydrator, which seems to work as well.

Store in an airtight container. These do not need to be refrigerated.

Dried Oranges

November 26, 2023
by Ashley
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Shepherd’s Pie

This is a favorite in our house. The kids love it. I would have to say that I make is a little different each time, so feel free to add your own twist to this base recipe.

Ingredients
1 lb ground turkey (beef or lamb)
1 cup onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 carrots, peeled & chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup frozen peas
2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp tomato paste or 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
1 cup beef broth
2 – 3 cups mashed potatoes
1/2 cup shredded cheese (optional)

Directions
In a large dutch oven, use about 1 tbsp olive oil and heat. Put in the ground meat and cook until done. Chopping into small bits as you cook. Add in the onion and garlic and cook for about 1 – 2 minutes until opaque. Add in the carrots and celery and saute another 3-5 minutes until cooked through. Add in the peas through beef broth. Let cook until thickened. Turn off the heat and even out the filling. Top with mashed potatoes and cheese (Parmesan or cheddar).

Bake at 375oF for 25 – 30 minutes or until the edges are bubbling. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

November 26, 2023
by Ashley
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Monkey Bread

This is an easy recipe using refrigerated biscuit dough. I use Aldi brand buttermilk biscuits but you can use name brand as well.

Ingredients
2 cans biscuit dough
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 stick butter

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350oF. Grease the loaf pan.

Open the biscuit dough and cut each biscuit into 1/4th. In a small bowl, mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Roll the dough into the cinnamon sugar mixture and add until one layer has been completed in the bottom of the loaf pan. Sprinkle over 1 tbsp brown sugar. Continue each layer 2 more times.

Sprinkle over whatever is left of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the loaf pan. Melt the butter in a pyrex and carefully pour over the dough. Bake for 45 minutes.

You can choose to transfer the bread out of the pan onto a serving tray or leave in the loaf pan. You can also choose whether you would like to make a simple frosting or not.

November 1, 2023
by Ashley
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Gin & Tonic

These may be easy drinks, but for some reason I can never remember the measurements.

Ingredients
1.5 oz Gin
4oz Tonic
Garish – Lime Wedge

Pour Gin over a large ice cube or in a rocks glass with ice. Top with tonic and a lime wedge. Done!