I MADE IT TO MY GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!

Homemade Recipe Books

I made it to my goal!!! Im so very excited! About 48 hours to go and Ill be on my way to production. :)

BBQ Baked Beans

Summer is upon us!!! Yippee!!!! Hooray!!!! And that means cookout and fun in the sun! Here is an awesome recipe for you to bring along as a side dish to the next get-together. Enjoy!

You'll need:
1/2 c. dry Kidney beans
1/2 c. dry pinto beans
1/4 c. dry black beans
(OR, you could use 1 1/2 c. Navy beans instead...BUT I didn't have those, so this is what I used today)

12 slices THICK cut bacon, chopped
1 c. onion (I used 1/4 c red onion and 3/4 c sweet/yellow onion), chopped
1 tbs. garlic, minced
1 1/2 tbs. fresh jalapeno, chopped
1/4 c. honey
3/4 c. BBQ sauce(i used my own recipe MY BBQ Sauce but any BBQ sauce should do....)
1/2 c. ketchup
2 tbs. lea & perrins ( you can use generic, but none really have that same distinct flavor)
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. cream of tarter
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. liquid smoke
2/3 c. Coca-Cola

Soak beans overnight (or, do the quick soak like I had to do, because this was kind of last minute on my part, follow instructions on bag)
Rinse and sort beans. Put in large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to boil, then cook on med/low heat for about 1 hr until tender. In the meantime, make the sauce.

In a large pan cook bacon on med/high heat until done but soft. DO NOT DRAIN FAT.

Turn heat to med and add onions, garlic, and jalapeno. Saute until onions caramelize and start to turn slightly brown on edges. DO NOT BURN!!!

um, i thin i was shaking the pan while taking a picture... not smart.

Add remaining ingredients, coke last. Turn heat down to med/low and let simmer for about 30 minutes until sauce thickens up, stirring occasionally.

this is what it looks like when you add the coke... fun!

Preheat over to 325 degrees.

Take BAY LEAF out. (this step is important, and usually forgotten. so dont forget.)

Rinse and drain beans well. Put in 9x9 casserole dish. Pour sauce over top.

Cover tightly with aluminum foil and stick in preheated oven for about an hr or until beans are done and tender.
Do not overcook, or it will be mush.

Serve hot!

"Taco Tuesday" Homemade Guacamole

OK, so Ill admit, I can eat guacamole by the spoonful, any day. And I like mine best. With that said, Ive come up with a recipe to share since not all of you can come to my house to enjoy MY guac. These measurements are all in "ish-ismns", as in, I don't measure, I eyeball when I make guac. And i taste test the whole way along to make sure the end result is heavenly. So to get you started, here is about the measurements I use...

2 Tbs Fresh chopped Cilantro
1 Tbs Finely minced Garlic (about 2 cloves)
1 Tbs finely minced jalapeno (about 1/2-1/3 a jalapeno)
** if you want it mild, take all the seeds out, if you want it spicy, leave the seeds!
2 Tbs Fresh Red Onion, finely chopped
1 Tsp Lemon Juice
1 Tsp Pepper
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/4 Tsp Cumin
2 RIPE Avocados
1/4 Cup Fresh Tomato, diced
1/4 Cup Fresh blackened/roasted Corn (optional...however, i think its necessary)
Lime Wedges for garnish

mix all ingredients very well! make as chunky or smooth as you'd like!

my morning view

Lemon Balm and Basil.

quick update...and laundry soap recipe(not for eating...)

Ive been a bad blogger, sorry folks! Ive been really tied up with my recipe book kickstarter project(you should sooo check it out, just sayin).  I haven't been cooking much of anything original, besides the chicken fingers I made last week, which were, in short, a disaster.
Nothing super special in the works for this week either. Making broccoli cheddar soup tonight and some soup bowls, not my own recipe, but if its good, i promise to post links.
As soon as I get some time and not quite to involved in getting this project off the ground I promise to bring you lots of new yummy recipes.

As a side note, I made laundry soap this week and its been working really well. I collectively, um collected, about 10 recipes online that came up in google when i typed in "diy" laundry soap. Here's the general recipe I got:
1 bar soap
1 cup arm and hammer washing soda
1 cup Borax

grate soap. mix all ingredients well. store in covered container. Use 1 tbs per load.

Here's what I did:
2 bars soap ( i used ivory, next time ill find something that smells yummier)
2 cups a&h washing soda
2 cups borax
1 cup Oxy-Clean

...and i plan on adding some of those new scent balls they have now. for some added freshness. so apart from the all but pleasing smell, no deep inhalation and slow exhale with a smile here... the soap works really well. it gets the dirty smells out, gets the dirt out. for those of you with kids that still wet the bed, also works well for that. (i do a HOT water prewash/soak and add an extra tbs of soap to wash)

oh and its significantly cheaper than the ever rising prices of laundry soap. and you could always stick it in a mason jar, dress it up and give it as a last minute housewarming gift. since its Homemade, and people  love that stuff! ;)