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Friday, January 25, 2013

Woo Hoo I Have An Announcement


This girl at Country Girl in the Village is super pleased to announce that I am moving…    to my very own .Com piece of the internet. Please, follow me over to CountryGirlInTheVillage.com and see what is going on in my small town life. I’m still raising children, chickens, dogs, cats and cooking up a storm.  There will be pics and recipes for food, skin care and crafts galore.  An archive is set up with my posts from blogger so nothing is amiss, pictures will be added to those older posts shortly/eventually. 


You can still connect with me on Twitter at @VillageGirlBlog and well as #SundaySupper on Sunday evenings at 7pm est. I love a good chat.



Community Chickens is another place you will find me in the blogger world. 


And of course, Pinterest... Find me there at https://pinterest.com/VillageGirlBlog/

Can not wait to catch up with you!

As always, 
Enjoy
: )

http://www.countrygirlinthevillage.com/

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Sunday, January 20, 2013

A Retro Throwback of Tuna Noodle Casserole for #SundaySupper


Call me crazy, but I was so excited when I saw this theme come up for #SundaySupper. Retro recipes, it was my chance to bring back an old family favorite from my childhood. One that I could revamp and remake, to make it more my own. I am all about growing my own food and  using  fresh and local ingredients whenever possible, so  what an opportunity. Then I sat down and was overwhelmed with just wanting the processed version of my comfort food, to sample my childhood.

My mother got a part time job when we were younger and my father was left to make dinner 2 nights a week. Seems like lots of todays families right? What’s the big deal?  Well unlike today, we lived in a rural area and fast food was not as easy to get. My town did not get its first McDonalds until my senior year of high school. So, with fast food not an easy or fast option, my dad turned to his mother’s recipe box and Tuna Slop Night at our house was born. We never called the dish Tuna Noodle Casserole, as I later learned was its true name, it was always Tuna Slop and it was always accompanied by a tall glass of cold milk.



 
The ingredients are throwbacks all in their own. Here is the list of what you need:
Ritz Crackers
2 tablespoons of Butter, melted
1 large can of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup
1 Cup of Milk
1 12oz package of Egg Noodles
1 can of tuna… I used albacore packed in water
1 cup of peas, I used peas that I had frozen from last summer
Salt and Pepper to taste

Hot out of the Oven
Preheat your oven to 350F. In a large pot, combine the Soup, Tuna, Peas and any salt and pepper you want to add. Myself, we do not add salt at all but lots of black pepper. Heat this until warm and mix thoroughly. Then in another pot, par boil your egg noodles. I combine all of these in a baking dish. Then crush the crackers and sprinkle them over the top of the dish. Finally, drizzle the melted butter over the top and set it into the oven to bake for around 20 minutes.  

Someone snuck in for a taste
This time, I am sharing a taste of my childhood, Tuna Slop. Next time, I may try to reconstruct it with homemade cream of mushroom soup, maybe even add in some sherry or dry white wine, but for now, I really enjoyed this #SundaySupper and its throwback theme. Be sure to check out all of what the #SundaySupper contributors have made.  There is sure to be another taste of childhood roaming through all these awesome recipes. 

Enjoy
: )


This Week’s Sunday Supper is all about “Retro Recipes.”  Those food memories that immediately take us back in time.   Some of us enjoyed them so much that we will never change the mom or grandma’s recipe.  Other’s were ready to reinvent and update their favorite Retro Recipe.
Join us Around the Family Table this Sunday at 7pm Eastern Time and share your favorite Retro Food Memory with us!

Sunday Supper Retro Appetizers:
Sunday Supper Retro Salads:
Sunday Supper Retro Breads and Sandwiches:
SundaySupper Main Dishes:
Sunday Supper Retro Sides and Veggies:
Sunday Supper Retro Desserts and Cocktails:
What fun to read the stories about the recipes! There’s lots of great food in the list. I admit I still make and enjoy many of them. Nice to see some updated versions too. Which one is your favorite?
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.


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Friday, January 18, 2013

New from In The Village...Community Chickens

Hi everyone! I have some exciting news from here in the Village. I will be a posting contributor to Community Chickens, an online community of chicken keepers and enthusiasts.  This is such an honor to me. I love reading their blogs and tips on raising chickens. The other contributors are so talented and their wealth of knowledge is expansive.

Tonight, my first post was published. It is titled No Rooster, No Problem. Be sure to swing by and check it out. Leave me a comment on what you think. I always appreciate the feedback. You can also find me tweet from @CChickens on Twitter as well as my @VillageGirlBlog .


No Rooster, No Problem
                       By Shannon Cole
                      at Community Chickens



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Sunday, January 13, 2013

Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas for #SundaySupper Birthday



It is #SundaySupper’s Birthday. Yay! And, to celebrate,  the contributors of #SundaySupper decided to make recipes that have been featured throughout the year.  There are so many awesome recipes, how is a girl supposed to pick just one?! It was a hard task, but I decided to make Anne at  Webicurean.com Enchiladas. 

The Enchiladas were first posted in an After Thanksgiving #SundaySupper, one that utilized leftover Turkey. In the original recipe Thanksgiving Turkey was used to create Turkey and Black Bean Enchiladas. For this recipe, I substituted chicken. A grocery store rotisserie chicken to be exact. I also added corn to the recipe. I have this love affair with black beans and corn that I could not resist adding into this dish.  It was so simple to make and tasted amazing that I for see these enchiladas becoming a weekday supper meal for my family as well. 
 
What you will need:

    3 cups chopped cooked turkey (or chicken)
    1 can (14.5 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
    1 clove garlic crushed/pressed
    ¼ cup chopped cilantro
    ½ jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
    Juice from one lime
    ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
    Salt & Pepper to taste
    1 can (28 oz) green chile enchilada sauce
    12 corn tortillas
    1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
   ½ cup of corn, I used frozen



To begin, I  mixed the chicken, corn beans, garlic, cilantro, pepper, lime juice, and ½ cup cheese. In a baking  dish,  spread about ½ cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of your pan . Now, it is time to construct your enchiladas.  Cover the corn  tortillas in a damp paper towel then place in a microwave and heat for about one minute. Next,  spread a small amount of sauce on the tortilla  and fill with  ⅓ cup your chicken and black bean mixture, roll the sides over, then place seam side down in your dish.  After you have made up the enchiladas, top them with the remainder of your sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Place this, uncovered, in the oven and bake  at 350F for about 30 minutes or until everything is bubbly and the cheese is melted smooth.
 
I served this is a lime wedge to squeeze over the top of your enchilada. I have never used lime juice in enchiladas.  Using the lime was a brilliant idea! The tang of the citrus really sparked off the dish and brightened all the flavors. The black beans and corn, my classic loves, were awesome paired with the cilantro and lime. This was a great way to celebrate #SundaySupper.

Thank you Anne at Webicurean for sharing such a wonderfully tasty dish. I imagine this was great with leftover Turkey, however, it was awesome with chicken.  Yum!

Be sure to check out all the dishes that are being served up. It is a walk down memory lane and an awesome way to remind yourself of all the dishes you want to make this year. There is so many it is too hard to pick just one. Have fun with it.

Enjoy
: )


Sunday Supper Appetizers:
 Sunday Supper Soups and Breads:
 Sunday Supper Main Dishes: 
Sunday Supper Veggies: 
Sunday Supper Desserts and Snacks: 
 Sunday Supper Breakfast Faves:
Sunday Supper Wine Pairings by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
What a fun event filled with such good food! I only wish I could actually taste each one. Oh wait! I can. I have the recipes. Time to get cooking…
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.
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Sunday, January 6, 2013

Faux Ice Cream With Bananas for #SundaySupper



Last January, I began my blog as a way to work through the death of my Grandfather. For the last few years of his life, my life revolved around caring for him. After his death, I found myself with some time on my hands. Little did I know that those early jottings would become something that I love so much. I have come to really look forward to sharing things on my blog and interacting with my readers. Another little did I know fact was that joining Twitter would lead me to #SundaySupper. I have said it before and I will say it again, the mission to return families to the dinner table for quality time and wholesome meals is very dear to me. 

As 2012 came to an end and we welcome in 2013, in place of a resolution, I wanted to make a commitment. This year, I want to commit to replacing lots of processed foods in my family’s life with the unprocessed version. I had such an awakening when I took part in #Unprocessed October that I want to make it more of our family lifestyle. 

This weekend's #SundaySupper theme was Bucket List Foods. Is there something out there you have been really wanting to try? Something new that sparked your eye or an oldie but goodie with a new twist? Something that has been on my Bucket List of Dishes is Faux Ice Cream  made out of bananas. I had heard from friends following Weight Watchers that you could blend frozen bananas into an Ice Cream like dessert. I have added frozen banana into smoothies and they did have a smooth texture so why not try to make the faux ice cream. It is unprocessed and healthy plus I could use the blueberries I had put up last Fall. Win Win situation for me. 

   What you will need:
   A Blender or Food Processor or Dole's Yoanana Machine
   Ripe Bananas pre-frozen
   Milk … for thinning texture (I used 2%)
   Berries (Optional) frozen
   Chocolate Chips (Optional) frozen

Yes, that ingredient list is really it. It seems too simple to be true. Well, it is not. I placed 2 frozen bananas that I chopped into large chunks, in my food processor. I then added a handful of frozen blueberries and a sprinkling of chocolate chips that I had stuck in the freezer when I froze the bananas. Then you splash in milk and begin to blend. Use the milk sparingly to thin out the texture of the frozen goodies as you go. You can add lots to make a milkshake like end product or keep it thick. I stayed with the thicker side. I then used my ice cream scoop to scoop it out much like real ice cream. The 2 bananas made about 2 cups of faux ice cream so you may have to adjust the recipe depending on how many you are serving. 
 
Amazingly, this really is a lot like ice cream. I was completely surprised by how much like soft serve ice cream it really was. My boys even liked it and were completely fooled until I told them it was only bananas. Who knew?!  It is unprocessed as I want to get and a great low calorie healthy alternative to ice cream.

Be sure to check out the other Bucket List dishes that are being tried out and served up by other #SundaySupper contributors. They all look so good. I can’t wait to try them out. 

Enjoy,
:  )


Please, Join us this Sunday at 7 pm Eastern Time on Twitter as we share our bucket list recipes during our #SundaySupper chat. 
Sunday Supper Specialty Breads:
Sunday Supper Main Dishes:
Sunday Supper Desserts and Snacks:
Are you ready to tackle your culinary bucket list? I’m one down and lots to go. Perhaps my next one will be a recipe in today’s event. They all look so good. Choices, choices…

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.
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