Cooking Tips
A Word About Using a Pressure Cooker
Pressure cookers cook ingredients at lower temperatures under pressure. Foods cook quicker, retain more nutrients, and meats tenderize. Once you’ve learned to use one safely, a pressure cooker is a valuable tool. But, once you have the lid locked in place, do not remove it until the cooking is finished and the all the pressure has released from the pot. Do not remove the lid as soon you turn off the heat or remove the pot from the burner. Wait for the pot to cool down, and for the steam to stop venting. Newer pressure cookers have release valves, so you can release the steam and pressure, and open the pot sooner, but don’t try that on one as old as my Grandma’s. (My mother did once, and the whole thing exploded hot boiling food all over the kitchen, sending her to the hospital with second degree burns.) You shouldn’t be afraid to use one, but be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for safe operation.
Chicken & Poultry, comfort food, Main Dishes, Pasta, Quick Dinners
Looking for a satisfying, family favorite main dish? Why not give this simple recipe a try?
This is another of my favorite quick go-to recipes. Sure to please, this makes plenty, more than enough for four. If you add two more chicken breasts or thighs, you can stretch it to serve six. Serve this with a salad or apple sauce or fresh fruit or crusty bread, and you’re all set.
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Instant Pot Friendly, Main Dishes, Side Dishes, Spring, Summer, Vegetables
This is my Grandma Smith’s recipe for Country Green Beans. Our summer table was not complete without green beans as they were harvested fresh, bright green, and crisp. We often had them with barbecued chicken or pork chops. Sometimes, we’d have them for dinner as the main course, served with fresh corn on the cob, and crusty bread.
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Asian, Main Dishes, Pork, Quick Dinners
Ham Fried Rice in 30 Minutes
Ham Fried Rice is one of my go to recipes. My mother retrieved it from an old cookbook, “Dining Out at Home.” (I mean like the 70’s.) I made this for my daughter’s family several months ago. Jessica remembered it was a dish she enjoyed growing up, and I enjoyed the little time it took to bring together. It’s a good way to use up leftovers, and an opportunity to get some vegetables on everyone’s plate.
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Desserts, Tasty Tryouts
Say “Hello” to my little friend
Everyone who loves ice cream should have an ice cream maker. Of course, who doesn’t love ice cream? I prefer the cold, creamy concoction to almost all other desserts, except pie – I love pie and ice cream! I grew up going to family reunions on farms in Terre Haute, Indiana, when I was very young, and ice cream was the highlight at the end of a long day. My dad gave me his old electric maker many years ago. I’ve made many a gallon, mainly vanilla and peach, but it’s just me and Richard now, and I’m gearing up for smaller batches.
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Pasta, Salads, Side Dishes, Spring, Summer, Super Bowl
Perfect Macaroni Salad
My husband and I love macaroni salad. I frequently buy it from the deli counter, because I really like the creamy, tangy consistency paired with firm noodles, sweet pickle relish, a hint of diced onion.
Over the years, I’ve made several batches, but none came close to the creaminess of the store bought kind. The macaroni always absorbed all the dressing.
I couldn’t figure out what was going wrong. Hmmmm . . .
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Barbecue, Beef, Favorites, Main Dishes, Super Bowl
I don’t think there’s much better on earth than a BBQ brisket sandwich. Well, of course there is, but this is about brisket! I’ve made this a few times, as has my sister, and we’ve both been very pleased with the results. This sandwich on this particular night was served with homemade macaroni salad and homemade buns. Let’s just say I was gearing up for this for a few days. Please excuse my messy plate and thumb print in the bun . . . it sure was delicious, though!
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Family, Travel
We are very fortunate to live only two hours away from the oldest national park in the United States. Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872. Richard and I have been married for 15 years, and our goal is to visit the park twice a year, in the summer and fall or winter. We’ve been snowmobiling in the winter, which is an entirely unique experience compared to driving through the park the rest of the year.
Roosevelt Arch – Yellowstone National Park at Gardiner, North Entrance
President Roosevelt arrives at Yellowstone, 1903
The majority of the time, we enter the park
through the North Entrance at Gardiner, Montana. Gardiner is where President Theodore Roosevelt laid the cornerstone for the Roosevelt Arch. At the top of the arch is inscribed “For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People.” And I am so very appreciative; we just love Yellowstone.
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Asian, Salads
Japanese Soba Noodle Salad
I’ve found a perfect summer side dish that is easy and quick to put together, perfect for a hot summer day. These are seriously so delicious!
It’s made with Japanese soba (buckwheat) noodles. I picked up a package at the local World Market, which, in Billings anyway, is beginning to stock more and more Asian ingredients. The dry noodles are shorter than spaghetti, and are packed in neat little 3 oz. bundles – they’re very cute. But, if you can’t find soba, this salad would be outstanding made with thin spaghetti.
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Gardening, Projects
Half of my little garden
When Richard and I were looking for houses in Billings, I was drawn to this property, because of the large garden area in our backyard. We have a substantial backyard, and the garden must be 40′ x 40′. All my life, I’ve dreamed of having a substantial vegetable garden. Little did I know what an undertaking it would become.
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Ethnic Foods, Favorites, Mexican, Snacks, Super Bowl
Ben’s Fresh & Hot Salsa
My family loves salsa. If we’re eating Mexican food, eggs, or just eating chips and salsa, we enjoy each fiery, garlicky bite. My first experience many years ago with salsa was prepared by my ex-mother-in-law. We were in Colorado Springs and she was making turkey enchiladas. As a condiment, she simply mixed a can of tomato sauce with some chopped jalapeno. And it was HOT! At least to my inexperienced taste buds at the time. I remember all sorts of attempts to tamp down the heat in my mouth, to no avail.
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Barbecue, Beef, Chicken & Poultry, Pork, Spring, Tasty Tryouts
I can’t take credit for this luscious barbecue sauce. The original recipe is at Mel’s Kitchen Cafe. I was looking for a new recipe that was liquidy, not chunky, and I was happy to find this one. I used it in my recipe for Father’s Day Ribs Fit for a King. I’ve used it several times before and after Father’s Day, and just love it. It’s a good all purpose sauce for ribs, chicken, pork chops, brisket, sausage, pulled pork – whatever grilling mood you’re in.
Prior to finding this recipe, I made Tyler Florence’s Ultimate Barbecue Chicken sauce. It was delicious, but I grew tired of little chunks of stuff falling off the meat into the grill. And I like my BBQ sauce hot and sweet, made with sugar and molasses. I tweaked the original just a bit by substituting jalapeno jelly for some of the brown sugar. Richard was happy the recipe also includes liquid smoke, which is one of his favorite sauce ingredients.
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Travel
I’ve lived in Montana for ten years. Richard and I have traveled some throughout the state, but the majority of our adventures surround Yellowstone National Park, which we love and is only two hours away. But within easy reach, about 40 minutes from Billings, are two mountain ranges, the Pryors and the Big Horns.
On Saturday, Richard’s boss, Harold, invited us for a tour of the Pryor Mountain Range. This part of the world has been Harold’s stomping grounds for 88 years – he knows it intimately, or so I thought. It was a beautiful day, sunny with a pleasant cool breeze, and Richard and I were eager for the opportunity. We stopped to get some sandwiches, and off we went!
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Fall, Main Dishes, Pork, Winter
Succulent Pork Tenderloin, Apples & Onions
Last week Richard asked me if I wanted to invite his boss for a Saturday dinner. Harold, my husband’s 88-year old friend, was on his own for a few days while his wife went out of town for a granddaughter’s high school graduation. As much as I love to cook and to eat, I get a little nervous when we have guests for whom I’ve never cooked. When you cook often for people, you get to know their likes and dislikes, if you can get away with a casserole, what allergies they have, etc. But I couldn’t refuse an opportunity to host a dinner for Harold, despite my fears. And because I’ve had my eye on these beautiful pork tenderloins in the meat counter for months, I decided the dish would be quick, tender, and succulent – really, a great meal for a special friend, cooked with apples, onions, garlic and rosemary. I mean, who doesn’t like pork – right? So off to the market I went, very happy to have an excuse to pick up a couple of tenderloins, the filet of pork. i was confident I’d scored a hit when he reached for his third piece of meat and topped it off with more onion sauce. We even had enough to send him home with some leftovers, and enough for Richard and I to gnaw on for a late night snack. Hooray!!
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Barbecue, Main Dishes, Pork, Summer
Father’s Day BBQ Ribs fit for a King!
Who doesn’t love barbecued pork ribs? I just love pork in any form. My mother made ribs for us on several occasions, but she used an entirely different technique. Mom cut the ribs into 2-3 rib portions, boiled the ribs until they were barely tender, cooked them for a while longer in a sauce of ketchup and vinegar, and baked them for a bit before serving. Mom said this was her father’s favorite way to prepare ribs. She put a “garbage bowl” in the center of the table where we would discard rib bones devoid of meat, gristle, everything. We loved ribs. If we’d figured out a way to eat the bones, we would have done that too with another slathering of her very simple sauce.
Through the years, I’ve experimented with a variety of porksicle cooking methods. Regardless of the technique, I had empty plates and lots of bones. But during a visit last summer, I decided to give the ribs a dry rub gently baked in the oven and then sauced. The recipe was a special treat in celebration of my daughter’s family’s visit to Montana. Brock, my son-in-law raved about them, so I knew I was onto something good. I tried to finish the ribs on the grill, but they were so tender, falling off the bone, that I decided to bake them off in the oven.
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