Definitely on the top of the "Comfort Foods" list - try the recipe today!

It is now almost two years ago that I first posted the Homemade Beef Stew Recipe. Comments have been pretty unanimous – “Just like grandma used to make!” And that makes me very proud – my own grandma taught me to cook and bake and I will always be grateful for that.

This recipe is perfect for this time of year – I would most definitely place it at the top of the “Comfort foods” list. Add homemade biscuits or freshly baked bread – and you have a winner!

Here are the recipes – enjoy and please continue sending me your comments and experiences!

Great Homemade Beef Stew

Click on the picture to get the recipe and step by step directions, complete with photos

Prize Winning Tea Biscuits

These tea biscuits will go great with your Homemade Beef Stew! Easy to make and they always turn out

 Homemade White Bread

Making your very own,m delicious homemade bread is not as difficult as you may think - try this recipe and directions - it will go great with the Beef Stew!

]]> http://www.mama-knows.com/recipes/great-homemade-beef-stew-recipe.html/feed 0 http://www.mama-knows.com/featured-articles/how-to-make-christmas-stockings.html http://www.mama-knows.com/featured-articles/how-to-make-christmas-stockings.html#comments Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:15:03 +0000 Hanna Trafford http://www.mama-knows.com/?p=6659

You can make your very own Christmas stockings and add a special touch to each one. Use them to decorate with, fill with treats and give as gifts!

Here is a really cute idea! You can easily turn woolen socks into one of a kind Christmas stockings – imagine hanging them on your mantel or accenting your armoire with them.

All you have to do is find the woolen stockings you like, and think how you can complement their look. Adding flannel patches, pieces of wool materials, trims, buttons, bells or a fringe will make these your very own. Most items can be stitched on by using a darning needle and narrow ribbon, yarn or cotton.

Adding a name is easy as well – here are 3 easy steps for you:

Insert a cardboard liner cut slightly larger than the sock, into the sock before decorating. THe liner will prevent stitching chatching the back of the sock

Stitvh letter, using yearn and back stitches - it may be a good idea to mark your letter on the sock first - easier to keep them the same size

Knot a loop of ribbon through top of sock for a hanger. You can put small treats into your sock or stuff it with a tissue paper or polyester fiberfill if you are using it for a decor.

And here is a very cute idea – making stocking for your four-legged friends and filling them with some treats!

treat your pets this Christmas as well - they know they have been good!

Hope you will enjoy making your own Christmas stockings – please send me your comments, suggestion and experiences – and pictures – your input is very welcomed and much appreciated!

Let me tell you a little bit about some of the products.

First - The Recipes in a Jar – it is a group of products that I am very proud of. Mainly because I am so very comfortable that everyone will love them. I have been told many, many times that I make wicked Chili, the best ever Butter tarts, very popular and frequently sought after Chocolate Chip Cookies, great Soups and even my two and half year old grandson checks with me every single time if I am bringing him Muffins.

Each one of these products is now packaged either in a glass jar or a nice gift bag, with a folder that includes the recipe and step-by-step directions. And you can check out all the products in the Mama Knows Online Store

Mama Knows Good Old Fashioned Chili - this jar contains 5 different kinds of beans and my very own premised spices and seasonings. It will make over 20 servings and is great to freeze.

Good Old Fashioned Chili in a Bag - same content as in the jar and of course - every product comes with a special folder with recipe and step by step directions

I have also created Gift Baskets – from the ones filled with cookies and chocolates, to one for the person that likes to bake (that one has a gift bag with my very own Chocolate Chip Cookies mix included) to a special one for the dog lover and another one for the Pasta Lover

Hope this give you a few ideas as to how you can make your very own special Christmas Gifts – and if you want to make it easy on yourself – you can just visit my online store and buy them from me!

For the baker on your list - festive cookie container filled with Betty Crocker utensils and my very own Chocolate Chip Cookie mix

For the Dog Lover - Ceramic food dish, filled with doggie goodies, including a frisbee and treats.

Perfect for you to share with others - whether they are your co-workers or employees or friends. Pretty festive red bowl filled with selections of cookies. chocolates. herbal teas, hot chocolate and candies

Great selection of items that will delight pasta lover on your list - all packaged in a white colander and of course - beautifully wrapped

There is a whole lot more items in the Mama-Knows online store – check them out today!

Homemade Donuts:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of 10% coffee cream
• 1/2 cup of whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 3 cups of flour
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• Vegetable cooking oil
• Cinnamon

Directions:

1. In a bowl, whisk together 10% cream and whipping cream and vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and ginger.
3. In a large bowl, beat eggs with 1 cup of sugar until light and fluffy, gradually beat in cream mixture
4. Mix in flour mixture
5. Refrigerate for about an hour
6. On a floured work surface, roll out the dough to about 1/2 thickness
7. Cut out pieces with a donut cutter ( I have also used 2 sizes of cookies cutters  and it worked fine)
8. Line baking sheet with paper towels and set aside
9. In a large saucepan or deep fryer, heat oil to 375F
10. Cook donuts, turning often until golden brown – about 5 minutes
11. Place on paper towel lined baking sheets to absorb excess oil
12. In a paper bag, mix together cinnamon with sugar to taste and shake donuts to coat them

This recipe will make you about 30 donuts

Hope you have enjoyed making your delicious homemade donuts – please send in your comments, suggestions and experiences, your input is always welcomed and much appreciated!

Your Super Bowl Sunday party will not be complete without pizza! I know that it is easier to pick up the phone and order varieties that will come to you hot in cardboard boxes, but believe me – making your own pizza is easy and it really is so much better!

You can prepare the ingredients ahead of time and keep them in ziplock bags or plastic containers ,all ready to put on the crust you either purchase from your local bakery or make it yourself.

My absolute favourite is Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza – ever since I made it the first time, it has been very hard to order a pizza – you will keep on comparing and changes are that you will decide you will always make your own!

Here is how to go about making your own pizza and few of my favourite recipes:

How to Make Your Own Pizza

And please do try making the Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza – you will not be sorry!

Homemade Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza

If you want the Authentic Italian Pizza – check out these recipes! You will also find directions to make you own pizza sauce:

Authentic Italian Pizza Recipes

There are more recipes available on this site :

Homemade Pizza on the Grill

Homemade Summer Pizza Recipes

Enjoy making your own pizza and enjoy your Super Bowl party!

Here is a recipe that is perfect for the long winter days – I would definitely consider it a comfort food. I first posted it here almost 2 years ago and many readers sent me great comments. Most agree with me, that it is a stew just like grandma used to make. I updated the copy and hope you will continue enjoying it and may others!

I have done something a little different this time. I started making homemade beef stew yesterday and as I was cutting, chopping and mixing, I took pictures. I have to admit – most of my cooking and baking is now done without opening my recipe book – and some recipes are not even there. That is how my grandma taught me, that is how my mom cooked – and that is how I ended up doing it – so the legacy continues.

Hope you enjoy this step-by-step guide to Great Homemade Beef Stew!

I had a piece of rump roast - about 1-1/2 lbs.

I had a piece of rump roast – about 1-1/2 lbs. of it. You can see that it is nicely marbled (that’s the little white lines that go through the meat) and also has a bit of fat on the bottom. That is no problem – its actually good to leave a little fat in for the flavour.

Next step: Cup up about 4 slices of bacon  and chop one large onion. In a large pot, melt a tablespoon of butter and fry the bacon and onions in it.

Meat is cut into 1-inch chunks

Cut all the roast meat into about 1-inch chunks, add to bacon and onion mixture, add salt, pepper, garlic (I used 2 cloves, mashed), paprika (about a teaspoon) and Italian seasoning mix (about 1 teaspoon) and brown the meat in it. When that is done, add enough beef broth to cover the meat, turn the heat to simmer and leave simmering for about 1 – 1-1/2 hours.

Get your vegetables ready

Get your vegetables ready. Today, I used carrots, mushrooms, celery and potatoes only. In the past, I have added tomatoes, beans, green peas – pretty much whatever vegetables you or your family likes can go in.

Chop your vegetables into small pieces

Chop your vegetables into small pieces – how small depends on how you like them, remembering that the larger the pieces are, the longer they will need to cook. Leave them in a bowl, covered, until your meat is tender enough to add them.

Add prepared vegetables to your cooked meat

Add your vegetables to the cooked meat, mix and again add beef broth to cover the mixture. The amount of beef broth you add will depend on how much gravy you want to have – but you can always add more later!

After simmering the mixture of meat and vegetables for about 1/2 hr to 45 minutes (check your vegetables – if carrots and potatoes are tender, its good to get finished.

By finishing it, I mean thickening the gravy. Little note first – if you are planning to freeze some of this stew, remove the amount you want to freeze first and don’t thicken that. It is better to do it when you defrost it – then you have a meal ready in minutes!

Serve and enjoy!

Here is how I thicken the gravy:

Take about 3/4 cups of water, mix into it about 1/2 cup of flour and make a nice smooth paste. Bring stew mixture to boil, slowly add the paste while stirring continuously and add just enough to get the thickness and consistency you want.

As a last step, taste your creation and add any spices you think could be missing – like more salt or pepper.

And ENJOY! I am sure your family will!

Your comments, suggestion, experiences and pictures are most welcomed and appreciated!

]]> http://www.mama-knows.com/recipes/homemade-beef-stew-recipe.html/feed 7 http://www.mama-knows.com/recipes/old-fashioned-baked-rice-pudding.html http://www.mama-knows.com/recipes/old-fashioned-baked-rice-pudding.html#comments Mon, 16 Mar 2009 21:32:02 +0000 Hanna Trafford http://www.mama-knows.com/?p=323

This is one of my favourites – actually, to be honest, I try not to make it very often, because I love eating it too much! Try it and let me know if you could stay away from it – especially when it is still warm ! Yummy!

Old-fashioned Baked Rice Pudding:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of long grain rice
• 2 cups of milk
• 1 cup of water
• 1/2 tablespoon of butter
• 1/3 cup of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/3 cup of raisins

Directions:

1. Stir all ingredients (except raisins) together in a buttered 1-1/2 quart casserole.
2. Bake in a slow oven (300F) for 1 hour without disturbing the rice.
3. Reduce temperature to 250F and continue baking for 1-1/2 hours more.
4. Add raisins 1/2 hour before removing from the oven. You can also sprinkle either cinnamon or more nutmeg over the top just before the pudding finishes baking.

Hope you enjoy this great old fashioned dessert (or a snack for anytime) – please send in your comments, suggestions and experiences, your input is very welcomed and much appreciated