Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Norwegian Kumlas (potato dumplings) 4 recipes

 

You know those old recipes your grandma made from scratch and didn't use a recipe? Well, this is one of those. Luckily before my grandma passed away, we got her to figure out a recipe we could use to continue our family tradition.  We call these "Krubbers" and I have ALWAYS had them for my birthday.  My grandma made them for me every year, then my mom and now I make them myself.  In fact, today is my birthday and I made the biggest batch on Saturday for my party and took pictures too! My cousin and my kids are going to love me because now they will ALWAYS have the recipe and will be able to make them for their families for years to come. <3 

At the end of the basic directions is FOUR recipes for 5#, 8#, 12# and 20# of potatoes.

Basic Ingredients: 1 large bone-in ham (NOT spiral cut), potatoes, flour, oatmeal, salt and pepper to taste and a LOT of butter.

No matter how many potatoes you use, these are the directions for all FOUR recipes: 

1. Cut big chunks off the ham. Place chunks in a 9x13 dish, cover with foil and bake at 295 while you make the Kumlas.  Save some of the ham to cut into cubes about the size of a dice.

2. Fill a VERY large pot half full of hot water, add the ham bone and bring to a boil.

Mix well!
After mixing, it will be sticky!



3. Peel and shred all of your potatoes.

4. Add flour, oatmeal, salt and pepper to potatoes.  Mix well with your hands.  TIP: remove your rings and jewelry! It will be very sticky!




5. Make a little birds nest in your hand with potato mixture and add a little cube of ham.  Pat together to make into a ball about the size of a baseball.  NOTE: they will expand when in the water so you don't want them too big.

Make a little nest, add ham.
6.  Continue this until all the potatoes have been made into balls and you have added them to the boiling ham water.

Sticky potato ball!
7.  Reduce heat to medium-low but watch closely. If they get too hot, they will scorch on the bottom.  Stir occasionally to make sure they don't burn on the bottom.  Also, if you don't use enough flour, they will fall apart in the water.

8. Continue to boil slowly for 60-90 minutes.  Take out one and cut in half to make sure potatoes are cooked through.

9.  Remove from heat, cut up balls and pour melted butter on them and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with ham that has been heated in the oven.  I also like to serve them with steamed carrots because they taste good in the melted butter too! My grandma served them with "crunchies" which were basically cut up raw veggies.  My great grandpa would eat them with maple syrup instead of butter.  I have to admit I have not tried that yet. lol  ENJOY!!!

Here are the FOUR recipes with different pounds of potatoes:

Cooked and ready to eat!
5# recipe

1 large bone-in ham
5# potatoes
1 1/2 cups oatmeal
5 cups flour
1 TBS salt

Use same directions above

8# recipe

1 large bone-in ham
8# potatoes
2 cups oatmeal

Cut up, pour on butter, enjoy!


8 cups flour
1 1/2 TBS salt

Use same directions above

12# recipe

1 large bone-in ham
12# potatoes
3 cups oatmeal
12 cups flour
2 TBS salt

Use same directions above

20# recipe

1 large bone-in ham
20# potatoes
4 cups oatmeal
16 cups flour
2 TBS salt

Use same directions above


Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Valentine's Day Chocolate Fondue Family Tradition



 
A couple years ago I found a fondue kit, brand new and still in the box, at Goodwill for just a few dollars. It sat in the cupboard until Valentine's Day when I decided to start a new family tradition.  So VD is the only time we have our chocolate fondue party.
 
1 bag of milk chocolate chips
various dipping items like strawberries, bananas, cream puffs, pound cake, marshmallows, potato chips and pretzels.  Have fun with it and try a bunch of things!  Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl (I was lazy this year and didn't use my fondue pot on the stove since it's the 19th and the kids were at their dads on the 14th lol), stir every 30 seconds until melted all the way.  Happy Dipping!
 

Pink Spaghetti

 
 
Ok, it's more orange but pink sounds more fun. lol My husband's mom made spaghetti "often" when he was young, so it hasn't been his favorite.  I tried a "vodka" spaghetti once and it was really good so I tried this with the family and it was a hit.  Pretty basic and simple using store bought items. 
 
16 oz (1 pound) thin spaghetti noodles
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 tsp minced garlic
powdered onion flavor to taste
salt and pepper to taste
Italian seasoning to taste
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 16 oz can Alfredo sauce
 
Cook noodles according to package. In the mean time, brown hamburger with garlic, onion flavor, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Once the hamburger is cooked through, add the tomato sauce and alfredo sauce, mix and let simmer on low.  When the noodles are cooked, drain the water and add the noodles to the meat sauce.  Stir and serve. 


Sunday, February 2, 2014

Baked ham and cheese sandwiches


I made these today for Super Bowl Sunday. I made them with brown sugar in the sauce but the kids said they were too sweet. So I'm leaving that out of the recipe. 

1 pkg Hawaiian sweet rolls (I used mini sub size)
1 pkg thin sliced deli ham
6-8 slices Swiss or American cheese
1 stick of butter
2 tsp onion powder
3 tbsp Dijon or yellow mustard
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tsp poppy seeds

Directions:

Cut the whole sheet of rolls so you have a sheet of tops and bottoms. Line 9x13 pan with foil and place bottom sheet in the pan. 

Melt butter in microwave in bowl and whisk all ingredients except ham and cheese. Pour HALF mixture over bottom sheet in the pan. 

Layer ham then cheese slices over bottom sheet of rolls. Put top on sandwiches and pour the rest if the butter mixture over the top. 

Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 20 min. You can make ahead with sauce and keep refrigerated until ready to bake. 

Cut apart after uncovering and serve hot. Serves 6. 

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Faith's Sausage Potato Soup


 
Ok, first of all, I made up this recipe all by myself! Hubby and I ate at Olive Garden a few weeks ago and for the first time passed on the salad and got soup.  I can't remember the long Italian name of the sausage and dumpling soup I had, but it was *really* good.  Hubs had the other one that was sausage and potatoes.  One of them had kale, but I can't remember which.  So today I made spaghetti with sausage for the first time and decided to use half the sausage for soup.  Here's what I came up with and it's really good.  Hubby thinks it gives OG a run for their money!!! REALLY???!!! Look out Top Chef, here I come! lol

Faith's Sausage Potato Soup

1 pound ground pork sausage (the kind in the tube, I used "original" or maybe it was "mild"?)
4 beef bullion cubes
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 can sausage gravy (I know, weird, but I told you I made this recipe up by myself!)
3 handfuls of fresh spinach (I didn't really measure, but a little extra wouldn't hurt anyone)
4-6 red potatoes diced
salt and pepper to taste
dry Italian seasoning to taste

Brown pork sausage. Add 6-8 cups of water to a large pot.  After sausage is cooked through, add to pot of water, turn on high. Add bullion cubes, COM soup, can of sausage gravy, stir. While this starts to heat up, dice up red potatoes. Add them to pot along with the fresh spinach.  Add some shakes of salt and pepper and several shakes of Italian seasoning to taste.  Bring to a boil, turn down heat and cook until potatoes are soft. Enjoy!

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Apple-Dijon Pork Roast

APPLE-DIJON PORK ROAST
 
 
1 pork shoulder roast (about 2 1/2 pounds)
1/2 cup apple sauce
1/4 cup apple juice
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
 
Place the roast in the insert of a slow cooker with 1/2 cup water.
 
In a small bowl, whisk together the applesauce, apple juice, and Dijon mustard.  Pour over the roast. Cook on low for 7-8 hours.
 
Serve with sautéed red potatoes and steamed broccoli.
 
This was really good.  The pork practically fell apart.
 


Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Cheesy Burrito Casserole


CHEESY BURRITO CASSEROLE
 
Prep Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 50 mins
Servings: 8-10
 
                    Ingredients:
    • 1 lb ground beef or 1 lb ground turkey*
    • 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
    • 1 (1 1/4 ounce) packages taco seasoning
    • 6 large flour tortillas*
    • 1 (16 ounce) cans refried beans*
    • 2 -3 cups shredded taco cheese or 2 -3 cups cheddar cheese*
    • 1 (10 3/4 ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup*
    • 4 ounces sour cream*  (I used 12oz cottage cheese) 
    • extra sour cream, salsa and/or guacamole to add on the top
                  Directions:
  1. Brown ground meat/turkey and onion; drain.
  2. Add taco seasoning and stir in refried beans.
  3. Mix soup and sour cream in a separate bowl.
  4. Spread 1/2 sour cream mixture in the bottom of a casserole dish.
  5. Tear up 3 tortillas and spread over sour cream mixture.
  6. Put 1/2 the meat bean mixture over that.
  7. Add a layer of cheese.
  8. Add hot sauce if you want spicy
  9. Repeat the layers.
  10. Sprinkle cheese over the top and bake, uncovered, at 350°F for 20-30 minutes.
  11. *can use low fat or fat free
This was easy for me to do.  I didn't have sour cream, so I decided to be brave and use cottage cheese and it still turned out!!! And the best thing, the kids LOVED it!  And hubby too. =)