HordAholic : delicious

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ReGrow Vegetables from Scraps

I've done this a couple of times now. You'll see from my pictures several different bowls were used, because how dare I hand wash something haha! It takes about a week for our dishes to make it through the dishwasher and be put away. The Hords can be pretty lazy.

Anyways so you can purchase lettuce [in my case romaine], celery, carrots, etc from the store and use a part of it to ReGrow and save for next time. Since I've been out of work lately I've been trying to easily save a few bucks here or there.

I like 'Easy', who doesn't?!

I remember scrolling by a graphic showing the veggies that could be easily regrown from scraps. Sadly, I did not Pin it. [Why? Like this is the whole point of Pinterest to easily 'pin' in'teresting' anything, Ugh sometimes I question my sanity. Just kidding - I always do]

So I've been searching for about 30mins so far to be able to share the graphic as well as give credit to the Pin & user deserved for sparking this post.

I will hopefully updated this post with said pin and credit!

I decided the first and easiest to attempt would be romaine lettuce.

I've got a secret!

My amazing neighbor, Pauly, is a major green thumb and has quite a beautiful little garden in his backyard. All of the credit for the watering/tending in the second half of the process belong to Pauly! He has mentored me and significantly improved my plant success. I'm working with a spider plant in the kitchen currently - MIL gave it to us back in August or September and it's still alive. That's what we call progress! Next plant test will be something that's not super difficult to kill. hehe

Baby Steps people.

...back to the lettuce:

The 1st Step: Cut your lettuce at least 2.5 inches from the bottom of the romaine stauk. Use the rest of the lettuce in the next few days.

2nd Step: Use a bowl [indoor/outdoor] and place all veggies with at least 1 inch of water.

Now is the waiting game.

3rd Step: Place bowl in sun. Check water level daily. Change water before it starts to look gross.

Wait for the lettuce to sprout new leaves from center. Let these grow at least 2 inches.

[I've tried a couple different lengths before planting and the longer you wait in the water the better.]

4th Step: Plant the lettuce in rich soil. Bury the old scrap portion of the lettuce below the soil line, leaving the new leaves peaking through the dirt.

Water daily. Wait for leaves to grow a several inches.

Final Step: Pick lettuce leafs as needed.

I decided to have a taco salad with my delicious fresh from the backyard

Romaine Lettuce.

SO GOOD!

At the same time I also attempted to regrow celery and avocado tree from seeds. These have yet to yield anything though, they aren't dead! The celery is still surviving [through morning frosts at this point] in the garden - so I guess I can still be hopeful? Haha

The avocado seeds definitely have not changed at all. I'm still going to keep attempting this; if they can do it so can I, right?!

Hopefully you enjoyed this post! Now go out and Do It Yourself!!!

...the future is bright!

xoxo

D.Hord

ReGrow Vegetables from Scraps I've done this a couple of times now. You'll see from my pictures several different bowls were used...

Weekend of Protein Part 2 of 3

(Most of this post is the same as Part 1, a different type of burger)

This afternoon Hubby and I went to Haring Brothers Meats to pick up some meat that will be used in a future post. While we were there we decided on dinner for the evening...burgers made from ground sirloin!

Haring Brothers menu above their order counter.

I love cheeseburgers but I also like them mostly plain as you saw in Part 1.

This burger was made especially for Jason. It's a very easy recipe to follow. I hope you enjoy it as much as he did!

Bacon topped BBQ Bacon Burger

Items Needed:
[Affilitate links below, they will give a
small commision at no charge to you]

1 lbs Ground Sirloin
8 strips bacon
2 leaves Boston Lettuce
Pickles
3 tbsp BBQ Sauce [Haring Bros. Prefered]
Grill (or alternative cooking method)
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp McCormick Grill Mates Hamburger seasoning*
4 tbsp Montreal Burger & Steak Rub*
2 slices of your favorite cheese (Jason chose pepper jack tonight)
Meat thermometer
2 kaiser rolls

*After trying many spice blends for red meat I highly recommend the two above. They both provide delicious taste and ease of use.

Recipe makes 2 burgers if you want them large!

The first step is to gather all of your ingredients, you'll want to double check you have everything before you get started! The worst is when you are partially through a delicious recipe when you realize that you need to make a grocery store run, UGH!

I often grab spices at the dollar store at a great discount!

Grab your ground sirloin and toss it in a medium size mixing bowl. Empty in each of your spices. Use your hands [Yes it is gross, but really is the best way to do it] to thoroughly mix the meat and all of the spices.

Now it's time for bacon!

Pan fry about 8 strips of bacon. I cut the strips in half to make the process easier. Use paper towels to remove some of the grease from the cooked bacon. Set aside 2 pieces for the topping of the burger. Crumple up the rest and dump it into your meat. Once again you'll need to mix the meat with your hands to make sure all of the bacon is spread out.

Split the meat into two equal parts. Form each into a ball, flatten, then push a thumbprint into each side the of burger. [This is to help prevent your hamburger patty from turning into a ball during the cooking process.] Repeat with the second patty. Now you'll want to start up the grill! Finally toss the burgers on the grill.

- Tip from Jason -

If you followed this recipe you probably have some pretty thick burgers. To be sure that these burgers are cooked properly it is wise to use a meat thermometer to ensure that your burgers have cooked through to at least 160 degrees fahrenheit. Safety in cooking is always priority!

Once the burger reached the

magic number of 160 degrees, it's time for cheese!

Our burgers took approx. 15 or so minutes to cook. Grab your cheese and lay it on the burger. Let the cheeseburgers cook for an additional 2-3 mins allowing for the cheese to melt.

Once the cheese is melted bring the burgers in. Let the burger sit for at least two minutes. Place your burger onto a bun, top with the 2 bacon strips that were cooked earlier, pickle, lettuce, a drizzle of light mayo and a dollop of BBQ sauce.

Now you have the Bacon topped BBQ Bacon Burger. ENJOY!

The future is bright...

xoxo

D. Hord

Left to right: Jason's Bacon topped Bacon BBQ Burger with mayo & BBQ sauce with a side of macaroni salad. HordAholic's Lettuce Wrap Burger w. Sabra Spreads Honey Mustard and a side of applesauce.

The Weekend of Protein, STAY TUNED for Part 3 a smoky Sunday!

In case you missed it, Part 1

Weekend of Protein Part 2 of 3 (Most of this post is the same as Part 1, a different type of burger) This afternoon Hubby and I went to Ha...

With some of my recent medical issues I have been trying to eat better. I have improved many bad habits already. This recipe is a middle ground. The cauliflower is taking the place of the higher calorie potatoes yet you are still getting some of those delicious flavors from mashed potatoes. It helps to trick your senses. The first time I made this I served my husband Jason dinner without telling him. He enjoyed it, though he did notice a slightly altered taste. I wanted to find out blindly if they really tasted that close. The mashed cauliflower was a hit! Once I told him it made sense. We now make this quite regularly!

Let's get started so you can enjoy this delicious dish at your dinner table!

Kitchen items needed:

[Affilitate links below, they will give a
small commision at no charge to you]

Nutri Ninja Blender, food processor, or veggie chopper
Medium mixing bowl
Medium pot
Medium colander
Cheesecloth

What ingredients you'll needed:

2 (1 lb) bags of frozen cauliflower
2+ tbsp Brummel & Brown (butter or alternative) [according to taste]
1/4-2 1/4 cups milk
1 tsp salt (or less)
1 tsp pepper (or less)
1 tsp garlic powder (or less)
1/4 cup instant potatoes (We prefer Idahoan)

Recipe should feed 4 servings!

First you'll need to steam your cauliflower from the freezer. (Follow directions on the bag )

After steaming, drain the excess water using a colander. The cauliflower will need to be transformed from large chunks to a smooth and fluffy consistency. I use my Nutri Ninja Blender Duo w. AutoIQ to pulverize the cauliflower. The best setting I have found is puree. [If you don't have one use the link to purchase on Amazon!] Also, veggie choppers or food processors should work as well.

Once you have a rice-like or smaller consistency you can remove the cauliflower from the blender. Take your bowl and lay the cheesecloth over the top. Pour your cauliflower onto the cloth.

Use the cheesecloth to drain out as much liquid as possible. Discard of any remaining liquid. Grab the colander from earlier and place the cauliflower filled cheesecloth into the colander and set aside.

Grab your pot, instant potato, 2+ tbsp butter (or alternative) and 1/4 cup milk. Place heat on medium, combine the milk and butter in pot. Stir while the butter melts. Once the butter has melted turn heat to low, empty the 1/4 cup of instant potatoes into the pot and mix thoroughly until the potatoes have thickened.

Now add the spices and the cauliflower into the pot. Mix all ingredients together. Let cook for about 2-3 more minutes on low. Be careful that the bottom isn't burning or sticking!

Keep mixing and add more milk to reach the preferred thickness.

Turn off the stove and cover. Let sit for 5 mins.

Mix and serve with a bit of butter on top!

Now it may sound difficult but it's quite easy! I didn't own a cheesecloth at one time either (don't worry!). They actually sell them in the kitchen accessories section of the Dollar Tree stores. I love the dollar store which I'm sure you'll find out quickly if you follow my blog.

Also to save money I take the left over instant potatoes and store them in a snack baggie. They last forever and you only need that 1/4 cup each time you make it. Always trying to save wherever possible!

I hope you try this recipe out soon. If you do, please let me know in the comments how it went or if you need help!

The future is bright!

xoxo

D. Hord