Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

1 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. granulated sugar
2 Tbs. cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbs. {shortening, butter}, melted
1 c. finely chopped nuts (optional)
1 c. brown sugar (packed)
1/4 c. cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 3/4 c. hot water

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Blend in milk, vanilla, and shortening; stir in nuts. Pour into ungreased square pan (9x9x2 inches). In another bowl, stir together brown sugar, cocoa powder, and cinnamon; sprinkle over batter. Pour hot water over batter.

Bake 45 minutes (you could do less if you like more fudge and less cake). Eat it hot, with ice cream!

9 servings.

Mamacita's Famous Taco Meat

1 lb. ground {buffalo, beef, elk}
1/8 c. dried onions
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2-3 Tbs. *chili powder
1/2 to 1 tsp. ground cumin
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. oregano *leaves (the Mexican kind is best)
Splash of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Begin by browning the meat. If using buffalo or elk, put a little oil in the pan to help it not stick. Mom likes to sprinkle a little salt, pepper, and garlic powder on the meat while it's browning so it doesn't have the nasty ground meat smell. When it is about half browned, add the dried onions. Make sure as you brown the meat that you mince it into tiny pieces. When the meat is browned, add the garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Then add 1/4 c. of water, cover, and let the meat simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until you're ready to eat. Just before serving, uncover and let the water cook off.

Best enjoyed with La Victoria green taco sauce.

Frugal tip: To stretch the meat, you can add a grated raw potato. Just add it at the same time you add the dried onions (the pinky-brown stage).

*Mom prefers these spices (found at Sam's club). The brand of chili powder especially makes a big difference in flavor:

Ye Officiale Yuletide Exchange

Ok, we finally nailed down the Christmas gift rotation. Here is who has who this year:

Bryan and Anna are gifting to Caitlin

Matt and Janice are gifting to Chad

Megan is gifting to Adam

Caitlin is gifting to Bryan and Anna

Chad is gifting to Matt and Janice

Adam is gifting to Megan

White Chocolate Chip Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients: 
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) white chocolate chips *I actually used about 1 c. white and 3/4 c. bittersweet chocolate chips


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by well-rounded teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheets. 

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until centers are set. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.


*Recipe adapted from Nestle Toll House White Chip Chocolate Cookies recipe

Brazilian Chicken

2 Tablespoons Margarine
2 Cloves minced garlic
1 Medium Onion Diced
2 Pounds Chicken Breast Cubed (Raw)
1 1/2 Teaspoon Chicken Bouillon
1 4oz Can Mushrooms
1 Pt. Heavy Cream
2 Tablespoon Ketchup
Black Pepper

Saute margarine, diced onions over medium heat until translucent, then add garlic. Add chicken bouillon and pepper. Mix, put lid on. Stir once in a while until chicken is cooked. Add mushrooms, cream and ketchup. Simmer low-medium 30 minutes. Always stir before serving. Serve over rice or pasta.

Delicious Whole Wheat with Oatmeal (or Bran) Muffins

Mix Dry Ingredients:
1 1/3 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 Cup Oats or Wheat Bran
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt


Separately Mix Wet:
1/4 Cup Milk
1 Cup Applesauce
1/2 Cup Oil
1 Egg


Combine everything. Stir until everything is wet. 20-25 strokes--DON'T over stir. Bake 8-10 Min @ 350 degrees. You can mix the wheat bran with oats 50/50 you can also sub a banana for part of the applesauce.

Janice's Banana Bread

1 C margarine (I used butter)
2 C Sugar
4 eggs
2 C Bananas
1/2 C Milk
2 tsp lemon juice
4 C Flour
1 Tbl Baking Powder
1 tsp Soda
1/2 tsp Salt

Beat margarine and sugar then add eggs. Add Bananas, milk, and lemon
juice.  Add dry ingredients and mix.  Grease and flour pans. Bake at
350 for 50-60 minutes. Makes 2 full loaves. (I usually 1/2 the recipe,
because it is huge, and I get 4 of those mini loaves I showed you)
Enjoy!

Best Ever Baked Fries

I saw this recipe on America's Test Kitchen. It makes the best baked fries I have ever had. We make them all the time.

Ingredients:

Potatoes

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Preheat oven to 475. Cut Potatoes into thin wedges. (I usually leave the skins on). Place potatoes into very hot tap water and let soak for 10 minutes. This helps change the starch in the potatoes. Liberally oil cookie sheet with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste directly onto the cookie sheet. This helps keep the potatoes from sticking. After potatoes have soaked, drain and spread on cookie sheet in one even layer. Cover with tin foil and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove tinfoil, flip and bake without the tinfoil for another 15-25 minutes. Enjoy. Goes great with mom's sloppy joes.

(Mostly) Whole-Wheat Bread

This is really Mom's recipe, but I tweaked it a little, and I've been really happy with the results.  No more dried-out, heavy-as-a-brick loaves of sandpaper!

THE INGREDIENTS:
3/4 c. milk
1 large egg
1/8 c. water
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 TBS. honey
1 1/2 TBS. melted butter
1 1/2 tsp. yeast
2 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. bread flour
3 TBS. wheat gluten


THE PREPARATION:
First, heat the milk 'til it is warm, even steaming.  Beat in the egg and the water, then dump it in the bread machine pan.  Add salt, honey and butter.  *Tip: I dip the measuring spoon in the melted butter before I measure the honey, that way you're not waiting a half hour for the honey to dribble off--it just slides right off the spoon.  


Dump in wheat flour, bread flour, and gluten, then hit the dough setting on the bread machine...or, obviously, you can just hit the correct bread setting.  I much prefer my bread without the hole in the middle, and in traditional bread shape, so I like to bake it in the oven.  SO, once you've got your dough...


THE BAKING:
...remove the dough from the bread machine pan, and pinch and pull it, or roll it to fit into a bread pan.  Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and let it rise a little.  I usually just heat up the oven and let the bread rise on top of the stove, so it goes pretty fast.  It's ready to bake when it's risen just above the top of the bread pan.  Pop it in the oven at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until the bread sounds hollow when you knock it.  Set it out to cool before slicing, unless you are ravenous.


THE ENJOYING:

Limericks

Megan, Lizzy and I composed some limericks while we were preparing dinner the other day... Enjoy!

Sandy

We once had a dog named Sandy
Who ate poopy diapers like candy;
She liked to eat crap,
Right down the old trap,
And thought that TP was just dandy!

Mom

We have a mother, called Mom
Who wanted to play Liebestraum;
So she sat right down at the piany,
And played until she was an old granny,
And all she could play was that song.

Ok, I forgot to share this with the fam this last weekend, and it is too good to not post it.  These remind me a little bit of Dad:

Both are from There, I Fixed It.  Dad, I think we have all the stuff for these!

First to post after Bug

I just want to let you know I am first the first to respond Bug. But ummm.... What now?

Welcome to the Dancing Beardalls!

Hello there!  You've just stumbled across what is destined to be an internet sensation.  You've already heard of the Trapp Family Singers, and the Osmond Family--I give you...the Beardall Family Bloggers?  I feel it needs to be said that the name of this blog is a bit of false advertising.  We, the Beardalls, are definitely NOT dancers.  After much brainstorming, during which many names were suggested and cast aside (Those Bleepin' Beardalls, for example), William Holcomb Beard's painting "The Bear Dance" provided a winning source of inspiration.  So, we apologize to any Beardalls out there who actually do dance and could have legitimately claimed the blog title.  Congrats on getting the only dancing genes in the family, and hey, we are probably related!

This blog was created in part to remedy a common occurrence in the family: Sibling A calls Mom for a favorite recipe, inevitably writing it on a scrap of envelope or a sticky note (wait, maybe that is just me).  During casual conversation between siblings, the topic of dinner menus usually comes up.  When Sibling B finds out that Sibling A is having Mom's Famous Sloppy Joes, Sibling B usually thinks to themselves, "Hmm, that sounds rather delicious!" and requests the recipe from Sibling A.  If Sibling A is me, they probably refer Sibling B to Mom so as to not have to actually type out the recipe and/or hunt down the title-less sticky note the recipe is written on...

...I forget where I was going with this.  ANYWAY, the point of this blog is for all of us to post recipes, pictures, stories, you name it.  It's sort of like other people's family cookbooks, only a little more techno.  We are 21st Century, yo!  If you have something really scrumptious for dinner, you can take a pic and post the recipe here, for all the rest of us to enjoy.  Or if you have already planned out an entire week's worth of recipes, THAT IS EVEN BETTER!  You can share it here, receive all the glory, and we will reap the rewards of your hard work.

Well, enough of my blabbering.  Post your little hearts out!

-Bug

P.S. Cater, I appoint you Official Family Editor, so that when I have terrible grammar, it is totally your fault.