Monthly Archives: January 2020
This BBQ beef dish has been one of my family’s absolute favorite recipes lately. With the cold weather here this dish is perfect. Easy to make and my house always smells delicious while it’s cooking. I serve this over garlic mashed potatoes but you could easily serve in tacos too. I use a gluten-free maple BBQ sauce but you can use your favorite store-bought or homemade sauce.
INGREDIENTS
- 2-3 pound roast
- 4 Tablespoons olive oil
- pinch of salt
- pinch of pepper
- 28 ounce of barbecue sauce
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Drizzle 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil on the roast. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and rub into the roast. Do this on all sides of the roast.
Heat 2 Tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot carefully put the seasoned roast in the pan and sear it for about 2 minutes until browned. Carefully turn the roast over and sear the second side. Using tong hold the roast on the edges and sear all of the edges.
Pour the bottle of BBQ sauce into the pan lifting up the roast so the sauce can get underneath the meat. Put the lid on the Dutch oven and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until cooked through. Let the roast rest and shred using 2 forks.
Enjoy!
When we travel to visit our daughter Amanda, her husband Steve and the twins we stop in Herkimer NY and spend a night or 2 there doing some “diamond” mining at the Herkimer Diamond Mine. But when we were there last year we heard about Beardslee Castle that was built in 1860 and has an interesting history including tales of ghosts and spirits. Beardslee Castle is located just ten minutes from where we stay at 123 old state road in Little Falls NY.
This castle is just stunning inside and out. There are 5 Intimate dining rooms one with a 6-foot fireplace. There is a “dungeon” located downstairs with a cozy bar and grill featuring a casual menu, also downstairs is the “wine” room with a gated “cell” with a hand-painted vine mural on the ceiling.
We sat upstairs near the large fireplace. We were seated with menus and had warm bread with hummus and an olive tapenade to start.
Next, we all had a seasonal salad with greens, pumpkin seeds, and red onion. The one thing about Beardslee Castle Restaurant is that they source much of the products local and not only does the menu change seasonally but also weekly depending on what is fresh, available and in the season so although I’m showing you our dinner it’s likely they may not have these items on any given night. We went in late August.
My Mom, Lydia ordered a mushroom ravioli dish. If you like mushrooms this is the dish to get. I mean really….look at all those mushrooms! Needless to say, my mom was very happy with her dinner.
My Dad, Howard and my husband Jim, both had the seafood pasta dish with scallops, shrimp and vegetables. All I can say is the table was very quiet when we were all taking our first bites as they too were very pleased with their dishes.
I had an Asian scallops dish with a side slaw. I love scallops and this dish did not disappoint. I was a little worried as some Asian flavors can take over a dish especially a dish with scallops but this was not the case. Everything balanced just right. The sweet scallops with a tangy-sweet with a hint of salty worked very well together. The crunchy slaw on the side was a nice compliment.
I mentioned earlier about the history of the castle and that it may be even haunted. Well, let’s talk some more and you can tell me what you think! 2 ghost hunting societies believe Beardslee Castle is in fact haunted. The castle has even been featured on the history channel in a segment about “Haunted History”
It is believed that there are at least two spirits. Some of the incidents that make people believe it is haunted include pictures, including one we took. Bright lights that appear to be floating, sounds, doors opening or closing, objects moving, including flying utensils, loud noises and this one would have certainly made me wonder…the sink in the ladies’ room just turns on. Glad that did not happen while I was in the restroom!
There are a couple of theories as to why they think the castle is haunted. One reason is that one of the prior owners hung himself in the castle after a long illness. Another was the death of a bride who died in the castle the night before her wedding. The third reason has to do with the location of the castle. Back in the 1700s during the French and Indian war, a fortified homestead stood on the property where the castle is now located.
No matter if you believe in the haunting or spirits this restaurant is rich in history with delicious food, excellent service in a beautiful location. They recommend reservations and be sure to check them out of their website or Facebook to find out when they are open as they have different hours for summer and winter. http://beardsleecastle.com/
Enjoy!
Although I made these for Robby as they are gluten-free even the gluten eaters in the family enjoyed these muffins tops! These were easy to make with everything I already had in my pantry. I will be making these often!
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups gluten-free flour ( I used Bob’s 1 for 1)
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum if your flour does not have it in there already
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup of milk, I used Fair Life
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips. I used Enjoy Life
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray baking sheets with non-stick spray and set aside.
Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and xanthan gum( if using} in a large bowl. In another medium bowl add the milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla and beat them all together. When mixed well, add the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Scoop out about 1/4 cup of the batter and place on your prepared baking sheets leaving some room as the batter will spread slightly. Bake for 13 – 18 minutes depending on the size of your muffin tops. They will be a light golden brown and slightly puffed up when they are done. Allow to sit in the pan for a couple of minutes then transfer muffin tops to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Enjoy!
As you know if you follow along even a little bit is that my family loves a good burger and sometimes it’s hard to change them up a little bit but if you are looking for something a different this just might be it! This was a great change of pace for us and dinner we all enjoyed.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup finely crushed corn chips
- 1 envelope taco seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon dried minced onion
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 6 slices of cheddar cheese
- sandwich buns
- lettuce leaves
- tomato slices
- salsa
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, combine the corn chips, taco seasoning, onion, and egg. Crumble the beef over the mixture and mix well. Shape into six patties. Grill covered over medium heat or broil four inches from the heat for 7 – 8 minutes on each side or until thermometer reads 160 degrees and juices run clear. Top each burger with a cheese slice, heat just until the cheese begins to melt. Serve on buns with lettuce, tomato, and salsa if desired.
Enjoy!
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