Dynamic 2 Moms~Welcome~

 We want ya'll to understand something about the way we cook. We are not professionals,we are just moms, like you. So a lot of our recipes are recipes we have been cooking in our families for years and watching our grandmothers cooked when they measured by a pinch here and a handful of this there. So we have been trying to pay attention at how much we have added of "this and that" to give you a better idea, measuring wise, of what we mean. So tweak our "this and that"lol to fit your families' taste buds.

~MAIN MEALS~

Beef 

Momma's Brisket

• 1 Brisket - about 12 lbs
• 1 big can crushed pineapple
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup honey
• the juice of one lemon (mmm ..fresh does taste better)
• 1 bell pepper
• 1/2 cup canola oil - sorry olive oil is too strong for this

This meat needs to marinade over night, but the nice thing is that it cooks most of the next day. But it is great for company or a hungry crew with enough left over to reuse.

Add all the ingredients in a huge roasting dish or pan large enough for the brisket to lay comfortably. Cover with foil and place in refrigerator. Turn about 3 times during the evening before you retire for the night. If you get up early enough, then turn over one more for good measure.

Cook fat side up in the marinade and uncovered very slow. Depending on your oven (mine gets after it so I do 275 degrees) about 275 to 300 for about 6 hours.

Let it cool for about 30 minutes before you cut so all the juices will stay in.

Carne Guisada 

This is a mexican style stew meat. Carne is meat, guisada means like cooked or stewed. But here in Tx it also means in a gravy. You would serve this over rice or in a flour tortilla complete with pico de gallo and guacamole.

• 3 - 4 lbs stew meat
• 3 T. vegetable oil
• 2 cans diced Rotel Tomatoes
• 1 jalapeno (or omit) chopped
• 1 serrano pepper chopped
• 2  cloves of garlic
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 1/2 cups water or a tad more

The secret to making great tasting carne guisada is to cook it long and slow until the meat is tender and part of the meat becomes like the gravy. In a large pot brown the beef on medium high heat in the oil, about half way through browning it, I add the peppers, onions and garlic until just soft. (You may need to add another tablespoonful of oil or so depending on how much meat you are cooking. The best way for me to explain to you so you can eyeball is it's about a tablespoon for each pound of beef or so)

Then I add the spices, rotel tomatoes and water. Then make sure the meat is comes to a good boil and then turn it down low to simmer for a good part of the afternoon. I cook it about 5 to 6 hours so it thickens. If you cook it for a shorter time you might want to thicken it with some flour.

Chicken

Chicken Pot Pie

*6 - 8 servings

• 4 small breasts cooked & shredded into bite size pieces
• 4 individual pie crusts
• 1 small package of cooked mixed veggies (frozen taste better than canned here)
• 1/2 of chopped onion
• 2 small jars of mushrooms
• 1/4 c. butter
• 1/4 tsp. sage
• 2 chicken boullion cubes
• 2 c. water
• 3/4 c . milk
• 1/3 c. flour
• pepper to taste

Saute onions and mushrooms in butter until tender, but not brown. Stir in flour,sage and pepper. Add water, milk and chicken boullion cubes. Stir until thick and bubbly. Stir in cooked vegetables. Add filling to one pie crust and use the second crust for a top. Be sure to baste top with butter for a scrumpous flakey top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. You are just heating this up and cooking the crusts so it does not take long.

Chicken Enchiladas

* 6 - 8 servings

• 2 cans Old El Paso (yep I like this brand better) Green Enchilada Sauce
• 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
• 1 large sour cream
• 1 package (24) Corn Tortillas
• 2/3 of a can of chopped green chillis (I actually use the whole can, why just 2/3, but if you like less I guess follow this...lol)
• 1 1/2 cups of Cheddar Cheese or to taste
• 1 1/2 cups of Mozarella Cheese or to taste
• 4 chicken breasts. Diced and cooked and sauted in cumino, onion powder or diced chopped onions if you like and garlic.. Set aside. ( I do prefer sauteed with chopped onions)

In large pot mix enchilada sauce and cream of mushroom. Heat and and bring to a boil. Fold in sour cream and turn off heat.

In another pan, add corn tortillas in a about an inch of oil to heat through and soften. Do not fry, just dip and soften. Blot with a paper towel for a second and dip into enchilada sauce.

Take out place in a casserole dish and fill with chicken and some of the cheese and fold snug. Repeat until the casserole dish is filled. Pour left over enchilada sauce and  sprinkle cheese on top and bake at 350 degress for about 30 minutes or until cheese melted.

Tip: There are many variations for this. You can omit the oil if you are watching the fat, but it does not taste the same and you can use less cheese. Some times I will use less cheese and just sprinkle over the top and not put cheese in each enchilada.

Chicken Parmesan 

(I double the recipe for a family of 6)

• 4 boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
• 1 egg
• 1 c milk
• italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese depending on your preference.
• 1 jar (16 oz) spaghetti sauce. 

(I like to reserve back a little of the sauce to heat on the stove top with a little water to spoon over the top of my spaghetti when the chicken is done.) 

Mix the egg and milk together. Dip the chicken breasts in the mixture then in bread crumbs. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in the hot oil on both sides until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Place a thin layer of sauce on bottom of baking dish. Place chicken in dish. Pour sauce over chicken and bake 30 or 40 minutes on 350 degrees until done. Before chicken is completely done, add mozarella cheese and bake until it melts.

I serve this with spaghetti.

Dorito Chicken

(Thanks Evelyn for introducing this to me years ago.)

•   1 whole chicken deboned. (yep it makes a difference. if you use plain chicken breasts the meat can be too dry at times even with the soups imho)
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 large bag of Doritos
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup of sour cream or can omit but taste better with it
• 1 small can of chopped Old El Paso mild green chilies
• Grated Cheddar cheese to add on top about 2 Cups, more or less.

Debone chicken. Add soups to chicken and all the rest of the ingredients. Sometimes I crush some of the Doritos in with the mix and sometimes I don't depending on what I added. Another variation is to add one can of rotel tomatoes. My kids don't like the rotel tomatoes in it, but  I do. But it is fine without it as the sour cream and green chilies give it a nice creamy texture and taste.

Lightly spray the bottom of a baking dish. Cover bottom of dish with crushed Doritos, add chicken mixture and cover with cheese. Bake until cheese melts and heated through. About 25 to 30 minutes on 350 degrees.

 Seafood

Now being raised in the south you know how picky we are about our gumbo and cajun foods. So when I originally made this recipe years ago I didn't know that this would pass in a pinch when I didn't have time to spend all day. Matter of fact it is delicious and makes a huge potful. Great on cold days AND adding what you have in the refrigerator (meat wise) makes it unique but good each time! Double it and freeze some back.. It tastes even better the second time.

 Sausages

Italian Pour-Over Sauce

*6-8 servings

• 1lb Italian sausage
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. italian seasonings
• 1 (28oz) can tomatoes, broken up
• 1 (16 oz) can tomato paste
• 1/2 cup tomato juice
• 1 package of Ziti
• Parmesan Cheese to taste

In large skillet brown sausage, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Drain excess fat. Add seasonings, tomatoes, tomato paste and tomato juice. Simmer on low for 20 minutes. Prepare Ziti according to package directions. Drain. Arrange on warm platter. Top with sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese.

Easy, easy, easy...good, good, good

Meatless

 Manicotti

(Easy...peezy..lol)

• 12 manicotti shells
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 2 cups mozarella cheese (plus some more to put on top to suit your taste)
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1 jar marinara sauce (We like Ragu 3 Cheese)

Cook shells following directions on box. Mix the rest of the ingredients, except for the cheese you want to put on top. Stuff shells. Thanks Cynthia for this tip: (To stuff shells, place ingredients in ziploc bag, snip off one corner and squeeze mixture into shell). Place a thin layer of marinara on the bottom of a baking dish and place shells on top. Cover with the rest of marinara and some more mozarella cheese. Bake about 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until the cheese is melted.

 Crockpot

Beef Tips

• 3 - 4lbs sirloin tips or bottom round beef. ( I don't think it really matters what you use as it all becomes tender.)
• 1/2 lb fresh mushrooms. (it does make a difference here. Canned just doesn't have the same taste.)
• 1 can 10 1/2 oz beef broth
• Plus 2 beef boullion cubes
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 small onion chopped
• 1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp. ketchup
• 4 T. Flour

Combine flour with beef and toss real well, salt and pepper as desired. (Tip: I am not a salt lover, like hubby, but noticed on this recipe I had to be sure I did add a little more than 1/8 teaspoon). Mix broth, worcestershire sauce and ketchup. Add mushrooms and onions over meat. Then pour mix over it and add boullion cubes. Stir it and then I cook it on low for about 11 hours.....yum yum and tender.

BBQ Chipped Beef or Chicken

( I can't remember who told me this years ago, but it was the best kept secret-only two ingredients)

• 1 roast or 1  whole chicken or chicken parts that make up the weight of a  medium fryer.
• 1 bottle of BBQ sauce of your preference.

Cook slow and low all day long. Roast is delicious this way for BBQ chipped beef sandwiches and the chicken is delicious if you have time for potato salad and beans.

~ SIDES~

 Golden Cauliflower

*Serves a family of 6 substantially

• 1 Cauliflower head
• 1 small can green peas or a handful of frozen peas (the frozen taste better but can will do fine)
• 3/4 cup to 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 T. mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. mustard

After you cut off the stem and clean the head, place it in a baking dish. Salt the head and add a little more than enough water to cover the bottom of your baking dish. The water should be at least an inch deep if that helps to eyeball it. Cover with foil and bake for almost an hour on 350 degrees or until close to being done.(tender). It should steam nicely. Bring it out and uncover. Add the peas around the cauliflower. It should look real pretty! (LOL) Then mix the mayonnaise and mustard and I use a basting brush to spread that yummy mixture on the head. Add the cheddar cheese on top of that mixture and bake until the cheese is melted and the peas are tender about another 15 minutes or so uncovered on 350 degree.

~BREADS~

Coffee Can Bread

• 2- 1lb coffee cans with lid (yep you can still find the coffee cans that are not plastic even though they are becoming rare)
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 large can evaporated milk
• 2 T. cooking oil
• Pam or other spray
• 1 package rapid rise yeast
• 3 T. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 4 to 4 1/2 cups of flour

Mix yeast, water and sugar. Add oil. Mix well then add the rest of the ingredients. Knead lightly and until smooth. Then divide into two parts. Spray coffee can and lid too with Pam. Put one loaf in each can with lid on. Let rise in oven or warm place for a few hours. Then bake in coffee can (without lid of course..lol) at 350 degrees fro 50 minutes. This is so beautiful because all your slices are even sized..LOL

This is a family tradition served along with Great Great Gammy's Dutch Honey (see recipe this page). I hurt myself on this...

 Strawberry Almond Breakfast Bread

• 1-10 oz package frozen strawberries (thawed)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsps cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup chopped almonds

Preheat oven to 350'F.  Grease and flour bread pan.

Beat eggs in bowl until fluffy.  Add oil, sugar and strawberries. 

In a large bowl sift flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.  Add strawberry mixture and stir until well blended.  Add almonds and stir in.

Pour batter into bread pan and bake 1 hr 10 min., or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.  Cool in pan 10 minutes and then turn out onto rack to cool.

~DESSERTS~

Sweet Potato Pie

     ♦ Note: When I make sweet potato pie for family and friends, it is not usually just one. So this recipe calls for four sweet potatoes. By the time you add your ingredients, you can generally estimate about one medium size potato equals one pie. So adjust this recipe for your family.

• 4 sweet potatoes
• 1/2 TBSP. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 1/2 c. brown sugar (you can use only one cup,but we like it sweeter)
• 1 c. white sugar
• 2 sticks butter
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 5 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 deep dish pie shells or home made ones. In a pinch, I prefer Marie Callendar pie shells. Normally I don't care the brand, but with this recipe theirs' taste flakier and better.

Peel, cut and dice sweet potatoes. Add enough water to just cover potatoes in your pot. By not adding more than what is needed, it  keeps it from being real soggy later. Add your salt now in the water. Boil until soft.

While the sweet potatoes are boiling, get out your butter and let it soften in a medium size bowl that you will use to mix all your ingredients in.

If potatoes are soft when you pierce with a fork, drain water and add them to your bowl. The butter will melt nicely. Add the rest of your ingredients. Tip: You have to use this many eggs in order to get the rich custard taste of this pie.

Cream together ingredients and bake for about 45 minutes on 325 degrees. <yum yum>

Granny's Strawberry Bread

• 2 10 oz. packages frozen strawberries (thawed)
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/4 cup oil
• 3 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 tsps cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup nuts (optional, I like sliced almonds or toasted pecans)

Preheat oven to 350'F.  Grease and flour 2 bread pans; set aside. 

In medium bowl mix berries, eggs & oil. 

In large bowl mix all dry ingrediants.  Add strawberry mixture and stir by hand until blended.

Pour into pans.  Bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan then remove from pan and place on rack to cool completely.

Granny's Peach Dumplings

As a little girl one of my fondest memories visting my Granny is watching her cook these dumplings up stovetop in a huge stock pot. Oh the smell of sweet peaches with a hint of cinnamon filled the house.The stockpot she used was about 6 quarts.

• 2 cans of peaches with syrup or frozen fresh if you have canned them. (*Note you will need enough liquid for the peaches to be heated through and to cook the dumplings in. So be sure if you use canned, you have at least 2 cups of water blended with some sugar)
• 1 tsp. almond flavoring
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• squeeze of fresh lemon juice (granny squeezed fresh lemon juice in all her fruited desserts)
• 2 cups of flour
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla flavoring
• 1 to 1 1/2 sticks of melted butter

Add the first 4 ingredients to your stock pot and slowly heat it up while you make your sweet dumplings. Again, be sure you have enough liquid. (About 2 cups. If not, then mix some water and sugar together).

Meanwhile, make your sweet dumplings. Mix the rest of the ingredients until you form a sweet dough. Cut out to form dumplings and drop by spoonfuls into the pot when the stockpot has come to a low boil. Cook until the dumplings are done, about 20 minutes. We always added a little bit of Blue Bell ice cream on top.

  ~ CONDIMENTS, SAUCES & GRAVIES~

Great Great Gammy's Dutch Honey

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 8oz. carton sour cream  (Note the original recipe did not have a size, it was "guesstimated" like most cooking then. I can say I like it with a tad more than 8 oz in it because we like the combination of sour and sweet. So most time I had in another 4 oz or half another container)
• 1/2 cup brown syrup (Again, no particular kind on the original recipe, but dark Karo is the best)
• 1 tsp vanilla (after it boils)

Boil until it clings to your spoon, add the vanilla. Serve over biscuits, homemade bread, coffee can bread or toast. Or eat it with peanut butter like my crew does sometimes.

 Mushroom Sauce

As crazy as this sounds, this easy mushroom sauce has been a life saver in many situations. It is pretty rich, so it's filling and delicious but goes a long way. It seems like you spent hours on a main dish but all the time was only in the sauce as it can be ladled over any beef, chicken or pork, yep even is great on fish. This sauce takes only about 15 minutes...

• 1/2 pound to 1lb fresh mushrooms sliced. (*1/2 pound is enough for about 4 or 5 servings if that helps).
• 1/2 chopped onion
• 2 T. flour
• 2 T. butter
• 1/2 cup to 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste (more tastes better)

Saute mushrooms and onion in butter until they are tender. I cook it about 10 minutes are so. Stir in the flour, lower your heat and stir in the rest of your ingredients until it thickens.

Who...la la...ladle that over some dry chicken breasts that you baked/lightly seasoned in the oven...and it tastes and looks like you worked for hours.....last time I served it over thin pork chops.