Pork Sausage Egg Rolls with Sweet and Sour Sauce

Montanans know how to prepare beef, and they do it well. However, good ethnic food is hard to find. Idaho's Treasure Valley is rich with culinary variety, and perhaps I was a bit spoiled, but I often tell people, "The best Chinese (or Mexican) food in Montana is in my kitchen." Enjoy another of my favorite dishes with this make it yourself egg roll recipe.

Pork Sausage Egg Rolls

1 lb. Pork Sausage

1 C Shredded Cabbage

1 C Shredded Carrots

¼ - ½ C Dice Onions 

Dash each of Garlic Powder, Cayenne, and Ginger

Salt and Pepper to taste

Egg Roll Wrappers - 1 - 2 packages.

Brown sausage over medium heat in a large skillet. Break it up with a nylon meat chopper or potato masher while cooking. Add spices and vegetables and cook until tender. Cool slightly.

Assemble egg rolls following instructions on the package. Fill with a spoonful of the sausage mixture and tightly wrap like a burrito. (See package) Dampen the last corner and press firmly to seal the roll. If preferred, double wrap to avoid spilling of filling. There may be a learning curve here!

Fry in hot oil until golden brown. Serve with Mandarin Sauce, sweet and sour sauce (recipe below), or hot mustard.

Hint: Egg Rolls can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen. Leftover filling can be frozen for future use. Leftover wrappers can be filled with cream cheese, jam, pie filling - the options are endless!

Julie’s Sweet and Sour Sauce

This is the easiest sweet and sour sauce recipe ever! Julie is a dear friend who learned Chinese cooking as a teen from friends who owned a restaurant, so this recipe is a winner!

1 ¼ C Cold Water

1 C Sugar

¼ C White Vinegar

3 Tbsp Cornstarch

Red and Yellow Food Coloring

Combine ingredients and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add a few drops of food coloring to achieve the desired hue. Makes enough sauce for 4. Can easily be doubled or tripled as needed.

Find more of my favorite recipes HERE.

Question: Do you have a recipe to share?  Comment below.

Running Granny Green encourages women, especially grandmothers, to gain greater fitness by providing tips and inspiration to insure long years of joyful grand-parenting. The cookie recipes are a bonus!

Happy Running!

- Carol aka Running Granny Green

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10 Reasons I'm Publishing a Cookbook

Embarrassing reveal of only some of my recipes!

I recently determined to publish a cookbook. I asked for feedback from friends, but I think I had made the decision to forge ahead even before their much-appreciated input. 
It's proving to be a big task!

Here are ten reasons behind my motivation.

1 - My recipe books and scattered recipes are overtaking my storage space.

2 - I visualize each recipe - I know if it is typed or handwritten, in a book or file box, online somewhere, or shoved in a drawer. I waste a lot of time searching for the recipe I can "see" in my head.

3 - As you can see by the photo above, some recipes are becoming faded, stained, or torn and will need to be reproduced anyway.

4 - I have cookbooks that take up space yet have only a handful of useful (at least for me) recipes inside.

5 - Friends and family often ask how to make a particular dish and I have to go in search, take a photo or send a long text of instructions when it would be beneficial to direct them to a digital version or hard copy of all my favorite dishes.

6 - I needed a project to get me through January and February.

7- A few of the recipes on this blog required an update.

8- I can kill two birds with one stone if I update and create at the same time.

9- It gives me an excuse to cook some things I haven't enjoyed making in some time.

10 - While the task is truly for my own sanity and organization, the cookbook will be available for purchase as an eBook or hard copy. So maybe that is a third bird with the same stone.

Can you guess which of my recipes is most requested?
The answer is here.

 

Running Granny Green encourages women, especially grandmothers, to gain greater fitness by providing tips and inspiration to insure long years of joyful grand-parenting. The cookie recipes are a bonus!

Happy Running!

- Carol aka Running Granny Green

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram!

Mint Brownies from Scratch

Mint brownies can made ahead when you are planning for a crowd. Easy, yet fancy enough for a celebration table. Freeze the brownies and frost just before your event. For a smaller batch, use this Killer Brownie Recipe.

 Mint Brownies

My favorite cocoa powder!

3/4 C Cocoa

2 1/4 C Flour

3 C Sugar

1 1/2 tsp Salt

6 Eggs

1 1/2 C Oil

3 tsp Vanilla

Mix together dry ingredients. Add eggs, oil, and vanilla. Mix well. Pour into a jelly roll pan lined with parchment and bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes. 

Mint Icing

1/2 C Butter (I stick)

1/2 C Evaporated Milk

4-6 C Powdered Sugar

6 drops Peppermint or Spearmint Oil

Green Food coloring as desired

Melt butter and add evaporated milk. Combine with enough powdered sugar to desired consistency. Add mint oil and food coloring. Spread over cooled brownies.

Chocolate Drizzle

2 Tbsp Butter or Margarine

1 Heaping Tbsp Cocoa Powder

1 1/2 Tbsp Milk (I used the evaporated milk leftover from the mint frosting)

1 tsp Vanilla

Powdered Sugar as needed.

Like this!

Boil together butter, cocoa, and milk. Remove from heat and stir in powdered sugar and vanilla. Add milk or butter to thin if needed. 

Drizzle in a diagonal pattern over iced brownie. There should be enough to spread over the entire pan if desired. Just be sure your mint frosting has set up so you don't combine the layers.

For variations, use red food coloring for Christmas or Valentine's Day or blue for a cool winter party. Make a batch of chocolate frosting and cover the mint layer completely to please the true chocolate lover in your family. This mint brownie recipes makes about 70 servings.

Hint: A plastic knife makes cutting brownies less messy. Try it!

Find more of my favorite recipes HERE.

Question: Do you have a recipe to share?  Comment below.

Running Granny Green encourages women, especially grandmothers, to gain greater fitness by providing tips and inspiration to insure long years of joyful grand-parenting. The cookie recipes are a bonus!

Happy Running!

Cranberry Scones with Lemon Glaze

Cranberry Scones with Lemon Drizzle

Cranberry Scones with Lemon Glaze

These scones are a hit with family and friends. One recipe makes 18 scones, so you have plenty to set out for breakfast on the go. I tried them with fresh blueberries and my husband asked, “Why are the scones green?” I think I’ll stick with the dried cranberries.

1 C Sour Cream

1 tsp Baking Soda

4 C Flour

1 C White Sugar

2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Salt

1 C Butter (chilled)

1 Egg

1 C Dried Cranberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare lightly greased cookie sheets or use silicone baking mats on the pans. 

Mix sour cream and soda in a glass container large enough for it to expand. Set aside. It will start to bubble.

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Grate cold butter into the dry ingredients or cut in with a pastry fork. 

Beat the egg and add to the sour cream mixture. Blend gently. Add to dry ingredients and mix gently with an electric mixer or work it in with your hands. Dough should be fairly dry. Add dried cranberries and mix until just combined.

Divide dough into three equal parts and form into 1-inch-thick circles. Cut each circle into six equal parts. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes until just beginning to brown on tops. (I’m at 3800 feet and bake mine for 18 minutes.) Let cool.

Lemon Glaze

Cranberry scones with lemon glaze

Lemon Juice or Lemon Extract

Powdered Sugar

Milk

Mix together milk and powdered sugar to desired consistency. Add lemon juice or lemon extract to flavor. I prefer lemon juice. After adding the juice, you may want to add more sugar for consistency. I like to glaze my scones while they are still a little warm by spreading the glaze over the entire scone with a pastry brush. For a fancier look, wait until scones are cooled and then drizzle glaze in a diagonal direction. 

Store in an airtight container or freeze in a zippered bag. Pull them out for breakfast and your guests will be fighting for the last scone!

Find more of my favorite recipes HERE.

Question: Do you have a recipe to share?  Comment below.

Running Granny Green encourages women, especially grandmothers, to gain greater fitness by providing tips and inspiration to insure long years of joyful grand-parenting. The cookie recipes are a bonus!

Happy Running!

- Carol aka Running Granny Green

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram!

Quick and easy Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuit Crust

Individual Chicken or Turkey Pot Pies

 Chicken or Turkey Pot Pie w/ Biscuit Crust

As empty nesters, we end up with a lot of leftovers even from one roasted chicken. If you find yourself with a little extra chicken and gravy, here’s a quick and tasty way to assemble individual pot pies.

1/4 C Chopped Onion

1/2 C Chopped Carrots

1/2 C Chopped Celery

1 C Cubed Potatoes (Can be previously cooked as in leftovers from the roasted chicken dinner)

Chicken Bouillon

Leftover Chicken Gravy

1/4 C Frozen Peas

1/2 C Frozen or Canned Corn

1 C Cubed Chicken or Turkey 

Salt & Pepper to taste.

Boil raw vegetables in just enough water to cover. Add bouillon to taste. When vegetables are tender, add leftover gravy, peas, corn, and cubed meat. Cook until heated through. Season to taste. Note: If a thicker gravy sauce is desired, thicken with a flour and water mixture and cook until desired consistency.

Meanwhile, prepare biscuit crust. I like this Baking Powder Biscuit recipe.

Baking Powder Biscuits

2 C Flour

1 Tbsp Baking Powder

2 tsp Sugar

½ tsp Cream of Tartar

¼ tsp Salt

½ Cup Shortening

⅔ C Cold Milk

Preheat the oven to 425-450 degrees. Mix together dry ingredients. Cut in shortening with a pastry fork. Add milk and combine with a fork. Knead gently if necessary. Roll dough to ¼ inch thickness and cut portions to cover soup mugs. 

I use the leftover dough for individual biscuits. Roll it a little thicker for puffy biscuits.

Assemble pies by filling soup mugs with chicken and vegetable mixture. Cover with biscuit dough and cut three slots to vent steam while baking. Press firmly around edges. Bake for 12 minutes.

Note: Substitute roast beef, beef bouillon, and beef gravy to make individual beef pot pies.If desired, double the filling ingredients to make one 8x8 pot pie. Vegetables can be adjusted as desired. If you don’t like corn, don’t use it!

Find more of my favorite recipes HERE.

Question: Do you have a recipe to share?  Comment below.

Running Granny Green encourages women, especially grandmothers, to gain greater fitness by providing tips and inspiration to insure long years of joyful grand-parenting. The cookie recipes are a bonus!

Happy Running!

Food Friday: Berry Sourdough Coffee Cake

 

Sourdough Coffee Cake using frozen berries

This sourdough coffee cake is quick and easy to make, pairs well with bacon or sausage, and feels a bit guilt free as the cake batter doesn't call for any sugar. The topping, however, that's a little sweeter!

Ready for the oven!

Berry Sourdough Coffee Cake

1 C Flour

2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

Pinch of Salt

1 C Sourdough

1/3 C Canola or Vegetable Oil

1 Egg

Fresh or frozen berries or sliced apples, pears, or plums.

Crumble Topping:

4-6 Tbsp each of brown sugar, flour, butter, and sliced almonds or oatmeal (Optional)

Mix Dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Spread into an 8x8 inch pan. Top with berries or other fruit. Cut together the crumble ingredients and sprinkle over top. If a little more crunch is desired, use sliced almonds or oatmeal in topping.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

If you are just diving into sourdough, check out these blog posts for Sourdough Starter, Sourdough Focaccia, and Sourdough Huckelberry Pancakes!

Find more of my favorite recipes HERE.

Question: Do you have a recipe to share?  Comment below.

Running Granny Green encourages women, especially grandmothers, to gain greater fitness by providing tips and inspiration to insure long years of joyful grand-parenting. The cookie recipes are a bonus!

Happy Running!

- Carol aka Running Granny Green

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram!

10 Things I Learned in 2024

 

October 10, 2024

1 - How to adjust the night mode on your iPhone camera.

      Yeah, those Northern Lights often look more vibrant through a camera lens.

2 - Biotin can skew your thyroid test.

      Don’t ask how I learned this. The story is too long!

3 – Great Divide Ski Area is fun, affordable, and makes me nostalgic.

4 – Long proofing sourdough bread is very satisfying.

      

5 – If you stop too soon, you might miss the best of show. See #9.

6 – I can still run a half marathon, albeit very slowly.

7 – What you do matters.

       My very slow time counted towards our team gold medal!

8 – I am still afraid of heights.

      Silverwood Theme Park rides are terrifyingly fun.

9 – You CAN see color of the Northern Lights with the naked eye - sometimes. 

   

10 – Pickleball must have been invented for old people.

Running Granny Green encourages women, especially grandmothers, to gain greater fitness by providing tips and inspiration to insure long years of joyful grand-parenting. The cookie recipes are a bonus!

Happy Running!

- Carol aka Running Granny Green

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram!

Strawberry Rolls with Lemon Frosting

Your Strawberry Rolls should be golden brown, or the center rolls will be gooier than you would like.

 “I run a non-profit Bed and Breakfast,” I answer when asked what I do in Montana. The response is always, “Really? That’s so cool!” Then the interviewer thinks about it for a moment and understands - I get a lot of company. Feeding people is part of my love language. Showing them awesome things is another part. So, they come to Montana, I give them a bed and food, and we take big adventures! There is no time for a sit-down breakfast. I prepare most of it ahead, put it all on the table and give instructions to help yourself when it’s convenient. This allows everyone time to get ready, get fed, and get out the door early! We have to go early. Montana is a big state!

Strawberry Rolls

Classic White Bread (Bread Machine Recipe)

12 Ounces warm water

1 ¾ tsp Salt

2 Tbsp butter or margarine

4 Cups Flour

2 Tbsp Dry Milk

2 Tbsp Sugar (More if desired)

2 ¼ tsp Active Dry Yeast

Select the dough setting on the bread machine.  When dough is ready, roll out to 12 x 18 inches.  Cover with filling as directed below.

Strawberry Roll Filling

Purchased at the Chef Store.

This is where this recipe gets messy, but it’s so worth it!

1 Can Strawberry Pie Filling (I purchase this tube of filling and use half for one recipe. The remainder can be frozen for later use or used on a second batch if you are baking for a crowd!)

2 Tbs White Sugar

1 tsp Cinnamon

Spread strawberry filling evenly over dough. Combine cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle as desired over the filling. (This step can be omitted without ruining the rolls!)

Roll into a long tube and cut into twelve to fifteen 1-1 ½ inch slices using string or dental floss to avoid smashing your rolls. Slide the floss under the dough, crisscross the floss above and pull. Voila! Place in a greased 9x13 inch baking pan. These rolls are gooey or to work with than my cinnamon rolls. They may require a little patience and reshaping when you put them in the pan.

Let rise for one hour.  Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350°.  They will take a little longer due to the gooey filling. Cool and frost with your favorite white frosting. I like this one.

Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze

3 oz. Cream Cheese

2 Tbsp Milk

Lemon Juice and/or Lemon extract to taste

Powdered sugar 

Sorry folks, I cook until the voices of my ancestors whisper, “That is enough, my child.” You may want to experiment with ingredient amounts. 

Blend together the cream cheese, and milk. Add powdered sugar until you get a desired consistency. Hint: If you frost the rolls while they are warm, you’ll want a thicker frosting. Add lemon flavorings until you have just a hint of the citrusy goodness. You may need to add more powdered sugar if using lemon juice.

Find more of my favorite recipes HERE.

Question: Do you have a recipe to share?  Comment below.

Running Granny Green encourages women, especially grandmothers, to gain greater fitness by providing tips and inspiration to insure long years of joyful grand-parenting. The cookie recipes are a bonus!

Happy Running!

- Carol aka Running Granny Green

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram!