Corned Beef with Potatoes and Carrots

St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, and what a perfect time to try your hand at cooking corned beef with potatoes and carrots! Though this dish is a traditional St. Patrick’s Day favorite, it is actually a wonderful dinner any time of the year.

I cook my corned beef with potatoes and carrots low and slow in my Le Creuset braiser, but you can do it in a covered casserole dish or even in a Crock-pot. No matter what kind of baking dish you use, remember to cook low and slow to make it tender. Corned beef is not a cut of meat you want to cook too quickly.

My favorite corned beef is the one pictured above from Cook’s. It comes with a pickling spice seasoning packet, and it’s the one I use for this recipe. I rinse my brisket in cold water before cooking.

Spray your pan with cooking spray, and place the rinsed brisket in it, fat side on top. Sprinkle the top with the seasoning packet, pour in 1-2 cups cold water (can use beer for a fuller flavor), add the minced garlic to the water, place onions around brisket, and place 2 rosemary sprigs on top. **Do not add potatoes and carrots at this point.

Cook on 275 degrees for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Pull out of oven to add potatoes and carrots. Place remaining sprigs of rosemary on top. Return to oven for another hour.

Plate and serve! This recipe for Corned Beef will melt in your mouth. It is incredibly tender and flavorful.

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Pickled Onions

Pickled Onions from TheHillHangout.com

Good evening, everybody! We are about ready to ring in the new year, but I didn’t want 2017 to get away before I have a chance to show you a delicious accompaniment to your traditional southern New Year’s Day meal or any southern meal. I made a batch of these pickled onions today, and they were quick enough that you can make them in about 30 minutes and enjoy them with your good luck meal.

Pickled Onions from TheHillHangout.com

I started out with three medium sized onions, peeled and sliced into 1/4″ or smaller rings. My preference for pickled onions is to use Vidalia onions (check to be sure that they were grown in Vidalia, Georgia, as these are the real deal. You just can’t imitate onions grown in that good Vidalia soil!). However, this time of the year I didn’t have Vidalias, so I used regular sweet onions. They will be a little spicier than Vidalias, but they will be delicious.

Though I am making these in canning jars, I am actually not going through the canning process with these. I will put them in the fridge, so no need to sterilize jars. I filled the jars all the way to the top with onions and packed them down pretty tightly to fit in as many onions as I could.

I don’t pre-cook my onions because I like my pickled onions a little crunchy. Pouring the hot brine over the onions cooks them a little anyway. But if you don’t want any crunch to your pickled onions, you can boil them in a pan of water for about two minutes before you put them into jars.

The brine I used was a combination of apple cider vinegar, water, salt, turmeric, celery salt, cinnamon, sugar, whole cloves, and whole peppercorns. See recipe below for specific measurements, but I brought all of this to a boil and poured over sliced onions. Be aware that turmeric stains terribly. Be very careful not to get it on your clothes, countertops, dish towels and use only jars you don’t mind getting stains.

Pickled Onions from TheHillHangout.com

Once I poured the brine into the jars, I let them cool on the counter. This allows the onions to cook a little in the jars before going into the fridge. Once completely cool, they are ready to be refrigerated until ready to eat. I can’t wait to pull these out on New Year’s Day to eat with my traditional meal of ham, greens, black-eyed peas, and cornbread!

Pickled Onions from TheHillHangout.com

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Balsamic Roasted Carrots

Balsamic Roasted Carrots from TheHillHangout.com

I adore fresh veggies. And carrots are just about the easiest of fresh veggies to come by. The grocery always has them, and they are a pretty cheap and flavorful side dish with most any meal. And for just a tad bit of effort, you can have Balsamic Roasted Carrots on your family’s plate.

Balsamic Roasted Carrots from TheHillHangout.com

You can use whatever kind of carrots your family likes, but I just use a bag of regular old carrots. Wash them, chop the ends off, and peel them. Then cut them into 3″-ish lengths. If they are too fat, cut them in half lengthwise, or even quarter them.

Balsamic Roasted Carrots from TheHillHangout.com

Throw the carrots into a plastic sealable bag with about two tablespoons of olive oil, two tablespoons of good, high-quality balsamic vinegar (I use Trader Joe’s), a half teaspoon of sea salt or himalayan pink salt, and about a tablespoon of dried chopped parsley. Shake well to coat carrots.

Balsamic Roasted Carrots from TheHillHangout.com

Pour carrots out onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray.
Roast on 425 degrees for about 10 minutes, watching well so as not to burn.

Balsamic Roasted Carrots from TheHillHangout.com

Balsamic Roasted Carrots are terrific with salmon, chicken, pork tenderloin, beef roast, or just about anything!

[yumprint-recipe id=’70’]Balsamic Roasted Carrots from TheHillHangout.com

Healthy-ish Fried Rice

Healthy-ish Fried Rice from TheHillHangout.com

Our family LOVES dinner out at a Japanese steak house. And I have to admit, I love watching the hibachi cook. One of these days I’m goig to install a hibachi grill in my kitchen. One of these days. The fried rice is one of my favorite parts of the meal. I’ve tried to make it at home, and mine just doesn’t turn out like theirs does, and it is super unhealthy with the amount of butter and starches and salt. However, I have been able to perfect a lighter version that I refer to as Healthy-ish Fried Rice.

Healthy-ish Fried Rice from TheHillHangout.com

One of the ways I cut out a lot of simple carbs is to use half brown rice and half cauliflower rice. I buy the packaged frozen brown rice and the organic riced cauliflower at Trader Joe’s. Another fat-cutting trick is to use coconut oil instead of butter. To cut salt, I use Bragg’s Liquid Aminos instead of straight soy sauce. Same taste, but a lot less salt.

Healthy-ish Fried Rice from TheHillHangout.com

Until the day comes that a hibachi grill is installed in my kitchen, I use my cast iron skillet to make Healthy-ish Fried Rice. I can get it super hot, and the coconut oil melts like a dream in it.

Healthy-ish Fried Rice from TheHillHangout.com

You can serve this dish in place of most any starch. I sometimes add chicken or shrimp to make it a one-dish meal. It is also good with a piece of grilled chicken. Most of the time, though, we eat it as a side dish to salmon. Super healthy meal that is also super delicious! If you, like me, can’t stand the thought of giving up the yum-yum sauce, don’t fret. I have that recipe for you, too.

Healthy-ish Fried Rice from TheHillHangout.com

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Healthy-ish Fried Rice from TheHillHangout.com

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Breakfast Tacos

Breakfast Tacos: Alabama Style from TheHillHangout.com

One of the things we love to do when we travel is to eat all of the local food that we can. It really doesn’t matter to us if it’s a super fancy place or a hole in the wall, we just like to eat whatever the people who live there eat. A few months ago I had the opportunity to travel to Houston, which is a culinary delight. Houston has some FINE food! And the fact that they have many nationalities and ethnicities represented in their population lends to a wonderful variety of restaurants and styles of eating. And of course, their Tex-Mex is like no other! We ate at every Mexican joint we could find, and boy, was it ever incredible. One of the dishes we had that I came home wanting to try was Breakfast Tacos.

I’d heard about breakfast tacos before, but couldn’t really imagine that they would be good. I mean, Mexican food for breakfast just didn’t sound appetizing. But once I tried good, authentic breakfast tacos, I was hooked. Once I returned home, I couldn’t wait to make them for my family. But you know we couldn’t just make plain breakfast tacos, we had to make them ALABAMA STYLE.

Breakfast Tacos: Alabama Style from TheHillHangout.com

The first step is to lay out your tortillas on individual pieces of aluminum foil because you will later wrap them to let them steam. This recipe is enough for 6-8- breakfast tacos.

Breakfast Tacos: Alabama Style from TheHillHangout.com

For Alabama Style Breakfast Tacos, put about three tablespoons of butter in a skillet on medium heat.

Dice a half pound of Conecuh sausage, hot or mild, and throw in a half of a diced onion. Let them cook until the potatoes are tender – about 20-25 minutes.

In a separate bowl, scramble five eggs. Pour over skillet and season with house seasoning. Scramble it all together until eggs are cooked – about three minutes.

Breakfast Tacos: Alabama Style from TheHillHangout.com

Spoon enough egg mixture on tortilla to cover half. Top with grated cheese if desired. Fold tortilla in half.

Breakfast Tacos: Alabama Style from TheHillHangout.com

Wrap breakfast tacos in foil and let sit about two minutes to steam.

Breakfast Tacos: Alabama Style from TheHillHangout.com

Open foil and add fresh pico de gallo or salsa to tacos. I usually make my own, but this time I tried out a new brand we found at Cosco. It was delicious!

Breakfast Tacos: Alabama Style from TheHillHangout.com

You are ready to devour!

Breakfast Tacos are very versatile, and you can use any combo of your favorite breakfast meats, veggies, and cheeses. You can also add sour cream or a favorite sauce like jalapeno dip. I give you permission to make the recipe your own! 🙂

[yumprint-recipe id=’68’]Breakfast Tacos: Alabama Style from TheHillHangout.com

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole from TheHillHangout.com

When I was a little girl, one of my favorite dishes my mom made was Chicken and Broccoli Casserole. I’m sure that at the time I picked out all the broccoli, but even so I loved this casserole almost better than anything she cooked. It’s still one of my favorite dishes, though I’d kind of forgotten about it. I had some leftover boiled chicken and just bought a big bag of broccoli at Cosco this wek, so now seemed like a good time to revive this family favorite.

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole from TheHillHangout.com

To make Chicken and Broccoli Casserole, you’ll need:

  • 5-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced or shredded
  • 4 cups chopped broccoli
  • 8oz block of cheddar cheese, grated
  • 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon house seasoning (or 1 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, and garlic powder)
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole from TheHillHangout.com

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together chicken soup, sour cream, and mayonnaise.
  3. Add house seasoning and lemon and mix well.
  4. Stir in diced or shredded chicken and mic well.
  5. Add broccoli and stir to incorporate.
  6. Pour into 9″x13″ baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
  7. Bake for 30 minutes.
  8. Remove from oven and top with parmesan cheese and bread crumbs, and return to oven.
  9. Bake another 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Serve and enjoy!

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House Seasoning

House Seasoning from TheHillHangout.com

I came across Paula Deen’s recipe for house seasoning a few years ago, and I thought it looked like a mighty handy mixture to have on hand. While I have modified her original recipe to make it more to our liking, house seasoning has become a staple in my spice cabinet.

House Seasoning from TheHillHangout.com

I use house seasoning on everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING. I use it on pan-fried chicken, oven roasted turkey breast, garlic bread, spicy drip beef, chili, hamburgers, and just about anything we throw on the grill. We use it so much that I finally broke down and bought a large shaker since I kept running out!

I have no doubt that when you mix up a batch of house seasoning and keep it in your cabinet, you will find all sorts of things to use it on.

[yumprint-recipe id=’65’]House Seasoning from TheHillHangout.com

Best Posts of 2016

Best Posts of 2016 from TheHillHangout.com

A new year has come, and we have lots of new things planned for The Hill Hangout in 2017. However, before we say goodbye to 2016, let’s take one more look at your favorite posts from last year. Thank you for reading, sharing, cooking, praying, and everything else you do for our little community here at The Hill Hangout. You are a blessing to me. And now, I give you the Best Posts of 2016…

10. I’ve been writing about homeschooling for a long time, but you don’t have to homeschool to be interested in our Journal Prompts.

Best Posts of 2016 from TheHillHangout.com

9. We use Creole Seasoning in lots of dishes, and you all do too!

Best Posts of 2016 from TheHillHangout.com

8. This is one of my favorite resources I’ve ever posted. Each year when school time rolls around, it is an honor to join you in Back-to-School Prayers.

Best Posts of 2016 from TheHillHangout.com

7. My readers are a spicy bunch (you can take that however you want!), so I’m not surprised to see Creole Pinto Beans and Sausage make the list.

Best Posts of 2016 from TheHillHangout.com

6. This one cracks me up! I did a post about 5 years ago about taking my daughter to camp. Someone pinned it onto Pinterest because they liked the games we played, and it went viral. So if you need game ideas for groups of kids, check out Camp Worldsong.

Best Posts of 2016 from TheHillHangout.com

5. You guys sure do love homemade seasonings! Greek Seasoning is one my faves, and apparently you all love it as well!

Best Posts of 2016 from TheHillHangout.com

4. There is not a better combo than precious kids and God’s Word! I’m not surprised that y’all made Memory Verses for Little Hearts a spot in the top ten!

Best Posts of 2016 from TheHillHangout.com

3. What would a southern food blog be without a cornbread recipe in the top 10? Y’all love some Loaded Cornbread!

Best Posts of 2016 from TheHillHangout.com

2. I love people that love a good sauce, and I love you all for loving my Creamy Sriracha Dipping Sauce!

Best Posts of 2016 from TheHillHangout.com

1. Always my #1 post – Our Miracle Treatment for Eczema

Best Posts of 2016 from TheHillHangout.com

Sweet Potato Coconut Curry Soup

Sweet Potato Coconut Curry Soup from TheHillHangout.com

We recently became friends with a young lady from India. She came to the US just a few months ago to attend graduate school, and we have really enjoyed introducing her to many American traditions, sites, and foods for the first time. Our cultures are vastly different, and yet we have been able to find many commonalities as well. Isn’t that the way when you open yourself up to people who are different than you? She is from a family very similar to ours, she loves adventure, and is very studious. She fits in well with our crew. One of the biggest differences we have found, however, is in our diets. While we love classic southern food, our friend is a vegetarian who likes everything maxed out on spice. In an attempt to have her over for dinner, I have tried my hand at a few Indian dishes. The adventure has been fun, and we have found a couple of new dishes we will be adding in to our rotation. One of our favorites is Sweet Potato Coconut Curry Soup.

Sweet Potato Coconut Curry Soup from TheHillHangout.com

Sweet Potato Coconut Curry Soup is thick and creamy, yet it is also quite spicy and full of flavor. You can definitely adjust the spiciness to your level of preference, but to have an authentic Indian flavor, it’s traditional to turn up the heat. There is no hint of meat or animal fat, so our vegetarian friends will be able to enjoy this one.

Sweet Potato Coconut Curry Soup from TheHillHangout.com

Sweet Potato Coconut Curry Soup uses an immersion blender, but if you don’t have one you can use a good stand blender.

Sweet Potato Coconut Curry Soup from TheHillHangout.com

3 tablespoons Coconut Oil
1 small onion, diced
2 tablespoons diced garlic
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (about 5-6 cups)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground sweet curry (I bought mine at Penzey’s Spices.)
Salt and pepper
2 cans coconut milk
1 tablespoon sriracha (This amount is for a nice, spicy soup. Adjust to suit your preference.)

Sweet Potato Coconut Curry Soup from TheHillHangout.com

Heat coconut oil over medium heat in dutch oven. Saute onions and garlic until tender (about 5 minutes). Add diced sweet potatoes and cook another 5 minutes. Add ginger, curry, salt, and pepper. Mix to coat sweet potatoes well. Add coconut milk and sriracha. Lower heat to medium low and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep from sticking. When sweet potatoes are tender, blend with immersion blender until smooth. Serve warm.

Do you have neighbors you need to invite over so that you can get to know them better? Do it before this year is over! You might be pleasantly surprised at how much you have in common!

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Sweet Potato Coconut Curry Soup from TheHillHangout.com

This post contains affiliate links that help us keep our blog free to our readers.

The Importance of Active Play Time

The Importance of Active Play by TheHillHangout.com

Fall and Spring are busy times of the year around the Hill Hangout. Our homeschool year kicks off, and so do all of our extra-curricular activities. I don’t know about you, but it is easy for me during those super busy times to focus on what “needs” to be done and neglect active play time for my kids.The importance of active play time really can’t be minimized. Kids need to get moving in order to stay healthy. One of my favorite Mr. Rogers quotes is, “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning.” Children need time to play. They need time to create and imagine and move their bodies. They need time with friends to run and kick a ball and talk about silly things. We would all do well to remember the importance of active play time.

Why is it so important to build in active play time? Take a look at this from LetsMove.gov: “Over the past three decades, childhood obesity rates in America have tripled, and today, nearly one in three children in America are overweight or obese. The numbers are even higher in African American and Hispanic communities, where nearly 40% of the children are overweight or obese. If we don’t solve this problem, one third of all children born in 2000 or later will suffer from diabetes at some point in their lives. Many others will face chronic obesity-related health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and asthma.”

Yikes! Those stats are startling!

How did we get here? Read on: “Thirty years ago, most people led lives that kept them at a healthy weight. Kids walked to and from school every day, ran around at recess, participated in gym class, and played for hours after school before dinner. Meals were home-cooked with reasonable portion sizes and there was always a vegetable on the plate. Eating fast food was rare and snacking between meals was an occasional treat.” Play is disappearing at home, in school, and in communities.  70% of moms played outside when they were kids; 31% of their kids play outside today.

I’m convinced. We gotta get our kiddos moving.

The Importance of Active Play

Your family may have its own favorite play activity, but ours is soccer. My girls LOVE some soccer! And I’m happy for them to play because it gets their activity level up (way up!!), teaches them to work with a team, helps with critical thinking and strategy, and gives them a terrific community of girls. Soccer certainly isn’t the only sport that gets kids moving. Maybe your kids are into basketball, volleyball, football, lacrosse, gymnastics, or cheerleading. All excellent options. Not a sports lover? Try one of these:

  • Walking around the neighborhood after dinner.
  • Have a family dance party.
  • Play a game of freeze tag.
  • Go on a nature hike.
  • Find a new workout video on Youtube.
  • Get the neighborhood kids together for a game of kickball.
  • Go on a bike ride.
  • Learn yoga.

Need a little motivation? Why not make it a family competition? Give each family member a pedometer or Fitbit and compete for the highest number of steps daily. Instead of video games or movies, give gifts that encourage physical activity like balls, jump ropes, or gymnastics mats.

Importance of Active Play Time by THeHillHangout.com

And while you’re encouraging your kiddos to move, don’t forget to properly fuel them up. As my girls get more active, they really do prefer healthier meals that give them the energy to play hard. They DESPISE being sluggish from too much sugar and starch. So we eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies and try to stay away from too many fried or sugary foods. And they require lots of healthy snacks between meals to keep their energy level up. My girls love CLIF Kid® snacks, especially a CLIF Kid Zbar®. CLIF Kid® makes nutritious snacks from organic ingredients that are specially-crafted for kids’ developing taste buds and active lives. Whether on the run from soccer practice, or in between homework sessions, CLIF Kid Zbars are perfect for growing kids (and busy parents!).

The Importance of Active Play

It’s difficult to fit playtime in around all the other activities back-to-school brings, but by getting creative and establishing a routine, you’ll be sure your kids are healthy and thriving all year long.

The Importance Of Active Play

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.