Delicious, Nostalgic Red Cabbage Rolls

About 4 or 5 years ago at my best friends house, her mother (who is an incredible cook as it is) served me red cabbage rolls. But instead of the mushy, tomato-sauce drowned rolls I'd had at Middle Eastern restaurants in the past - these rolls were heavenly. The cabbage was still firm, the beef exquisite. There were fresh vegetables and a slightly sweet taste. They were delicious.

Now, while this is a variation of her original recipe, it is still just as good.

Red Cabbage Rolls

You Will Need:

• 1 head red cabbage
• 2 lbs ground beef
• 2 (red, yellow or white) regular onions (or 1/4 cup onion powder), diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh/canned/dried mushrooms, diced
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 cup white rice
• 1 6oz can tomato paste
• 1 diced tomato
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp paprika 
• 4 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning blend (or 1 tbsp worth of basil, oregano and thyme)
• Bacon grease for greasing the pan (if you don't have any, shortening will work)

If your ground beef is frozen, make sure it is completely defrosted before starting.

Fill a large soup pot with water and some salt. Heat to boiling, and add the whole cabbage. Parboil for about 5 minutes. Do not over boil, your leaves will disintegrate. Carefully remove the cabbage head from the boiling water - do not drain. Cut off the flexible leaves at the base, one by one, pealing the thick stem off for easier rolling. Be careful to keep the leaves whole. Set them aside. 

When you reach the stiff inner leaves, return the cabbage head to the pot and boil for another 5 minutes. Remove again, do not drain, and peel off the remaining leaves. 

In a small pot, combine 1 cup of dry white rice and 1 cup of water. Add a dash of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover. Let simmer until water is completely absorbed, approximately 8 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, onion, garlic, mushroom, Worcetershire, cooled rice, tomato paste, tomato, eggs, paprika, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. The best mixing is done with bare hands, but if you don't like that a wooden spoon works adequately. 

When everything is thoroughly mixed, take 1 large 13x9 inch glass baking pan. Grease with the bacon grease, thoroughly.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Take your cabbage leaves, and fill them with the hamburger mixture, rolling them. Place them in your greased glass baking pan. When done, pour 1 cup of the reserved cabbage boiling water in, then cover with tinfoil.

Bake for 1 hour. Then, remove the tinfoil and bake for another 20 minutes. There will still be some fluid left in the pan.

These are best served with mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy, but I like them with ketchup.

Enjoy. )

Important Note: DO NOT put more water in your glass pan. It will shatter. Once the initial water is added, while your glass pan is still cool, do not add more. Ever.

Reinvented Leftovers: Bean Soup --> Beef, Bacon and Bean Stoup

Start this dish right after lunch time, just like you would a slow-cooker dish, and while it may take a long time to cook, it is incredibly simple and easy. It is most definitely not vegan or vegetarian, but it is high in protein, delicious, and the perfect comfort food when you need it.

You Will Need:

• Beef stew meat
• Uncooked bacon, cut into tiny slices
• Sausage meat
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 can stewed tomatoes, juice and all
• 3 cups leftover bean puree soup

In the bottom of your large pot, cook bacon and onions. Leave the grease or you lose the flavor. Add sausage, and cook until browned. Now add your beef stew meat, and cook until it is almost completely cooked through. Next add your stewed tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Add your leftover bean puree soup. Bring to a low boil and simmer, stirring occasionally. Then, cover, place in oven on warm, and let cook for about 4 hours. Pull out and enjoy while still warm.

Salt as needed, of course. :)

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

My family doesn't eat much meat. It's not on purpose, we're just really not all that into it. But we do eat a decent amount of bacon, and then there's chicken. Chicken is one of my favorite foods - whether it's in an Italian, Chinese, Mexican or American dish. Chicken is just plain awesome. And it shows its flavor the best in one of the most classic recipes on Earth - chicken noodle soup. Chicken noodle soup is the soup that soothes the soul, warms the body, and brings a family together. It's an unforgettable smell and flavor, and it heats up the whole house while it's cooking. And let me just say the canned stuff doesn't do this - the home cooked kind - justice.


For the best soup, use high quality ingredients with superb flavor. The broth is going to be the most important part, so don't skimp on it. If you can, make your own. If you can't, buy the best you can. But even if you only have access to the bare minimum, a little broth, chicken, noodles and salt still makes a superb soup. So give it a try.

I can promise you this is going to be delicious. :)

Serves 8

You Will Need:

• 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken, cubed
• 4 cups broth (use chicken for best flavor, but beef, turkey, vegetarian and pork also work)
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, sliced (optional - I don't like celery so I don't add this)
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced or minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 oz pasta
• 1-2 handfuls dark greens (kale, spinach, chard, etc.)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

In the bottom of your soup pot add olive oil. Over medium heat, saute onion and chicken until cooked and lightly browned. Add broth, carrot, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaves and dried thyme. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Uncover and return to medium heat. Add in pasta and dark greens. Bring to a low boil, stirring occasionally. Cook until pasta is fully cooked (about 15 minutes). Add salt and pepper as needed.

Serve and enjoy. :) This is a great dish to cook on cold nights, because it fills the house with warmth and yummy smells. For a complete meal, serve with these teff dinner rolls.

Soft Bumblebee Wrap

My first original design! I'm so excited...

The wrap/poncho goes down to the hips, flaring out over the arms. The collar and bottom are hemmed with an incredibly soft, fluffy black yarn. The wrap itself is crocheted, striped black and yellow (see above).

You're wondering who that adorable model is? Why, that's my little sister. She got the cute genes of the family. :)

While this was originally designed to be a children's item, I can make it in larger sizes. Want one? Prices are below:

Childrens Size - $25
Teens/Adults Size - $45
Large Adult Size - $60+

Email me if you're interested.

I will post the pattern later, if you want to make it yourself. Have a fabulous day.