Meat, Potatoes, and a new Home!

Wow! Life has been crazy lately. Not the usual everyday craziness, but the usual everyday craziness times one hundred. The reason for my husband and I running around like Energizer bunnies during the day and crashing like marathon runners at night is because...drum roll please...we bought a house! :-) A very sweet first-time home-owners house with good bones that just needed a little cosmetic TLC. I'm talking painting 8 hours in one day 'til 1 a.m. cosmetic TLC. Finishing-the-tile-underneath-the-stove-and-refrigerator-that-the-previous-owner-forgot-or-chose-not-to-do-so TLC. And the list goes on...but we do like the house and are anxious to get to move inside!

....that's just a taste of how crazy our life has been for the past several months! So crazy in fact that the first part of the post is one that I actually started on January 23rd...and the post that I'm just now finishing up on May 8th! So here's a bit of an update...after much cosmetic renovation (and all of our spare time spent) we are finally moved into our new house and it's finally starting to feel like home!

 It's amazing how good our God is and how quick we lose sight of it when times get busy(which unfortunately I have been extremely guilty of lately)! God has blessed my sweet husband and I in some amazing ways during the first part of 2012, and we can't wait to see what he has in store for us in the coming months!

After an almost 4-month hiatus from posting recipes and craft projects ...here are a couple of our new favorite recipes!

Simple Salisbury Steak (tweaked from an original recipe found here)
1 can (10.75 oz.) mushroom soup (I used Campbell's Golden Mushroom Soup)
1 lb. ground meat
1/3 c. Panko Bread Crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 c. chopped onion

Mix 1/4 c. of the soup, beef, bread crubs, egg, spices, and onion. Shape into 6 firm patties. Cook patties over medium/high heat until brown. Drain any excess fat. Stir in remaining soup. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes

Aaaaannnddddd....what is salisbury steak without some form of mashed potatoes?

Restaurant Style Smashed Potatoes (tweaked only slightly from the Pioneer Woman's recipe)
5 whole large red potatoes
1 stick butter, softened and cut into pieces (I used a little less)
5 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 whole green oniones, sliced
3/4 c. Plain Yogurt (or sour cream)
salt to taste (add plenty)
black pepper (ditto)
3/4 c. french fried onions (and more for topping)

Bake potatoes in oven until fork-tender. Add to a large bowl and smash with potato masher. Immediately add softened butter, green onions, bacon, and sour cream and stir with rubber spatula. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add french fried onions and fold in. Serve hot, sprinkling on extra french fried onions and green onions.

Sorry I don't have any pictures of these recipes either, but trust me...they are incredible and are both now permanent residents in our family recipe file! :-D

May God bless you in everything you do this week!