Grammy Blick's Favorite Recipes

3, 2, 1 Voila! Dessert Mixed and Fixed!!

2012-01-25T08:25:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Jessica, who maintains several devotional blogs. She posted this on Facebook and I thought how wonderful it would be for Beloved Husband -- especially since we can get mixes sugar-free -- to have a quick dessert without tempting me.

This is Jessica's photo -- I promise to replace with my own once we make this ourselves. But the Mix and Fix directions are so easy, I know I'll be doing this soon.

[Mix]

1 Angel food cake mix

1 cake mix of favorite flavor

Combine the two cake mixes in a gallon-sized zip lock bag, or other sealed container and mix well.

[Fix]

3 tablespoons of above mix

2 tablespoons of water, mixed well with above

1 minute in the microwave

Whenever the mood strikes you, follow the 3, 2, 1 and serve.

Cranberry Salsa

2011-12-31T11:06:00.001-06:00

This is during prep -- and you can see all the ingredients before melding together into a tasty salsa that goes great with crackers. Hallie, Second Daughter's remarkable sister-in-law (and mother to equally remarkable children!) served this at their family's Christmas gathering. SD brought some home and was telling me how addictive it was as she shared with me. It is!!! So, I went out and bought the produce to fix some for our New Year's party Saturday night. I posted the recipe in anticipation of being asked for it. It worked.

INGREDIENTS

1 pkg. fresh cranberries, chopped (use food processor)
1 8oz can crushed pineapple (drained)
2/3 cup sugar (Hallie used Splenda)
1/2 cup green pepper, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cilantro, chopped

The photo showed after chopping in the handy blue KitchenAid at the back, before mixing, while the pineapple is draining. You can see the sugar hasn't melted yet. Mix all together in a bowl, then cover (sealed well) and chill for at least two hours to allow the flavors to blend. I don't how long it will stay good because it's gone so quickly!

As for flexibility -- there are variations of this in several places. Some call for lime or orange juice, and that would be good. As we were scarfing it down, we mentioned that a spoonful of mandarin oranges pulsed with this sounded good. I didn't make changes this time, but will update this if I do in the future.

Have a happy new year, and be safe while celebrating!!

Freezing Soup

2011-11-14T07:34:00.000-06:00

Soup filling your largest pot seems to taste the best -- but when there are just two of us, we cut back on the recipe and lose some of the flavor. Freezing is a solution, but how much in what size containers -- and where are those containers stored when clean?

Southern Living's How To Freeze Soup -- screen capture above --shows a great answer. Use quart or gallon freezer bags! Also showing how these can be stacked card style, making them not only save space, but allow them to be viewed on end.

Don't forget to include the date -- they suggest a month, but I've had good results a bit longer than that.

Of course, this works the same way for our tasty chili!!

Respect The Bird!!

2011-11-11T16:44:00.001-06:00

Were you tired of Christmas music being played during your Halloween shopping?

Do you think the Veterans Day remembrances are drowned out by "Santa Claus is Coming"?

I was, I do, and I found others who feel that the commercialization of Christmas is pushing us past some fun holidays that have meaning for us. Today I received an e-mail telling me about those who feel the same way I do.

That e-mail sent me to Respect the Bird's website. Unfortunately, my website didn't support their widget, but if it did, I'd certainly used their toolkit to put the widget on my site. Instead, here's a quick link on this graphic:

When you take the pledge yourself, upgrade to:

Take the pledge if you want to surround each of our traditional holidays with their own celebratory music, decorations and traditions. I did.

Tetrazzini

2011-11-09T15:36:00.001-06:00

Talk about flexible!! Tetrazinni has few limits -- look at the Wikipedia entry: "There is no universal standard for the dish, so various parts are missing or substituted in various recipes." The wiki photo, shown above, is labelled Turkey Tetrazzini, but it bears little resemblance to the one I fixed today. I worked from a Chicken Tetrazzini recipe, but I changed it a lot. Wiki also says:

Tetrazzini is an American dish usually involving a non-red meat (often diced fowl or seafood), mushrooms, and almonds in a butter/cream and parmesan sauce flavored with wine or sherry and stock vegetables such as onions, celery, and carrots. It is often served hot over spaghetti or some similarly thin pasta, garnished with lemon or parsley, and topped with additional almonds and/or Parmesan cheese.

There are soooo many different recipes out there. Food Network has one by Giada de Laurentiis that is too busy for me, but it sounds delicious. Allrecipes.com offers an Easy Chicken Tetrazzini that uses cheddar cheese instead of Parmesan, and canned soup. Under the Wiki definition, both would fit.

I did not document the source for the recipe I have on hand, and it has been adjusted several ways. Today for lunch I made further changes -- using turkey for the meat, and adding ground almonds since I didn't have slivered ones (grinding is much easier than slivering) to get the flavor. I didn't use mushrooms, either, because Beloved Husband really doesn't like them. We had the giblets, chopped very finely, and I used them instead. I earlier substituted the jar of Alfredo Sauce for the grated Parmesan simply because it is easier to have on had for use at a moment's notice.

1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine
2 cups presliced mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped shallots, green onions or sweet onions
1/4 cup finely sliced celery
2 cups chicken broth
1 jar Alfredo Sauce
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (about 1/2 pound)
4 cups hot cooked spaghetti (about 8 ounces uncooked pasta)
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 cup frozen peas

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onions; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in Alfred Sauce, broth, and stir with a whisk until blended.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer 8 minutes; stir constantly. Stir in chicken and 1/2 cup cheese; cook 1 minute.
Remove from heat; add pasta, nuts, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Spoon into a 3-quart casserole coated with cooking spray; top with 2 tablespoons cheese.
Bake at 350° for 40 minutes.
Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

I haven't tried this with shrimp, though I think it would be just as good as the chicken or turkey that I have had. Do a Google search for Tetrazzini recipes and check out the possibilities. Then try the one that sounds best to you -- or this one.

Roasted Red Potatoes

2011-09-20T21:25:00.004-05:00

Fixing dinner for two requires a bit of adjustment. I ran across a roasted potato recipe that I wanted to try, but Beloved Husband balked at honey on potatoes. So -- here's the recipe, and the adjustments I made for his tastes.

Click for: Honey Roasted Red Potatoes at Allrecipes.com

Here are the original Ingredients from the web page:

1 pound red potatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons diced onion
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 pinch salt
1 pinch ground black pepper

Now for my adjustments -- Used small white potatoes, cut bite-sized and only used three small ones for two people.

Preheated oven to 350.
Used melted butter, using 1/2 teaspoon of a garlic butter mix on hand.
When it cooled, placed it in quart bag with the potatoes to be sure they were all coated.
Placed potatoes in a single layer in prepared dish. Omitted the onions (BH's preference) and seasoned with a bit of ground sea salt.
Baked for 45 minutes.

Worked perfectly!! And just think how this can be adapted -- so many tiny variables for personal taste: A little cheese toward the end of baking; a bit of chopped bacon; a touch of sour cream turning them into very palatable, too rich though, baked potatoes.

Here are the original instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly coat a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Place potatoes in a single layer in prepared dish, and top with onion. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, honey, mustard, salt and pepper; drizzle over potatoes and onion.
Bake in the preheated 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) oven for 35 minutes or until tender, stirring halfway through the cooking time.

Pepperplate.com

2011-09-19T07:29:00.000-05:00

Do you use any of these links for recipe ideas:

Allrecipes.com, Bon Appétit, Chow, Eating Well, Epicurious, Food & Wine, Food Network, Food Network Canada, Health.com, La Cucina Italiana, Martha Stewart, MyRecipes.com, Real Simple, Recipe.com, Serious Eats, Smitten Kitchen, Vegetarian Times

If so -- or if you would like to save recipes from these sites, let me introduce you to Pepperplate.com.

I know, I know. Most of the 'net's recipe sites have a place for you to save your favorite recipes -- that you find on their site. Pepperplate allows you to save them all, in one spot, simply by clicking one button on your browser! Along with the recipe, you get the accompanying graphic, the link to that recipe's website and it's all filed away for your use on the web. Handier still, it will create a shopping list from the recipes you intend to use in the coming days, and can do so in the aisle order of your grocery once you set that up in the program.

I haven't found that much ability in any other program at this same cost. Price? FREE!!!!!

It is one of the most intuitive and stable apps I've had on my iPhone, too. The PC version syncs with iPhone and iPads, (updated 12/2011) Droids and Kindle Fire, too.

What's that? What about your favorite recipes that you already have in soft copy? Simply copy and paste manually. That works, too. You can upload your own photos, too. Or, if you only have hard copies of your favorites, it will take a moment or two to type them into the program.

Last week I was asked for a couple of recipes and I just whipped out my iPhone, brought up the requested recipe and gave the requester a choice -- would she like to copy it right there, or would she prefer it be e-mailed to the address of her choice. Sharing is that simple. Another way to share is what I've done with my family -- create a family profile that is shared with other family members where recipes can be shared. We're working on that idea.

Seldom have I found a software that does 95% of what I'd like for it to do. This one does. There's always more it could do -- like print out the recipes in a booklet format, and I really would think this was perfect.

I recommend that it be tried -- remember, it's all free except the time you spend experimenting with it. Once again, in case you passed up linking from the top, it's called PEPPERPLATE.COM

I Love Pasta

2011-09-17T09:19:00.001-05:00

Literally -- I do love pasta! And, I'm not alone. There are pasta recipes all over the web. In most homes we'll find some form of pasta. So, it is fitting that there are special websites dedicated to this comforting food.

The best one I've found for explaining -- and showing -- the different types of pasta, and what sauces are best used with them is by (appropriately) the National Pasta Association: http://www.ilovepasta.org/shapes.html

There are recipes, too, by meat type and vegetarian, whether it's served hot or cold, quick and easy, photos on most.

Have fun looking through it!

Macaroni Salad

2011-08-11T16:07:00.001-05:00

Here’s another of our Thursday evening recipes. Now, my Beloved Husband wouldn’t touch it for a couple of reasons. First, I didn’t use elbow macaroni. I could have – but wanted to try the multi-colored veggie pastas. Second, I used more than the traditional Miracle Whip dressing he’s used to. He couldn’t understand why I would want to change the recipe he was used to. But I think recipes should be flexible and changed up every once in a while. I doubled this for Thursday night -- two packages of Wacky Macky!

Pasta Salad

2 cups uncooked pasta (I used Wacky Macky for color and texture, your favorite pasta will do)
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced (a nice large 1015 would be good, too)
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
3 hard cooked eggs, sliced
1 cup frozen frozen peas (optional)
1/4 cup thickly grated carrot (optional)

Dressing:

1 cup Miracle Whip
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar (cut in half if adding sweet pickle relish)
1/3 cup sweet pickle relish (optional)
1/3 cup white sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
1 teaspoons salt (I prefer a seasoned salt)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic power

Cook the pasta al dente according to directions, rinse and cool quickly to retain the al dente texture. I like to refrigerate mine – adding the onions so an airtight container is needed. Prepare the dressing, mixing it well and taste testing to match your family’s taste. Add the dressing to the pasta, then mix in the additional ingredients, taking care not to make a mush out of the sliced eggs.

The list of ‘optional’ isn’t complete until you’ve decided what you’d like to add. A friend of ours would through in some jalapenos for his family – I wouldn’t!!

It needs to refrigerate a few hours – overnight if possible – for all the flavors to blend.

I Really Like Cucumbers

2011-07-23T19:35:00.005-05:00

Looking for ways to utilize fresh cucumbers, I ran across B. Cohen's web page dedicated to that fruit. Yes, fruit -- as she explains: From a botanical perspective, a fruit is the mature ovary of a plant, such as an apple, melon, cucumber, or tomato. That's a good reminder about tomatoes, too!

B gives us a good start on how to use the tasty morsels:

"The traditional English cucumber tea-sandwiches consist of sliced cucumber on white bread spread with butter, with the crusts cut off. Many variations substitute cream cheese for butter, try whichever one you like better. You can also add any herbs you like, try mixing them into the cream cheese. You can also add thin slices of smoked salmon, pickles, sandwich meat, or anything else your heart desires." [Emphasis mine.]

She also mentions one of my favorite recipes (she found on another site) and here's my take on the Creamy Cucumber Salad:

3 medium cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
1 Tbsp sugar
Dash of salt
1 sweet onion (Vidalia, Texas 1015), sliced into 1/4 thick rings
1/2 cup sour cream
Put cucumbers in a non-metallic bowl. Pour sugar and salt over the cucumbers, cover with plastic wrap and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Drain cucumbers and mix in the onions and sour cream. Serve cold.

I also have another simple way of serving cucumbers and onions:

3 medium cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
1 sweet onion (Vidalia, Texas 1015), sliced into thin rings
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cider vinegar
dash of salt
Boil the salt, sugar, and vinegar until it's a somewhat thickened syrup. Place cucumbers and onions in a rather flat storage container, then pour the syrup over them. Marinate over night, serve cold. When adjusting amount, keep sugar:vinegar ration 2:1.

One of these days I'm going to try AllRecipes.com's Cucumber Soup, too. Along those cold soup lines, I really do like Gazpacho -- the best use for fresh garden vegetables. The one I like best is:

Finely dice the following fresh vegetables – pieces to be close to the same size:
1 cup tomatoes, seeded
1 medium cucumber, seeded
1 large green pepper (can use other colors, too, to brighten the soup)
1 medium onion (preferably Vidalia or Texas 1015)
1 stalk celery, finely sliced
1 clove garlic, very finely minced
Keep in mind that the tomatoes selected will help determine flavor and texture. You’ll want them firm and well-meated -- I prefer Romas.

The soup base is:
2 cups tomato juice (spice it up a bit with V-8, or tabasco if desired)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons lemon juice (preferably fresh squeezed)
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Combine soup base, then add vegetables and refrigerate at least an hour before serving – flavors blend more if left overnight. Serve with a bit of basil sprinkled on the top.

Let's hear it for the cucumber, a very tasty fruit!!

Fresh Peach Cobbler

2011-07-07T12:41:00.003-05:00

It's early in the season, but those peaches look so good!! I just couldn't pass them up for our 42 Domino night.

I don't make peach cobbler often -- usually a peach pie will suffice -- but tonight we need to have dessert for about 20 people, so I just about quadrupled this recipe and ended up with two 9x13 baking pans full of peach cobbler. This is an old recipe, adapted just slightly, so it may seem very familiar to some. The original recipe serves eight:

Ingredients:

3 cups fresh peaches, peeled and sliced (have enough to take a bite or two!! We used Fruit Fresh with a bit of water to keep them looking great)
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (which I didn't have on hand, so used vanilla)
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup Crisco butter flavored shortening
1/2 cup milk
1 well-beaten large egg (home grown's best!)

2 tablespoons sugar

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Arrange the peaches in a greased 8" x 8" pan. Sprinkle with the mixture of 1 cup sugar with the spices. Place pan in the preheated oven while preparing the topping.

Sift together the flour, baking power, sugar, salt and spices. Then cut in the Crisco shortening until it appears to be coarse crumbs. Mix the milk and eggs, adding them at the same time. Stir until everything is moistened.

The original recipe said "Spread dough over hot peaches," but it's too thick to do much spreading, so I placed it in spoonfuls until pretty much covered. Sprinkle with the remaining two tablespoons of sugar then bake in the hot oven 35 minutes.

We stuck with the proportions in ingredients, ending up with two 9" x 12" x 2" baking pans -- in the photos you'll see one blue, one clear. Here's one just out of the oven:

Flexibility factors include increasing the recipe for larger groups as well as using any other fruit for the same recipe. Think of apples, along with apple pie spice. Or maybe a cherry cobbler? What's your favorite?

Crockpot Sunday Roast

2011-07-02T08:08:00.001-05:00

I'm not certain just how this fits as a "recipe", it's more of meal planning, as you'll see. I can't even give you much of an "ingredients" list, so you'll just have to read through it. It does, however, fit very well into my "flexible" category.

So, you need Sunday dinner and you put a roast on before you left for church, ready for when you get home, right? Let me save you even more time -- as suggested by a very nice lady over at Smelling Coffee.

Take a roast of the size you need -- depends on how many you are serving and whether or not you want left overs. Beef? Pork? Your choice. With the right seasoning you could use chicken breasts, right?

Season with your favorite dry rub (she suggests Rendezvous Seasoning rub, which I never heard of so we used our favorite)

Use heavy duty aluminum foil and make a packet for the seasoned roast, then add a bit of liquid seasoning (she suggests Dales Sauce, which I never heard of either -- or Worcestershire Sauce, which we use.) I also add a few slices of onion, just 'cause I love onions!

Close it up, sealing well and place in the crockpot, along with a couple of cups of water. Hope you did seal well! Don't let the water get above the foil pouch, either.

Now, what's so different? Well, her suggestions of wrapping greased baking potatoes in foil and placing on top of the roast. I like mine done with butter, then sprinkled with sea salt -- makes for good tasting skins!

Then take fresh green beans, season to your liking, seal them, too, in a foil pouch and place along with the potatoes.

Start those on Saturday night -- low and slow -- you don't have to wait and put it on Sunday morning!

Now, talk about flexible! You may:

1 - unwrap everything and serve with a salad (a gelatine one made the night before would be good, too) -- or:

2 - make BBQ out of that falling-apart-melt-in-your-mouth roast by adding sauce and serve in the baked potatoes -- or:

3 - Plan to make sandwiches -- BBQ, or omit the sauce and serve as a French Dip -- with chips and that gelatine or potato salad.

In any event, go to bed Saturday night knowing that after church you'll have dinner ready to serve. And, enjoy.

Eggs Poached in Tomatoes

2011-06-23T07:45:00.001-05:00

So, you like poached eggs. That's nice, a lot of people do, and they are very good for you. Don't you find them rather dull? Even with salt and pepper?

Do you then turn them to mouth-watering Eggs Benedict? Lots of bread and sauce? Now, that's a great treat, but not very good for you. How about trying something a bit different but just as flavor filled -- and the varieties are almost endless, a list of ingredients will be as long or short as you please:

1 can diced tomatoes (flavored if you wish)
4 eggs
Your choice of spices, flavorings
4 slices of toast (or alternatives)
Cheese?

I love tomatoes and keep diced tomatoes on hand for a number of recipes. For this breakfast, one can serves four. Additional ingredients will depend on whether or not your diced tomatoes are already flavored. What you add will depend on your favorite flavors -- wanted a few caramalized onions; sauteed green or a bit of spicy pepper; maybe you feel like adding a need-to-scare-vampires garlic; simply salt and pepper? Recently discovered flavorited Philadelphia Cooking Creme?

Add your best flavors, then decide whether or not you want them pureed for a smooth sauce, or have bits of the tomato to give flavor bursts. Your choice.

Place a half tablespoon of olive oil (or good vegetable oil) into a skillet and heat before adding your favorite flavors, then the tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer for about ten minutes to meld the flavors and cook thoroughly.

I break my eggs into separate cups - four in this case - then gently slide into the tomato mixture, keeping them as separate as possible. Continue to simmer covered for about five minutes, check for your desired level of yolk doneness, then remove skillet from heat -- I have an electric stove, so I don't want any hangover heat continuing to cook my eggs.

Have prepared toast on plates, spoon an egg onto a slice of toast, spooning additional sauce over the top. I like a wedge of Laughing Cow along side with it's rich creaminess -- and only 35 calories!

This more than qualifies for a variable recipe, not only for the 'favorite flavors', but think of the possibilities of that toast -- anything from French through sourdough to English muffins. Might consider a variation of Huevos Rancheros and use corn tortillas (mmm, with a warm layer of refried beans)? Could be served over No Yolk Egg Noodles for brunch or dinner, maybe with a wilted spinach side?

Let me know how you tried it, please.

My Tampiquena Version

2011-06-14T09:40:00.000-05:00

This is not a 'tried and true' recipe, but it is one I'd love to make so I'm saving it here. Beloved Husband would have problems with the peppers and onions, so I would have to make when we have the right company, and fix his steak without the trimmings. The recipe's results are similar to one of my favorite restraunt lunches, though, and well worth the effort -- if you like steak in the Tampico style. Tradition has it that this style was created in Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico, with a blend of citrus, onion and peppers.

Ingredients (for four)

4 steaks (use your favorite, from flank to ribeye can be found in recipes)

1/4 cup lime juice (some recipes call for lemon or orange)

Salt to taste

2 or 3 large poblano peppers (variations call for ancho, serrano)

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 large onion, sliced, not chopped

Oil to cover bottom of a pan

4 tortillas (corn or flour, your choice)

1 cup shredded cheese (sharp cheddar, Jack, Mexican - your favorite)

Several slices of cheese (sharp cheddar, Jack, Mexican - your favorite)

1 recipe of Poblano mole -- see note below!

And -- I would substitute a carton of Philly Santa Fe Blend Cooking Creme instead of creating a mole. But, that's because 1) I enjoy saving time over getting a sauce just right and 2) I tasted that Cooking Creme and like its flavors. If neither one of those reasons are appealing, feel free to look up a poblano mole recipe and use instead.

Place the steaks in a non-reactive container and marinate with the lime juice, adding salt to your taste. We use very little salt here, so I just sprinkle a bit of sea salt in. Most recipes I've seen either don't have a marinate time or say about 30 minutes. I prefer a bit longer to allow tenderizing as well as full flavor infusion.

Roast the peppers. Preheat oven to 375f. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, brush peppers with vegetable oil and place them on the sheet -- not touching each other. Place in the oven. Every twenty minutes or so, turn the peppers, rotating evenly. The skins should blister and turn brown. Remove from the oven to set aside to cook for about a half hour, then split to remove the skin and seeds. This is slippery and messy, but don't worry -- it's worth it to get the long slices for the flavor. Set them aside. At this point, they could be used in any recipe, so pepper roasting should be remembered.

While roasting those peppers, caramalize the onion. A Texas 1015 is ideal, or sweet Vidalia. All onions have sugars which caramilize, but these are sweeter. Use a thick bottomed pan, coated with oil or a combination of oil and butter. Heat until the oil shimmers, then add the onion slices, stirring to coat with the oil. Spread slices evenly and let cook over medium heat -- do not let them dry out, add a little water. They need to brown, but not burn. Stir often! My daughter covers them, some people don't. Either way, they need to be scraped every few minutes as they brown. After about 45 minutes, they should be done and set aside.

After this hour in the kitchen, we're ready to grill and assemble. Of course, this can be done ahead of time, too.

Grill the steaks on one side. Remove from the grill. Placing grilled side up, put slices of roasted peppers and caramalized onion on the top of the steak and return to grill the other side.

If you have a helper grilling, great -- you can then assemble the enchiladas. Heat the tortillas, spread with a bit of the onion, shredded cheese and a spoonful of the Philly Cooking Creme, roll. Place in a baking dish and put in the oven for a few moments to melt.

When steaks are done, place some cheese slices over the peppers and onions, place on baking sheet and put in the over for a few moments to melt.

Heat the remaining Philly Cooking Creme, adding milk to make a smooth sauce. Maybe heat some refried beans as a side dish, too.

Plate the steaks with one enchilada, cover with sauce, add some refried beans. Serve with salad, maybe some salsa and/or guacamole and think south of the border.

Seven Layer Salad

2011-06-09T22:51:00.002-05:00

Sorry -- once again no photos, and they look so lovely with these salads! Tonight our 42 Domino group feasted on summer salads and desserts. The buffet included potato salad, chicken salad, grape salad and my Seven Layer Salad in green.

There are multiple variations of this salad. The prime requisite is a straight sided glass salad bowl to display the layers. The variation I used tonight was a green and white combination:

Ingredients

Finely chopped iceberg lettuce
Fresh baby spinach leaves
Package of frozen peas, large and juicy
Thinly sliced bunch of green onions, include quite a bit of the tops
Thinly sliced stalks of celery - the greener the better
One cup of Miracle Whip mixed well with two tablespoons of granulated sugar
Sprinkle top with crushed pecans

Place in bowl one layer at a time, proportioned for the size of the bowl. Today I used one head of lettuce, one package of baby spinach leaves, four short stalks of celery (the tops, which are greener).

I was short a bit of Miracle Whip (bad planning on my part) so I added enough softened cream cheese to make the cup, then spread it over the top to create a seal. Covered and put in the fridge, the flavors meld to a marvelous taste. I added the nuts just before heading for dinner.

This can be made very colorfully, too, by using colored leaf lettuce, substituting colored peppers for the celery (or just add another layer!) and topping with cheese instead of nuts. Some recipes call for a topping of crisp flaked bacon -- I prefer maple flavored!

Make it pretty, but keep those merging flavors in mind when creating new varieties of this favorite. Please post comments with your favorite, too.

Simple Pork Steak

2011-05-19T06:05:00.003-05:00

Our grocer recently ran a special on pork steaks for 88 cents a pound. Combine that with a new recipe I ran across and we ended up with a very good, rather different meal. I had to make a couple of variations for our tastes, but the recipe is adaptable and Beloved Husband said this simple recipe was a keeper. We'll be fixing it again, soon!

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons margerine
3 tablespoons soy sauce
Small bunch of green onions, chopped (I got to use Texas 1015's out of our garden!!)
2 minced garlic cloves (I keep jars of minced garlic in the fridge)
4 pork steaks
Couple of teaspoons of flour
Water, keep a measuring cup on hand and add as needed

Directions:

Place the pork in a large baggie, add the flour and dredge. Just a little bit helps to make good gravy. Add no other seasonings first time around, just to see if you'll like this as is. After that, make it personalized with your favorites.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then add the soy sauce. Add the green onions and garlic, allowing them to soften well.

Add the pork, cook about eight minutes, then turn and cook about the same time on the other side. Add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan, not letting them become dry. They will look very brown due to the soy sauce, but they are not done yet.

Lower the heat a bit, be certain there's enough liquid to cover the bottom of the pan well -- if not, add a bit of water -- cover and simmer another ten minutes, checking and adding water if necessary for sauce.

They come out soooo tender and tastey! Serve with either rice or noodles and the side vegetable of your choice.

Applesauce Cake

2011-05-06T19:57:00.003-05:00

Pre-measured for two separate cakes.

Another group-taste-tested cake made for our 42 Domino Group. Again, we doubled the recipe, fixing two 9x13 pans. Last night we had seventeen people, sent home pieces for our special gentlemen and had half a pan left over. We notified our cake-loving Son-in-Law to come taste test, too (actually, it's not safe to have that much cake in our house!) In all honesty, my SiL said this one was great, but he'd opt for the carrot cake to become the standard.

Next week is birthday week for one of our regulars. SS is responsible for the menu and told him he could choose the dessert, so he selected his favorite -- banana pudding. Until he ate this cake, (Remember, he had the carrot cake, too!) came to me and asked if I would fix for him next week, too. For me, that means a very successful dessert!

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking powder
2 large eggs
1 cup raisins (the larger, light ones - not the dark small)
2/3 cup chopped nuts (we prefer pecans, but walnut would be good, too)

1) Pre-heat oven to 350. Grease (I used stick margerine) rectangular pan, 9x13, or 2 round pans, 8 in. or 9 in.
2) Beat all ingredients, except raisins and nuts, in a large bowl on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Stir in the raisins and nuts. Pour into pan.
3) The original recipe said to bake rectangle 45-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean -- but ours were done in 40. Check early as overcooking will ruin more than moistness. (Rounds 40-45 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean)
4) Cool completely then frost with the icing below.

It's our regular cream cheese frosting -- beaten until smooth and oh, so creamy!

1/2 cup melted butter
1 8-oz. package softened cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1-lb. box powdered sugar

Combine butter, cream cheese and vanilla, mixing well. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth -- take your time here. Spread on cooled cake.

Tortilla Roll Ups

2011-04-27T14:50:00.004-05:00

Having just fixed ham and cheese roll ups for my lunch, I wondered why I hadn't blogged about these before! Tortilla roll ups are one of the easiest things to make, and the taste combinations are endless. I've read "there must be a hundred ways," but I can come up with more than that just combining different ingredients listed below. You'll need a base, and I'd suggest (see, here are multiple combinations right off the bat):

8 oz. pkg cream cheese, softened (consider flavored or whipped, too)
Mix with 2 tablespoons of sour cream, or butter, or 2 milk

After that, use any combination of your favorite flavors, textures and seasonings.
Green onions, minced
Olives (black or green or both) chopped
Tomato, very thinly sliced
Fresh herbs
Meats -- thinly sliced turkey, chicken, ham, beef, chipped beef, salmon
Lettuce -- decorative, with color and ruffles
Greens -- spinach and others, color and flavor in one bundle
Crushed chips -- potato, tortilla
Sauces -- salsa, marinara, pesto
Fruits -- cooked or fresh
Vegetables -- cooked or fresh

And, of course, the tortillas -- usually flour. Corn tortillas do not hold together well, but other wrap material could be used, too.

Don't overlook sweet stuff. How about peanut butter with honey and nuts? Maybe a bit of chocolate icing and crush mints? Surely your imagination can go places from there. See, the joy is that you can put whatever you would put between slices of bread or on crackers that you like. There isn't a single recipe, nor could a book hold all of the possible combinations that our minds can conceive.

Do you wonder if something would work? Try it!!

The preparation is extremely simiple -- mix all ingredients except the tortillas and lettuce (and maybe the meat). Spread the mix on the tortillas, laying the lettuce (and meat?) on top -- keeping in mind that thin helps when rolling up!

Roll up. Some recommend wrapping in Cling or Saran wrap before chilling in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight. When ready to serve, cut each roll into 1/2-inch slices.

12 medium size tortillas should make about eight dozen pieces (of course, the cook will have to 'quality test' a couple of end pieces, just to keep them even, right?)

Tangine Type Lamb

2011-04-23T20:51:00.002-05:00

I ran across the following recipe that reminded me of a quick meal Judi Haire fixed me for lunch one day when we were working together.

She fixed ours within 20 minutes, and the one below takes almost two hours. She told me hers was a Mideast recipe, the one below an adaptation from Morocco. Hers was absolutely delicious, and the Tagine Lamb sounds as good, so it is saved here.

Judi didn't say much about measurements -- I do know she used part of an onion, a crushed clove of garlic and two lamb chops cut into bite-sized pieces and lightly coated with flour. She browned that quickly in oil, then she added a dash of red wine, water, some seasonings (salt and pepper for sure, could have been others) then the prunes and apricots. She served in bowls, with pita halves to dip. It was delicious!!

Remember, recipes should exist for our taste pleasure, so don't be concerned if you wish to change some of the flavors. So what if that means it's not 'authentic', tastey is what we're after.

Tagine Type Lamb

2.5 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into bite sized pieces
1 medium sweet onion sliced halved
3 tablespoons oil (preferably oil)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
About 2 1/2 cups water
1 cup prunes
1 cup dried apricots
3 tablespoons honey
Optional (but tastey additions)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup whole almonds

Toss lamb, onion, oil, spices, in a large stew pot. Add enough water to just cover ingredients. Simmer partially covered, stirring occasionally, 1 1/2 hours.

Stir in prunes/apricots and honey and simmer until meat is tender and sauce has thickened, which should take 15 minutes or a bit more. Suggested toppings are toasted sesame seeds and/or almonds.

By the way, you can find Tangine/Tajine cookers several places on the web. Here's one from Wikipedia:

Layered Chicken Mexican

2011-04-21T20:46:00.001-05:00

Ingredients

1 – Corn tortillas, enough to layer twice
2 – Cooked and shredded chicken breasts (this can be boiled in your favorite Mexican herbs, slow cooked or marinated and grilled – which doesn’t shred quite as well, but can be cut into small pieces)
3 – Sauce (a creamy tomato sauce which can be made from Creamy Chicken Mushroom soup and diced tomatoes – chili-flavored diced works well)
4 – Shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Layer the in the 1 to 4 order, twice, in the casserole dish, then bake 30 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.

This is an extremely flexible recipe and forgiving – no ingredient amounts are given because that depends on the number of people expected and size of casserole dish. If you are fixing for four people, use two chicken breasts and a two-quart casserole. Double that for eight to ten -- use four large chicken breasts and a 9x12 casserole. For the large casserole, a canned chicken can be used, as well as canned cheese soup instead of shredded cheddar. Even tortilla chips can be substituted for corn tortillas, or you might try flour tortillas (I haven't yet.)

Each change does have an impact, but the resulting casserole will retain the flavors of Mexico and provide a quick answer from the pantry for perhaps impromptu guests.

This was taken to our 42 Domino Night where we served 20 plus two 'care' packages sent home, even with some seconds.

I started with a dozen skinless chicken breasts (to make it a bit healthier) slow cooked for twelve hours in the crockpot with two cans of chili and pepper diced tomatoes. As I do with pulled pork, I had onions sliced to cover the bottom of the pan. I fork shredded the chicken as I removed it from the crockpot.

I reserved all the chunks of onion and diced tomatoes along with two cups of the broth to mix with 2 cans of soup and the chicken - add the chicken last so it doesn't shred much more. I used Campbell's Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Soup and a mixture of sharp cheddar and Mexican mix grated cheese.

Serve over rice – this rice recipe is for eight to ten:

2 cups uncooked rice
2 tblsp Wesson oil
3 cups Swanson chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes (a change of flavors will impact the dish – we’ve tried chili, garlic and onion)

In a skillet large enough to hold the finished rice, brown it in two tablespoons of oil, being careful not to burn. Add salt and pepper to taste (maybe a taste of garlic salt and/or an extra dash of chili?). Add the chicken broth and tomatoes. Simmer, covered, until rice is al dente.

Navy Beans Versatile

2011-04-19T18:24:00.000-05:00

We love beans. We fix a variety of beans and fix them different ways. Most of the recipes don't work for us -- last one I read about Navy beans served twelve. We are two. While we do use leftovers quickly, we don't need to make enough for 12! So, here's what worked for us, with leftovers for additional meals -- and what you can do to change it up:

Ingredients:

1/2 pound of dried navy beans
Salt to taste (we use less than most)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 good squirts of ketchup (you can use more or less, to taste)
1 small squirt of regular mustard
1 teaspoon molasses (optional)

Directions:

I never remember to soak the beans over night, so it’s usually about noon when I think about fixing for supper. I cover them with plenty of water, add a bit of salt (seasoned salt works well, too), bring them to a boil and let them cook for about 25 minutes, then soak for an hour or until I’m ready to cook.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Pour off the water and mix all of the other ingredients together. Put the bean mixture in a two-quart oven proof pan (I use my old standby Corning Ware) taking care that there is sufficient liquid to cover all the beans completely.

Bake for about two hours. I know, that's not specific, but I keep an eye on it so it won't dry out. Better to have a bit more liquid than to end up with yucky dry beans (even if they are sweet!). I check mine very 30 minutes and if they appear dry, I add a bit more water.

The molasses is a personal choice, not a necessity. Sometimes we don’t have it on hand and will use a taste of our favorite BBQ sauce.

Enjoy!!

Resurrection Rolls and Cookies

2011-04-16T11:11:00.000-05:00

Shared by my friend Barbara on her blog, these are both beautiful lessons of an empty tomb. To visit her site, click on her graphic:

Resurrection Cookies

What a wonderful way to explore and share the true meaning of Easter. It is great fun for all the family and the cookies really are delicious. Read the whole recipe before beginning, and have your Bible handy … best done together Saturday night before Easter Sunday.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

Ingredients:

Bible
1 cup whole pecans
Zipper baggy
Wooden spoon
Mixing bowl
1 tsp. vinegar
3 egg whites
1 pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
Mixer
Wax paper
Cookie sheet
Tape

Place pecans in the baggy and let the children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers.Read - John 19:1-3

Let children smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink. Read - John 19:28-30

Add egg whites to the vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life for our life. Read - John 10:10-11

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand, let them taste it then brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that represents the salty tears shed by Jesus followers, and the bitterness of our own sin... Read - Luke 23:27

So far the ingredients are not very appetizing.

Add 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of this story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read - Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16

Beat with mixer on high speed for 11-15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read - Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoon onto waxed paper-covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus body was laid. Read - Matthew 27:65-66

Put cookies sheet in the oven. Close door and turn oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the door. Explain that Jesus tomb was sealed. Read - Matthew 27:65-66

Go to bed. Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read - John 16:20 and 22

On Resurrection Morning open the oven and give everyone a cookie.
Notice the cracked surface and take a bite.

The cookies are hollow !

On the first Resurrection Day Jesus followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read - Matthew 28:1-9

He Has Risen ! Hallelujah ! ! ! ! !

What a wonderful way to teach children about the risen Savior...Hope you enjoy these with your family.

Resurrection Rolls

This sounds similar to the Resurrection Cookies, but even more simple, and would be fun to do with children.

Ingredients:
1 can refrigerated crescent roll dough
8 large marshmallows
Melted butter
Cinnamon
Sugar

Directions:
Give each child one triangle shaped section of crescent roll. This represents the tomb.

Each child takes one marshmallow which represents the body of Christ.

Dip the marshmallow in the butter and roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture. This represents the oils and spices the body was anointed with upon burial.

Lay the marshmallow on the dough and carefully wrap it around the marshmallow.

Make sure all seams are pinched together well. (Otherwise the marshmallow will "ooze" out of the seams)

Bake according to package directions. Cool.

Break open the tomb and the body of Christ is no longer there!! Celebrate God's love!

Carrot Cake

2011-04-07T11:49:00.001-05:00

I’ve just hand grated six cups of carrots for tonight’s 42 Game dessert. OK, so I ate at least two. I love their crunch and flavor! Carrot cake is a favorite at several restaurants I know. My favorite was a thick square at the Carriage House Bistro at the San Antonio, Texas, Botanical Gardens. Their cactus strips were sweet, too!

So, tonight we’re having a much smaller version, and here’s the recipe. It’s adapted from one given to me, and I’ve lost the source so I cannot correctly thank the chef.

No – I didn’t grate too many carrots – we’re making two cake pans. We have between sixteen and twenty people at the games (plus sending home a couple of ‘care packages’ for two gentlemen.)

Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil (I used half oil and half applesauce)
4 eggs
3 cups grated carrot
1 cup chopped pecans (some use English walnut instead)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift together sugar, flour, soda, salt. cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in oil/applesauce. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add carrots, nuts and vanilla, mixing thoroughly.

Pour into a floured and greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch cake pan.
Bake in a 350' oven for 30 minutes. Cool in pan.
Spread with Cream cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup melted butter
1 8-oz. package softened cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1-lb. box powdered sugar

Combine butter, cream cheese and vanilla, mixing well. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Spread on cooled cake.

Eggs (Again) For Deviling

2011-03-16T12:24:00.000-05:00

I really do like eggs. In spite of the cholestoral, they are a marvelous food. With Easter coming up, I'm planning on fixing some of these that my friend Gift wrote about on Facebook.

In the first photo (1) are her tools -- the corner from a milk carton (something flexible but strong that will hold the shape of the egg), two strong rubber bands and a chopstick. The remaining steps in the photo show how to turn the warm, peeled egg into two hearts. Remember, the egg must be warm for this to work:
(2) place the egg in the holder,
(3) placement of the chopstick, pressing into the egg, held in place by the rubber bands,
(4) leave it long enough that when the rubber bands are removed, there is a depression where the chopstick was,
(5) how the egg should look before cutting,
(6) and how it looks when it is cut in two, giving two hearts.

Carefully remove the yokes and using your favorite deviled egg recipe, turn these into eye-catchers for Easter dinner!

Egg in a Basket, Rafts

2011-02-25T12:05:00.004-06:00

There are lots of names for this particular treat: Rafts; egg in a basket, over easy toast, windowpane egg or simply an egg sandwich. I've seen it around for ages. Mom made them for us when we were kids, and that's over half a century ago, so this is nothing new. So very easy to do, too. A lot easier with non-stick pans. The ingredients and utensils are very, very simple -- butter, eggs, bread, non-stick skillet, cookie cutter and a spatula.

Using your favorite biscuit or cookie cutter, cut out a nest from the middle of the bread. My favorite is this oat nut with great texture and flavor. Have the eggs ready to pour into the nest.

Butter the bread -- this time I used a garlic butter we had left over from an Italian dinner. Place the bread, including the cut outs, butter side down in the heated pan, and add the eggs to the nests.

Turn as soon as the egg reaches the desired doneness, turn -- I like mine over easy.

Serve!!

There are other ways to create 'nests', too. I tried it with a slice of ham, but the egg white ran a bit. Still makes a nice dish!

Slicing the ham a bit more evenly, slightly thicker or having the pan a bit hotter to sear the egg might solve that problem. Still, it was tasty.

Turkey Meatloaf

2011-02-18T17:12:00.003-06:00

I forgot to take pictures!

My apologies, but their lack won't change the fact that this recipe turned out quite well. I fixed three pans -- using six pounds of ground turkey -- that fed seventeen people, sent "care" packages home with two and a bit of leftovers home with us.

Of course, I adjusted ingredients upward from the recipe below, which calls for only a pound and a half of ground turkey. There are a couple of good sites on the web that will help adjust for the number of servings needed. There's a decent one at Chef Ben's.

In days gone by I used lean ground beef, but ground turkey is better for us, and works quite well.

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1/2 cup fine cracker crumbs - I like Ritz better than saltines
3 tablespoons chopped onions
1/8 teaspoon salt - we use Lawry's Seasoned
Dash of pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/8 teaspoon garlic granules - or one clove pressed
3 tablespoons catsup
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 eggs beaten smoothly
Bacon slices

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place ingredients except the bacon slices into a large bowl, mixing very well until all combined. Rather than pressing into a loaf pan, I use a 9" x 9" Corning pan for mine, shaping it into a loaf, but leaving room clear around the pan. (Last night I used three differently shaped pan, one 9x13, a Corning one-quart and my 9x9 Corning for the six pounds because we have three different tables -- one that seats eight, one seating six and another that seats four. )

With the loaf in the pan, take about 1/4 cup of catsup and brush on the loaf, then lay bacon strips to cover the surface. Bake for one hour and fifteen minutes. This recipe should serve six and might even leave a piece for a sandwich the next day.

Last night it was accompanied by a potato and three-cheese casserole that another member brought, a spring salad with crunchies, piping hot yeasty rolls and a creamy chocolate caramel cake with a light whipped icing with coconut from three other ladies. I'm hoping for recipes for those, too, to add to this southern comforting meat loaf.

There's nothing quite like a Christian fellowship fun time!

Vegetable Soup from Party Food

2011-01-01T18:56:00.005-06:00

Well, here it is the day after the party/celebration and you have some left overs. If your left overs include a vegetable tray, along with a bit of onion dip, you've got the makings of a first rate vegetable soup.

The tray I brought home had quite a bit of celery and carrots left, a bit of broccoli and quite a few grape tomatoes. Enough to consider, but I needed to add potatoes and your choice of seasoning.

I also had to do some hiding. Beloved Husband would not accept a floweret of broccoli floating in any soup placed in front of him by his wife. Also, the tomatoes would leave somewhat stringy skin. So those two go into the food processor to cut them down to size, leaving unrecognizable results. I also sliced the celery into thin pieces -- another BH preference.

I used red potatoes, just cutting them into bite size pieces, slightly larger than the tiny carrots. I decided not to add onions but to use the onion dip, along with chicken broth and some water, Once that was boiling, added all the vegtables.

It was a bit mild for my taste, so I also added a bit of butter -- garlic butter that I had on hand for great Italian bread. It was worth the sacrifice! That Italian thought also brought out the Italian Spice flavoring I had in the cabinet. Perfect for us. You're welcome to try your favorite.

I knew it was a success when Beloved Husband ate his second bowl!!

Too often those finger foods would dry out in the fridge, ostensibly forgotten but in reality just ignored. A warm soup on a cold day makes an excellent trade. Just think what it could be like with a little sausage, chicken or beef. Another flexible recipe!!

Hummus -- or Humas, Hommus or even Hommos

2010-11-21T16:22:00.002-06:00

The simple chickpea. In the Mediterranean it's been a part of the diet for centuries and is an energy food high in protein. According to Forward.com, it's been cultivated for more than 7,500 years.

I've seen chickpeas on salad bars and added them, but found them a bit tasteless. When I was first introduced to hummus, I would never have thought it was a paste based on chickpeas. But, the recipe is actually easier than pie.

Ingredients:
1 can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans.
1/4 cup of olive oil.
1 teaspoon of cumin.
1 tablespoon of lemon juice.

Preparation:
Blend all these ingredients in a food processor until the mixture becomes creamy and smooth.
Serve the mixture immediately with veggies, pita chips or pita bread.

We mean it when we say serve immediately. Even in an airtight container in the refrigerator it will sour after three days.

And, this might not be the hummus you are used to. Most that I have eaten has included tahini paste and some really good garlic (OK, so I love garlic!)

Ingredients:
16 ounces of garbanzo beans or chickpeas.
¼ cup of the water from a can of chickpeas.
3 to 5 tablespoons of lemon juice.
One and a half tablespoons of Tahini.
2 cloves of crushed garlic.
½ a teaspoon of salt.
2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Preparation:
Drain the chickpeas and then set aside the water that has been collected from the can.

Mix all the remaining ingredients in a food processor or blender.

Add the liquid from the chickpea can and blend the mixture for about 5 minutes until the mixture is smooth and thoroughly mixed.

Place the mixture in a large serving bowl and then create a sort of well in the center of the Hummus mixture.

Add about 1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil in this well and garnish with a bit of parsley.

Serve with toasted or warm pita bread or cover the hummus and refrigerate.

I have read recipes that call for substituting peanut butter for the tahini -- forget it!!! You might as well substitute lamb for chicken in your favorite casserole. It just won't be the same, will it? The recipe is flexible, but that pretty much applies to the amount of garlic, lemon, grade of olive oil, etc. Oh -- some peppers can be added for a bit of spice, but anything else and changes it to something else. Of course, if you do that and your family loves it, you can post the recipe and give it a new name. Not a bad idea either!!!

Cabbage Roll Soup

2010-10-12T14:16:00.004-05:00

There are some Oklahoma restaurants we enjoyed for years that served delicious cabbage roll appetizers. I never tried to make them, since I was the only one in the family that loved them. So I decided to try for the taste, that marvelous flavor, even if I didn't have a good reason to make a pan of cabbage rolls.

Success!! I took a variety of recipes and have created my memory of these delicious cabbage rolls in a soup. Of course the texture is a bit different, but the flavor is very good – if you like cabbage rolls. I do!!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon margarine
1 pound of ground beef
1 cup chopped onions
1 clove garlic, pressed
2 cups chopped cabbage (I like it bite sized)
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup lentils
½ cup rice
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes (I used DelMonte’s Garlic and Onion)
¼ teaspoon Allspice
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Fresh grated nutmeg

Preparation:

In a large stock pan, melt the butter, then sauté onion and garlic until softened, not browned. Remove and set aside. Do the same for the cabbage and set aside.

Brown the hamburger meat in the same pan, adding salt and pepper to taste. I grind mine so I won’t use as much as I used to. Helps to cut down on salt.

Add the onion and cabbage to the meat along with the cans of tomatoes. Season with the spices and add enough water to cover all and stir well. When it comes to a boil, add the lentils and the rice, then simmer for 30 minutes.

Reheating only makes it better! This is made for our church Ladies Meeting the night we sat aside for Soup and Salad.

Spaghetti Pie - A Flexible Forgiving Recipe!

2010-08-20T07:43:00.007-05:00

I found a variation of this recipe online at Barbaras Bakin N Bits and again in AllRecipes.com. Please read through, my own experience follows this excellent recipe. (I promise to upload photos -- as soon as I download camera)

Ingredients

1 (6 ounce) package spaghetti
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Cook and drain spaghetti. Stir in margarine, parmesan cheese and eggs, while spaghetti is hot.

Form spaghetti mixture into a crust in a buttered 10 inch pie plate.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a skillet cook the beef, onion, green pepper and garlic. Drain off the fat and stir in the undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and oregano. Heat through.

Spread cottage cheese over the spaghetti crust then pour in the beef and tomato mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 minutes. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top of the pie then bake for 5 minutes longer, until cheese melts.

OK -- ya'll know how much I admire recipes that are 1) Flexible, and 2) Forgiving. Let me tell you, this one is the Keeper of all Keepers!!

Remember, I'm in the middle of cataract surgery (it's a good excuse) and my left eye sees well at a distance, my right eye is foggy. I bought reading glasses off the shelf to sort of magnify letters so I can operate on screen and attempt to read books (see, the excuse can be justified.)

I promised to try this new recipe for our Thursday night 42 group (if you don't know what 42 is, look it up online with dominoes) and this Thursday we were back to eight people, so two pies ought to work out just right, right?

I spent just over an hour in the kitchen. First off, I thought the spaghetti package would make a bit much, and when it was cooked, it did fill two pie pans. (Error 1 - my package was 16 ounces. Filled two pies quite well!!)

Everything smelled sooooo good while the meat was cooking! I didn't put in the sugar and oregano -- that wasn't included in the online recipe, and I think it might have been good to have. I'll try that next time.

I used diced tomatoes with onion and green pepper and omitted the green pepper from above. Beloved Husband isn't a green pepper fan, and I love him enough to lower their flavor.

I prepared the pies at home, but didn't bake the mozarella until we arrived at our hosts' home. The oven was ready and within ten minues we were ready to slice the pies, served with garlic bread and a tossed salad.

As I accepted accolades for a great dish and was explaining the recipe to the ladies, I realized error 2 - I had forgotten the cottage cheese!!!!! My friends loved the dish, without one of the creamiest, soften-the-spaghetti, add taste, make it more-like-lasagna ingredients.

See why I think this is both flexible and forgiving?

Beef Stir Fry w/ Peanut Butter

2010-08-11T21:44:00.002-05:00

This is a different style from our usual, but it sounded good and I had the ingredients. Beloved Husband responded with "OK" when I asked if he would like to try a new recipe. No, I did not mention the peanut butter. The original recipe came from Allrecipes.com's "Peanut Beef Stir-Fry" but only peanut butter is used. I intend to experiment more with this recipe, using cashew butter, maybe even adding some cashews (if I can rescue them from BH) but if I do that it will be so similar to Cashew Chicken at a local Thai restaurant that I'd have to change the beef into chicken breast.

Again, this appears to be a very flexible recipe!! And, again, we ate without photos. I actually thought about it, but it cooks so quickly and is so very good hot that I just didn't slow down for the camera.

Ingredients (to serve only two -- check Allrecipes for calculating larger groups)

2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup beef broth (used used beef granules and water)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon sugar
dash of pepper

1/2 pound lean sirloin steak, thinly sliced against grain
1/2 cup sliced onion
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
one clove garlic, pressed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil.

Instructions

I used a two-cup measuring cup to combine the first six ingredients until smooth. Set aside, stirring every once in a while to keep mixture smooth.

In a wok, or large skillet, heat the oil then stir-fry the beef, onion, celery and garlic for just a few minutes -- until meet is no longer pink. Do not overcook.

Stir the broth mixture again and add to the stir-fry. Bring to a boil, stirring and cook for a couple of minutes until broth thickens.

I served with rice, but this would be good with noodles, too. BH didn't even notice that there was peanut butter flavoring, he just thought it was very, very good. And, so did I. I'll update this as we experiment with variations -- maybe I can even get photos!!

Simple Corn Casserole

2010-06-14T21:42:00.002-05:00

I get recipes from several sources each day. Most are out of my taste range, having lived with Beloved Husband’s meat-potatoes-gravy non-cuisine for 49 years. But – every once in a while, one I’ve been looking for comes in. Today it was from Campbell’s Soup.

And, it’s one I’ve been looking for over the past two weeks. A variation of this was served at Sheridan Road Methodist Church for the family before a funeral. For those of us who love corn, it was simply delicious. Creamy delicious. Sweetly delicious.

It did not, however, have Parmesan cheese and French friend onions – as the recipe I received today included.

The received ingredients were:

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1 can (about 16 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
1 package (about 8 ounces) corn muffin mix
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 can (2.8 ounces) French fried onions (about 1 1/3 cups)

I did follow the directions to beat the soup, milk and eggs in a medium bowl. I did add corn, the corn muffin mix and combined them with the soup mixture.

Knowing Beloved Husband’s taste – and not having tasted them in the Tulsa casserole, I omitted the cheese, and onions. I did pour the soup mixture into my 1 1/2-quart Corning Ware casserole. And baked at 350°F. for 30 minutes to set the mixture. It actually took another ten minutes to have the middle unjiggly and a cake tester come out clean.

If you want to try it as sent by Campbell’s, include the Parmesan cheese in the mixture along with 2/3 cup of the fried onions. After the 30 minutes, remove the casserole and top with the remaining onions. Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.

Knowing how much I like flexible recipes – think about how this one can be changed. Change the cheese and you’ll change the flavor. How about Monterey Jack, pepper Jack? Why not add a bit of green chilis for a southwest flavor? This can be done with creamed corn, but lacks a bit without whole kernels and bakes longer to set.

If you don’t like corn – forget this one!!!

Chocolate Cake -- Moist!!

2010-06-10T09:47:00.007-05:00

Having previously impressed our domino group with the moist spice cake and RCCL's flourless chocolate cake, I looked for a way to combine moistness with chocolate and ran across Diana's Desserts and her Rich Chocolate Bundt Cake.

After reading the comments, I was ready for the thin batter (but it wasn't too thin, unless one was thinking pound cake.) For tonight I did not include the accompanying whipped cream nor raspberries, just lightly shaking a bit of powdered sugar through stencils. So, you'll need to check Diana's site for those recipes (and it's worth taking the time to do so.)

Still, here's the cake recipe:

Dry Ingredients:

2 cups granulated sugar

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

Liquid Ingredients:

2 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup. boiling water

The instructions are simple and the cake goes together easily.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C).

Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt or tube pan.

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl of an electric mixer. [I didn't get out the big mixer for this. I combined the dry ingredients using a large spoon, making certain it was an even color and all the sugar/flour didn't stand out.]

Add the liquid ingredients (except for the boiling water), and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. [Just a hand mixer works well -- but don't cut down on the mixing time, and don't think it's too thick.]

Stir in boiling water. [Now don't worry about it being too thin!! Comments on Diana's site mentioned that. Fortunately most decided to leave as is -- good thing.]

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 50-55 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in cake comes out clean. [Don't be tempted to add chocolate bits. One lady who commented on Diana's site did, and it turned out badly -- they sank and melted.]

Remove cake from oven and let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then invert cake onto wire rack and let cool completely.

I eventually sprinkled mine with powdered sugar, and decided then to purchase a spoon sieve to use with plastic patterns.

Need a lunch sack?

2010-05-19T16:32:00.003-05:00

This craft from Martha Stewart is an ideal answer for carrying lunches. A bit of oilcloth -- you don't have to use an old tablecloth, but you could -- and you have a lunch bag that will never be confused with the lunch bag from the next cubicle. This is something even I could make -- all it takes is straight lines.

The link I found came from a beautiful site maintained by by grand-niece, called peas {and} tanks. She sees beauty with an artist's eyes, and creates even more from it. From craft and cards to plans for new homes -- she's got it!!

A BLT Burger

2010-05-18T12:36:00.005-05:00

Sorry, no photo on this one. I do have to plan better.

A recent controversy among FB friends over catsup/ketchup was brought to mind by this recipe. Whichever you call the condiment, it adds a bit to this BLT burger. The original recipe came from Delish.com and there are only minor changes that do not have much affect on the Nutritional information.

Ingredients for four burgers:

1/4 cup ketchup (we prefer the sweetness of Heinz)
1/4 cup Light Miracle Whip
1 tablespoon French's Dijon Mustard
1 1/4 pounts lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 slices bacon
4 hamburger buns (we prefer potato bread buns -- outstanding!)

While the grill is preheating, blend together the ketchup, Miracle Whip and mustard. Mix half of this into the ground beef, blending well.

Shape beef into four patties about 3/4 inch thick. Sprinkle with the salt (we use Lawry's Seasoned) and pepper, then wrap with two of the bacon strips, crossing each others at right angles. If necessary, use a toothpick to hold, but be sure to remove before cooking. Place patties on the hot grill rack and cook about 12 minutes total, turning once.

The buns can be placed on the grill to toast during the last couple of minutes of cooking.

Serve with lettuce and sliced tomatoes, along with the remaining ketchup dressing.

Calories should remain about 540 even with condiment changes, with total fat at 30g, carbs at 27g, protein 35 g and a negligible amount of sugar.

Onions

2010-05-13T16:04:00.001-05:00

They don't appear to be close relatives, but onions belong to the lily family. So do the garlic, leek, chive, scallion and shallot bulbs. They contain "odoriferous sulfur compounds", responsible for flavor and eye-irritating compounds.

There are a variety of medicinal effects that can be found with a Google search -- treating coughs, colds, bronchitis, perhaps asthma, preventing atheroscerosis, suppressing growth of potentially harmful bacteria in the colon. Both onions and garlic provide sulfides which may lower blood lipids and blood pressure. One site stated: The higher the intake of onion, the lower the level of glucose found during oral or intravenous glucose tolerance tests.

The very smell of cooking onions whets the appetite. Whether raw, sauted, fried, simmered, or roasted, they add flavor to what they accompany.

We enjoy them in so many ways.

My favorite is to caramelize them and serve as a side to a favorite meat (ribeye steaks sound just about right!) Start with several large onions -- I find the sweet ones to work quite well, Texas' 1015 or Vidalias. Remove the root and top ends, then peel. Some say to cut the onions in half, from root to stem, then slice lengthwise. I prefer to make onion rings. Use a large pan to saute. Heat olive oil, butter or a combination (about one teaspoon for each onion. Once the oil is hot, add the onion sices and stir well to coat them. Some recipes advocate adding sugar -- I don't. Cook for 30 minutes or more. Stiring every few minutes is an absolute necessity -- they must brown, but not burn. So it's cook, turn, cook, turn (scraping up the pieces that begin to stick to the pan.) Everyone has a favorite way to deglaze the pan -- find your own: a small bit of water, balsamic vinegar, cooking wine, stock. Each has their own advocates. Use right away or they'll keep in the refrigerator for several days.

Another easy one, to eat immediately after cooking, is a baked onion. Cleanse the onion well, leaving the roots intact but spotless. Peel the onion and cutting just to (but NOT through) the root. Place onion on a lightly greased square of aluminum foil. Press butter into the cuts, then sprinke with your favorite seasonings: salt, pepper, fajita / cajun spices, cheeses, include a slice or two of bell pepper. Wrap in the foil, place in a baking pan, then bake at 400 degrees for about an hour. Excellent!

Spiced Bundt Cake

2010-05-13T14:09:00.004-05:00

The original of this recipe was found on About.com's Southern Food. I had a new bundt pan -- I was fortunate enough to order two Longaberger pottery bundt pans when they were on sale earlier this year -- and this recipe was ideal for a trial run. That and a group of people playing 42 on our regular night, requiring desert. Beloved Husband and I do NOT need a full cake hanging around in our kitchen. I wanted a recipe that was flexible (that is ALWAYS a requirement) and slightly different. This one fit the bill.

We only made a few changes.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups applesauce (the original called for 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup vegetable oil (the original called for 1 cup)
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

The original recipe suggested these options:
1 cup chopped dates or raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
sifted confectioners' sugar or vanilla glaze

We opted only for a cup of walnuts -- happened to have some on hand. Worked just fine without the dried fruit. Dried cherries would be good, too.

Preparation:

Lightly butter and flour a 12-cup bundt pan or 2 8x4-inch loaf pans.

In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar, applesauce, oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.

Stir in flour, soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg until well blended.

Stir in dates or raisins and chopped walnuts or pecans.

Pour batter into prepared bundt pan or loaf pans.

Bake at 350° for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean (for us, it took the full 55 minutes, with us checking every five minutes after 40.)

Cool cake for 10 minutes in pan on rack. Remove from pan and cool completely on rack.

Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar or glaze with a vanilla icing -- we did that and added a bit of the cinnamon, nutmet and allspice in the glaze. That's "we" in that Beloved Husband did the glazing. My vision was a lot less, but his turned out quite tastey!

Crockpot Cooking Story

2010-04-20T20:02:00.004-05:00

OK, this is not a recipe. Well, I did put a roast in a crockpot, lightly seasoned and designed to cook slowly all day. But, it's the 'rest of the story' that day recalls.

Before I headed for work, before the children headed off for school, I put the roast in the crockpot to be ready when my parents arrived from out of town. Headed for work, and the OCD bug questioned, "Did you really plug that in?" So I called my trustworthy Neighbor and asked if she would check on that for me. Not a problem!

I forgot to ask her about when she called me back -- to let me know that the city water department was at my house ready to cut the water off for non-payment. Beloved Husband (working out of town that week) had not mailed in the payment. Trustworthy Neighor wrote them a check and my parents never would think we were poverty-stricken, without funds.

Before 4:00 my First Daughter called wanting to know why the roast wasn't done. Panicking, I told her to place it in the pressure cooker and it would be ready for supper. I would leave at 5:00 and be home within 20 minutes. I had to call Neighbor and find out what happened. She asked her husband "Didn't you go over and check Blick's crockpot?" "Yes, and she had left it plugged in so I unplugged it so nothing would burn." How can one complain about someone who wrote a check to the water department?!?

At five I left the office, on one side of the airport and as I got to the back side, a tire went flat. No one for miles around. I was able to get it jacked up and the tire removed, but could not get the right grip to pull the full-sized spare out of the tire well. I tried. Trust me, I tried! First Daughter's vice-principal drove up, recognized the problem and solved it immediately. I was only 45 minutes late.

As I turned into our street, I saw my Dad get out of his car in our driveway. With a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken. Why would he be carrying that into my house, with Son carrying the biscuits?

The safety valve on the pressure cooker blew, molten metal dripping down on the ill-fated roast.

We ate the chicken and enjoyed every bit. Oh, after I spent a few minutes crying the bedroom, of course!

Clay Cooking - Romertopf

2010-04-10T21:33:00.002-05:00

I know that Christmas was three months ago. I received a Romertopf by Recco from First Daughter. I had wanted to try a clay cooker for some time and the Scot in me just wouldn't buy one. Thank goodness FD has diluted Scot and went for it!

From the day after Christmas to the end of January, Papa was ill and the clay cooker was the least of my concerns. I don't know what happened to February, except it brought First Granddaughter back to Texas, along with Second GreatGrand. (Oh, yes, her blessed husband, too.) March was full of this and that and Beloved Husband's Second Brother and wife came to visit (and I wish they could have stayed for months!)

Finally, I bought a hen this week and threw her in the oven in the clay cooker. Scrumptious!!!

Well, it wasn't quite that simple. I plucked some fresh rosemary, added half an apple in sections along with a bit of salt and pepper to the empty cavity. BH had purchased garlic butter for use a couple of weeks ago and I used the leftovers in the creases of the legs and wings, along with margerine wiped lightly over the remaining skin.

After soaking the clay cooker in water for fifteen minutes, I simply tied the legs and folded the bird into the cooker, placed it in a cold oven (now that took some getting used to!! No preheating), turned it on at 450 degrees, set the kitchen timer for 85 minutes and left it alone.

The directions suggest adding vegetables, but I didn't this time. There are directions for crisp skin, too, but we found it to be just right.

Not only moist and tender, we ended up with lots of broth. Since we didn't fix potatoes this time, we didn't make gravy but will use it later.

Sorry I didn't take pictures, but I certainly would recommend clay cookers for quick, moist chicken. I was surprised that it cooked within an hour and a half, but it was done all the way through, nothing dried out.

Along with my recommendation, I also say a big "Thanks!!!" to my lovely First Daughter, for the gift and for her thoughtfulness!

Spanish Rice

2010-04-02T05:37:00.004-05:00

Our Thursday night 42 games have changed over the past year. Used to be our hostess would prepare the full meal, but that was when we had four players and a visitor. The evening has since grown into three tables, meaning twelve sitting down to dinner weekly, so we’ve moved to each of the wives bringing a dish.

Last night’s menu started with variations of King’s Ranch Chicken, black beans, tortilla salad and Spanish rice. I made the Spanish rice. It is a new recipe for me, so simple, but it turned out just perfect, so I thought I’d share.

The recipe I started with came from AllRecipes.com, but (of course) I had to adjust for the number of people (theirs served 5, we had 12) and a bit for our taste. Again, this recipe fits one of my criteria – it’s flexible!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons oil – olive oil would be my choice
3 tablespoons chopped onion – I used some new onions out of our garden
2 ¼ cups uncooked white rice
3 cups chicken broth – Swanson’s is so easy to keep on hand
1 ½ cup Pace picante sauce – for our guests, mild was preferred but it can be spiced up

That’s all of the ingredients, and the preparation is just about as simple.

I used our largest skillet (I have a Circulon – adored for its clean up!) to heat the oil over a medium burner, then added the onions and cooked them until they were tender – almost translucent.

Then I added the rice, mixing and stirring until all grains were coated and the onion well mixed in. Continue stirring until the rice begins to brown, then add the chicken broth and salsa, stirring until the salsa is evenly mixed in.

Cover and allow to simmer for 20 minutes, when all the liquid is absorbed.

The oil could be vegetable, the onion selected would impact the flavor, a change in the type of rice could, too. I recommend chicken broth, but it could be made with water or vegetable broth instead (especially if there’s a vegetarian at your table), and the picante sauce could be changed to taco sauce (hot or mild) for a change of Pace (pun intended.)

Chocolate Mouse (Nope, not mousse!)

2010-01-20T15:29:00.003-06:00

These are extra special to me, especially right now. The friend who introduced them has been diagnosed with cancer and we are holding her in prayer. Mother of four, ranging from 2 to 16, she has brought sunshine and laughter into our lives with the light of Christ that shines so brightly in her life.

It's simple, yet so cute. You'll need (quantities depend on how many you want to make)

Oreo Cookies -- remove tops and set them back to use in other recipes later.
Maraschino cherry -- the body on the mouse.
Hershey's Kiss -- for the head and
Slivered almonds -- for the ears
Eyes here are decorative icing. I've seen them, too, with silver sugar beads
Dipping chocolate -- recipe below

The only problem is eating them -- they are so cute to watch that making a pet of them is tempting!!!

The dipping chocolate recipe from Hershey is simple and makes a cup:
　
1/2 cup HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Chips
1/2 cup HERSHEY'S Special Dark or HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 tablespoon shortening (do not subtitute butter, margarine, spread or oil!)

Place chocolate chips and shortening in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 1 minute; stir. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, just until chips are melted and mixture is smooth when stirred. Cool slightly.

Hold cherry by the stem and dip into chocolate until covered. Shake gently to remove excess chocolate. Place on prepared Oreo bottom. Place Hersey's kiss for the head, hold with a drop of chocolate and place almonds for the ears. A drop of chocolate can hold the eyes, too.

Once A Month Mom - and my recipe!

2010-01-04T08:40:00.002-06:00

I am so pleasantly surprised!

Once A Month Mom (if you haven't met her, please stop by OAMM) had a baby in December. Knowing from a previous experience that her free time would be seriously limited (especially during holidays!!), she requested guests submit recipes.

My submission was accepted. You'll find my adaptation of Hamburger Soup here on her site.

With just a few comments, it's the same as my Hamburger Soup Variations here on this site.

It is such a pleasure to have been selected! Especially with a favorite recipe. Thanks for sharing the moment with me.

Hoppin' John - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

2010-01-01T10:01:00.003-06:00

Hopping John: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hopping_John -- though a lot say Hoppin' John: http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/HoppinJohn.htm.

The recipes for this southern dish vary from location to location, even from family to family. Black-eyed peas, meat, rice and favorite seasonings remain required ingredients. Last time I had to substitute smoked sausage since the ham bone I expected in our freezer wasn't there. It was good!

1 pound dried black-eyed peas (or fresh – our preference)
2 small smoked ham hocks or meaty ham bone (we’ve substituted smoked turkey sausage, too)
2 medium onions, divided
3 large cloves garlic, halved
1 bay leaf
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 can (10 to 14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes (flavors do make a difference
3 ribs celery, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning – your preference

Some include:
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
But Beloved Husband doesn’t care for them cooked. Others add hotter peppers or hot sauce. Again, not our preference

Instructions

In a large stew pot, cook black-eyed peas, ham bone/hocks, and 6 cups water. Cut 1 of the onions and add along with garlic and bay leaf.

After bringing to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer gently until the beans are tender but do not overcook, 2 to 2 1/2 hours for dried beans. Remove the ham bone/hocks, discard after removing meat. Set meat aside to add later.

Drain the peas, discarding bay leaf, onion pieces, and garlic. Set peas aside to add later.

Add 2 1/2 cups of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Add the rice, cover, and simmer until the rice is almost tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. I’ve also cooked the rice with the diced tomatoes and water to better incorporate flavors.

Mince the remaining onion and add along with the peas, tomatoes, and their juices, red and green bell pepper, celery, and remaining seasonings. Cook until the rice is tender. Stir in the pre-cooked meat. Often I’ll all but caramelize the onion before adding. Again, a personal preference.

Serve with cornbread and a tossed green salad.

Six Week Bran Muffins

2009-12-30T15:37:00.004-06:00

Can you tell I'm going through my Dad's recipe book? It's a photo album holding recipes he took from newspapers, magazines, cards from friends and my Mother. This is one he found when my kids were little and spent time at their home. He could put a half dozen in the oven and fifteen minutes later his grandkids had hot muffins. Can't beat a deal like that! I had a very large yellow Tupperware salad bowl that I used to keep a batch in our fridge, especially after we moved away. I don't so much any more -- Beloved Husband and I don't need many extras. I will this summer when our great-grands come stay with their Gramma so we can be ready in fifteen minutes, too.

1 12 oz box raisin bran
2 ½ cups sugar
5 cups flour
5 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
4 eggs – beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
1 quart buttermilk

Mix dry ingredients together is large storage bowl.

Add liquid ingredients and mix well.

Bake 15 minutes at 400 degrees

This refrigerates up to six weeks. We’ve never been able to verify that length of time ‘cause it gets used up before that.

This is great, though, if you want just a couple of muffins and don’t want to be tempted to eat a bunch. Easily baked in a countertop oven.

It’s good, too, with a bit of struesel topping:

Streusel Topping – for

1/4 c. brown sugar
1 tbsp. soft butter
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. chopped nuts or coconut (optional)

Uncle Vaughan's Baked Potatoes

2009-12-30T12:02:00.004-06:00

My uncle Vaughan loved a joke, and pulled many practical ones on family members. The earliest I remember was when he switched milk glasses with his second son. Big deal, you say. Well, Vaughan's held buttermilk, which we kids didn't like at all!

I remember meals at their home, a breakfast nook that overlooked their back yard in Bakersfield, California. He enjoyed entertaining family. He shared with my Dad a favorite recipes for potatoes. The onion soup was a bit too much for me, but others may like to include it:

Ingredients:

6 medium potatoes
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 3 oz package cream cheese
2 tblsp oleo *
2 tblsp chopped green onions
1 envelope instant onion soup
2 to 3 tblsp milk, if dry

2 eggs, beaten
2 cups crushed corn flakes

Directions:

Boil potatoes 20-30 minutes, until soft. Mash and add ingredients down onion soup. Blend well and if dry add milk. It needs to be firm and pliable.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Shape potatoes into balls, dip into beaten eggs then roll in crushed corn flakes.

Place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown.

*PS: A question arose about 'oleo', and I thought some might be interested in its history. Wikipedia tells us it's been around a long time. My first memory is of the 1940/50 timeframe when it came in a plastic bag. It had to be sold white, with a small color packet inside that broke fairly easily. It was then my job to mush the bag and change the color to the buttery yellow that makes it appear much more flavorful. Today the oleo part isn't used and we're used to looking for brand names that taste a lot like butter. It was the butter, the diary industry, that was being protected with the white oleomargarine. It looked so unappetizingly white like lard. Buttery yellow, on the other hand, meant flavor.

Sopapilla Cheesecake

2009-12-03T16:54:00.003-06:00

I first had this at a church fellowship, and just had to get the recipe. This is a combination of two wonderful desserts -- sopapilla, with its sugar and cinnamon sweetness in light flakey pastry; rich creaminess of cheesecake. Boy, do they meld well!!

One was fixed for Thanksgiving (perhaps starting a new tradition, we can hope) and family asked for the recipe. Amazingly, I had not yet posted it here.

Ingredients:

2 (8 ounce) cans crescent rolls
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick cup butter

Directions:

Spread crescent rolls on bottom of 9x13 pan.
Blend sugar, vanilla, and cream cheese.
Spread cream cheese mixture on bottom layer of rolls.
Take the other package of rolls and spread on top of the cream cheese.
Sprinkle with mixture of 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoons cinnamon and 1 stick of melted butter.
Bake for 30 minute at 350 degrees.

Cut into squares and serve

Our Family's Chicken Soup

2009-11-12T21:57:00.003-06:00

Wednesday when I accompanied Beloved Husband to the doctor, Dr. Mc’s last instructions were to take him home, keep him away from people and make him some home made chicken soup.

The most important thing about chicken soup is that it be made at home so the aroma can be as healing as the soup. Ours is Papa’s choice – limited ingredients and seasoning.

He starts with boneless, skinless chicken breast and cubes it. He uses a bit of Lawry’s Seasoned Salt – that’s the hard part, decided just how much to use. He never measures and doesn’t taste until the soup is ready to serve.

Take a tablespoon of margarine and melt in a stock pot, then adding the chicken cubes. When I fix it, I cook a half cup of finely chopped onion and a couple of cloves of minced garlic. If Papa’s not home, I’ll also add a stick or two of celery, very thinly sliced, and small pieces of carrot. But, he’s a purist. He has been known to add dried onion (fresh is sooooo much better!)

Once the chicken is cooked through, no pink showing, cover with water and simmer slowly for at least 30 minutes.

Add more water and bring to a boil. We use No Yolk Extra Broad Noodles. Add to the boiling pot and cook until al dente. Don’t over cook, for you’ll be reheating the leftovers.

Now wasn’t that simple? And it doesn’t have what you would put in for seasoning. Well, add your favorite seasoning.

It’s not following the exactness of any recipe, but adding the love for your family and friends that makes a dish your own specialty. All you have to do is make it, serve it and enjoy it with those you love. Those are the ingredients so many people forget to add.

Red Beans and Rice

2009-11-07T22:01:00.004-06:00

Zatarain’s boxed dishes have my favorite flavors in red beans and rice, but I prefer my own cooked rice. Uncle Ben’s is my favorite there!

Beloved Husband isn’t crazy about spicy foods. GERD keeps it from being a pleasure for him and pushing the limits on his acid reducer just for a little flavor is ridiculous. So, we adjust for his tastes.

As with most of the red bean recipes, I start with:

1 tablespoon margarine (I know, butter’s better, but this is better for us)
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning. Tony Chachere’s has been a family favorite for some time -- and you may want to use twice as much as we do.
1 cup chopped onion
¼ cup chopped celery
2 small minced garlic cloves

You’ll note the missing bell pepper. Again, a nod to Beloved’s stomach. Most recipes include at least a half cup, if not a full cup of chopped bell pepper. Using yellow or red ones adds a bit of color, too.

Melt the butter over medium heat then sauté the onion, celery and garlic with the seasonings. Do not over cook and absolutely do not burn. You’d have to start again.

Add a cup of cubed smoked sausage. We use turkey sausage, keeping calories down – which does negate some flavor, too. Perk up the smokes sausage and you’ll perk up the flavor. Adding ham also perks the flavor, but don’t replace the sausage, just add some ham.

This you will add to the red beans. Preparing them is your choice – you can soak them beginning the night before, or you can start them about three hours before serving. If you do that, bring the beans to a boil for about two minutes, drain and rinse, then add the seasons, sausage and enough water to cover and simmer for about three hours. Check every once in a while for water level and stir a bit.

Uncle Ben’s rice is a breeze. Just follow the package directions. For us, that’s:

1 cup rice
2 ¼ cup water
2 tablespoons margarine (again, butter’s better, but remember the family chlorestorol)

Combine in a sauce pan, bring to a boil then simmer slowly for twenty minutes. Wait five, then fluff with a fork.

Place rice in a bowl and spoon the red beans over it. If you like yours spicier, then add more of the Creole seasoning. If your beloved’s stomach is a bit stronger, add a few more items to the original pot: those green peppers, chopped rather fine; tomato sauce; a couple of bay leaves. What you add here makes it personal to your tastes. That’s what you’re after, not an exact duplicate of someone else’s favorite. But mine's good, too!

A Well-Used Recipe

2009-10-24T09:15:00.004-05:00

This is what a well-used recipe looks like. This one is covered with splatters of chocolate from more than five year's use. You can tell Beloved Husband is left handed just by the amount of butter down in the lower left corner. A good one also includes an added note or two, as this one does.

No more than two months pass before this folded sheet is retrieved and reused. Today there will be two of them at a wedding reception/dinner being held for one of our church's 'Preacher Boys' who is bringing his lovely bride back to his home church. We can't really count him now, he is Youth Pastor at a nearby church under the leadership of our former Youth Pastor. So, it's all one big happy family that will celebrate this afternoon.

If you love chocolate, this creamy-melt-in-your-mouth dessert is ideal. The readable recipe has been posted here for some time, along with photos. I know you'll enjoy it.

PS: Papa just walked by and asked "Did you put the recipe on the dishwasher thinking it might get cleaned?" Silly boy!

Sweet and Sour Baked Bean

2009-10-23T11:03:00.003-05:00

I don't know why this one hasn't been posted! It's a wonderfully tasteful recipe that I've had for five years now. A lady from my husband's graduating class brought it to the 45th reunion and it was so good I asked for the recipe. It's the favorite of some at our church functions now, too. It does make a lot, and cutting it down is a bit difficult, so plan ahead.

8 slices of bacon
4 onions, sliced and in rings (medium, not too thin)
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed -- don't stint on the sweet)
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt)
1 teaspoon salt1/2 cup cider vinegar (I've used balsamic, too -- great!)
2 15 oz cans butter beans
1 pound can green lima beans
1 pound can red kidney beans
1 pound can baked beans (we like Bush's)

Fry bacon in skillet until crisp. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels, then crumble and set aside.Separate onion slices into rings and cook in bacon drippings until tender, but do not brown. Stir in sugar, mustard, garlic powder, salt and vinegar. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Drain butter, lima and kidney beans. Mix all beans with onion mixture, add bacon and turn into a 3 quart casserole.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Makes 12 to 14 servings.

Roasted Chicken

2009-10-17T20:28:00.003-05:00

I supposed I've earned my reputation for not being a good cook. After Beloved Husband retired, we switched jobs -- he took over the kitchen and I stayed in the work force in a job I thoroughly enjoyed. After I retired, why mess up a good thing? Besides, he does those fabulous sheet cakes that everyone at church loves! This coming Saturday he's making several for a reception.

But I really can cook, and I do enjoy trying new recipes. Tonight I tried some new ones: roasted chicken, roasted potates, Waldorf Salad and Apple Cake (thanks, Preacher's wife!!)

This is the first time I've ever roasted a chicken. It wasn't one of my Mom's or his Mom's favorites, so it never was tried. I decided this particular meal would be all new recipes. The chicken was the easiest.

We had a five pound roasting hen. No string or pins, so I used slits in the sides to slip the legs into to hold them. I used salt in the interior with about ten whole garlic cloves and two sprigs of fresh rosemary from the garden.

Using a glass pan, I put the chicken on onion slices, about an inch thick, then put the pan into a pre-heated oven at 375 degrees. I cooked it for two hours, basting every 20 minutes -- the first time with butter on a brush, then when there was plenty of liquid, I used a baster. Keep it moist!

After two hours I turned the heat down to 350 and placed a pan in the oven with potato slices that I had marinating in a bit of liquid butter and seasoned salt. At the end of another hour, the bird was dark, dark brown and the potatoes done all the way through.

After a few moments of resting, it was easy to remove the legs, wings, cut the thighs and slice the breasts -- but the meat literally fell off the bones. Succulent!

Quite a success and I'll be ready to try it again around Christmas. Since Thanksgiving will be our big reunion holiday this year, there will most likely just be four of us at Christmas. I've got just the menu!!

Apple Cake

2009-10-17T20:16:00.004-05:00

This came from Cooking With The Preacher's Wife -- Read it Thursday and decided it would be just the right desert when some friends came over to watch their grandson this afternoon when Tulane played Houston. It was a true fall meal -- roast chicken, roasted potatoes, Waldorf salad and this simple Apple Cake. Naturally, I changed it a bit. I didn't have cinnamon, so I used apple pie spice. Fortunately, I had fresh nutmeg (and a nutmeg grater, as do all the ladies in our family), but everything else worked perfectly. The dough was stiff, as if cookie dough, but I trusted the recipe (and the note!) and forged ahead. I thought I had too many apple pieces, too, but ignored that twinge. The only thing I didn't get right was serving it hot out of the oven. But I did warm in the microwave for a few seconds and served with a slice of Blue Bell Home Made Vanilla. Excellent! Here is the Apple Cake recipe, straight from the Preacher's Wife:

2 cups sugar
1 stick butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
4 cups raw apples, chopped
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
optional: 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 375.

Cream butter with sugar, add eggs and vanilla and mix well. In separate bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir or sift to combine. Add to creamed mixture and beat with mixer until well combined.

Don't be afraid of the stiff, cookie dough like batter, the apples will cook up and provide enough moisture in the cake.

Use a good heavy wooden spoon and fold apples evenly into batter. Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with cooking spray and spread batter evenly into pan. Bake for 45 - 50 min at 375.

Remove from oven and serve warm with desired garnish.Sprinkle with powdered sugar. You could serve it with a dollop of whipped cream.

Got Milk? or need a substitute?

2009-10-13T08:44:00.005-05:00

Couple of weeks ago we ran out of milk and I wanted to make a dish that required milk. I added dry milk to our grocery list – until I saw how expensive it was. This week I ran across a post at “Keeping It Simple” about oat milk. That led me to other websites and the following recipes. I have not tried them yet, but there are multiple sites with the same or similar recipes and comments. Negative comments indicate it’s best to run through a sieve for texture’s sake.

Oat Milk – from Keeping It Simple:
3 c very hot water
1 c rolled oats
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Put oats in grinder. ( I used my Magic Bullet)
Add the rest of the ingredients, cover and put in refrigerator at least 8 hours. Then just pour it through a sieve and drink. Must shake before using. Will keep one week.

Another site (forgot to document) suggested:4 cups (cold) water
1 ripe banana
2 cups cooked oatmeal
1 tsp. vanilla
Pinch of salt (opt.)
1 tsp vanilla (opt.)

Sweetener to taste (if desired)
Place all ingredients in blender and process until smooth about 2-3 minutes. Refrigerate. Shake before using.

From GoDiaryFree.org:1 cup Oats, rolled (raw)
5 cups Water
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 1 hour. Strain, and store in the refrigerator.

Quick Glazed Pork and Rice

2009-09-07T22:21:00.005-05:00

I subscribe to Campbell Soup's e-mail recipes, which also got me on the Swanson Creative Cooking list. Beloved Husband and I both enjoy rice dishes. This one that is similar to one of our favorites, but just enough different to pique our taste buds.

This one can be varied, too, by using chicken breasts or thighs as well as pork chops. Changing the preserves, too, can whet taste buds. Use your favorite -- I think mine is the orange marmalade, but I can see trying it with jalapeno jelly for a bit of spicey sweetness. I doubt I could talk Beloved Husband into that one, though!

I hope you enjoy the variation you try -- let me know!!

From: Campbell's Kitchen
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4 boneless pork chops, 3/4-inch thick each (about 1 pound) [or chicken breasts / thighs. Remember, thighs would sear more quickly]
3 cups Swanson® Chicken Stock
3/4 cup apricot preserves or orange marmalade [try your favorite - or jalapeno jelly]
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
2 cups uncooked instant white rice

Directions:

Cook the pork in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it's well browned on both sides. Remove the pork from the skillet.

Stir the stock, preserves and mustard in the skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the rice. Return the pork to the skillet. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the pork is cooked through and the rice is tender.

Nutrition Information

Calories 494, Total Fat 7g, Saturated Fat 2g, Cholesterol 54mg, Sodium 532mg, Total Carbohydrate 79g, Dietary Fiber 1g, Protein 29g, Vitamin A 3%DV, Vitamin C 9%DV, Calcium 4%DV, Iron 24%DV

A Recipe Site

2009-08-22T11:01:00.003-05:00

I do enjoy finding new recipe sites and trying items out of the ordinary. Take a look around this one: http://fooddownunder.com/

It is interesting, also, to see what is considered American fare. I've saved several recipes from here -- a couple I have yet to try and (frankly) a couple Beloved Husband requested we not try. Well, I was looking for lamb recipes, and found that's not something he's interested in trying.

Let me know if you find something that piques your interest!

Carrot and Squash Strips - Believe it!

2009-08-21T19:58:00.003-05:00

I do wish I had photos of this dish -- but I didn't make it. It was served at our weekly 42 game and I fell in love with it. It is so simple!!

Margarine - or butter if you prefer
Carrots - large ones
Zucchini
Yellow Squash
Prepared Horseradish
Salt and Pepper to taste
Onions - optional

Once the carrots are peeled, use the peeler to make long strips as wide as you can cut. Do the same for the zucchini and the yellow squash -- do not use their seeds, just the long peeling strips. If you're doing this ahead, keep them fresh in ice water, but be certain they are dry before cooking.

I know, I know -- you are wondering about the quantities. Well, that depends. There were eight people expected for dinner and the hostess used four carrots, two zucchini and two yellow squash. It was sufficient, with a small bit left over (which went into a "CARE" package for a widower.)

Melt margarine/butter in a large skillet, then add the carrot strips. It takes them a bit longer, so they get started first. Turn every once in a while, and when they start to become tender, add the squash strips. Continue to cook and stir until all are tender.

Salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving, our hostess added about two spoons of prepared horseradish. Nope, she didn't measure, just spooned a bit out. That comes from experience -- but don't hesitate to try it.

Our hostess served this on a platter so that the strips were well displayed -- look beautiful and tasted even better.

Even if your audience says "Horseradish!?!?!" go ahead and add it, stiring in so that all are coated, then serve.

I think it would have been good with onion rings, too. That's going to be how I fix it when the opportunity arises.

Trust me -- everyone -- even Beloved Husband who turns up his nose at horseradish -- took seconds on this side dish. Good, and good for you.

Breakfast With Leftovers

2009-08-17T08:54:00.008-05:00

Sometimes a little difference makes a good breakfast, brunch, lunch, snack or even dinner. IHOP's Machaca gave me the idea years ago, and this morning I adapted it with leftovers from yesterday.

Chopped a few bits of onion in a small amount of butter, adding some leftover chicken when the onion is softened. This morning I included a bit of cooked new potatoes from yeserday, too.

Then add beaten eggs, salt and pepper to taste -- remember, the leftovers probably have enough from the day before.

OK, so folding isn't always easy. Don't let that bother you -- just be certain it's cook through, and serve.

In Texas, of course, it's not complete without salsa. This varies so well to taste -- chicken, beef, pork, onions, bell peppers, hot peppers, potatoes, broccoli -- whatever suits your taste. We just tend to think of it as too much trouble. It's not. And, it's not confined to breakfast, either.

Creamy Chicken Breasts

2009-07-25T16:32:00.002-05:00

Here's another old, hand-written recipe from Mom's best friend, with Daddy's note "For good chicken."

1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery

Put in bottom of pan. Clean fat from chicken, lay on top of onions and celery. Leave skin on and season. Cook in oven 425 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove. Drain liquid, put in bowl and mix with:

1 can cream mushroom soup
1 can cream chicken soup

Pour over chicken, cover with aluminum foil. Reduce oven to 350 degrees. Bake 30 minutes.

Mom wrote in later -- use two split chicken breasts without skins. Trying to save a few calories, I would assume.

Cream Puffs

2009-07-25T16:10:00.005-05:00

I ran across this recipe that my mother wrote many, many years ago. You can get an idea of its age from the ingredients. And, I'm old enough to remember getting oleomargerine white, in plastic bags that had yellow dye packs. We broke the dye packs (without breaking the plastic bag) then squeeze and mix until the color resembled butter.

1 cup water
1 stick oleo (yep, oleo is what was written)
1 cup flour
4 eggs (beaten)

Bring water and oleo to a boil and remove from heat. Add flour and still 'til it forms a ball. Then add one egg at a time until it is incorporated. Drop by spoonfulls on greased cookie sheet. Bake in 350 preheated oven for 50-55 minutes or until golden.

Makes ten - fill with sweet or meat fillings.

Bread in a Jar -- Or Not

2009-07-18T10:15:00.003-05:00

One Christmas we gave gifts in jars -- soup mixtures, cookie mixtures, even baked cakes in jars to give. Here's a short rewrite of a bread that can be fixed for a jar gift or fixed for yourself, can be baked in a bread machine or in your oven. You know how I like flexible recipes!

Ingredients for the jar:
1/4 cup dehydrated onion flakes
1 envelope of yeast
3 1/3 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon powdered milk
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon dried herb(s) of your choice - sage or rosemary are great!

Instructions to go on the jar:
1 jar of bread mix [the above ingredients]
1 cups plus two tablespoons warm water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or olive oi
lFollow your bread maker instructions.

To create the gift jar:
Onion flakes go in a snack-size zip-close bag to be placed in the top of the jar with the packet of yeast. Combine the other ingredients in a quart jar. Add the bag of onions and the yeast. Store the jar in a cool, dry place until gift-giving time

This mix can be used even if you don't have a bread machine. You may use the appropriate amount of bulk yeast instead of the dry packet. Make as any regular bread recipe. Mix, knead, let rise, punch down, form loaf and place in a greased bread pan to rise again. Then bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

When making the recipe for yourself, vary it by using real onions, fresh herbs and use olive oil for greater flavor. I would suggest having some butter on hand when it comes out of the oven, even if you are the only one at home.

Bread Pudding - Basic and Variations

2009-07-13T08:58:00.005-05:00

Most of my favorite recipes are basic, easy to make and allow for variations -- this Bread Pudding certainly does! And, while it serves eight, it also stores well in tight plastic containers if left over.

4 eggs, beaten
2 ¼ cups milk
½ cup sugar
1 tblsp vanilla
½ tsp cinnamon
4 cups dry bread cubes

Optional -- and see below:
1 tsp finely grates orange peel
1/3 cup raisins OR dried cranberries OR cherries OR other dried fruit

Preheat oven to 350.

Beat together the eggs, milk, sugar vanilla and other seasonings. In an ungreased two quart baking pan, spread bread crumbs and dried fruit. Evenly pour the egg mixture over the bread, being certain to cover it all. Bake for 40 minutes then check with a knife – when it comes out clean, it’s done. Allow to cool before serving.

Serve as is or with a sweet sauce of your choice.

Variations are only limited by preferences, starting with the bread cubes. I’ve used left over rolls from the Basic Bread for Rolls recipe. Those soak very well! I’ve been asked for them when invited for stews, too, attesting to their ability to sop up goodness. If you have no dried bread, you can cube fresh and dry them on a baking sheet for ten minutes in a 350 oven.

Love chocolate better than vanilla? Substitute chocolate milk, even if you have to make it with regular milk and chocolate syrup; use chocolate chips instead of the dried fruit. Cherries go well with this one, too. It's great with ice cream!! Add nuts if you wish.

Speaking of nuts – if nuts are your thing, add a tsp of almond extract along with sliced or slivered almonds as well as the dried fruit of your choice.

Watermelon Soup

2009-05-20T15:21:00.004-05:00

Wooohoooo! RCCL sent me the recipe for the absolutely best appetizer I've ever had. And it's rather simple, too, which is outstanding, isn't it. I believe it was the southern Caribbean cruise, with our children, that I had this refreshing soup. I'm certain it was the granit option. We'll have it this summer, and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves the flavor of watermelon:

Soup Chilled Watermelon Soup

Ingredients:

1-inch piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 limes: one for zest and both for juice
3 cups cubed and seeded watermelon
2 mint leaves, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup sparkling wine (or sparkling water)

Directions:
In a small nonstick skillet, gently saute ginger, sugar, and zest over medium heat 2 minutes. Add lime juice and simmer until no liquid remains. Transfer mixture to a blender and add watermelon, mint, and sparkling wine. Puree until smooth; strain with sieve into bowl. Chill soup at least 3 hours before serving. For a more elegant version: Divide soup into 2 equal portions. Freeze a portion for 3 hours to make a granit (a slushy of sorts) and chill remaining half for 3 hours. Scrape granit into 4 bowls and pour chilled soup over granit. Garnish with mint leaves; serve immediately.

Yield: 4 Servings

BUSY

2009-05-15T17:51:00.005-05:00

I'm having a bit of a problem with my Multiply photos -- so I'm posting my busy family here. The tall man on the left was one our deacons when my Beloved Husband, son (finishing concrete) Second daughter and her husband (moving concrete) and First daughter (screeding) worked on the passage way between our sancturary and new activities building. All in all, they poured a concrete drive, steps, ramp, sidewalk -- then covered the entire area from roof to roof as part of their contribution to the building program. Oh, yes, I was involved, too, even beyond picture taking!

Garlic Vinagrette Salad Dressing

2009-05-10T08:35:00.004-05:00

A friend of ours loved the salad dressing at our favorite steak house. Once, he asked the waiter to pass along our compliments -- and the chef came out and shared the recipe!! The only problem was, it makes a gallon. So, some adaption was made for cutting it down to a single meal:

1 or 2 clove garlic finely minced
1/4 cup White Wine Vinegar
1/4 tsp Dijon Mustard
pinch of Salt
dash of fine ground black pepper
1/3 cup vegetable oil.

1. Mix all ingredients except oil in w/a hand whisker for at least 3 minutes.
2. Slowly add vegetable oil and continue to mix at high speed all of oil has been incorporated.
3. Store with a lid and proper label

Variations that we’ve tried -- each add a change to the taste:
Balsamic Vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar
Seasoned Salt or Sea Salt
Olive Oil or Seasoned Olive Oil

We've also used this as a marinade for steaks -- great, if you like garlic!l

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

2009-05-07T08:11:00.007-05:00

Growth in western Oklahoma in the early 1980's kept construction crews busy and lodging at a premium. Papa and his crew sort of camped together at one site -- he in a motor home, others in campers, a couple in tents. Meals were often fixed together and shared among the group. Papa's Chili recipe (hmm -- I'll have to see if that's posted here!) and this Gumbo recipe were keepers from those few months.

This is also good with a pound of small shrimp added, cooking toward the very last few minutes.

Ingredients

4 tblsp flour
4 tblsp oil
1 large onion – chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 bunch green onions – chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large can (15 oz) tomatoes - diced or whole, cut up. No additional seasoning, please.
2 tablespoon salt
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons Lea & Perrin Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon parsley – chopped
1 package boneless chicken breast cut in bite-size pieces
1 package smoked sausage cut in bit-size pieces
1 pound shrimp uncooked, peeled, deveined, w/o tails
2 cups water

In deep stock pot over low heat, brown the flour in the oil, stirring often until reaching a brown roux, but careful not to burn. When medium brown, add onions and celery. Cook until tender.

Add tomatoes, water and seasonings. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer slowly for about twenty minutes. Add chicken and sausage, then continue to simmer for another 45 minutes.

If you are going to add shrimp, do so in the last ten minutes, not increasing the simmer and take care not to overcook or they will be tough.

Can be served alone as soup, or over rice.

Aurora Sauce - and serving suggestions

2009-05-06T15:45:00.001-05:00

Armend's in Southlake serves meat tortellini with aurora sauce -- it's their special on Tuesdays. I cannot match it, but I've come close and both Beloved Husband and I like this sauce. Today I served it with chicken thighs marinated in seasoned salt and garlic powder, then grilled, along with angel hair pasta. Would be just as good with grilled chicken breast or pork. Add a fresh garden salad, and you have a great meal. The sauce is rich!

Ingredients:

2 tbsp (1 oz) (25 g) butter (I used margarine)
1/4 cup (1 oz) (30 g) plain flour (All purpose)
2 cups light chicken broth (I used Swanson)
salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tbsp (1 ½ oz) (40 g) butter (again, I used margarine)

Directions:

Start melting the butter in a sauce pan, then add the flour and create the roux. Do not brown, but keep roux smooth. Gradually stir in the hot stock, whisking to keep the sauce smooth and creamy.

Bring to the point of boiling, then lower the heat and let the sauce simmer until reduced by half. (This could take as much as an hour – I start the sauce and by the time I finish the meat and pasta, it’s at the right consistency for us.) Continue whisking every once in a while to assure smoothness. At the end of the process, stir in the cream.

You're ready to change this sauce into Aurora sauce by blending in 2 tablespoons tomato paste, then two more tablespoons of butter. Once this is all incorporated and creamy in consistency, it’s ready to serve over the pasta.

Gravel - Fudge

2009-05-02T08:00:00.005-05:00

I regret that I cannot give credit to the source of this photo and the accompanying recipe -- I forgot to cite the source in my recipe document. I think it might have been Better Homes & Garden from last fall's Halloween recipes, but don't quote me. What ever the source, it is much appreciated.

Ingredients:

3 cups semisweet chocolate pieces
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
Dash salt
2 cups tiny marshmallows
Unsweetened cocoa powder mixed with an equal amount of powdered sugar
Powdered sugar

Directions

1. Line a 9x9x2-inch or an 8x8x2-inch baking pan with foil; set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, heat and stir chocolate pieces, condensed milk, butter, vanilla, and salt over medium heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat; stir in marshmallows just until combined. Spread mixture evenly in the prepared pan. Using a table knife or thin metal spatula, swirl marshmallows through fudge in pan until marshmallows are mostly melted. Cover and chill about 2 hours or until firm.

3. Using a small scoop, scoop fudge and shape into rocks (fudge will be sticky). Roll some in cocoa powder mixture and some in powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Makes about 80 pieces (2 1/4 lbs.).

Creamsicle -- Orange Dreamsicle Style

2009-04-28T22:03:00.000-05:00

Remember those marvelous summer treats from the ice cream truck? Vanilla ice cream on the inside and an orange sherbet on the outside combined to make a most refreshing treat. Sonic sells a drink quite similar in taste, but if you want to make one at home, try this:

1 1/2 cups vanilla ice cream
1 cup mandarin orange sections, fresh or canned
1/2 cup milk -- or cream if you must
2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
If thicker texture is desired add more ice cream or frozen concentrate.

I may be back with a variation -- I'm still looking for just the right one.

Cheesy Biscuits

2009-04-22T07:08:00.001-05:00

My granddaughter has moved far away, but when I think of these biscuits I remember our baking them together -- trying to get just the right taste for our family.

2 cups Bisquick
3/4 cup milk
1 cup finely grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Mix Bisquick, cheese and milk; stir until soft dough forms. Drop by spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 7-9 min.

Combine butter & spices; brush over warm biscuits. Serve immediately.

We've also done these as rolled biscuits by adjusting the Bisquick and flouring the rolling site. Not overcooking is a must, for they can dry out so quickly.

I like them best with soups and with beans.

Blueberry Muffins by way of Rachelle

2009-03-09T19:27:00.000-05:00

Please stop by Rachelle's "Mommy, I'm Hungry" blog. Every one of her recipes are worth stopping for, and she does an excellent job on the accompanying photos. Today my sister-in-law took one of Rachelle's muffin recipes and made our breakfast ever so special.

The four of us felt this one deserved to be shared as a well-tested, excellent tasting and absolutely well suited blueberry muffin recipe. So -- with no tweaking -- here it is:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest of one orange
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Position rack in center of oven.

Spray 24 regular size muffin pans with a non stick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large measuring cup or bowl whisk together the egg, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract.

In another large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange zest. Gently fold in the berries.

With a rubber spatula fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir only until the ingredients are combined. Do not over mix the batter or tough muffins will result.

Fill each muffin cup almost full of batter. (Rachelle used an ice cream scoop.) Place in the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Papa's version of the Chocolate Sheet Cake

2009-02-06T13:53:00.002-06:00

There are upteen versions of this sheet cake on the web. It's a wonderful recipe -- if you like chocolate. This one, with a few tweaks and no nuts, is one Papa fixes for church fellowships -- a favorite for many years. Today he made seven of them -- you'll see in the photo -- for our Valentines Day banquet. Papa's choice of ingredients is shown in (parens).

Ingredients:

For the Cake

2 cups flour (Gold Medal all purpose)
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter (Parkay stick margarine)
4 tablespoons cocoa (Hershey's)
1/2 cup oil (Crisco vegetable oil)
1 cup water
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon soda
2 eggs, lightly beaten

For Icing:

1/2 cup butter (again, Parkay stick margarine)
1 tablespoon cocoa (Hershey's)
6 tablespoons milk
1 box (1 lb) powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

If you're going to use nuts in the icing, use one cup -- we've used pecans in the past, but prefer without nuts.

Directions:

In a large bowl, sift flour and sugar.

In a saucepan, mix butter, cocoa, oil and water and bring to a rapid boil. Pour over the dry ingredients.

Stir in the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Pour into shallow buttered/floured sheet pan (11 x 16). Bake in 375 degree oven for fifteen minutes -- start testing at eight minutes. A toothpick or cake tester should come out almost clean.

Five minutes before the cake is done, make the icing. In a large saucepan mix butter, cocoa and milk, bringing them to a boil. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour over the cake while it is still hot.

Rice Casserole - From Ethel Wilkerson

2009-02-02T07:58:00.002-06:00

This came from one of my mother’s friends from Immanuel Baptist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. What I love about this is the adaptability – you can use chicken breast, chicken thighs, pork chops, all-meat pork ribs or all-meat beef ribs. The flavor is adaptable and the results are great.

A couple of weeks ago we didn't have the package of onion soup and used canned -- it turned out a bit creamier, slightly difference in expected flavor, but was very good.

My oven can be set for timed bake, and I use this feature most Sunday mornings. Beloved Husband is out of the house before 8:00 headed to pick up children in one of our church vans. Taking them home keeps him out until about 1:00, so I need something to cook that will be ready when we get home. Fix a salad with this and the meal is complete.

Butter
1 ½ cups of Uncle Ben’s rice
1 package dried onion soup
1 can Campbell’s Cream of Chicken and Mushroom soup
1 ½ cups water
About a pound of your choice of meat: chicken breast or thighs, pork chops, all-meat pork ribs, all-meat beef ribs.

Preheat oven to 350 (or set for delayed baking.)

Grease your casserole dish with a thin layer of butter. Spread the rice evenly on the bottom of the dish.

Mix the soups and water together. Place the meat on top of the rice, then pour the soup mixture over – making certain that all of the meat is covered. Uncovered meat will dry out.

Cover the casserole and place in the oven for 1 ½ hours.

Addendum: This Sunday I set it up with wild rice and thought I'd post how it looked:

Tortilla Chip Pie – From Amanda

2009-02-01T21:31:00.000-06:00

My granddaughter is an excellent cook. She enjoys creating new recipes, and adjusting ones she likes. I think you'll like this one she sent, too:

2 - 15 oz cans kidney beans, drained
1/2 to 1 pound ground beef or turkey (I always cook with turkey)
1 tablespoon dry onion
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon EACH garlic powder and oregano
1/8 teaspoon pepper
15 oz can tomato sauce
3 cups tortilla chips

1 or 2 cups shredded cheese Get your ground meat and start it to frying in a big iron skillet. Break it up into small pieces as you go along. When it is done clear through drain off the fat if necessary.

Put the beans, seasonings, and tomato sauce in the skillet with the meat. Stir it all up and simmer it for a few minutes to blend the flavors. If necessary you may add a little water. If you add too much water then you can simmer it on the stove until it thickens up to your liking.

When the mixture is good and hot, turn it into a 9" by 13" pan. Sprinkle the cheese on top, and then scatter the tortilla chips over all. I casually jab the mixture with my fork or spoon to coax some of the chips into the meat mixture. You don't want them all in the meat because they will get soggy. . Place the pan into the oven and bake at 400° for about 20 minutes.

When the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly, the dish is done.To serve, place a handful of lettuce in a bowl. Top it with a big scoop of the tortilla chip/meat mixture. Then add fresh or canned tomatoes and sour cream.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

2009-02-01T20:53:00.000-06:00

We fixed this for a dinner Friday night and got rave reviews. It is my absolute favorite -- loved on ship board prepared by marvelous chefs, and now find that I can make it and love it too!

It originally came from a Royal Caribbean Cruise Line cookbook and is decadently luscious, if you like chocolate. Neither Beloved Husband nor I like rum, so I used cherry extract. Think chocolate covered cherries. Instant coffee changes the flavor and gives too much coffee taste, so use fresh brewed.

Also, it took about ten minutes longer to bake -- I don't know why.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon dark rum (or cherry flavoring)
1/4 cup strong brewed coffee
5 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream

Whipped cream, fresh fruit and mint leaves for garnish

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 10-inch springform cake pan with butter and wrap the outside of the pan with a double thickness of aluminum foil to prevent water from seeping in.

Chill a large mixing bowl.

Place the chocolate, vanilla, rum and coffee in the top of a double boiler set over 1 inch of simmering (not boiling) water. Whisk until the chocolate is smooth and no small lumps remain. Turn off the heat and remove the mixture from the hot water. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugar. With an electric mixer, beat until pale in color, stopping 2 or 3 times to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add 1/4 of the chocolate mixture and beat until blended. Pour this mixture into the remaining chocolate mixture. Stir until combined.

Bring a large kettle of water to a boil. Meanwhile, in the chilled mixing bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form.

With a rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture until just combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and cover the top with aluminum foil. Place in a roasting pan and pour enough boiling water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the outside of the cake pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until small cracks appear on the surface.

Remove the cake from the oven and let cool to room temperature in the pan on a wire rack. Chill in the refrigerator overnight until ready to serve.

To serve, unmold the cake and place on a chilled dessert plate. Garnish with whipped cream, fresh fruit and mint leaves. Serve chilled -- it's very creamy and cuts better before it reaches room temperature.

Yield: eight to 10 servings.

Not really a recipe -- Wind & Willow

2008-12-05T09:39:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving Day I was introduced to Wind and Willow. Since I don't try many pre-mixes, and seldom purchase at specialty stores, I missed this vendor.

The introduction was soooo sweet! The Carrot Cake cheeseball on this page offers such scrumptions possibilities. If they even resemble one another, the Carrot Cake cheeseball is an outstanding example.

Their savory cheeseballs sound just as good, though not nearly as sweet.

I intend to take this a step further and get a carrot cake mix and experiment a bit with our favorite spices, maybe a touch of pineapple or raisins or... Will let you know how it works.

Let me know if you try it first!

Quick Spiced Cranberry Dip

2008-11-30T17:21:00.000-06:00

This one is so simple, takes such a short time -- yet can be presented very attractively. And the sharp pepper along with the crisp cranberry and sweet marmalade gives a variety of flavors. I've seen it served in a round plate, but it also makes a nice display in an oblong serving dish with the crackers streamed along side.

Spread 1 softened pkg 8 oz cream cheese into bottom of 9” pie plate -- or an oblong serving dish.

Mix together:
½ cup whole berry cranberry sauce
¼ cup orange marmalade
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Spread mixture on cream cheese

Sprinkle w/ ¼ cup toasted almonds.

Baking in a jar

2008-11-12T10:34:00.001-06:00

Christmas two years ago we gave as gifts cakes in a jar. The wide-mouth pint jars held a cake that was an abundant serving for two, or with ice cream could serve four a sweet dessert. It is necessary to follow the recipe -- and the canning instructions are important for sealing correctly. Must be a wide-mouth jar without shoulders -- otherwise you'll be removing the cake by spoonfulls. We made some for ourselves, too, and stored them in the cool, dark pantry for a couple of weeks. I regret that I did not note where I found this on the web.

Pint Sized Chocolate Cake

1 stick plus 3 Tbsp. Butter or Margarine
3 cups White Sugar
4 Eggs
1 Tbsp. Vanilla
2 cups Applesauce, unsweetened
3 cups White Flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Cocoa powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/8 tsp. Salt

Prewash 8 pint-sized wide mouth canning jars (be sure to use the kind that have no shoulders) in hot, soapy water. Rinse well, dry and let them come to room temperature. Grease insides of jar with butter very well.

Beat together butter and half of sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and remaining sugar, vanilla and applesauce. Sift dry ingredients together and add to the applesauce mixture a little at a time: beat well after each addition. Pour one cup of batter into each jar and carefully remove any batter from the rims. Place jars in a preheated 325-degree oven and bake for 40 minutes.

While cakes are baking, bring a saucepan of water to a boil and carefully add jar lids. Remove pan from heat and keep lids hot until ready to use. When the cakes have finished baking, remove jars from oven. Make sure jar rims are clean. If they're not, jars will not seal correctly. Place lids on jars, and screw rings on tightly. Jars will seal as they cool.

Cakes will slide right out when ready to serve. Unsealed jars should be stored in the refrigerator and eaten within 2 weeks. Sealed jars may be stored with other canned food or placed in a freezer.

The cake is safe to eat as long as the jar remains vacuum-sealed and free from mold. If you are concerned about the safety of storing your cakes, an alternative is to store them in the freezer.

Walnut Cauliflower

2008-11-12T10:29:00.000-06:00

The following recipe came from a cookbook my sister bought for me in 1986. There are some fascinating recipes in 'Supercookery!' She bought it because I was so taken when she made the following dish from it. She had a covered tureen that held the cooked cauliflower whole, making a beautiful presentation. My family doesn’t really like cauliflower, so I don’t get this very often at all!

1 oz. (2 tablespoon) butter
1 oz. (1/4 cup) flour
12 fl. oz (1.5 cups) milk
6 fl. oz. single cream (3/4 cup light cream)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 fl. oz (1/4 cup) cider vinegar
2 tablespoons soft brown sugar
2 tablespoons prepared French mustard
4 oz. (2/3 cup) walnuts, coarsely chopped and toasted
1 medium-sized cauliflower, cooked until tender and kept hot.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over moderate head.
Remove from heat and use a wooden spoon to stir in the flower, making a smooth paste.
A little at a time, add the milk and cream, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
Add the egg, vinegar, brown sugar and mustard.
Return the pan to low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for another two to three minutes or until the sauce is thick and smooth. Do not allow the sauce to boil or the egg will scramble.
Stir in the toasted walnuts and cook for a moment more, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat, place cooked cauliflower on a warmed serving dish and pour the sauce over it.
Serve at once.

Chicken and Rice from Campbell's Soup

2008-11-03T16:26:00.001-06:00

This is what I like -- a recipe that comes with variations to start with. With these you know changes can be made to fit the family taste, without messing up a finite recipe. I wouldn't hesitate to switch out the meat, too -- butterfly pork chops, all meat ribs.

Cheesy Chicken & Rice Casserole -- from Campbell's Kitchen
Prep Time: 15 min.
Bake Time: 50 min.
Stand Time: 10 min.

Ingredients:

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1 1/3 cups water
3/4 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts halves
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Heat the oven to 375°F. Stir the soup, water, rice, onion powder, black pepper and vegetables in a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Top with the chicken. Season the chicken as desired. Cover the baking dish.Bake for 50 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender. Top with the cheese. Let the casserole stand for 10 minutes. Stir the rice before serving.

Tip: To try it Alfredo, substitute broccoli flowerets for the vegetables and substitute 1/4 cup grated Parmesan for the Cheddar cheese. Add 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese with the soup. Sprinkle the chicken with the remaining Parmesan cheese.

Trim It Down: Use Campbell's® 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup instead of regular soup and use low fat cheese instead of regular cheese.

Mexican: In place of onion powder and pepper use 1 teaspoon chili powder. Substitute Mexican cheese blend for Cheddar.

Italian: In place of onion powder and pepper use 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, crushed. Substitute 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan for Cheddar.Serves 6.

Upside Down Pizza -- and Tacos

2008-11-02T21:36:00.000-06:00

No, not in the same casserole! But close. Here again is a good recipe from a Baptist potluck dinner that was varied to create a different taste. We fixed one for our Italian night and with just a few changes took the same basic recipe to Mexican night -- both dishes came home empty.

2 lbs ground chuck
1 cup chopped onion
15 oz tomato sauce
1 envelope spaghetti sauce mix
8 oz sour cream
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cans Crescent Rolls

Brown meat, drain and stir in tomato sauce and spaghetti mix. Heat through.

Spray 9 x 13 casserole dish. Layer meat mixture, topped with sour cream, then sprinkle cheese on top. Unroll Crescent rolls and layer over cheese.

Bake in preheated 350o oven 20 to 25 minutes.

Optional – brush top crust with garlic butter.

NOTE: Just a few changes and you have Upside Down Tacos!

2 lbs ground chuck
1 cup chopped onion
15 oz salsa -- your choice whether mild or hot
1 envelope taco sauce mix
8 oz sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar or Mexican cheese
2 cans Crescent Rolls

Instructions are exactly the same.

Mini Meat Empanaditas

2008-11-02T15:16:00.000-06:00

Empanaditas are among the better potluck dishes found at our church fellowships -- even without the salsa, they are great.

1-1/4 pound lean ground beef
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
2 teaspooons chili powder
2 teaspoonos dried oregano, crushed
1 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon snipped fresh cilantro
2 10- to 12-ounce packages (20 total) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
Milk

Salsa (optional)

Cook ground beef in a large skillet until browned -- be sure to drain well unless you're using extra lean. Stir in tomato sauce, chili powder, oregano, and garlic powder. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for at least 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.
Grease a large baking sheet; set aside. Open and separate biscuits cut each biscuit in half horizontally. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of biscuit dough into a 4-inch circle. Place about 1 tablespoon filling onto half of each circle. Fold opposite side of circle up and over filling. Brush edges with a little milk; seal edges with a fork.

Place filled turnovers 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheet; brush with milk. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from baking sheet. Cool slightly on a wire rack. Serve warm.

If desired, serve with salsa for dipping. Makes 40 turnovers.

Make-Ahead Tip: Cool turnovers completely on wire racks. Place in an airtight freezer container; freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, transfer frozen turnovers to an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until heated through.

Bread - Drop Biscuits with Blue Cheese and Garlic

2008-11-02T15:05:00.001-06:00

This is from one found on http://nobodyspoet.blogspot.com/. That one called for goat cheese, which for some is fairly strong, and the grated cheese on top was Parmesan. A person preferring blue cheese tried a variation. Using the cast iron skillet is important – it’s not the same if a cookie sheet is used.

2 cups self-rising flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold butter
4 tablespoons blue cheese
1 cup buttermilk
garlic butter, to grease pan and top biscuits
1/4 cup grated blue cheese

Preheat oven to 425°F Place a 10-inch cast iron pan into the oven while it is preheating. Place flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder into a medium-sized bowl. Cut in the butter and goat cheese. Make a well in the middle of the ingredients and pour in the milk. Stir until the mix is moistened, adding an extra tablespoon of milk if needed.

Remove the hot skillet from the oven and place a tablespoon of garlic butter into it. When the butter has melted, drop 1/4 cupfuls of batter into the pan. Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted garlic butter. Bake from 14–16 minutes until browned on the top and bottom. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the grated cheese.

These are great with a salad, whether your salad dressing is blue cheese or not. Try without the garlic and use your favorite cheese to create different flavors. That’s the joy of varying recipes to fit your family.

Basic Bread for Rolls

2008-11-02T14:32:00.005-06:00

One Wednesday my sister-in-law used this recipe to make cinnamon rolls for a hundred people. I've used it for a fine loaf, and marvelous cloverleaf buns. She has stated that she has a better bread recipe, as have other people. But for overall bread dough to do a multitude of chores -- here's a basic recipe. Vary it as you wish.

This recipe was written down while making cinnamon rolls, so it is still in its rough form -- one of these days we'll get it down in a more orderly fashion. In the meantime, just use it, adapt it and enjoy.

1 cup Crisco shortening
¾ cup sugar
1.5 teaspoon salt
1 c boiling water
½ cup lukewarm water
2 packages dry yeast
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup cold water
7 ½ cups flour

In a large bowl, cream Crisco, sugar and salt. Add 1 cup boiling water, stir until smooth.

In a smaller bowl, dissolve yeast in ½ cup lukewarm water. Add yeast mixture to Crisco mixture. Beat eggs lightly and stir into mixture. Add flour alternately with 1 cup cold water. Stir until smooth. I use the dough arm of our KitchenAide until the sides are clear of dough, then turn it into a large bowl to rise.

Grease top of dough and cover tightly with foil. Can be placed in refrigerator overnight (keeps well for 7-10 days) but we put them in gallon baggies and carried them to the church and started making cinnamon rolls! They rose once in the baggies in the back of the SUV.

FOR CLOVERLEAF ROLLS: Four hours before desired serving time, remove dough and prepare for cloverleaf: You’ll need to make three small balls of dough which placed side by side half fill the bottom of a muffin tin spot, but no more than half full. Set out to rise, and they should at least double in size.
Bake 20 minutes at 375 degrees.

FOR CINNAMON ROLLS: Four hours before desired serving time, remove dough and roll in a rectangular sheet on a lightly floured board. Spread rectangular sheet of dough with softened butter to cover completely. Sprinkle with a mixture of brown sugar, granulated sugar and cinnamon. Roll up into a long roll, jelly-roll style. Seal along edge at fold by pinching dough together. Cut into 1-inch pieces and place cut side down in greased cookie sheets. Let rise in pans in warm area until double in bulk – may three hours.
Bake 20 minutes at 375 degrees.

I've also baked these in loaf pans and have substituted 3 cups whole wheat flour. Tell me about your variations, please.

Aspic - Tomato Soup Salad

2008-11-02T14:21:00.001-06:00

This is a recipe that my mother-in-law fixed for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Ruth used individual fluted metal molds, unmolded onto platters lined with lettuce leaves. Unfortunately, those molds disappeared over the years, but I found a set on eBay and the tradition is reborn. It's not a favorite dish for all, but many of us enjoy having salad flavors and tastes in such a different presentation. As with many dishes that do not appeal to all, it soon disappears as those people "take just a bite to see if it tastes as bad as I remember."

It doesn't! It is a very good salad -- just don't think of it as dessert and it will taste great.

I've seen similar recipes that add olives, green and or black, sliced or chopped; chopped bell peppers; peppers of your heat choice; sliced boiled eggs. Whatever flavor you wish in a salad could be incorporated for variations. This is her recipe, though, and she used the specific brands shown below.

2 small boxes lemon Jello
2 cups hot water
1 can Campbell's Cream of Tomato soup, undiluted
6 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese, cut into small pieces and softened
1 cup Miracle Whip salad dressing
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 tablespoon minced onion
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Dissolve gelatin in hot water and cool. Heat tomato soup slowly adding the cream cheese until the cheese is melted. Cool.

Combine gelatin and soup mixtures. Add salad dressing and mix well.

Add remaining ingredients. Mix well, pour into molds and refrigerate until firm. Yields 14 to 16 servings.

Hamburger Soup Variations

2008-11-02T13:41:00.000-06:00

This recipe is one I adjusted from another, but that one included cabbage and rice – unacceptable to my Beloved Husband. So, those are gone, and can be added back if they are favorites for your family.

This is a very flexible recipe. There’s a wide range of tastes based on which meat, which canned diced tomatoes (or some of your own), which favorite spices, etc., are used. This satisfyingly filling soup makes about 6 servings at about 200 to 250 calories each.
.
1 pound lean ground beef (or ground venison or beef/venison mixture)
1 cup finely chopped onions
4 small cubed potatoes
1 package small carrots, or large carrots cut to same cube size as potatoes
2/3 cup diced celery
1 can flavored diced tomatoes (we like the Onion/Garlic or the Chili)
½ cup Lentils
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 ½ teaspoons seasoned salt
Garlic powder to taste (or mince one clove and brown with beef/onion)
Pepper to taste
3 beef bouillon cubes or equivalent in granules or soup base
Water to cover

Brown ground beef and onion in a Dutch oven or soup pot sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Drain off excess fat. Add potatoes, carrots, celery, and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil.

Add lentils, seasonings, bouillon, and water. Cover and simmer for 50 minutes – checking and adding water as level lowers. For additional guests, and a touch of sweetness, add a can of whole kernel corn ten minutes before serving.

Ladle Hamburger Soup into bowls and sprinkle with grated sharp cheddar -- or the cheese of your choice – still another variable.