Recipes for You

Lucia's Mexican Salsa

2011-12-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

This is a yummy homemade salsa.

Lucia's Mexican Salsa
10 whole tomatoes
5 garlic cloves
1 onion
1/2 cup sliced pickled jalapeno peppers
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon salt

Preheat oven to "broil" and move an oven rack to the highest position in the oven closest to the broiler (I have an electric oven).

Place tomatoes on a sheet pan and broil in the oven until the skin on the tomatoes are charred and blackened. This should only take about 5-10 minutes. Flip them over and char the opposite side.

In the mean time, chop garlic cloves and onion and place food processor. Process until chopped finely. You may need to wipe down the sides of your food processor bowl to make sure all the onion is chopped finely.

Add the hot tomatoes and jalapeno peppers to the onion and garlic and process until no longer lumpy. (You may need to work in batches).

Pour into bowl and stir in lime juice, cilantro and salt. Cover with tight fitting lid and refrigerate overnight.

Enjoy on anything and everything!

YUM!

Gingerbread Cupcakes

2011-12-09T17:25:00.000-08:00

These cupcakes remind me of Granny's applesauce cake. The molasses and ginger takes me back to Granny's kitchen and watching her hands mix the batter and pat the cakes out into rounds in the bottom of a cast iron skillet. Such nostalgia.

After making the gingerbread cookies, I thought they would look adorable on top of some cupcakes. So I found a yummy cupcake recipe and made some cute little gingerbread men.

Here's how we do it:

Gingerbread Cupcakes (adapted from this recipe)

½ cup sugar
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup molasses
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt

2 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
¾ cup water

Place standard baking cup in each of 18 regular size muffin pan cups.
In large bowl, cream sugar and butter.
Mix in molasses; beat in eggs, one at a time.
In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves.
Alternately add flour mixture with water to the wet ingredients.
Scoop evenly among prepared muffin cups.
Bake in preheated oven (350 degrees F) for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool 5 minutes in pan.
Remove cupcakes from pans to cooling rack, and cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Ginger Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon ground ginger

2 tablespoon molasses

2 pounds powdered sugar, sifted

Mix cream cheese and butter together until light and creamy. Add salt, ginger and molasses, mix well. Add powdered sugar and beat until whipped and creamy.

Frost the cupcakes and top each cupcake with a little gingerbread man.

YUM!

Gingerbread Cookies

2011-12-08T16:58:00.001-08:00

I made some really cute Gingerbread people at work and thought I'd share the recipe. We made them at Nana's house this afternoon for a tea party she is having over the weekend. There are tons of recipes out there for gingerbread cookies, but these have the right amount of spicy kick in the back of your throat.

Here's how we made them:

Gingerbread Cookies (from Bakerella)
5 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 cup butter, slightly soft
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup molasses

Sift flour, soda, salt and spices together in a medium bowl and set aside.
Using a mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add egg and mix until combined.
Add molasses and mix until combined.
Gradually add in flour mixture and mix until combined and a dough forms.
Divide dough into four sections and shape each into a flattened disc.
Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
When ready to bake preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Roll out each disc between two sheets of parchment paper using a rolling pin.
Flour the sides of the paper that will touch the dough to make it a little easier to release. Continue to pull the parchment paper away from the dough as you roll it out. Also flip it over and release from the opposite side. It helps a lot when removing the cookie cut outs after they are chilled.
Cut out shapes and remove excess dough to reuse.
Leave cutouts on parchment paper and transfer to cookie sheet.
Bake for 8 minutes. Cool on cooling rack.

Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons water

In small bowl, mix powdered sugar and water until thick and pasty. You may need to add a little extra water...one drop at a time. Spoon into a plastic food storage baggie and clip a tiny corner from the baggie. Pipe little faces, hair and dresses on the cooled gingerbread.

YUM!

Old Fashioned Caramel Cake

2011-11-29T05:15:00.001-08:00

Nana says Grandmother Bell made the best caramel cakes when she was a little girl. Unfortunately, she doesn't have a recipe. So I came up with an easy substitute that is still pretty tasty!

Old Fashioned Caramel Cake
for the cake
1 yellow boxed cake*
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1-1/4 cup water

for the caramel icing
1/2 cup butter
4 cups light brown sugar
2 cups milk
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
6 cups powdered sugar, sifted

For the cake:
Mix together in large bowl, cake mix, brown sugar, eggs, oil and water. Divide evenly among two 8" cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until toothpick tests done. Cool for 5 minutes in pans and then flip out and cool completely. Set aside.

For the caramel icing:
In large sauce pot, stir together butter, brown sugar, milk and salt. Bring to a boil and allow to boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Icing will begin to cool, so you have to work quickly.

To assemble the cake:
Cut the cake layers in half (I usually remove the rounded part of the cake and let Daddy eat that). Place a layer on an 8" cardboard cake round (or cut a circle out of a cereal box). Place a cooling rack over a large bowl (large enough for the icing to run off the cake and into the bowl). Pour the icing over the cake layer, probably only about 1/3 cup or so. Just enough to cover the layer. Repeat with the other 3 layers. Pour the icing over the entire cake allow to drip down the sides and into the bowl beneath. Scrape the leftover icing back into the sauce pot and reheat until just loose enough to repour over the entire cake. I usually do this 2 or 3 times.

Save any leftover icing and mix them with chopped pecans to make a simple pecan prailine. Drop them onto waxed paper or parchment paper. Cool completely, pluck off the paper and wrap in plastic wrap.

Cool completely and enjoy!

YUM!

*I usually bake 2 cake mixes so we can have 6 or 8 layers on the cake. If you choose to bake 2, make sure you double the rest of the ingredients for the cake, but not the caramel icing...it should be plenty.

Strawberry Smoothie

2011-08-28T18:29:00.000-07:00

Strawberry Smoothie

1 cup frozen strawberries

1/2 cup plain, non-fat yogurt

1 tsp strawberry flavored sugar-free gelatin (powder only)

In microwave safe container, thaw strawberries in microwave for 1 minute on high. Add yogurt to blender (or Magic Bullet), pour in the slightly softened strawberries and sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Blend until completely smooth. If it's a little thick, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until you have the thickness you like.

It's only 150 calories. I drink this for breakfast along with peanut butter toast or have it for a snack with cocoa roasted almonds.

Carrot Cake Cookiewiches

2011-08-16T14:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we pulled quite a few carrots from our little carrot patch. We still have a ton to be pulled. In the mean time, I thought I'd share a yummy recipe for Carrot Cake Cookies.

Carrot Cake Cookies (adapted from Martha Stewart)

1 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon finely chopped crystallized ginger

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup finely grated carrots, juiced squeezed out

1 cup oats

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Cream Cheese Filling

4 ounces Neufchatel, softened

2 Tablespoons butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

In mixing bowl, beat butter until light and creamy. Add sugar and brown sugar, beat until light and fluffy.

Add egg and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated.

Add flour, cinnamon, ginger, crystallized ginger, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix well.

Add carrots*, oats and pecans. Mix well.

Use an ice cream scoop or cookie scoop and scoop evenly onto baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 minutes or until the edges are just golden. Allow to cool for a minute on the sheet and then move to a cooling rack.

Finish baking the rest of the cookies.

Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat until creamy.

Once cookies are completely cooled, spread a little of the cream cheese filling onto one side of a cookie and top with another cookie.

Ta-da!

It's totally divine!

Enjoy!

TIP:

*grate the carrots and then put them in a tea towel and squeeze the life out of them! the juice can be saved for other uses or discarded

Banana Oat Muffins

2011-08-15T14:33:00.000-07:00

We normally eat this muffin with our breakfast or for an evening snack. I hope you enjoy it! I really love to spread a little peanut butter on it...it's just so good. A match made in heaven...peanut butter and bananas!

Next time I'm going to try making this with dark chocolate to see how the calories work out, if it's good, I'll share it too.

Banana Oat Muffins

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup oat flour (grind your own oatmeal)

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup mashed bananas (overripe, about 3)

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

In large bowl whisk flour, oat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In separate bowl, mix bananas, sugar, yogurt, egg and vanilla extract together. Pour into the dry ingredients and add cinnamon. Scoop into a muffin tin sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees F for 12 minutes or until toothpick tests done.

Makes 12 muffins.

YUM!

each muffin = 84 calories, 0.7 grams fat, 17.5 grams carbs, 2.3 gram protein

Dill Pickles

2011-07-25T05:23:00.000-07:00

We love Mt. Olive Kosher dill pickles. In fact, when they go on sale at the store, I usually stock up at least 4 jars each time. You and Hunter can go through some pickles! We went over to Cousin Brenda's house and we finagled with the recipe until it resembled the original. They are so good!!! Technically these are refrigerator pickles. Meaning they are not processed in a boiling water bath, but kept in the fridge. We save the pickle jars and spaghetti jars so we can put the pickled cucumbers in them.

Dill Pickles
5-1/2 cups water
3 cups white distilled vinegar
1/4 tsp ground tumeric
5 Tbsp pickling salt (or non-iodized salt)
black peppercorn
mustard seeds
red pepper flakes
fresh dill heads
whole garlic cloves
cucumbers, sliced, speared, whole (make sure to remove the blossom end of the cucumbers)

Clean and dry your jars and lids. Set aside.

In stainless steel pot, bring water, vinegar, salt and turmeric to a boil. Then cool slightly.

Clean and prepare the cucumbers. Slicing them into chips, cutting them into spears or keeping them whole. Remember to cut off the blossom end of the cucumbers.

Apparently there is a wicked little enzyme that will make your pickles mushy. And we don't want mushy pickles!

Place one garlic clove, 2 peppercorns, a tiny pinch of red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1 dill head into the bottom of each jar.

Fit cucumbers into the jars.

We put spears in the bottom and topped with chips. Add another dill head to the top.

Pour the vinegar mixture over the cucumbers allowing 1/2" headspace.

Allow to come to room temperature and put straight into the fridge. Allow to pickle for at least 4 weeks and then enjoy to your heart's content.

We didn't wait 4 weeks. We didn't even wait 3 weeks. We waited 4 days. I know! But we were way too curious to see how they tasted. They are amazing!!! The vinegar solution hadn't permeated the entire cucumber, but it still tasted pretty amazing!

Now you can make them yourself. Plant yourself a little cucumber patch and you'll have cucumbers for the year.

YUM!

Tara's Peanut Butter Layer Bars

2011-07-19T07:58:00.000-07:00

Tara made these from a box of peanut butter cookie dough. You can use your own peanut butter cookie recipe or your favorite boxes variety.

Peanut Butter Layer Bars
1st layer
Peanut butter cookie recipe***

2nd layer
3/4 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3 tsp milk

3rd layer
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 Tablespoons butter

Mix up peanut butter cookie dough and press into bottom of a 13x9 casserole dish or 1/4 sheet pan (don't forget to spray with nonstick cooking spray). Bake according to directions. Cool completely.

For the next layer, beat peanut butter and butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar and milk and beat until it's fluffy and soft looking.

Heat heavy whipping cream in microwave safe bowl for 2 minutes or until bubbly. Add chocolate chips and stir until completely melted. Add butter and stir until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

Assemble:
Spread fluffy peanut butter mixture over the cooled cookie dough crust. Next, pour the chocolate ganache evenly over top. Make sure it's not too hot or it will melt the previous layer. Smooth out with offset spatula and refrigerate until solid, about an hour. Cut into bars and enjoy!

***You may also use leftover peanut butter cookies as the crust. Crumble about 12 cookies into a bowl and add 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Press this into the bottom of a 13x9 pan and resume the layering as above.

YUM!

Barb Jackson's Pasta Salad

2011-07-16T16:56:00.000-07:00

Sister Jackson came to our congregation several years ago from California. She makes this delicious pasta salad using McCormick's Salad Supreme seasoning. I've never bought the seasoning but I found a way to make it so it tastes very similar.

Barb Jackson's Pasta Salad
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp celery seed*
1/2 tsp black pepper
dash cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese (or Romano if you have it)

Mix thoroughly and sprinkle over 1/2 pound of boiled spaghetti noodles. Toss with your favorite Italian dressing and veggies.

YUM!

You and Hunter eat this for lunch during the summer months when the garden is producing bountifully with tomatoes and cucumbers.

*If you don't have celery seed, no worries, add a stalk of celery very finely chopped.

Simple Bean Burritos

2011-06-30T08:43:00.000-07:00

This is a freezer-friendly meal. Make these up once a month and keep in the freezer. Pop them into the microwave for a few minutes to reheat and dinner is served on those busy nights.

Simple Bean Burritos
refried beans
tortilla wrappers (I used low carb, low calorie ones)
cheddar cheese (I used fat free)

Create an assembly line by laying out everything you'll need.

Spread about 1/4 cup of beans onto the tortilla and sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons of shredded cheddar. Fold up the sides and roll up. Place onto a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Store in a freezer bag.

To reheat: place frozen burrito on microwave safe plate and cook on high for 2-1/2 minutes.

Naked burrito

Dressed up burrito

Yum!

Lucia's Salsa Verde

2011-06-28T12:53:00.000-07:00

While working at the bakeshop, I met a sweet lady who was from Mexico. Her name was Lucia. She loved to cook and was responsible for the delicious "Taco Tuesday" menu. She was the real-deal. Eventually she returned to Mexico and left us this yummy recipe. This is her version of Salsa Verde. I love it!

Lucia's Salsa Verde
2 lbs green tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed
2 whole jalapenos
3 garlic cloves
1 Tbsp salt
1/4 of a large white or yellow onion (softball size)

First, let's clean the tomatillos. They will most likely come with the husk on them. Tomatillos are not green tomatoes. They are in the gooseberry family. I have never made this recipe with green tomatoes, so I don't know if the flavor would change or not. Tomatillos are pretty tart little things.

Remove the husk.

The skin will be slightly sticky, so you'll need to rinse them under warm water.

Place the tomatillos and jalapenos on a baking sheet and broil in the oven until charred.

Flip them over and char the other side. Remove from oven and allow to rest on the stove top while assembling the other ingredients.*

In a food processor or large blender, add garlic and onion. Process or blend until very finely chopped. You'll need to scrape down the sides and repeat. Add the tomatillos and process.

*You can choose to leave the skin on the jalapenos, or if you want to remove it, place the jalapenos in a plastic baggie when they come out of the oven so they can steam. When they've cooled enough to handle, use a paper towel to remove the charred skin.

Cut the stem off of the jalapeno and slice in half, scrape out the membranes and seeds. Chop and add to the blender. Process until smooth. Season with salt and pour into a storage container to refrigerate overnight.

This is so good!!! Thank you Lucia!

YUM!

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken

2011-06-18T05:34:00.000-07:00

This is a yummy recipe I found on a dieting website. I changed it up a little to make it more pantry-friendly, using up some ingredients we always have on hand. We all loved this one!

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken
1-1/2 lbs chicken (about 4 chicken thighs or 2 chicken breasts)
1 packet taco seasoning (like Taco Bell or McCormick)
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 cup salsa (homemade or store bought)

Spray crock pot with nonstick cooking spray.

Place chicken in the bottom of crock pot (I almost always use frozen chicken. I've never had a problem with it. It's easier for me and less messy.)

Mix taco seasoning, sour cream and salsa together in a bowl and pour over the chicken.

Cook on high 4-5 hours.

Shred chicken and remove bones and skin. Mix with the sauce in the crock pot and serve over brown rice.

Top with fresh cilantro.

YUM!

Chicken Divan

2011-06-08T06:20:00.000-07:00

This is my all-time favorite chicken casserole dish. Nana used to make it all the time when we were growing up. She made it again the other day, it tasted just as it did when I was a kid. So yummy!!!

Chicken Divan
2 packages frozen broccoli (steam cook it in the microwave)
3 chicken breasts cooked and chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup, reduced fat
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp lemon juice, fresh
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 T melted butter

Layer cooked broccoli into the bottom of a 13x9 casserole dish. Top with cubed chicken breasts. In a separate bowl, stir together soup, mayo, sour cream, lemon juice, cheese and curry powder. Evenly spread over the chicken layer. Combine bread crumbs and butter and sprinkle over the soup layer. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

YUM!

Pumpkin Oatmeal with Cardamom

2011-05-15T15:00:00.000-07:00

I just love the Food Network. And I love the show The Next Food Network Star. Last season's winner was Aarti Sequeira. She was my favorite from the very first episode. She's different and has a unique point-of-view. I just love her recipes too! I'm most interested in using different spices to brighten up our everyday meals. She shared a recipe a few weeks ago which used cardamom. It's a floral scented spice and can be very strong and very expensive. I went to Sevenanda and picked up a tiny bit for about $.45. I figured I give it a try and see if I liked it. Well, I love it. Let me share my tweaked "pantry-friendly" version of the Aarti Party recipe. It was so good!

Pumpkin Oatmeal with Cardamom (adapted from Aarti Party)

14 oz canned pumpkin puree (or about 2 cups)

2 cups water

2 cups vanilla almond milk, plus more for serving

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

chopped almonds

honey

In a large saucepan, whisk pumpkin puree, water, almond milk. Bring to a boil. Add cranberries, salt, pumpkin pie spices, cardamom and oatmeal. Reduce heat and cook about 15 minutes. Follow the directions on your oatmeal canister. Stir frequently to avoid sticking on the bottom of the pot.

Serve with chopped almonds, a drizzle of honey and 1/4 cup almond milk.

This was so good! I think she says there are 4 servings in the pot. There is no way I could eat that much oatmeal! I filled my bowl with about 1 cup of the oatmeal and couldn't even eat it all. It's very filling. I think it's pretty healthy. I plugged this into sparkpeople and it came out to be 288.1 calories for 6 servings. That's good in my book! I divided the leftovers into 1 cup servings and stored them in the fridge. I heated them up each morning in the microwave until warm and then drizzled with honey and milk. Perfect make-ahead meal! Super fast and healthy breakfast option.

eCookbook - Basic Southern Cakes

2011-05-04T06:29:00.001-07:00

"Basic Southern Cakes" is the first in a series of Sweet Creations eCookbooks I'm hoping to share with you over the next few months.

I created this eCookbook as a compilation of my favorite southern classic cakes. These recipes are tried and true and fabulously delicious. I hope you'll love them as much as I do. Everything from Old Fashioned Fudge Cake to Southern Red Velvet Cake. Among these recipes are my Granny Horn's Applesauce Cake. A recipe I've wanted to share with you all for so long. There are a total of 17 cake recipes and 8 different frosting recipes.

Purchase your copy for only $2.99

Please remember this is an electronic book in pdf format. A valid email address must be associated with your paypal account so I can email you the ebook in attachment. (I have included a box for ease of ordering. Please enter your valid email address.) Once you have received the email, download the ebook and save it in your personal files for future reference. You will also be able to print this ebook since it will be in pdf format.

Thank you in advance for your support and I look forward to fulfilling lots of orders!

Enjoy!

Chef Salad

2011-03-29T08:54:00.000-07:00

When the weather is nice and the produce is fresh, I like to have fresh salads for lunch and dinner. This is one of my favorites. You are a little rabbit and will eat salad pretty much any time of day or year.

Chef Salad
lettuce
tomatoes
cucumbers
hard-boiled eggs
sliced turkey deli-meat
shredded carrots

Arrange 2 cups of lettuce on a plate. Roll up 5 or 6 very thinly sliced deli turkey meat, slice and arrange down the middle of the bed of lettuce. Slice half of a tomato and arrange next to the turkey. Slice half of a cucumber and arrange on the other side of the turkey. Slice a hard boiled egg into wedges and arrange next to the tomatoes. Place the carrots next to the cucumbers.

Whisk up your favorite Balsamic Vinaigrette and drizzle over the top.

Serve with crackers and apple for a complete lunch idea.

YUM!

Pink Marshmallow Crispy Rice Treats

2011-03-27T14:04:00.000-07:00

Your friend Aubree had a "pink-a-licious" party and so we decided to make some pink rice krispies treats. They were so good! I deviate from the original recipe by adding a little extra butter. I think it makes the treats taste better. I was expecting to make these pink by only using the food coloring, but after we got to the store, we found these strawberry flavored marshmallows.

I had to give them a try. Here's how we did it:

Pink Marshmallow Crispy Rice Treats
12 tablespoons butter or 1-1/2 sticks of butter
2 packages of strawberry flavored marshmallows
pink food coloring
12-1/2 cups puffed rice cereal (such as Kellogg's Rice Krispies)

Prepare the half sheet pan with plastic wrap sprayed with non-stick cooking spray; set aside. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add butter and let it begin to melt.

Add marshmallows and stir with butter until melted and smooth.

Add food coloring and stir to combine.

Pour in the cereal.

Stir with all your might to get it combined before the marshmallows start to cool.

Pour onto prepared sheet pan lined with plastic wrap.

Using another piece of plastic wrap sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, press down the treats.

Cover and allow to sit overnight on the counter.

Cut them into squares and enjoy!

These are so good! You could really taste the strawberry flavoring. But if you can't find these particular marshmallows, you can substitute with plain marshmallows, more pink food coloring and strawberry flavored extract.

YUM!

Chicken Fried Rice

2011-03-07T18:08:00.000-08:00

We love Chicken Fried Rice. It's easy, filling and cheap! It's easy to throw together when the chicken and rice have been precooked and are waiting on me in the freezer. Here's how to pull it together:

Chicken Fried Rice
1 tsp vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 of a head of cabbage, sliced very thin
2 carrots, sliced
1/4 cup water
1-1/2 cups precooked chicken
1/4 tsp Chinese 5 Spice
2 eggs, scrambled
1 Tbsp soy sauce, plus more for serving
1-1/2 cups precooked rice
steamed peas
steamed broccoli

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat and add minced garlic.

Saute cabbage and carrots for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Pour in water and cover with a lid to help steam them. Toss in chopped chicken and Chinese 5 Spice. Stir to combine.

Make a well in the middle of the skillet, pushing everything to the edges of the pan. Pour the scrambled eggs in the middle of the well and begin scrambling with a spoon.

Keep stirring until the eggs are done.

Season with soy sauce and stir to combine.

Serve with 1/2 cup brown rice, top with 3/4 cup of chicken stir fry. Sprinkle with a teaspoon or so of soy sauce and enjoy. Serve with a steamed peas or broccoli.

You can add the vegetables into the saute, but Daddy doesn't like peas or broccoli. So I serve his up first and then add the peas and broccoli to the rest of dish.

4 servings: 260 calories, 10.5 gr fat, 26 gr carbs, 19.6 gr protein

Yum!

Rabbit in the Hole

2011-03-01T15:37:00.000-08:00

Everyone has a name for this dish. Granny calls it Egg in a Frame. She saw a recipe in an old cookbook and it instantly became one of her favorite breakfast meals. She said her Mama Melvin would send Papa to the store for bread so she could make it for Granny.

I've also heard it called Egg in the Hole, Toad in the Hole, Bulls Eye...it goes on and on. Nana calls this Rabbit in the Hole, so that's what we call it.

The trick is to make sure the hole is large enough to accommodate the egg. Here's what you do:

Rabbit in the Hole
egg
bread
butter
shredded cheese

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Add a tiny bit of butter, about 1/4 tsp of butter into the pan. Using a cookie cutter, biscuit cutter or glass, cut a hole in a slice of bread and place it in the pan, along with the cut out. Crack an egg into a cup or measure cup (to easily pour into the hole) and when the bread looks slightly toasted, add 1/4 tsp of butter in the hole and pour the egg into the hole. Allow to set up for about 30 seconds to 1 minute and then carefully flip. Brown on the other side and top with cheese.

YUM!

Easy Salsa

2011-02-09T06:47:00.000-08:00

This is the easiest way to make your own salsa:

Easy Salsa
2 cans Rotel (mild or regular), drain liquid from one can
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
dash of black pepper
dash of salt

Process all ingredients in a food processor or use your Magic Bullet.

Serve with chips.

YUM!

Peanut Butter Smoothie

2011-02-08T06:04:00.000-08:00

Y'all love smoothies. But recently, your favorite smoothie has been a green smoothie. It's pretty healthy but still has some calories, so be mindful. I called it the "Elvis Smoothie" since we all know how much Elvis Presley loved Peanut Butter and Banana sandwiches.

Green Elvis Smoothie
1 cup fresh spinach leaves*
1 Tablespoon peanut butter
1 Tablespoon chocolate syrup
1 cup almond milk
1 frozen banana

Put everything into a blender or your Magic Bullet

and blend until smooth.

This makes 2 small smoothies or one large one.

2 small smoothies: calories 152.3, fat grams 5.8, carb 23.9 grams, 14.8 grams sugar

YUM!

*You can substitute 1/4 of a 10 oz box of frozen spinach. Just be sure to thaw and squeeze out the water.

Granny's Chili

2011-02-07T09:34:00.000-08:00

It's funny how families have different food traditions. When Daddy and I got married, he shared a lot of these with me. For example, when I was growing up, Nana would make a big pot of chili and serve it with cornbread or oyster crackers. That's how I thought everyone ate chili. Until I got married and we were invited over to dinner at Granny and Papa's. I asked if there was anything I could bring and they said, you can bring some hotdogs if you want. Hotdogs??? I just went with it. Come to find out, they eat chili on baked potatoes, hotdogs, tortilla chips. And Granny makes cole slaw to accompany it. It was strange for me, at first. But now I love this and enjoy it very much. I still love cornbread with my chili/taco soup, but it's nice to have a change every now and again.

We visited Granny and Papa recently and she made a huge pot of chili. She had so much, she sent two freezer bags home with us. This is a yummy and easy chili recipe. Here's how she did it:

Granny's Chili
2 onions diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
3 lbs ground beef
2 packets chili seasoning
2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
4 (14 oz) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 (28 oz) cans light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 large cans pork and beans (like Campbell's)
shredded cheddar (optional)

Saute onion and pepper in a little olive oil until translucent. Add ground beef, brown and crumble with a spoon. Drain off the fat and rinse in a colander if you want. Add back to the large pot. Sprinkle in the chili seasoning, tomatoes and all the beans. Stir together until combined and thick. Simmer over low heat for an hour. Yields approx. 20 servings

YUM!

389.9 calories, 10 grams fat, 54.2 grams carb, 28.7 grams protein

German Chocolate Cake

2011-02-07T08:36:00.000-08:00

I love coconut, but Daddy doesn't care for it. I use the chocolate cake recipe from the Old Fashioned Fudge Cake and then make this coconut frosting. It's so yummy!

German Chocolate Cake
chocolate cake layers
1-1/2 cup sugar
12 oz can evaporated milk
3/4 cup butter
4 egg yolks, beaten
2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1-1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In 350 degree oven, toast coconut and pecans for 5-10 mins or until toasty; set aside.

In a saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter and egg yolks. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat, stir in coconut, pecans and vanilla. Cool frosting until it's thick enough to layer between the cake layers.

I don't frost the sides. The frosting is super sweet and you're liable to go into a sugar coma!

YUM!

Thin Crust Pizza

2011-01-29T17:08:00.000-08:00

We love Friday Night Pizza Nights. We were making our own pizza dough for nearly a year. It is delicious, but not very figure friendly. I found an easy way to make a thin crust pizza using flour tortillas. And you love to help! This coral dress is your absolute favorite dress. You'd wear it everyday given the chance.

Thin Crust Pizza
flour tortillas
pasta sauce
shredded mozzarella cheese
toppings
Italian seasoning

Lightly toast the flour tortillas in 425 degree oven for a minute or two on the oven racks.

Place them on baking sheets and spread some pasta sauce over them.

Add some veggies (we used peppers).

Sprinkle some cheese.

Top with pepperoni.

Bake in oven at 425 for 3-4 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Finish it with a sprinkling of Italian seasoning and enjoy.

YUM!

Creamy Ranch Dip

2011-01-28T11:35:00.000-08:00

This is a dip I made up last week to eat up some carrots and celery. We've all loved it!

Creamy Ranch Dip
8 oz block 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1 Tablespoon low fat Greek yogurt, plain
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Cream everything together. Refrigerate overnight for best flavor.

Serve with any and all veggies.

Yum!

Pulp Muffins

2011-01-26T09:07:00.000-08:00

What is a "pulp muffin"? You can use the leftover pulp from juicing vegetables and fruits to make muffins or quick breads. Granny has a juicer and after she juices, pineapples, apples, bananas, carrots and just about anything else, there is leftover pulp in the machine. She found some creative recipes on cooks.com and thought I might try the pulp in one of the recipes. She froze about 4-6 cups of pulp in freezer baggies and saved it for me. When we visited, she gave them to me. Here's what I came up with:

Pulp Muffins (adapted from cooks.com), makes 24 large muffins
2-3 cups leftover pulp (it doesn't matter what, but Granny said she used bananas, apples and pineapples in this mix)
1 cup shredded coconut
4 eggs
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup oil
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup honey
3 cups all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Mix pulp, coconut, eggs, applesauce, oil, vanilla and honey until well combined. Sift flour, soda, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix with the wet ingredients.

Scoop into 24 lined muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean.

These were pretty good. It might help to cut the apples away from the core to avoid the seeds and fibrous center. We all loved them.

YUM!

Easy Beef Stew

2011-01-22T15:17:00.000-08:00

This is an easy beef stew. Super tasty and flavorful!

Easy Beef Stew (adapted from this recipe)
1 lb stew beef chunks
2 Tbsp flour
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 can beef gravy (such as Campbell's)
3 cups beef broth
14 oz can whole tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 onion quartered
1 carrot, peeled and cut on the bias or coins
1 large potato, peeled and cubed
frozen sweet peas

Heat dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil. Toss beef in flour, salt and pepper. Brown the beef on all sides. Add beef gravy, beef broth, whole tomatoes, marjoram, pepper and onion. Bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat to simmer over low heat for 1-1/2 hours. Add carrot and potatoes stir and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Serve with frozen sweet peas.

YUM!

You can also serve this over mashed potatoes.

Veggie Pinwheels (Vegan)

2011-01-20T13:42:00.000-08:00

This is a yummy "sandwich" to serve for a party or shower. You can add cheese and deli meat if you like.

Veggie Pinwheels
flour tortillas
fresh spinach leaves
cucumbers, cut into sticks
roasted red peppers, cut into sticks
carrots, shredded finely
avocado, sliced into sticks

Layer spinach leaves over the tortilla. Lay cucumber, peppers, carrots and avocado on the lower 1/3 of the tortilla. Roll up tightly and cut into thirds.

Yum!

Pink Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

2011-01-19T11:46:00.000-08:00

Did you know you can dye white almond bark pink? You can do whatever color you like. Here's how:

Pink Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
1 package white almond bark
1 Tablespoon Crisco
food coloring, your choice, we used pink
strawberries
white chocolate chips
sugar sprinkles

Melt almond bark in the microwave at 30 second intervals until melted. Stir in Crisco. Drop in food coloring and stir.

Dip the strawberries and place onto a waxed line baking sheet. The almond bark firms up very quickly.

Melt white chocolate chips in microwave at 30 second intervals until melted. Put into a food storage baggie and clip a small hole in the corner. Drizzle over the strawberries and let firm up. Sprinkle with sugar sprinkles to make them even more pretty!

Store in refrigerator overnight in airtight container. These should be eaten within a day or two of making. Longer than that and the strawberries begin to "weep" and run juice down the chocolate.

We never have leftovers!

Enjoy!

Ham and Cheese Roll-Ups

2011-01-18T13:55:00.000-08:00

This is a great party food. Little appetizers or leave them whole for a quick 100 calorie snack.

Ham and Cheese Roll-Ups
deli ham slices
reduced fat skim milk string cheese
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 Tablespoon dried dill weed

Mix cream cheese and dill weed together in a bowl.

Spread about a Tablespoon on slice of ham. Lay a length of string cheese on one end and roll up.

Cut them into pieces if you're having a party

or leave them whole for snacks.

YUM!

No Bake Granola Bar

2011-01-18T10:26:00.000-08:00

These are so good! We've been making them pretty regularly over the last couple of weeks. I've made Peanuts and Chocolate Chip, Cherry and Almond, Cranberry and Almond, Cherry and Pecan... I think you get the idea. Make these with your favorites and have fun!

No Bake Granola Bar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup honey
4 cups old fashioned oats (or 2 cups old fashioned and 2 cups quick cooking)
1 cup rice krispies cereal
1 cup dried fruit and/or chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup shredded coconut (optional)

Melt butter, brown sugar and honey in a pot over medium heat.

Bring to boil and turn off the heat.

In the meantime, mix together oatmeal, rice krispies, dried fruit, nuts and coconut. (If you are using the chocolate chips, wait to press them in later on so they don't melt.)

Pour boiling mixture over the oatmeal mixture

and stir well, coating everything.

Spray a piece of parchment with nonstick cooking spray and place into a 13x9 pan. Pour mixture into the pan

and (add chocolate chips at this point)

press down firmly using the parchment. Place in the fridge for 15-30 minutes.

Remove and cut into 16 equal pieces. Store in an airtight container.

I leave these on the counter in a container to keep the chewy texture. If you store them in the fridge, they will be harder and more firm. They are still good.

YUM!

Shepherd's Pie

2011-01-17T17:54:00.000-08:00

This is a yummy tummy warming meal. I love the Worcestershire sauce in this. It adds a little extra flavor. This is one of Daddy's favorite things. He just loves it! In fact, when I make it, we never have leftovers!

Technically, Shepherd's Pie is made with ground lamb. Hence, "shepherd". I think this is actually termed Cottage Pie, but whatever.

Just make it and eat it.

You won't be disappointed.

Shepherds' Pie
1 lb ground beef
1 can green beans
1 carrots chopped
1 pouch of instant potatoes or 3- 4 big potatoes, boiled and mashed
1 stick butter, plus 2 Tablespoons
2 Tablespoons flour
1/2-1 cup beef broth
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper

Brown the ground beef, drain and add chopped carrots and 2 Tablespoons of butter.

Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of flour tossing to coat vegetables.

Stir in beef broth...

and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread mixture into the bottom of the prepared casserole dish.

Drain green beans and layer them over the beef mixture.

Follow the directions on the instant potatoes or if you are using real potatoes, mash them with the remaining stick of butter. Season with salt and pepper and spread over the green beans.

Using the back of a fork, create swirls in the potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

If the potatoes aren't browning enough, just broil the dish in the last few minutes.

This freezes really well too. Make sure you double wrap it in tin foil and plastic wrap. You can thaw in the fridge overnight or bake from frozen for 1-1/2 hours.

So yummy!

Turkey Cranberry Wreath

2011-01-11T08:37:00.000-08:00

This is my most favorite way to use leftover roasted turkey. Of course, Daddy doesn't like cranberries, but I put them in this one anyway. It's too good to eat without them!

Back in 1995, I moved out on my own with my best friend, Jodi. She and I rented a small garage apartment behind Sister Trout's house in Douglasville. About the same time I got a job working at McMaster-Carr Supply Co. One of my co-workers introduced me to Pampered Chef. It was love at first purchase! I bought nearly every single thing they offered. I had enough of their products, I could have demonstrated without even receiving a kit from them! Anyway, after all these years, I still have my original purchases and $1 catalogs. They are my favorites! This is one my all-time favorite Pampered Chef recipes.

Turkey Cranberry Wreath (original recipe found in All The Best)
2 cups leftover roasted turkey, chopped
1-1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese, or 6 oz slices, sliced very thin and cut across to resemble grated cheese
1 stalk celery, very finely diced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoon honey mustard
pinch of black pepper
2 teaspoons dried parsley (or fresh if you have it)
2 tubes refrigerated crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine everything together in bowl.

Create the wreath using crescent rolls.
Lay them in a "sunshine" or "star" design on your baking sheet.

Match up the seams and pinch them together.

Carefully lay them on top of each other, making sure not to pinch the tips of the crescent rolls into the seams.

Scoop the filling over the seams.

Finish the wreath by pulling up the crescent tips and crossing over the top. I start with the inside and work my way around.

Then finish with the outside tips.

Cut any extra bits off using a pizza cutter, it's just easier for me. If you have kitchen shears, they would work great too.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

YUM!

Serve this up with greens beans, mashed sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce. Oh my word! So good!

You've got to try this one!

Butter Parmesan Noodles

2011-01-08T20:05:00.000-08:00

This is a super simple lunch which I serve you and Hunter. Sometimes I add frozen peas to cool it down. You both love sweet peas.

Butter Parmesan Noodles
half a box of pasta
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
4 Tablespoons butter
parsley

Boil pasta to al dente per package directions. Drain and add back to the pot.

Stir in Parmesan and butter.

Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

YUM!

Cinnamon Banana French Toast Sticks

2011-01-03T10:18:00.000-08:00

When I'm planning our OAMC (once-a-month-cooking), I always try to think of easy breakfast ideas for you and Hunter. I always have frozen bananas on hand and like to find new ways to use them. Last year I came upon a great recipe for make-ahead french toast sticks. They are so good and y'all love them! I made them initally with the pumpkin but y'all love the banana better. Here's how I make them:

Cinnamon Banana French Toast Sticks (adapted from OAMM)
15 slices whole wheat bread, cut in half (about a whole loaf)
1/4 cup melted butter
8 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1-1/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup mashed banana (about 1 banana)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk butter, eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and mashed banana until well combined. Hand-dip the bread into the batter and coat well. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and flip to bake other side. (I find they stick a little, but it's worth it.) Bake other side for 10 minutes. Remove to cooling rack. Cool completely before freezing. Flash-freeze on cookie sheet until frozen about 1 hour. Once frozen, remove from cookie sheet to freezer storage bag.

To serve, microwave for 30-45 seconds. Y'all eat these straight up without any syrup or powdered sugar. But I'm sure that will change one day!

YUM!

Rich's Coconut Cake

2011-01-03T08:46:00.000-08:00

Rich's Coconut Cake (adapted from this recipe)
Cake
1 box yellow cake mix

Frosting
1 cup vegetable shortening (Crisco)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
2 pounds powdered sugar (about 8 cups)
1/2-1 cup milk

Coconut Filling
4 cups Shredded sweetened coconut
2 Tablespoons water

Bake cake according to box directions and cool completely.

Prepare frosting:
Beat shortening, vanilla extract and salt until creamy. Add powdered sugar and continue to beat until combined. Beat in 1/2 cup milk. Continue to add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until frosting reaches desired spreading consistency.

Prepare filling:
Place 1-1/2 cups coconut into food processor, pulse until finely chopped. Pour into small bowl and add water. Use the back of a fork and press and combine until the water looks milky. Set aside.

Assemble the cake:
Place one layer onto the cake platter, frost with a little frosting. Place half of the coconut/water mixture (draining out most of the water) over the frosting and top with another cake layer, repeat with another layer, frost and place rest of the coconut/water mixture over the frosting. Top with last layer and frost entire cake. Gently press the remaining shredded coconut to the sides and top of the cake.

Yum!

Spice Cake

2011-01-02T16:32:00.000-08:00

This is an easy spice cake recipe.

Spice Cake
1 box yellow cake mix
(ingredients to make the cake)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon ginger

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Chopped Pecans

Mix cake and add spices. Pour into prepared cake pans. Bake per box instructions. Cool completely (refrigerating if possible). Frost with buttercream and press chopped pecans into the side.

Yum!

Smashed Bugs (Pretzel Turtles)

2010-12-29T11:13:00.000-08:00

I saw this recipe a few years ago called Smashed Bugs. It's really yummy and the kids LOVE it!

Smashed Bugs (Pretzel Turtles)
Pretzels
Rolos or Caramel Kisses*
Pecan halves
Semi-sweet chocolate, melted

Spread pretzels in a single layer onto a cookie sheet.

Top each pretzel with one unwrapped Rolo or Caramel Kiss.

Bake in oven at 350 degrees F for about 3 minutes, just enough for the chocolate to begin melting.

Press one pecan half into the melting chocolate, press down..."smash the bug"...

Drizzle melted chocolate over them and cool completely.

Once they've cooled, they should pop right off of the pan.

Store in an air tight container.

YUM!

TIP: You can use the normal shaped pretzels for this, but I prefer the square ones. Just because I'm weird like that.

*This was the first time I used Caramel Kisses. I saw it on another blog and wanted to see how they turned out. I think they were a little too messy and most of the caramel oozed out once they were "smashed". I think next time I'll just stick with the Rolos for this recipe.

Pumpkin Chocolate Caramel Pecan Cake

2010-12-28T11:01:00.000-08:00

This is something I sort of came up with while at work. We had some pumpkin leftover from making some brownies and I decided to pour it into a cake pan and bake it. I ended up with two pumpkin layers and one chocolate layer in the freezer. I decided to stack them with a faux whipped cream in between the layers, sprinkled with pecans and drizzled with homemade caramel sauce. It was a huge hit and they sold them for $38 a piece.

Here's the easy version:

Pumpkin Chocolate Caramel Pecan Cake
1 box yellow cake mix
15 oz can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
4 eggs
1-1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 box chocolate cake mix
2-8 oz tubs of Cool Whip, thawed
caramel ice cream syrup
chopped pecans

Prepare pumpkin cake first: mix yellow cake mix, pumpkin, milk, oil, eggs and spices together in a bowl. Pour into two prepared cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until toothpicks tests done. Cool enough to handle and remove from pans. Wrap cakes in plastic wrap and get them into the refrigerator.

Prepare chocolate cake according to box directions. Pour into prepared cake pans and bake according to box directions. Cool enough to handle and remove from pans. Wrap in plastic wrap and get them into the refrigerator. You'll only be using one layer. Keep the other layer for another dessert.

When cakes are completely cold (you can even pop them into the freezer once they've chilled), you can start assembling them.

Place a pumpkin layer onto our serving plate or cake pedestal. Spread Cool Whip over the layer, drizzle with caramel and sprinkle with pecans. Stack chocolate layer next. Repeat with Cool Whip, caramel and pecans. Top with last pumpkin layer, spread with more Cool Whip, drizzle more caramel and sprinkle with pecans. Keep chilled in the fridge until ready to serve.

It's a very pretty cake.

YUM!

TIP: You can use a boxed cookie dough if you want. Make sure you add 1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder. I actually used the Krusteaz Snickerdoodle one for this picture. I did not use the cinnamon and sugar pouch, just the powdered cookie mix. (I have a bunch of boxes I got for free at Kroger so I need to be creative in finding new ways to use them.)

Pumpkin Spice Granola

2010-12-25T10:46:00.000-08:00

I love all things pumpkin. This is one recipe I tried during the fall of the year and we loved it.

Pumpkin Spice Granola
3-1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
2-1/2 cups rice cereal (like Rice Krispies)
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with tin foil.
In a large bowl, combine oatmeal and rice cereal. In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin pie spice, salt, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, maple syrup and vanilla. Whisk until very smooth. Combine the wet ingredients with the oatmeal and rice cereal, stir to coat evenly. Spread onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, tossing and turning with a spatula every 10 minutes. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the top and bake another 15 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle the dried cranberries over the top, tossing and turning to distribute evenly. Allow to cool completely. You may need to stir the mixture every so often to make sure it dries out enough. Once the granola has cooled completely, you can store it in an air tight container in the the pantry.

We eat this in yogurt parfaits, served with milk in place of boxed cereal and straight up as a snack.

YUM!

Pimiento Cheese Spread

2010-12-19T09:52:00.000-08:00

I never really liked pimiento cheese sandwiches while growing up. I think it was because of my aversion to red peppers. I've since gotten over that dislike and really love bell peppers now. Funny how your taste buds change over time. I'm still pretty picky and only prefer homemade pimiento cheese. Technically I guess this isn't pimiento since it has red bell peppers, but you get the idea! Here's how I make it:

Pimiento Cheese Spread
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (8 oz block)
1/2-3/4 cup mayonnaise (just depends on how creamy you like it)
1 jarred roasted red pepper, diced
dash of black pepper

Mix everything together and spread onto some bread and enjoy. Try it grilled with bacon, OH MY!

This is also good for dipping vegetables, celery sticks and carrot sticks.

YUM!

Squash Casserole

2010-12-15T13:59:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of variations of squash casserole. This is how we make it...

Squash Casserole
1 onion, finely diced
1 Tablespoon oil or butter
4 cups yellow squash or zucchini, sliced into half-moon shapes
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch of black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- or - use the prepared squash in the freezer
1-1/2 cup Ritz crackers, crushed and divided
1-1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
2 eggs
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon salt

If you are not using the frozen squash, prepare a skillet over medium heat and add oil. Saute onion, squash or zucchini, salt, pepper, basil and garlic powder for 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Drain any liquid and pour mixture into a large bowl. Add 1 cup Ritz crackers and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, stir to combine then pour into buttered 8x8 casserole dish. Beat eggs, evaporated milk and salt in separate bowl and pour over the squash mixture. Top with remaining 1 cup cheddar cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Yummy!

Bean and Pasta Soup

2010-12-15T09:04:00.000-08:00

I'm always on the lookout for a yummy soup recipe. This is a great one to make on a cold day. It warms up the house and it warms up your tummy. I serve this with grilled cheese sandwiches. Hunter likes to eat the pasta out of the soup, so I put a little extra in for him.

Bean and Pasta Soup
2 cups Great Northern beans, prepared*
4 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
14 oz can chopped tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp tomato paste
3-1/2 cups water
1 cup small shaped pasta (like fusilli or conchigliette)
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced**
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro or flat leaf parsley
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add chopped onions and garlic, saute for 5-10 minutes until golden and soft.

Add in the chopped tomatoes,oregano, tomato paste, prepared beans and water. Bring to a boil.

Add Pasta and sun-dried tomatoes, lower heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

Adjust seasonings of salt and pepper. Serve with parsley or cilantro and sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

*Prepared beans are precooked and frozen for future meals, or the canned variety at the grocery store. If you are using dried beans, soak them overnight. Drain and rinse them and set aside. Proceed with the above directions through adding water. Add the beans and cook for an hour. Then proceed with directions by adding pasta...

**I used dried sun-dried tomatoes, ones not in water or oil. I added these to hot water and allowed them to plump up for about 5 minutes while I waited on the onions and garlic to saute. Then drained them and chopped them up.

YUM!

Granny's Oven Roasted Turkey

2010-12-14T08:54:00.000-08:00

When Daddy and I first got married, Granny showed me how to roast a turkey in the oven. This makes the turkey flavorful and juicy, every single time.

Granny's Oven Roasted Turkey
1 turkey, thawed if frozen
2 sticks butter
salt
pepper
vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Check the inside of your turkey and remove the giblet and neck packets. Rinse the turkey and dry him with paper towels. (I'm referring to the turkey as a "him" because they are usually Tom turkeys, but my Granny always said to buy a hen turkey if you can find one.) Place him into a large enough baking dish. Loosen the skin on each side of the breasts and shove a whole stick of butter under the skin on each breast. Rub vegetable oil all over the skin (including the legs and wings). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake the turkey at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 325 degrees F, cover with a tent of tin foil and bake for 3-4 hours (depending on the weight of the bird). Check the temperature on the thigh to read 180 degrees F without touching the bone.

He comes out perfect every time!

YUM!

Chimichurri Burrito Casserole

2010-12-13T16:32:00.000-08:00

This is an easy and delicious Tex-Mex dish we all LOVE!

Chimichurri Burrito Casserole
1-1/2 cup water
8 oz can tomato sauce
1 packet Lawry's Chimichurri Burrito Casserole (found at Walmart)
1 pound ground beef
2 cup black beans or 15 oz can, drained and rinsed
8 flour tortillas (8" size)
1-1/2 cup shredded cheddar or jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix water, tomato sauce and seasoning packet in a bowl, mix well.
Brown meat in skillet, drain fat and rinse. Stir in 1 cup tomato sauce mixture and black beans. Spoon about 1/2 cup beef and bean mixture into flour tortilla, roll up and place seam-side down in 9x13 casserole dish. Pour the remaining tomato sauce mixture over the rolled up burritos. Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes until heated through and cheese has melted.

I served this with lettuce, black olives, avocado, sour cream and sliced jalapenos (for me). Next time I think I'll heat up some corn or even some Mexican Rice and Beans, but it was very filling and we all really enjoyed it.

YUM!

"Buttery" Mashed Potatoes

2010-12-13T15:51:00.000-08:00

I prefer butter to margarine in most everything, except mashed potatoes. I can never seem to get the buttery flavor to shine through the potato goodness. But using margarine gives them the perfect fluffy texture along with that buttery flavor I love so much. Here's what you do:

"Buttery" Mashed Potatoes
4-5 potatoes, washed, peeled and cubed
1 teaspoon salt
pinch of pepper
1/2 cup margarine or 1 stick

Add potatoes to a pot of cold water, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. The potato chunks should be soft.

Drain the potato chunks and put back into the pot. Add salt, pepper and margarine and mash to your heart's content.

Daddy prefers his a mashed potatoes with a little texture, so I don't whip them with a beater, but you could if you wanted. I use a potato masher and mash and swirl until it looks combined enough and there are little tiny bits of potatoes running through the mashed ones.

I do not add milk, just straight up potato-y goodness!

*TIP: Use one potato per person. If you are planning a large gathering, count the people and then count your taters. This is a pretty good guesstimate so you don't run out of potatoes.

YUM!

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

2010-12-07T12:08:00.000-08:00

Lemon poppyseed muffins are so yummy! Sometimes I can pick up a box from the grocery store for pennies, but when they don't have them on sale and we're craving them, this is the recipe I use.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
1-3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
zest from one lemon
1 Tablespoon poppyseeds
1-1/4 cup buttermilk (or make your own)
1 egg
2 Tablespoons melted butter

In mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, lemon zest and poppyseeds.

Mix together.

In another bowl, combine buttermilk, egg and melted butter. Pour wet ingredients into dry ones and mix well.

Scoop into muffin liners and

bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

In the meantime, make the glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon corn syrup

Mix everything together in a small bowl until smooth.

Dip the tops of the muffins into the glaze and set aside until they are cool.

YUM!

Crackle Cookies

2010-11-30T16:40:00.000-08:00

This is an easy recipe to use cake mixes. Chocolate, Lemon, Red Velvet, Strawberry, pretty much any flavored cake mix you buy at the store. The vanilla ones aren't that great, so don't waste your time with those. And they don't look nearly as pretty as the others!

Crackle Cookies
1 box cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup softened butter
1 Tablespoon water
1 cup powdered sugar

Mix everything together by hand (it will burn out your mixer because the batter is so thick). Place the bowl into the freezer for about 15-20 minutes until very chilled. Scoop out balls of batter and roll into powdered sugar. Place on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees F. The cookies will be soft when coming out of the oven, but allow them to set up for about 5 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack.

Enjoy!

Chow-Chow

2010-11-30T16:10:00.000-08:00

This was my first attempt at Chow-Chow. These turned out really nice with a crunchy texture and slightly sweet and spicy aftertaste. I decided to make this using up some end of the season green tomatoes and jalapeno peppers and a bargain cabbage at the grocery store. Granny has a recipe from her Grandmother and I'd love to get it and share it with you. Maybe next summer when we have more green tomatoes...

Chow-Chow
4 cups green tomatoes, finely diced
3 cups cabbage, finely diced
1 red jalapeno pepper, finely diced
1 green jalapeno pepper, finely diced
salt
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1-1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1-1/2 teaspoons ground tumeric
1 cup sugar

Place tomatoes, cabbage and peppers into a large glass bowl. Generously sprinkle with salt (probably about 2-3 Tablespoons), stir and cover and let sit overnight on the counter. The next day, drain off all the water accumulated in the bottom of the bowl and rinse the vegetables in a colander to remove most of the salt.

In a large pot, heat vinegar, water, mustard seeds, tumeric and sugar over medium heat, add rinsed and drained vegetables. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Pour into sterilized jars and keep in the fridge. Serve with Soup Beans and Cornbread.

YUM!

Peanut Butter, Jelly and Banana Roll-Ups

2010-11-25T17:48:00.000-08:00

This is an easy lunch and snack for on the go. You and Hunter love them!

Peanut Butter, Jelly and Banana Roll-Ups
tortillas
peanut butter
jelly
sliced bananas

Spread peanut butter on the lower portion of the tortilla.

Squirt a little bit of jelly over the peanut butter.

Place sliced bananas along the top of the jelly and peanut butter.

Roll up the tortilla. When you get to the end, swipe a bit of peanut butter on the edge so it will stick and not flap open.

YUM!

Garbanzo and Chorizo Soup

2010-11-25T16:26:00.000-08:00

This is a yummy fall/winter soup using seasonal vegetables. Daddy didn't like this, but the rest of us loved it.

Here's what you do:

Garbanzo Bean and Chorizo Soup
2 cups garbanzo beans (chick peas), thaw if frozen; if using canned, drain and rinse

8 oz Mexican chorizo

1 onion, finely diced

1 carrot, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

14 oz can diced tomatoes

5 cups water

1-1/2 teaspoons tomato chicken flavored boullion

1 large bay leaf or 2 small ones

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1-1/2 cup diced butternut squash or pumpkin

1 large potato, peeled and diced

1/2 cup thinly sliced (julienned) collards, turnips, kale (whatever you get a good price for)

Heat Dutch oven over medium heat. Squeeze chorizo from the casings into hot pot. Stir frequently rendering as much fat as possible. Remove from pot onto paper towel. Pour off the excess oil from pot.

Add onion, carrot and garlic. Saute 5-6 minutes.

Add garbanzo beans, tomatoes, water, boullion, dried herbs and chorizo. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer. Cover and cook for 30 minutes.

Add squash and potato, cover and continue cooking another 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add collards and continue cooking another 15 minutes uncovered. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Ladle up and enjoy!

This is such a comforting soup.

YUM!

Linked to:

Finding Joy in My Kitchen - Soup Countdown 2010

8 servings (1-1/2 cups)

328 Calories, 10.1 gr fat, 47.4 gr carbs, 8.7 gr fiber, 12.1 gr protein

(without the chorizo, add 2 Tbsp paprika, pinch of red pepper flakes, 1 tsp ground cumin = 210 calories, 1 gr fat, 45.3 gr carbs, 8 gr fiber, 6.7 gr protein)

Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup

2010-11-12T18:57:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup
1-1/2 cup black beans (drain and rinse if using canned)
1 Tbsp oil
1 onion finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 carrot, thinly sliced into coins
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
2 tsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
14 oz can diced tomatoes in juice
1 cup pumpkin, peeled and diced (used butternut squash - couldn't get the pumpkin cut!)
salt and pepper
fresh cilantro
cubed avocado

1. Soak dried black beans overnight. Drain and add beans to a large Dutch oven and cover with 2 inches of cold water. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes, drain and rinse.
2. Heat the oil in the Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook covered for 3-4 minutes until they are just soft, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, celery and carrot and continue cooking for 2 minutes.
3. Add the water, drained beans, tomato paste, thyme, oregano, cumin and bay leaf. When the mixture begins to bubble, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer gently for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
4. Stir in the tomatoes, pumpkin and simmer for another hour until the pumpkin and beans are tender.
5. Taste and season the soup with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish with cilantro and cubed avocado and serve.

Yum!

1983 Classic Nachos

2010-11-06T09:32:00.000-07:00

Back in the day (I'm referring to the early 1980's...), Nana and her friends would gather and make sheet pans full of Bean Nachos. Yes, sheet pans or cookie sheets. She didn't microwave them on a plate. They were so good and the chips were so crispy.

1983 Classic Nachos
Round Tortilla Chips
Refried Beans
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Sliced Pickled Jalapeno Peppers

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the round tortilla chips on a cookie sheet or sheet pan. Make sure they don't overlap.

Spread a little beans onto eat chip.

Sprinkle the tops with shredded cheddar cheese.

Bake in the oven for 5-10 minutes or until melted.

Eat hot out of the oven with jalapenos.

SO GOOD! So many good memories!

Yum!

Chocolate Buttercream

2010-11-02T17:25:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Buttercream
1-1/2 cup butter, softened
8 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1/4-1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cream the butter in mixer. Add sifted powdered sugar and cocoa. Add heavy whipping cream and vanilla. Beat until well mixed and fluffy.

YUM!

Deviled Eggs

2010-11-02T09:25:00.000-07:00

I love Deviled Eggs. I'm not really sure how they got their name, but this is what we've always called them. Every gathering we ever went to growing up, had Deviled Eggs on the table. Only problem about them, you can never eat just one. And of course, etiquette mandated we only take one on the first time through the line. When we'd go back for the second one, they were all gone! That's how good they were. Here's how we make them:

Deviled Eggs
12 hard-boiled eggs, shelled
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 Tablespoon sweet pickle relish
1 Tablespoon sugar
salt
pepper
paprika

Halve the prepared eggs and remove the yolk into a bowl. Place the egg white portion onto a paper towel lined plate.

Mash the yolks with mayonnaise, mustard, pickle relish, sugar, pinch of salt and pepper. Mix until very creamy, but not runny.

Place into a large plastic storage baggie. Clip the corner and squirt into the eggs whites.

Sprinkle the tops with paprika.

Try to eat only one, I dare you!

Yum!

Chalupas

2010-10-22T15:12:00.000-07:00

When I was younger, Pappy and Nana would take me and Uncle DJ to a Mexican restaurant every Friday night. We looked forward to it all week long. At first, I'd only get the tacos, not being familiar with anything else on the menu other than nachos. Then one night, at the urging of my cousin Brenda, I tasted guacamole. Holy Guacamole! I fell in love with it and that love affair continues to this day. After that I learned about Chalupas. Now I don't know if this is a Mexican name or not, because now I've learned these are in fact tostadas. Chalupas at the restaurant were fried corn tortilla topped with refried beans, cheese and guacamole salad. My cousins would order a "K", which of course included a chalupa. I can still taste the cool tomato against the warm beans. Wow, it was so good!

Here's how I make them today:

Chalupas
corn tostadas
refried beans
shredded cheddar (or use white Mexican cheese for more authenticity)
shredded lettuce
creamy guacamole
sliced tomatoes or Rotel

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Spread each crispy tostada with about 1-2 Tablespoons of refried beans.

Top with shredded cheese and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 5-10 minutes until cheese has melted.

Top with shredded lettuce, guacamole and tomatoes.

Reminds me of my childhood. So good!

Yum!

Refried Beans a.k.a. Smashed Pintos

2010-10-21T14:53:00.000-07:00

This is more a method than a recipe. You can easily adjust the seasonings to your own liking. I make refried beans, which by the way aren't really fried at all, to reduce the cost of canned beans. In the store, you can find a can of refried beans for about $1. Sometimes you can get them on sale for $.50 a can. I find making them at home is cheaper and better for you. These are vegetarian and I don't add any extra oil or fat. A 2 lb bag of pintos cost about $2.00. I can easily get 6-8 meals out of a 2 lb bag of dried beans.

Refried Beans a.k.a. Smashed Pintos
2 lb bag pinto beans
water
salt
pepper
chili powder
ground cumin
garlic powder
onion powder
dried cilantro
drop or two of hot sauce (like Texas Pete or Louisiana Hot)
juice of half a lemon or lime

1. Rinse, drain and sort through a bag of pinto beans. Sometimes you'll find rocks and other debris which needs to be removed so you don't break your teeth. Soak them overnight in a large bowl.
2. Drain the water from the overnight soaking. Add the pinto beans to a large slow cooker. Pour in enough water to cover the beans with about 2" of water over the top of the beans. Cook on low 6-8 hours or overnight.

3. Turn off the slow cooker. The water will look dirty and the beans should be mushy. Pour off the water and return beans back to the slow cooker crock.

Add your seasonings. I find adding about 1 teaspoon salt and chili powder and then 1/2 teaspoon of the other spices is pretty flavorful.

4. Mash the beans using a potato masher. You can choose to mash them to smithereens or you can leave some beans whole. It's whatever you like.

5. Squeeze the juice of the lemon or lime. (I prefer lime, but only had lemons in the fridge.) Stir well.

6. Divide the mixture into 4 equal parts and ladle up the beans into freezer storage baggies. Label and freeze.

When you're ready to eat, thaw in the fridge overnight or nuke in the microwave for a minute or so until soft enough to use.

Yum!

Three Cheese Chicken Penne Casserole

2010-10-20T10:18:00.000-07:00

This is an easy meal to create with leftover chicken from Crock Pot Rotisserie Chicken. Be creative and add what you like. When I make this for supper, I add the chicken but not the spinach and then pour half of the mixture into the casserole dish. Daddy doesn't like spinach and he'll refuse to eat supper if it's in there. The rest of us like spinach, so once his portion is in the dish, I mix up half a box of frozen spinach into the remaining chicken and sauce mixture. Then pour it into the other half of the dish.

...what we do for love :)

Three Cheese Chicken Penne Casserole
1-1/2 cup penne pasta (whole grain or regular)
10 oz box of frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
1 teaspoon dried basil
1-1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
14 oz can diced tomatoes (or use more spaghetti sauce)
2 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded Mozzarella, divided
1 large precooked chicken breast (about 1 lb) cut into cubes
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cook pasta according to box directions to "al dente". Thaw spinach in microwave if it's not already thawed.

In large mixing bowl, add dried basil, spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, cream cheese and 1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese. Microwave for 2 minutes until heated through, stirring well.

Add cubed chicken, prepared pasta and spinach to bowl; toss well to coat pasta and chicken.

Pour into an 8x8 casserole dish and top with remaining Mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes.

YUM!

Pumpkin Vegetable Soup with Bulghur Wheat

2010-10-18T07:08:00.000-07:00

When Autumn arrives, I always crave a good, comforting soup. This soup is wonderful because it has pumpkin in it. If you don't want to use pumpkin, you can substitute Butternut Squash.

Pumpkin Vegetable Soup with Bulghur Wheat
1 Tbsp oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup bulghur wheat
14 oz can whole tomatoes in juice
1 cup pumpkin, peeled, diced (or butternut squash)
1 large zucchini, quartered and sliced
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
4 cup boiling water
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
1 cup frozen peas
salt
pepper

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat and add onions and garlic. Cover and cook 5-8 minutes until the onions are soft.
Stir in the bulghur wheat and continue cooking for 1 minute.
Layer the tomatoes, pumpkin, zucchini and jalapeno in the Dutch oven.
Combine half the water with the tomato paste and large pinch of salt. Pour over the vegetables. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Uncover the pot and stir, add all spices, spinach and peas. Add the remaining water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Stir the soup and adjust seasonings. Ladle into a bowl and serve.

When I made this, I accidentally added a whole cup of bulghur wheat so I added extra liquid in the form of chicken stock to help with the flavor and fluidity of the soup. It turned out really good.

Yum!

This post has been linked to:

Life as Mom - Cozy Suppers

Buttercream

2010-10-13T18:00:00.000-07:00

Buttercream
1 cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract or almond extract (optional)

Cream butter and gradually powdered sugar until it gets combined and thick. Add cream and vanilla and beat well.

Yum!

Apple, Spinach and Cheddar Salad

2010-10-13T17:07:00.000-07:00

Apple, Spinach and Cheddar Salad
3 cups baby spinach leaves
1 apple, cored, quartered and sliced thin
shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
salt
pepper

Toss spinach, apple and shredded cheddar cheese in a large mixing bowl.

In separate bowl, whisk honey, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Pour over the salad and toss well.

Yum!

Poppy's Fried Apples

2010-10-13T16:18:00.000-07:00

My Poppy was a great breakfast cook. He'd make fried meats, fried taters and fried apples. This is a very traditional Appalachian side dish. You might think it's a chunky applesauce, but one bite and you'll know it's not applesauce. Most of the time Poppy would make this for breakfast to eat alongside Granny's biscuits. Sometimes we'd have leftovers, but that was rare. The buttery goodness with these apples is addictive, you could eat them straight off a spoon!

Poppy's Fried Apples
5-6 apples, cored and chopped (leave skins on, that's how Poppy did it)
3 Tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 cup sugar

Add apples, butter and sugar to a pot with a lid.

Stir to coat everything. Cover pot, bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Remove lid and mash apples with back of a spoon. Continue to simmer uncovered for 5 more minutes to reduce some of the liquid in the pot.

Then it's ready to eat. Yummy goodness!

Yum!

Spicy Pineapple Beef

2010-10-12T15:18:00.000-07:00

I made this for the first time using leftover beef roast. I saved about 2 cups of beef roast shredded into fairly large chunks and covered it with the remaining cooking liquid. Daddy and I loved it. I guess you could call this a "double duty dinner". We had Beef Roast one night and this meal another night that week.

Spicy Pineapple Beef
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
8 oz can pineapple tidbits, drain juice
2 jalapeno peppers, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
2 cups leftover beef roast with about 1/2 cup cooking liquid
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 Tbsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp water

In Dutch oven, heat oil and vinegar. Add pineapple and jalapenos, cook for 5-7 minutes. Add leftover beef roast, cooking liquid, water and soy sauce. Cook for 5 minutes. Mix cornstarch and water in small bowl and then pour into the beef mixture. Stir well until thickened and turn on low.

Serve over steamed rice.

Crock Pot Beef Roast

2010-10-12T15:07:00.000-07:00

I like to have supper waiting us when I can. So I use a crock pot or slow cooker. This is super yummy and really easy:

Crock Pot Beef Roast
Beef Roast
1/2 onion finely chopped or 2 Tbsp dried minced onions
4 cups water (start with 2 cups, then add water until it comes up half way on roast)
2-3 Tbsp A1 sauce
2-3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp steak seasoning

Place the roast into the crock pot. Add the remaining ingredients.

Cook on low 6-8 hours, high 3-4 hours.

I store the leftover meat in the leftover liquid in the fridge. It's so tasty!

Yum!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

2010-10-03T12:50:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make a healthier version of a cookie so you and Hunter could eat a quick and easy breakfast. This is what I came up with. It's pretty tasty.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Cookie (adapted from this recipe)
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup honey
2 eggs
1 cup pureed pumpkin
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups Old Fashioned Oats
1 cup Quick Cooking Oats
1-1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 cups dried cranberries

In a mixing bowl, combine butter, honey, eggs, pumpkin, vanilla and stir well. Add oats and stir until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes. In separate bowl, sift flour, soda, salt, and spices. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture. Stir to combine. Add cranberries and combine well.

Use a large scoop and scoop onto baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Press the tops down slightly to flatten the cookie.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-18 minutes.

This makes 18-20 cookies.

We've also made these using the Butterscotch chips from the original recipe. They are really good too!

Pumpkin Oatmeal with Butterscotch chips

Yum!

Spicy Black Eyed Peas

2010-10-03T12:36:00.000-07:00

This is one of the few "veggies" Daddy will eat. This is one of the easiest ways I've found to prepare dried black eyed peas.

Spicy Black Eyed Peas (adapted from Paula Deen)

1 pound dried black eyed peas, rinsed but not soaked
1 can Rotel (diced tomatoes with green chiles)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
4 slices precooked bacon
4 cup water

Place everything into a slow cooker and cook on low 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

Yum!

Cinnamon Oatmeal Pancakes

2010-10-01T18:01:00.000-07:00

Most of the meals I prepare for you are from scratch. Occasionally, the grocery stores will run sales and combined with a coupon, we get free or cheap packaged products. Even though some of these are free or cheap, I'm still selective with what we get to avoid junk. I was able to get two boxes of Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake mix for $.14 each after coupons during a sale. To make them even better, I vamped up the mix and came up with this recipe. This is a bulk recipe to make during once-a-month-cooking or freezer-cooking.

Cinnamon Oatmeal Pancakes
1 box of pancake mix (or 6 cups)
3 cups quick oats
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar (or honey)
4-1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup water
3 eggs
3 Tablespoon vegetable oil

Mix pancake mix, quick cooking oats and cinnamon together. Add sugar (or honey), milk, water, eggs and vegetable oil. Mix well. Using a 1/3 cup measuring scoop to pour up equal sized pancakes. This made 24 pancakes.

Yum!

Salmon Cakes

2010-09-21T15:03:00.000-07:00

This is not your ordinary salmon patty. This is the most delicious way to eat them, in my opinion! I would never have thought to add bacon and potato. You and Hunter ate them up! I was so happy you loved them. And they are very cost effective since you can use canned salmon, making them for less than $4.00!

Salmon Cakes (adapted from Melissa D'Arabian)
2 sliced pre-baked bacon, chopped finely $.26
1/2 teaspoon onion powder $.10
1 egg $.14
1/2 cup mayonnaise $.38
1 teaspoon spicy mustard or Dijon mustard $.00 FREE (couponing is good)
1/2 teaspoon sugar $.02
1/2 lemon zested $.40
14 oz canned salmon (remove skin and big bones) $2.00
1 baking potato, baked or boiled, peeled and then fluff with a fork $.18
1/4 cup bread crumbs $.01
2 Tablespoon Parmesan cheese $.30
black pepper
vegetable oil

Heat oil in cast iron skillet over medium heat.

Mix bacon, onion powder, egg, mayonnaise, mustard, sugar and lemon zest in a bowl. Add salmon and potato, mixing gently. Form into 8 patties. In a shallow dish, combine bread crumbs, cheese and dash of black pepper. Carefully place patties into bread crumb mixture and coat both sides. Fry in oil, 3-4 minutes on each side.

Note: The mixture is very fragile. I found using a small ice cream scoop to measure out equal portions helped. I scooped them and plopped them right into the bread crumb mixture. Then sprinkle a little bread crumb mixture over the tops and then carefully press down to form a little patty. Using a fork, lift them out of the bread crumb mixture and carefully place them into the hot oil. Cook about 3-4 minutes on each side. They get nice and brown.

Also, you can bake a potato in the microwave by poking a few holes with a fork into it. Cover with a plastic container and microwave for about 6-7 minutes. Let it cool and then peel the skin and fluff with a fork.

These are delicious!

Poppy Seed Pasta Salad

2010-09-21T11:01:00.000-07:00

This is one of our favorite pasta salad recipes. You and Hunter eat the entire bowl within 2 days. It's really pretty healthy so I don't really mind if you eat it up.

Poppy Seed Pasta Salad

12-16 oz box of favorite pasta (I like to use rotini, rotelle, shell, farfalle)

2 celery stalks, finely diced

1 green bell pepper, finely diced

2 tomatoes, seeded and diced (I use Roma)

1 cucumber, seeded and finely diced

1 cup chopped deli ham, Canadian bacon, pepperoni

1 Tablespoon poppy seeds

Dressing

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Boil pasta according to box directions.

Chop the vegetables and put them in a large bowl along with the meat.

Sprinkle poppy seeds over the vegetables and meat.

In a small jar with a lid, combine, sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, Parmesan cheese and oil. Shake until well combined.

Pour dressing over the vegetables and toss to combine.

Drain pasta and toss with the vegetables and dressing in large bowl.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.

The longer this sits, the better it tastes.

Yum!

Easy Peach Butter

2010-09-14T15:54:00.000-07:00

Cousin Brenda said Peach Butter is really easy to make and since I had a few peaches from last week's $.58/lb sale at Food Depot, I decided to try my hand at it today. Brenda said she adds cinnamon and so that's what I did. I also added a small dash of nutmeg, just because...The original recipe calls for 4 to 4-1/2 pounds of peaches. I only had one pound of peaches, approximately 6 peaches. I blanched them in boiling water and then dunked them into an ice bath to remove the skins. Then cut them into quarters to remove the pit and popped them into the pan. This small amount made two half pint jars. I didn't put these into a water bath since it was just this small amount. I placed them into the fridge. We already finished off one of the jars and it's only been one day! It's pretty tasty!

Peach Butter (adapted from Ball Blue Book)

1 pound peaches, peeled, pitted, fibrous centers removed and sliced

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

dash of nutmeg

Place the peaches into a pot with 1/4 cup water, bring to a boil and then lower to simmer until the peaches are very soft. Place them into the food processor and puree.

Place the puree back into the pot and add sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Bring to a boil and then lower to simmer, stirring frequently to avoid sticking. Cook mixture until thick enough to round up on a spoon. Ladle into clean jars, top with lids and rings and store in the fridge.

If you are preparing more peaches and want to preserve them for shelf stability. Make sure you have sterilized, hot jars to ladle the peach butter into. Leave 1/4" head space. Remove the air bubbles. Add the lids and rings. Then you're ready to process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.

That's it! Super easy and Brenda was totally right! It is so GOOD!

Yum!

Fresh Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Buttercream

2010-09-11T15:26:00.000-07:00

This is a summer delight to be sure! When we pick strawberries, we freeze them for future use. This is a perfect way to use some frozen strawberries.

Fresh Strawberry Cake
2 cups sugar
1 (3 oz) package strawberry flavored gelatin (you can substitute small box of sugar free)
1 cup butter, room temperature
5 egg whites
2-3/4 cup all purpose flour, sifted
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup strawberry puree (I soften the frozen strawberries in the microwave and then mash with a fork)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 8" cake pans. Set aside. Cream sugar, gelatin and butter until light and fluffy. Add egg whites and beat until light and fluffy. Sift flour and baking powder together a second time and add half the flour mixture to the wet mixture, mixing well. Add milk and vanilla extract, mix again. Add remaining flour and mix well. Add strawberry puree and blend well. Divide the batter evenly among the three pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans for a few minutes, then remove to cool completely on wire racks. Refrigerate cakes before frosting them.

Fresh Strawberry Buttercream
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup Crisco shortening
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup pureed strawberries

Cream butter and Crisco in large bowl, add powdered sugar. Add pureed strawberries and blend well, if the mixture is too thin, add more powdered sugar.

To assemble the strawberry cake, layer a refrigerated cake round onto a platter, spread 1/2 cup strawberry preserves on top, layer the second cake round, spread 1/2 cup strawberry preserves on top, layer the last cake round on top. Spread the strawberry buttercream over the top and sides of cake. You may garnish with fresh strawberries if you have them, but it's not necessary.

This cake it so delicious and I'm not fond of "strawberry" anything except the real thing!

YUM!

Grilled Cheddar Apple Sandwiches or Quesadillas

2010-09-10T08:30:00.000-07:00

When we pick apples in Ellijay, I love using those fresh apples in everything. When I was a little girl, our school lunch would some days include an apple and a small block of cheddar cheese. It was really tasty! So I was thinking it would be very good on a sandwich...and it is! It's also good in a tortilla for a Quesadilla.

Grilled Cheddar Apple Sandwiches
softened butter
wheat bread slices
shredded Cheddar or sliced Cheddar cheese
apple, thinly sliced (my favorite is Pink Lady or Mutsu)

Heat up a non stick skillet over medium heat. Butter one side of the bread slices. Layer cheddar cheese and thinly sliced apples. Then add another layer of cheese to help hold everything in place. Place in skillet and press lightly. Flip when it's golden brown. Grill the other side.

Yum!

Citrus Cumin Pork Roast (Slow Cooker)

2010-09-09T08:24:00.000-07:00

This is a unique spin on a classic pork roast. Our regular Pork Roast is made in the crock pot too and I add beef broth and some Montreal Steak Seasoning. It's really yummy. But this is even better!

Citrus Cumin Pork Roast (Slow Cooker)
1 large Pork Roast (Boston Butt preferably)
6-8 cloves of garlic, peeled
zest from 2 oranges
juice from 2 oranges
zest from 1 lime
juice from 1 lime
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Place the pork roast in a slow cooker. Cut slits in the top and push the garlic cloves into the slits. Place zest and juices over the roast. Sprinkle cumin and oregano over the roast. Cook on high 3-4 hours or low 6-8 hours.

Yum!

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

2010-09-08T08:13:00.000-07:00

When zucchini is in abundance, grate it up and store it in the freezer. Then when you want to make these muffins, thaw it, squeeze out the excess liquid and use it in this recipe. In order for you and Hunter to eat zucchini muffins, I had to add a little bit of chocolate to the mix. I also topped them with a few chocolate chips. At least you were eating some healthy vegetables among the chocolate!

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 to 2 cups shredded zucchini
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used mini in this picture), divided,

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine eggs, sugar, applesauce, butter, vanilla and zucchini in large bowl, mix well. Sift flour, soda, cinnamon, powder and salt in separate bowl. Sprinkle a little flour over 1/4 cup of the chocolate chips. Mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Fold in the flour coated chocolate chips. Scoop evenly into paper lined muffin tin. (I got 15 muffins.) Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips over the top of the muffins. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-18 minutes, check doneness with toothpick.

Yum!!!

Santa Fe Salad with Chili Lime Vinaigrette

2010-08-29T15:35:00.000-07:00

This is a salad I just put together with things we had on hand one night. It turned out delicious! I even had enough leftovers to top my chicken nachos the next day for lunch.

Santa Fe Salad
romaine lettuce, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup black olives, sliced
1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup corn (either from a can or frozen) rinsed and drained or thawed and drained

Layer everything in a large bowl.

Chili Lime Vinaigrette
2 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons lime juice, freshly squeezed
2 Tablespoon honey mustard
salt
pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
2 Tablespoon vegetable oil

Whisk first 6 ingredients in a small bowl. Add oil and continue whisking until smooth and glossy.

Drizzle vinaigrette over salad, toss and serve.

YUM!

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Good Cheap Eats

Currant Scones

2010-08-28T21:56:00.000-07:00

Nana shared her "secret" cream scone recipe with me, but I can never seem to get it right. Here's my version:

Currant Scones

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

5 Tablespoon cold butter, cubed

1-1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup dried currants

In food processor, blend flour, sugar, powder, salt and cinnamon (if using). Pulse in the cold butter until it resembles small peas. Pour into a large mixing bowl and add the whipping cream to the center and carefully stir. Pour out onto a floured surface and knead 4 or 5 times. Fold in the currants and knead 2 or 3 more times, until they are well dispersed throughout the dough. Place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and flatten with your hands at the same time, shaping into a large circle. You are looking for a thickness of about 1 to 1-1/4". Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces, like a pie. Brush the top with egg white wash and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake at 400 degrees F for 23-25 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool. Drizzle the tops with glaze (powder sugar mixed with milk).

Yum!

Brenda's Taco Soup

2010-08-14T18:34:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe I got from cousin Brenda. She got it from a Weight Watchers meeting. It is SO good. We eat it every fall and winter at least once a month. We call it Chili, but no matter what you call it, it's still good.

Brenda's Taco Soup

1 lb ground beef
1 large onion, diced

Add beef and onion to dutch oven and brown meat. Drain fat.

Add:

1 can pinto beans
1 can fat free refried beans
2 cans Mexican style chili beans
1 can whole kernal corn
1 can chopped tomatoes
1-1/2 cup water
1 can green chiles chopped
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch Mix

Mix together and simmer for an hour. 1 cup = 2-1/2 WW points.

This is the tweaked recipe:

Chili

4 cups shredded pork (pre-cooked)
1/2 very finely diced onion
1 can pinto beans (I have substituted black beans too!)
1 can fat free refried beans
1 can Mexican Chili Beans
1 can chopped tomatoes & green chiles
1 can chicken broth
1 pkg Taco seasoning
1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch mix

Mix all together in dutch oven and simmer for an hour. Daddy doesn't like corn or Ranch dressing...I left out the corn, but well ....shhh! Some things are better left unsaid :) When I don't have pork we do use ground beef. I use whatever meat I have on hand. I haven't tried this with chicken yet. But I'm sure it would be yummy! I sprinkle frozen corn into each of our bowls.

Yum!

Pico de Gallo Salsa

2010-08-12T10:54:00.000-07:00

When our fresh jalapenos and tomatoes are coming out of the garden, I love to make this salsa. It's a little spicy, so prepare yourself!

Pico de Gallo

2 jalapenos, finely diced, seeds and membranes removed
1/2 purple/red onion, finely diced
juice of 2 limes
3 or 4 small tomatoes, finely diced, seeds and juice removed
2 Tablespoons fresh or dried cilantro
salt
drizzle of honey (maybe 1/2 teaspoon, optional)

Place jalapenos and onions in bowl with lime juice. Allow to bloom while dicing the tomatoes.

Add tomatoes, salt, honey and cilantro to bowl and stir to combine everything. Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours and then serve with your Tex Mex meal.

YUM!

Garlic Breadsticks

2010-08-09T19:08:00.000-07:00

This is actually something I came up with after Daddy suggested it. When we have our Friday Night Pizza Night, I brush the crust with garlic butter. Daddy said to make him a whole pizza with the garlic butter brushed all over it. We have a pizza dough leftover since the pizza recipe we use makes two rounds. So it's pretty easy.

Oil a baking sheet with vegetable oil.

If the pizza dough has been in the fridge, place it on the oiled sheet, cover with plastic wrap and bring to room temperature.

Press the dough out with your hands to form a rectangle or round depending on your pan. I use the plastic wrap to help press it out. Leave the plastic wrap in place for 10 minutes so the dough relaxes into the new shape. Use a pizza cutter and cut strips for bread sticks.

Bake at 450 degrees F for 12-14 minutes until golden brown.

Melt 2-3 Tablespoons of butter and add garlic salt.

Brush the crust with the mixture immediately when removed from oven.

SO good!!!

YUM!

Fresh Blueberry Pie

2010-08-09T18:38:00.000-07:00

Fresh Blueberry Pie

2 pie crusts (one for the bottom and one for the lattice top)

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

pinch of salt

juice of one lime or lemon

5 cups fresh blueberries

2 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into small cubes

milk

raw sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix sugar, flour and salt in small bowl. Sprinkle over the blueberries and toss lightly to coat the berries. Line the pie plate with pie crust. Pour the blueberry mixture into the crust. Pour the juice evenly over the top of the berries and also dot the top with butter cubes. Roll out the remaining pie crust into a long rectangle at least 10" wide to over lap the pie plate. Using a pizza cutter, cut 1/2" - 3/4" strips for the lattice top. Weave in and out on the top of the pie to make lattice top. Crimp and press the edges of the pie. Using a pastry brush, brush the top with milk and sprinkle with raw sugar. Cut 4" strips of tin foil and make a band to cover the crust edge to avoid burning while baking. Remove the tin foil in the last 15 minutes so the crust can brown. Bake at 400 degrees F for about 45-50 minutes. Allow to sit at room temperature for at least an hour so the juices don't run everywhere.

Holy Moly! This is delicious! And of course I didn't wait and mine juiced up pretty good. Which was fine with me since I put a big ole scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and then used some of the juices as a syrup over the top. After it sat in the fridge for a day, the juices relaxed and melded perfectly!

Yum!

a couple I made at the bakery

Tara's Chess Cake

2010-08-04T15:46:00.000-07:00

Another one of my favorite things Tara used to make was her chess cake. It's really easy since she utilizes a boxed cake mix.

Chess Cake
layer 1:
butter flavored cake mix
1 egg
1 stick butter
1 cup pecan chips (small chopped pecans)

layer 2:
1 box powdered sugar (about 4 cups)
3 eggs
8 oz block softened cream cheese

Combine everything for layer 1. It will be a stiff dough. Press into a 9x13 glass baking pan.

Mix cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time beating after each. Pour over layer 1 and bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

Yum!

Tara's Chewy Cake

2010-08-04T15:42:00.000-07:00

Tara and I go way back. She and her Momma are fantastic cooks and can whip up great meals! Here's one of my favorites she used to make when we were younger:

Chewy Cake
2 cup flour
3 eggs
1 box brown sugar
1 stick butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup pecans

Beat butter and brown sugar together. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well. Add sifted flour, mix well. Add pecans, mix well and pour into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 300 degrees F until done.

Yum!

Creamy Coffee Cake

2010-08-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

This is delicious for brunch or gatherings. Add your favorite preserves to make it uniquely yours.

Creamy Coffee Cake
2-1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon extract (use vanilla or something complementary to your preserves)
1 egg
8 oz block softened cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup preserves
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven 350 degrees F. Grease and flour bottom and sides of 9 or 10" springform pan. In large bowl, combine flour and 3/4 cup sugar. Using pastry blender or fork, cut in margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 cup of crumb mixture. To remaining crumb mixture, add baking powder, baking soda, salt, sour cream, extract and egg. Beat with mixer until combined. Spread into prepared pan and up the sides about 1" higher than the bottom creating about 1/4" thickness.

Beat cream cheese, sugar and egg until smooth. Spread the cream cheese mixture into the well created in the batter. Carefully spread the preserves over the cream cheese layer. Sprinkle the top with the remaining flour and sugar mixture and top with almonds.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-50 minutes until golden brown. You may need to cover with tin foil if the almonds are browning sooner than the cake is done.

The above cake was made using local strawberry and lavender preserves.

YUM!

1-2-3-4 Cupcakes

2010-08-02T19:15:00.000-07:00

I've been on the search for an easy, no fuss recipe for cupcakes and cakes. This is pretty easy and really yummy!

1-2-3-4 Cupcakes
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk

In a mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Whisk the egg whites until frothy and add to the butter mixture, beat on high for 2 minutes. Add half the flour mixture and beat lightly. Pour in the milk and vanilla and beat lightly until incorporated. Finish with the rest of the flour mixture and beat on low until mixed.

Scoop into muffin liners and bake at 325 for 18-22 minutes until toothpick test done.

Yum!

Lemon Squares

2010-08-02T12:43:00.000-07:00

Lemon is such a refreshing flavor. When I'm feeling down or a little melancholy, I love to brighten our food with lemon. This is one of my most favorite recipes for lemon squares. Super tart and tangy!

Lemon Squares (adapted from Pillsbury Complete Book of Baking)

crust:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened

filling:
4 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup lemon juice

frosting:
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 Tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl, combine all crust ingredients at low speed until crumbly. Press mixture evenly in bottom of ungreased 13x9 pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until light golden brown.

In a large bowl, combine first four filling ingredients, blend well. Stir in the lemon juice and pour mixture over warm crust. Continue baking for another 25-30 minutes or until top is light golden brown. Cool completely.

In small bowl, combine frosting ingredients, blend until smooth. Spread over cooled bars. Cut into bars.

Yum!

Drying Herbs

2010-08-01T14:48:00.000-07:00

I love fresh herbs. Once while at the State Farmers' Market, I was able to get 3 huge bunches of fresh cilantro for $1.00. I tried to tell the seller I only needed one bunch, but the language barrier prevented him from understanding me, so I just purchased all three bunches. When I got home, I thought about how to store some of it. Fresh cilantro will last about a week and a half if placed in a clean paper towel and then rolled up and stored in a plastic food storage baggie. I received suggestions on my facebook page from freezing it for later to add to soups to making pesto. All were great suggestions. I love to add dried cilantro to guacamole, soup and salsa. The taste is a little different but it's easier to keep it in the pantry. Here's how I dried it:

Turn oven on 250 degrees F. Rinse cilantro in water and pat dry or spin dry the extra moisture. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil. Arrange the fresh cilantro around the baking sheet and bake in the oven for a couple of hours. Remember to turn and flip the cilantro with tongs about every 30 minutes. Once it is completely dry, remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Break the large clumps up and store the dried cilantro in plastic storage containers. I don't know how long it will last, but if the container has lost it's fragrance, the herb will not flavor the dishes.

Incidentally, my homemade dried cilantro rehydrated in some guacamole I made recently and it tasted just like fresh cilantro, unlike the store bought dried cilantro.

Tuna Salad Sandwiches

2010-08-01T11:33:00.000-07:00

When Daddy and I got married, he told me how his family grew up eating tuna sandwiches and french fries on Sunday after the meetings. I thought it was a great tradition that we should continue with our family. Here's how we make our Tuna Salad.

Tuna Salad Sandwiches
3 cans tuna fish, in water, drained
3 hard-boiled eggs, mashed with a fork
1/4 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise (depends on how creamy you like it)
1 to 2 Tablespoons sugar (depends on how sweet you like it, and it cuts the fishy flavor of some tuna)
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
dash of salt & pepper

Combine everything into a bowl and chill in the refrigerator.

Daddy prefers his tuna salad on toasted bread. I prefer mine on regular untoasted bread with a spoonful of sweet pickle relish.

Yum!

Mexican Rice & Beans

2010-08-01T11:17:00.000-07:00

This is a staple we eat nearly every week for our Tex-Mex night. It's pretty healthy since we are adding lots of beans for the fiber.

Mexican Rice & Beans
1 cup water
1 teaspoon tomato chicken boullion
1/2 cup rice
1 cup black beans (either precooked or canned)
1/2 cup diced tomatoes and chiles (like Rotel) drained
pinch of salt
shredded Cheddar cheese

Bring water and boullion to a boil, add rice, stir, cover with lid and reduce heat to low, simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Add beans and tomatoes and chiles and stir.

Scoop and serve with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese.

(Our regular Tex-Mex Taco Night spread, guacamole, lettuce, tomato, cheese, lime wedges, black olives, salsa, taco meat, shells and of course, the rice and beans)

Yum!

Rosemary Chocolate Chip Shortbread

2010-07-29T09:57:00.000-07:00

This recipe is unique in that the rosemary gives the cookies a "minty" flavor.

Rosemary Chocolate Chip Shortbread (adapted from foodnetwork)

1/2 cup softened butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cream the butter with sugar using a handheld mixer. Mix in the rosemary, salt, and flour, 1/4 cup at a time. Sprinkle in the chocolate chips, and stir by hand until well-distributed. Gather the dough into a ball. Roll the dough out into a rectangle of 1" thickness, 4" long and 8" wide. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until solid. Slice 1/4" thick slices from the cookie dough and place the dough on a cold ungreased baking sheet. Bake the shortbread for 25 minutes, or until the dough starts to turn a golden color. Remove the shortbread from the baking sheet and let cool completely on a rack.

Yum!

Potato Salad

2010-07-20T11:25:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite way to eat potato salad. The creamier, the better!

Potato Salad
potatoes (4-6)
eggs (1 egg for every 3 potatoes)
1 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoon yellow mustard
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish (or dill)
1/4 salt
dash pepper
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Add diced potatoes and eggs to cold water and then bring to a boil for 10-12 minutes

prepare the dressing for the potato salad, mix together, mayonnaise, mustard, salt, pepper, sugar, onion powder, sweet pickle relish.

add hot potatoes and boiled eggs to the dressing and mix well.

chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Yum!

Chocolate Petit Fours

2010-07-20T10:52:00.000-07:00

Making little tea party petit fours used to be intimidating until I figured out an easy way to make them.

Bake a chocolate cake in a jelly roll or 1/2 sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Cool and then wrap in plastic wrap and freeze until hard.

Once the cake is hard as a rock (or nearly so :) prepare the chocolate fudge frosting. Keep it on the stove top on very low heat, just warm enough to keep the frosting runny.

Cut the chocolate cake into 1-1/2" cubes, then place them on a wire cooling rack settled over a metal bowl. Using a spoon, pour the warm chocolate frosting over the cold cake cubes allowing the excess to drip into the bowl below. Continue frosting and glazing the cake cubes until you are done. Set them aside until the frosting hardens a little. Use a metal spatula to remove the cake cubes from the cooling racks and place them on a platter lined with parchment or wax paper.

Melt white chocolate or white almond bark and drizzle over the chocolate frosted cubes.

Cool completely and refrigerate to harden. Store them in a covered plastic storage container. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Yum!

Berry Banana Smoothie

2010-07-16T16:16:00.000-07:00

Berry Banana Smoothies

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup chopped frozen strawberries

1 ripe banana, broken into pieces

1 cup vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup milk

3 teaspoons fresh mint

Combine all ingredients in a blender (or your fabulous Magic Bullet)

and blend until smooth.

Serve immediately.

I was surprised by the hint of mint in the smoothie. Definitely a good addition!
Yum!

Lemon Basil Mayonnaise

2010-07-16T16:05:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to grow basil in our garden, but I've been very unsuccessful. However, Donna has been super successful growing basil from seed! She shared a little with me this season and I've made a couple of yummy things using it. Here's a yummy mayo to spread on a tomato sandwich.

Lemon Basil Mayonnaise
juice of half a lemon
4 basil leaves, rolled, sliced and chopped
sprinkle of salt and pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise

Mix all together in a bowl and spread on your sandwich.

I've been eating this with our homegrown tomatoes this year and it's so good!

yum!

Linked to:

Life as Mom - Picnic Foods

Blackberry Cobbler

2010-07-14T16:55:00.000-07:00

You can actually use this cobbler recipe for any kind of fruit. We have lots of freshly frozen blackberries from our picking adventure at Adam's Farms in Fayetteville, and Austin is here for a few weeks, so I thought I'd make one for us. Of course, you can't have cobbler without vanilla ice cream!

Blackberry Cobbler (adapted from Southern Plate)

1/2 cup butter, plus 1 Tablespoon
1 cup flour
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup
1 cup milk
2 cups berries, peaches, strawberries, etc...

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) in an 8x8 baking dish and add to the oven.

To make the berries juicy, add them to a microwaveable bowl along with 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon butter. Microwave for 1 minute until the sugar starts to melt.

In a bowl mix flour, baking powder, salt, remaining sugar and milk. It's best if you leave the lumps.

Remove the baking dish from oven and pour the flour mixture into the melted butter. (DO NOT STIR).

Pour berries and juice over the batter (DO NOT STIR).

Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Definitely serve this up with some vanilla ice cream, there's nothing better!

(To make a 9x13 cobbler, just double the above recipe. )

Lemon Cupcakes with Buttercream

2010-07-14T13:21:00.000-07:00

There's a couple of steps in this recipe, but it's totally worth it!

Lemon Curd
1 cup sugar
3 eggs*
1 cup lemon juice (about 7 lemons)
lemon zest from 3 lemons
1/2 cup melted butter

In microwaveable bowl, whisk sugar and eggs. Whisk in the lemon juice and lemon zest. Add the melted butter a little at a time and whisk constantly to avoid cooking the eggs. Now place in the microwave and cook for 3-4 minutes, stopping after every minute to whisk. It will begin to thicken and once you can coat the back of a spoon and draw your finger through it without the curd coming back together, it's ready to be cooled in the fridge. It will keep for 3 weeks in the fridge.
*(to halve this recipe, use 1 egg and 1 egg yolk)

Lemon Cupcakes
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla
3-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sour cream or plain yogurt

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (can take as much as 5 minutes) with an electric mixer. Add eggs one at a time beating after each. Add lemon zest and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, mix flour, soda, powder and salt until it's thoroughly combined. Add flour mixture alternately with sour cream/yogurt, beginning with flour and ending with flour. Mix well. Scoop into cupcake liners and bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Set aside and cool.

Buttercream
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening, room temperature*
4 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream or half and half

Cream butter and shortening until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and cream until well blended. Add cream and beat at high speed until nice and fluffy.

*You can avoid shortening altogether and use all butter if you choose. Or to make the buttercream taste like the frosting from the grocery store bakeries, only use shortening. If you want to add any flavorings, make sure they are clear so they don't tint the frosting.

To assemble the cupcakes, use an apple corer and scoop out a little of the middle of each cupcake. Spoon a little of the lemon curd into each whole.

Top with buttercream frosting and enjoy.

These are so good!

YUM!

Oatmeal Fruit Bars

2010-07-05T18:29:00.000-07:00

This is a great bar for breakfast or snack for the kids.

Oatmeal Fruit Bars
2 cups flour
2 cups old fashioned oatmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 cup butter melted
1-1/2 cups preserves

In a large bowl, combine flour, oatmeal, sugar, salt and baking soda. Pour melted butter over and mix really well. It will clump up. Press 2/3 of the mixture into the bottom of a 13x9 pan. Spread the preserves over the crust. Using the remaining oatmeal mixture, crumble over the preserves. Bake at 350 degrees F until golden brown. When it's cool, cut into bars and serve. Freeze leftovers.

I've made this with strawberry preserves, peach jam, strawberry fig preserves with fresh blueberries. Possibilities are endless! Get creative!

Yum!

Gravy & Biscuits

2010-07-05T18:24:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl, we would visit my Granny in Virginia. Every morning she'd have "gravies and biscuits" for us. She made them fresh every day. My Granny always added a "meat" to the gravy. She even made Bologna Gravy. She'd cut slices of bologna in half and fry them in a skillet. Here's the recipe for the gravy:

Gravy
3 Tablespoon oil, bacon grease, butter
3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash pepper
12 oz can evaporated milk
4-6 oz water (I just fill up the can about half way with water)

Heat skillet over medium heat and add oil. Add flour and whisk until smooth, cook for about 1-2 minutes. While whisking, pour in evaporated milk. Whisk until smooth. Add water to thin it out for your desired consistency. Enjoy over biscuits! I also love to eat this with fresh homegrown sliced tomatoes. SO GOOD!

Variations: You can add crumbled cooked sausage, bacon, chip beef or even fried slices of bologna.

Biscuits
4 cups all purpose flour
4 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter (1 stick) cold, cut into cubes
2 to 2-1/2 cups buttermilk

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Use a fork and mash cubed butter into the flour until it's been incorporated throughout the flour mixture. Make a well and pour in the buttermilk. Using the fork, mix together lightly. Do not overwork the dough, you'll get hard biscuits. The dough needs to be really sticky. Think about canned biscuits, they are wet and sticky out of a can, so that's what you want with homemade biscuits. Lightly flour a surface and carefully fold the dough over itself, pat into a circle and punch out biscuits. Reroll dough and punch more biscuits until it's been used up. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. If you want the tops to brown, broil them for a minute.

Yum!

Punch Bowl Cake

2010-07-02T13:42:00.000-07:00

When Nana worked at Dynatron Bondo, her co-workers shared some of their favorite recipes. In the book, we found a recipe for a Punch Bowl Cake. We've been making it since 1990 and it's one of our favorite desserts.

Punch Bowl Cake
1 box vanilla cake, baked according to package directions and cut into 2" cubes
1 small box vanilla pudding, prepared according to package directions
1 can cherry pie filling
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
cool whip
chopped pecans

In a large punch bowl, layer 1/2 the vanilla cake cubes in the bottom. Spread half the pudding over the cake. Sprinkle 1/2 the crushed pineapple and spread 1/2 the cherry pie filling. Spread 1/2 the cool whip over the cherry. Repeat the layers and top with chopped pecans. This taste best when refrigerated overnight.

Yummy!

Mini Pumpkin Pies "Sunflowers"

2010-07-02T13:20:00.000-07:00

This is adapted from a recipe I did while participating in the FNCCC. They turned out really yummy!

Mini Pumpkin Pies "Sunflowers"

"Sunflower" Pumpkin Pies

refrigerated pie dough

1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk

1/2 cup corn syrup

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Using 1 pie crust, roll it out to accommodate a 4" cookie cutter. Punch out shapes and press into the muffin tins, gathering the scraps and re-rolling and punching out more shapes. I got 9 out of it.

In a mixing bowl, combine egg and yolk, corn syrup, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Using 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop and pour into the pie shells. Bake for 15-18 minutes until centers are set. Remove from oven and immediately position the chocolate chips in the centers of the pies to resemble the centers of sunflowers. Cool completely and enjoy!