Yum Yum Goodies

Dr. Ziment's Garlic Chicken Soup

2008-02-21T12:53:00.000-08:00

This winter everyone seems to have a cold. I've been lucky so far but, you never know. I found this recipe on the net while reading the news.I'm going to start making batches to give to all the sick people so I can stay well;)

Dr. Ziment’s Garlic Chicken Soup

The spicier the soup, the better it will be at clearing your head, so be generous with the red pepper flakes -- just don't make the soup so hot you can't tolerate it.

2 quarts chicken broth
2 cups sliced carrots
2 garlic heads, about 30 cloves, peeled
1/4 cup minced parsley
1/4 cup minced cilantro
2 teaspoons lemon pepper
2 teaspoons minced fresh mint leaves
2 teaspoons dried basil, crushed, or 2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 bay leaf
Dried hot red pepper flakes, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a stockpot; bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Puree in batches in a blender or food processor. Return to pot, stir well, warm if necessary, and serve, or freeze in small containers.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

2007-05-17T21:07:00.000-07:00

All my life I have always loved spinach, my kids love it too. HB on the other hand doesn't like it at all, but he does like my Spinach Artichoke Dip. I initially looked for this recipe at All Recipes. That's where I usually end up when I search an ingredient. But I never find exactly what I'm looking for so I just change it up a little so that I will like it. Most of the recipes I found called for mayonnaise and I knew I wouldn't like it. I found one recipe that didn't call for mayonnaise it had Alfredo sauce instead. That recipe wanted you to roast 4 cloves of garlic and use less cream cheese. I say use whatever kind of garlic you have on hand and put as much or as little as you want. I usually use garlic cloves in my garlic press or that minced garlic that comes in a jar. This is really great for parties and I never have leftovers;)

1 10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach,thawed and drained
1 14 ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 10 ounce jar Alfredo sauce
4 cloves of garlic
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 8 ounce Package cream cheese
2 tablespoons horseradish (optional)

Mix together all the ingredients and put in a baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with crackers or toasted pita triangles.

2007-03-21T21:11:00.001-07:00

You Are Strawberry Cake

Fresh, sassy, and romantic.
You're a total flirt, who never would turn down a sugary treat.
Occasionally you're a bit moody - but you usually stay sweet!

What Kind of Cake Are You?

Pineapple Cheese Ball

2007-02-11T13:04:00.000-08:00

Every year my dad has an open house at his Victorian home in Derby,Ia. This year my friends Brenda and Mona went with me. Brenda likes to push all the buttons and switches:) The refreshments are plentiful and the time spent with family and friends priceless. Linda made my favorite cheese ball and I ate too much of it. I forgot to ask her for the recipe, but when I was going through grandmas recipes I came across a copy of it. Brenda couldn't figure out the ingredients and wouldn't believe it was pineapple till Linda told her. It's really yummy. Go ahead and try some:)

2 8 oz pkg cream cheese,softened
1 8 1/2 oz can crushed pineapple,drained
2 cups chopped pecans
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 tsp seasoned salt

Beat cream cheese till smooth,add pineapple,1 cup pecans,onions and salt. Chill. Roll into ball and roll onto remaining pecans. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill till served.

Veal Scallopini

2007-02-09T22:01:00.000-08:00

As I was going through some things I came across some recipes I had forgotten about. A few years ago my uncles' house burned down and his family came to stay with us. My aunt likes to collect cookbooks and all of hers had burned. I went to some thrift stores and found her some. One of them was a book of crock pot recipes from Rival which I copied down. With 11 people living in your house a bunch of crock pot recipes come in handy. They also come in handy when it's cold outside and your really busy and you don't want to wash a lot of pots and pans:)

2 lbs
3/4 cup flour mixed w/1 tsp salt & 1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup oil
1/2 pound sliced mushrooms lightly sauteed
2 small onions thinly sliced
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp oregano
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1lb can tomatoes

roll veal in seasoned flour and fry in oil till well browned. Put into crock pot, add remaining ingredients. mix well, cover and cook on low 6-8 hours. Serve over rice or noodles. Serves 6

Zippy Shrimp Spread

2006-12-27T04:53:00.000-08:00

Now that I am a grandma. Holiday meals are up to me to plan and prepare. So I've been trying new food on the boys each holiday meal. This Christmas I tried a new appetizer that I found in Taste of Home Christmas Classics. It probably would have worked if Jess hadn't seen the canned shrimp, but he did so no one wanted to try it. Except for all of us old people and Hollie. I will not make this for my family again but I will be making it for parties. I'll probably tweak the ingredients a bit add some more horseradish and a little dill to the cream cheese. It only took about 10 minutes to prepare. It was a very easy recipe:) Enjoy!

2 packages(8 ounces each)cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 tespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 bottle(12 ounces) seafood sauce
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
2 cans 6(ounces each)tiny shrimp, rinsed and drained
minced fresh parsley
assorted crackers

In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the seasoned salt,Worcestershire sauce and onion powder. Spread onto a 13-in. platter.

Combine seafood sauce and horseradish; spread over cream cheese layer. Sprinkle with shrimp and parsley. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Serve with crackers.

2006-12-24T03:52:00.000-08:00

You Are a Gingerbread House

A little spicy and a little sweet, anyone would like to be lost in the woods with you.

What Holiday Food Are You?

Bewitching Blueberry Pancakes

2006-10-31T07:52:00.000-08:00

When I was little I used to visit my grandma a lot. She had some really cool books for me to read. One of my favorites was Old Black Witch by Wende & Harry Devlin . I just loved that crabby old witch that wasn't really as mean as she wanted people to think. In the back of the book was a recipe for blueberry pancakes so I begged my grandma to make them and she did, but I had to help. That day I learned how to make pancakes and I learned that I really don't like blueberries very much. but I can always substitute another fruit like apples or strawberries. HB loves blueberries so this recipe is for him;)

Bewitching Blueberry Pancakes

1 1/4 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons melted fat or oil
1/2 cup washed blueberries

As you stir in the blueberries (this is the magic part) say three times:

Gobble dee gook
With a wooden spoon,
The laugh of a toad
At the height of the moon!

Pour on a hot griddle and watch.

You can make things disappear just like the Old Black Witch. Put three pancakes in front of any hungry boy or girl and watch them go.

2006-07-29T13:13:00.000-07:00

You Are a Caramel Crunch Donut

You're a complex creature, and you're guilty of complicating things for fun.
You've been known to sit around pondering the meaning of life...
Or at times, pondering the meaning of your doughnut.
To frost or not to frost? To fill or not to fill? These are your eternal questions.

What Donut Are You?

Raw Apple Cake

2006-07-10T21:31:00.000-07:00

I love apple cake, I posted my grandma's recipe last year. Now it's time for My Step-mother's recipe. This recipe has nuts (Grandma couldn't eat nuts). Whenever she makes this cake I eat too much:) I really like to eat it for breakfast on Christmas morning. Better than a donut.

RAW APPLE CAKE

Mix well ( I use electric mixer)
1 c margarine
2 c sugar

Add:
2 eggs
1 c water (mix well again 1 or 2 minutes)

Add:
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon or 3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3 c flour
2 tsp soda (mix again)

Stir In:
4 c sliced apples

Put in 9 x 13 pan. Before baking top with brown sugar and nuts. (There is no measurement for this, I like quite a bit of it. Probably 1 c brown sugar at least and 1 c nuts. But it is all optional.)

Bake at 325 degree for 1 hour.

Mom's Meatballs

2006-07-03T08:29:00.000-07:00

Around here the favorite meal is Spaghetti and Meatballs. My boys won't touch a frozen meatball. And they always tell me that so and so's meatballs weren't as good. I think I have spoiled them. The only thing I do that is all that different is I don't brown the meatballs before cooking them in the sauce. And I don't add pork. I like them better that way. JM is wanting to know how to cook so this recipe is for her:)

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 package crackers, crushed
1 egg
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Mix together with your hands.

Roll meatballs into desired size. (I use a large melon baller to make my meatballs.) Add enough of your favorite sauce to cover meatballs in Dutch oven. Simmer on low heat about 2 hours. Pour on top of pasta or make some meatball sandwiches and enjoy. For spaghetti I also add chunks of Italian sausage with the meatballs.

2006-05-14T05:39:00.000-07:00

Your Fortune Is

The best way to save face, is to keep the lower part of it shut.

The Wacky Fortune Cookie Generator

Breakfast Casserole

2006-03-13T14:52:00.000-08:00

Last night we had breakfast for supper. Some of my friends think it is strange, but the kids love it. Two of my boys didn't come over last night so I didn't make everything I had planned. No cinnamon rolls and no hashbrowns:( But I did make biscuits and sausage gravy and a breakfast casserole.

I first had this at my dads house a few years ago. So this year I asked my step-mom for the recipe. She had 4 different ones so I copied down 2 of them and brought them home. I decided to use a little from each recipe and make my own version. If HB liked mushrooms I would have added some to make it just a little tastier. Everyone liked it and I will be making it more often. Maybe even for breakfast someday. By the way the leftovers make great breakfast burritos.

1/4 cup green onion, chopped
1 cup diced ham
10 slices bacon, crumbled
1 cup shredded cheese- any kind
8 eggs
1 can evaporated milk
1 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
fresh parsley, chopped

Sprinkle onion, ham, bacon, and cheese into a 9x13 baking dish. Combine remaining ingredients and beat to mix. Pour over mixture already in dish. Bake at 325 degrees for about an hour. Casserole is done when knife inserted comes out clean. Sprinkle parsley on top and serve.

Chicken Enchiladas

2006-02-19T20:52:00.000-08:00

I made Enchiladas for our family dinner tonight. This was my second attempt and everyone gave them a thumbs up. I made three different kinds and all three were awesome. This was something new for the whole family so I didn't have a recipe. I looked at other recipe's on the internet to see what was in them. But each recipe called for canned soup and I can't eat most canned soup so I left that out. Needless to say the first attempt was a bit dry. As of yesterday I still hadn't figured how to make it better. Then my mom found a recipe in a Betty Crocker Holiday cookbook for Seafood Enchiladas. It called for chicken broth and had a decent looking recipe for the sauce so I borrowed it. I made chicken, ground beef, and ground beef with chorizo. There were nine of us tonight and about 30 enchiladas. Right now there are two leftover. It was a Mmmm good night.

Cheese Sauce
**************
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons flour
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
1 (8oz) container sour cream
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium high heat. Cook onion and garlic in butter 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. Stir in flour until all flour is blended with butter. Stir in broth and sour cream until smooth. Heat to boiling; cook about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted. Pour one cup sauce in bottom of 13x9 inch glass baking dish.

2 1/2 pounds cooked, shredded chicken breasts
1 cup cheese sauce
10 tortilla shells

Mix chicken and sauce together. Spoon about 1/2 cup chicken mixture onto each tortilla. Roll up tortillas; place seam side down on sauce in dish. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas. Cover baking dish with foil. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly. Before serving spoon some taco sauce down middle of enchiladas.

variations;

The ground beef enchiladas I made the same way with 2 pounds ground beef,one medium onion, 1 cup of sauce, and 1/2 package of taco seasoning.

And the chorizo and ground beef was 1 pound chorizo, 1 pound ground beef cooked and drained. 1 cup of sauce.

Grandma Helen's Pizza

2006-01-23T07:52:00.000-08:00

We have a family dinner on Sundays. Last week we made homemade pizza. When I was little I thought you could only get pizza at the Italian resturants. Then along came Pizza Hut. But when I was about 10 we went to my grandmas for dinner and she made pizzas. It was great and I watched how she did it. My mother doesn't make pizza but I have ever since my kids were little. I never knew how she made the crust so I always bought the kind you mix up from a box. I'm gald I found this recipe:) To feed my family I have to make 4 cookie sheet size pizzas. HB don't like mushrooms, and I don't like pepperoni. So each pizza is different. The boys like taco the best.

Crust
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 eggs
2/3 cups milk

Topping
1 pound italian sausage
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 can sliced mushrooms (drained)
1 cup pizza sauce
1 cup cheese

Brown meat and drain off excess fat. Set aside.

Mix ingredients for crust, form into ball and roll out onto floured surface. Place on greased pizza pan or cookie sheet.

Spread sauce evenly on crust. Add meat, onions, and mushrooms. sprinkle cheese over top. Bake at 450 degrees till crust is lightly brown and center is hot.
bake at 450 degrees till done.

Butter Cookies & Thimble Cookies

2005-12-19T09:23:00.000-08:00

I found 2 cookie recipes that I don't ever remember eating. But they are simple and don't have many ingredients so I'm putting them down together.

We will be making lots of cookies in the next couple of days. So I may as well make some of these and see if the boys like them. Personally I don't think I'll be eating any Butter Cookies other than a bite to see what they taste like.

Butter Cookies

1 lb oleo (margarine) (uncolored)
3 egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 1/2 cups flour

Mix in order given. Pinch off in bits and roll to size of walnut. Flatten with fork. Bake in ungreased cookie sheet. 350 degrees until brown on edges.

Thimble Cookies

1 cup butter
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Shape into balls 3/4 inch diameter. Press thimble in the center, fill hole with jam and chopped nuts. Bake in 350 degree oven for twenty minutes. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Devil's Food Drop Cookies

2005-12-02T09:42:00.000-08:00

The best cook I've ever known was my grandma M. And now I have my hands on her personal cook book.

What to put down first is the problem now. I found lots of fudge recipes, but I've never cared for fudge. My family likes fudge and the book these recipes are in is in pretty bad shape so I will be putting them down soon.

But first I'm going to do the cookie recipes. There aren't very many of them probably because grandma had lots of cookie cookbooks so why write it down. But the cookies are my favorite so they go down first.

So for those of you who searched for fudge and found me. Sorry no fudge this time, maybe next week.

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1 ounce squares of bakers chocolate
2 cups sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Mix together ingredients. Drop from teaspoon 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees 10 minutes or until done. Remove from cookie sheet and let cool. Frost.

Frosting

1/4 cup butter or margarine,softened
2 tablespoons cocoa
2 teaspoons instant coffee
dash salt
Slowly cream in 1 cup powdered sugar. Add 2 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat till smooth.

Porcupine Meatballs

2005-11-27T09:00:00.000-08:00

I've been bugging my mom for this recipe for a while now. Last week she came to stay for the winter. And her little dog too. She asked if I needed her to bring anything. I said; grandma's recipes and the recipe for porcupine meatballs.

Well as I was going through my grandma's recipe book I found another completely different recipe for porcupine meatballs that sounds real good too. So I'm putting them both down. My mother's came from The Betty Crocker Recipe Card Library. And grandma's came from a newspaper clipping she has glued to a page in her personal cookbook. Which is best? You be the judge.

Mom's Oven Porcupines

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup uncooked regular rice
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1 cup water
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix meat, rice, 1/2 cup water, the onion, salts, garlic powder and pepper. Shape mixture by rounded tablespoons into balls. Place meatballs in ungreased baking dish,8x8x2 inches. Stir together remaining ingredients: pour over meatballs. Cover with aluminum foil; bake 45 minutes. Uncover; bake 15 minutes longer. 4-6 servings.

Skillet Porcupines: pour 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet; brown meatballs. Drain off fat. Stir together remaining ingredients; pour over meatballs. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 45 minutes. If necessary, add small amount of water during cooking.

Grandma's Porcupine Meatballs

1 can mushroom soup
1 pound ground beef
1 cup quick-cook rice,uncooked
1 egg
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pepper
2 tablespoons shortening
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon paprika

Combine half the soup with the meat,rice,egg,onion,salt and pepper. Form into balls and brown in shortening. Pour off fat.

Blend remaining soup with sour cream,water, and paprika and drizzle over meatballs. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring now and then. Makes about 15 meatballs.

Pumpkin Pie

2005-11-15T06:01:00.000-08:00

One year a long time ago when my youngest was still a baby, I moved to Las Vegas with the boys and their dad. We got there Nov 1 and lived that month in a trailer with his mother and family.

I did not adapt very well to living away from my family. I called my grandma every day. I felt very isolated and lonely. And my kids were not allowed to play because it made too much noise. The funny part about that was Ellis Air Force Base was 2 doors down. Talk about some noise.

Thanksgiving dinner was different. No turkey, no ham, no stuffing, no mashed potatoes and gravy, and no pumpkin pie. Just a nice roast and some vegetables. After dinner I couldn't stand it a minute longer. I called my dad and I begged him to get me back home. That night we were on an airplane on our way home.

The next morning my grandma had some turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie waiting just for me. I learned a lot that month away from home. There is no place like home, Grandma's are the greatest, and my dad is my hero.

This time I have 2 recipes the first one is the pie I came home to. It was in my grandma's treasured recipe book. The second one sounds real good. The handwriting looks familiar so it must be from a family member.

Grandma's Pumpkin Pie

1 16 ounce can pumpkin filling
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 12 ounce can carnation evaporated milk
1 9-inch pie crust

Mix ingredients in order given. Pour into pie shell. Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees; reduce temp to 350 degrees and continue baking for 45 minutes or until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Top with whipped topping.

***********************************

Old-Fashioned Brandied Pumpkin Pie

1 pie crust (9 or 10 inch)
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup heavy cream
3 large eggs
1 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup brandy
whipped cream to garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line pie pan with pastry crust and cover with foil. Bake crust on bottom rack of oven about7-10 minutes. Remove foil and set crust aside to cool.

Combine pumpkin,cream and eggs in large bowl and beat thoroughly with whisk. Combine sugar and spices. Beat them into the pumpkin mixture. Add brandy and mix thoroughly.

Pour into partially baked crust. Place on lower shelf of oven and bake 8 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes. Top with whipped cream.

Classic Baked Corn Pudding

2005-11-13T20:52:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe in a Betty Crocker recipe book called Thanksgiving. I've been looking for this recipe for a few years. If I don't quit looking at recipes I'm not going to have enough room in my oven. We bought our turkey today. We had a choice of too small or too big. Of course we got the 25 pound turkey. We are hoping for leftovers:)

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 small onion, chopped (1/4 cup)
1/2 cup Gold Medal all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 cups milk
6 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 bags (1 lb each)Green Giant Niblets frozen whole kernel corn,thawed
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or 2 tablespoons parsley flakes
3/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13x9 inch glass baking dish or 3-quart casserole with cooking spray. In a 4 quart Dutch oven, melt 1/2 cup butter over medium heat. Cook onion in butter 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until well blended. Stir in milk. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened. Gradually stir in eggs and cheese. Stir in corn and parsley. Pour into baking dish.

In a small bowl, mix bread crumbs and 3 tablespoons of melted butter; sprinkle over corn mixture. Bake uncovered 55 to 60 minutes or until mixture is set and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Yields 16 servings 1/2 cup each

Cranberry Fluff

2005-11-06T10:03:00.000-08:00

This year we are having Thanksgiving at our house. I haven't had an official Thanksgiving dinner for many years. The main reason for that is because we used to go to my mother's house. The other reason was holiday stress. Now that I am a grandma it's my turn. So I am planning this so it will not be real stressful. Hopefully.

There will be a big turkey of course. I just put it in a bag and follow the directions on the package. My grandma's stuffing if I can remember how she made it. If not well then Bev's stuffing:) Greenbean Casserole because if I don't the boys will complain. Mashed potatoes and gravy from scratch. (I usually cheat with instant the rest of the year.(GASP!) Cranberry Fluff,relish trays and Knobby Apple Cake. That's what I'm doing. My brother,the boys and mom will have to do the rest.

I don't like cranberry sauce and only 1 out of 10 do around here. So cranberries were never on our menu before I had some of this Cranberry Fluff. Now I make it every year.

1 bag fresh cranberries,washed and chopped up in processor.
1 small can crushed pineapple (drained)
1 bag miniature marshmallows
1 small container cool whip

Mix ingredients together in large bowl. Chill till served.

New people in the family this year. Michael,Jessica,Holly,Tamara,Jaime,Julie,Jeremy.

Number of people coming that have a J name. 10.
Number of people that don't have a name that starts with J. 7.

Grandma's Gumdrop Cookies

2005-11-02T09:57:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe in a stack of papers. It's in my mother's handwriting so it must be the recipe for my second favorite cookies my Grandma M used to bake for me. I bought the ingredients last week and HB is out of town. So it looks like I'm baking cookies tonight. I might even remember to take a picture. I might actually get a couple of these cookies since some of us don't like coconut:)

Heat oven at 350 degrees.

1 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 cups flour
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup gumdrops
1 cup coconut

Cream together shortening and sugars. Add remaining ingredients. Blend well and drop by teaspoon on cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly brown.

Grandma's White Bread

2005-11-01T07:47:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I've had any of my Grandma R's homemade white bread. I remember watching her make it. I remember how frustrated she would get if the yeast didn't take and she would have to start over. And I really enjoyed watching her knead the dough and then watching it rise just to have her punch it down again. I love the aroma of fresh baked bread. And that first bite of warm bread with half melted butter spread on it mmmmmm! I'm in heaven....

1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons margarine or butter
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 package active dry yeast
5 1/2 cups unsifted flour(about)

Scald milk; stir in sugar,salt and butter. Cool mixture to lukewarm temperature. Measure warm water into large warm bowl,sprinkle in yeast,stir until dissolved. Add lukewarm milk mixture and 3 cups flour beat until smooth. Add enough additional flour to make a soft dough.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic. Form into round ball and place in greased bowl turning once to grease top and sides. Cover with dish towel and let raise in warm place until double in bulk. Punch down and let rest for 15 minutes. Form into loafs, let them raise until double in bulk. Bake in 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes.

Grandma didn't write down how many loaves this recipe yields.

Snickerdoodles

2005-10-19T09:27:00.000-07:00

Nothing beats snickerdoodles and hot chocolate on a cool Fall afternoon. My Grandma R clipped recipes from just about anything and everything. I even found a recipe on a sausage wrapper. This one came from a package of Gold Medal flour. Enjoy!

Snickerdoodles

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup margarine or butter,softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups Gold Medal all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix 1 1/2 cups sugar, the margarine, shortening and eggs in large bowl. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Shape dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into balls.

Mix 3 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon; roll balls in mixture. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until set, 8 to 10 minutes. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. About 6 dozen cookies.

*if using self-rising flour, omit cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
Note: Unbleached flour can be used in this recipe.
High Altitude Directions(3500 to 6500 feet): Heat oven to 425 degrees. Bake 7 to 10 minutes.

Green Tomato Bread

2005-10-15T21:06:00.000-07:00

I've been going through my Grandmother R's recipes. Right around supper time I start missing her. There are a lot of memories of my grandma that are associated with food. She loved Fried Green Tomatoes and I loved them right along with her. She taught me how to cook with a cast iron skillet. And how to wrap the green tomatoes in newspaper till they ripen later on. When I was little I used to sneak drinks of her coffee when she wasn't looking. I'm sure I was pretty wired by the time I got home. She's been gone for 2 months now. Her room has been changed and the handicapped things are slowly disappearing from around the house. But at supper time I still think about what she would have liked to eat for dinner.

Green Tomato Bread

1 cup oil
3 eggs beaten
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups ground green tomatoes
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Combine all ingredients in order. Pour batter into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour or until done.

Variation; use 1 cup tomatoes and 1 cup of grated apples.

Apple Ring Pancakes

2005-10-06T20:41:00.000-07:00

Last week I had a Pampered Chef party. I don't really expect much from them I just know that out of all the people I invite there are some who like these parties as much as I do. I have a lot of PC products the little things that are under $15 are my favorites. Those little brown scrapers clean a lot of things. And the corn cob knobs are pretty cool.

Anyway I was looking for some recipes on my very messy desk and I found this one. It's a Pampered Chef recipe so I have to edit it a bit because not everyone has an Apple Peeler Corer Slicer (not even me) and I'm sure you can use any griddle and nylon turner it doesn't have to be PC. It calls for 1 apple but I don't know if I can get 10 -12 slices doing it by hand so I'm going to start with 2 apples just to be sure.

2 Granny Smith apples
1 cup pancake mix
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Peel core and slice apples set rings aside. Combine pancake mix, cinnamon, milk, egg and oil in bowl; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. (Batter will still be slightly lumpy.)

Heat griddle over medium heat until hot. (Drops of water will sizzle and then evaporate.) lightly oil griddle.

For each pancake,place one apple ring on griddle. Starting in center of apple ring, slowly pour 1/4 cup batter over ring. (Use just enough batter to cover each ring.)

Cook 1-2 minutes or until batter is set around the edges. Turn and cook additional 10-12 minutes or until pancake is light golden brown. Repeat with additional apple rings and batter.

yield: 10-12 pancakes
Enjoy!

Lemon Balm Almond Muffins

2005-08-01T11:31:00.000-07:00

Lemon Balm: "It causeth the mind and heart to become merry and reviveth the heart, ... And driveth away all troublesome cares and thoughts of the mind."
Culpeper's Colour Herbal

One of my favorite magazines is The Herb Companion They have some good recipes some you can eat and some that you can't. This is one you can eat. I'll probably be putting some different herbal recipes on here from time to time it's easier to find that way. If they are the kind you don't eat I'll be sure to put that down in BIG letters:)

Makes 1 dozen

1 cup unbleached flour
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup almond meal*
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh lemon balm (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 egg
1/4 cup almond oil
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/3 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon slivered almonds(for garnish)
*To make almond meal, grind raw almonds in a food processor just until finely ground but before making nut butter.
Glaze:
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons apricot preserves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients(from flour to salt). Stir in lemon balm.

In a small bowl, whisk egg, almond oil and almond extract until blended. Stir in yogurt and buttermilk. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, stirring just until moist and combined. In a separate bowl, stir glaze ingredients together.

Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle almond slivers evenly over the top of each muffin and press gently with the back of a spoon to make contact with the batter. Bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Remove muffins from the pan, brush the tops with glaze and cool an a wire rack.

Makes 1 dozen muffins.

Hamburger Pie

2005-07-04T07:46:00.000-07:00

This one is for my boys they all love it and it's so simple they each know how to make it. They prefer to just open the cans and let me do the rest. There are lots of different versions of this dish. My step-mom makes hers with cream of mushroom soup,corn,and tater tots. But this one we like the best.

1 pound of hamburger
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 cans of tomato soup
4 cans green beans
6 cups mashed potatoes
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon dillweed

Brown hamburger and garlic in frying pan;drain off excess grease. Mix together the hamburger, green beans and tomato soup and put in 9x13 baking dish. In a bowl mix together mashed potatoes, eggs, Parmesan cheese and dillweed. Spread on top of hamburger mixture. Score with fork. Place in oven at 350 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbling. feeds at least 6 people. I don't measure when I cook so I guessed on the mashed potatoes:)

Grilled BST w/cheese

2005-07-03T22:24:00.000-07:00

I don't like lettuce. I love spinach. So instead of lettuce we use spinach. Tonight I decided to make bacon, spinach and tomato sandwiches for supper.

Yesterday I picked up some Italian bread at the farmers market. It was round and thin and too big for the toaster. So I thought I would grill it.

Then I decided to add a little grated cheese.

It could easily become my favorite sandwich this year.

I might try adding a little turkey from the deli next time. The tomatoes get pretty juicy so don't let it sit for long.

All you need is bacon,fresh spinach,tomatoes,your favorite bread,any kind of cheese and butter if your grilling it. HB toasted his and didn't have cheese.

Tomato Onion Pie

2005-06-18T07:58:00.000-07:00

I have 6 tomato plants growing. So I'm searching everywhere for tomato recipes. They will be popping up here and there all summer. I found a couple in the Taste of Home magazine. Here is one of them. I might have to change the cheese part. Unless I feel like living dangerously.

8 cups thinly sliced sweet onions
2 tablespoons butter
12 bacon strips, cooked and drained
2 cups soft bread crumbs
3 to 4 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 cups (8ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
3 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
additional tomato slices, optional

In a large skillet, saute onions in butter until tender. Crumble nine bacon strips; set remaining strips aside. Place the bread crumbs in a greased 9-in. Deep-dish pie plate. Layer with half of the tomatoes,onions, crumbled bacon and cheese.

In a bowl, beat the eggs,salt and pepper; pour over the top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Top with reserved bacon strips. Arrange additional tomato slices around the edge if desired.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a knife is inserted near center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Serves 6

Coconut Ice Cream

2005-06-10T05:36:00.000-07:00

Homemade ice cream yummm.

I usually make vanilla and let everyone add their favorite toppings. But I've been looking for different ice cream recipes and this one should please 1/2 my family. I'll have to make it when HB is out of town since he doesn't like coconut. But since there are no eggs JAC should be happy. I've been looking for a good peanut butter ice cream recipe. Let me know if you find one.

1-3/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups milk
1-1/2 cups flaked coconut,divided
4 cups whipping cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
toasted flaked coconut,optional

In a saucepan, combine the sugar,salt and milk; cook and stir over medium heat just until mixture begins to boil. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut. Remove from heat; let stand for 30 minutes. Strain, discarding coconut. Place milk mixture in a large bowl; add cream, vanilla and remaining coconut.
Freeze in an ice cream freezer according to manufacturers directions. Transfer to a freezer container. Cover and freeze for at least 4 hours before serving. Garnish with toasted coconut if desired. Yields 2 quarts.

Chocolate Trifle

2005-06-04T12:58:00.000-07:00

The Lemon Berry Trifle was good. Next time I'll leave out the blueberries. The boys thought it looked gross. Everyone that tried it liked it so that's all that matters.

Rand took some home. He said a trifle is supposed to have liquor in it. I don't know about that you don't get much gourmet here in Iowa.

So I found this recipe on a Bradford exchange ad. Go figure. It looks real yummy I'd show the picture but my scanner is confused. Sorry Rand no liquor in this one either.

1 pkg (18 1/4 ounces)chocolate fudge cake mix
1 pkg (6 ounces) instant chocolate pudding mix
1/2 cup strong coffee
1 carton (12 ounces)frozen whipped topping, thawed
6 Heath bars, crushed

Bake cake according to directions. Cool. Prepare pudding according to directions; set aside. Crumble cake: reserve 1/2 cup. Place half of remaining cake crumbs in the bottom of a 4 1/2 or 5 quart trifle dish or decorative glass bowl. Layer with half of the coffee, half of the pudding, half of the whipped topping and half of the crushed candy bars. Repeat the layers of cake,coffee,pudding and whipped topping. Combine the remaining cake crumbs with the crushed candy bars: sprinkle over top. Refrigerate 4-5 hours before serving
Feeds 8-10 hungry humans.

Lemon Berry Trifle

2005-05-13T20:08:00.000-07:00

I've got 3 picnics to go to in the next week.

Tomorrow is Dereks Birthday. I'll just take some Greenbean Casserole.

Sunday is the 35th Anniversary for our church. So I guess I'll be going to church on Sunday. I'll be taking some Taco salad to that one.

And next Saturday is the South Family Reunion. I haven't decided on a veggie yet, but this recipe for Lemon Berry Trifle that I found in a barbecue magazine called Backyard barbecue will do fine for dessert.

I had to double the recipe and put it in a clear glass bowl instead of fancy stemware.

2 (3.4-ounce) pkgs lemon flavor instant pudding and pie filling mix
4 cups milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream whipped
1 Angel food cake, cut into 1-inch cubes
6 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened berries, thawed, well-drained

Prepare pudding mix as directed on package. Gently stir in whipped cream Place 1/2 of the Angel food cake in the bottom of a large bowl. Top with 1/2 of the pudding mixture. Top with 1/2 the berries. Repeat layers. Chill one hour or overnight.

Knobby Apple Cake

2005-04-24T06:16:00.000-07:00

My Grandma R. Doesn't bake much but she does make the best cake I've ever had.

She taught me a lot when I was growing up. Gardening, Jesus, Family, Babies, Flowers, Cooking, Climbing Trees, you name it she was there helping me and loving me.

Grandma's are the greatest.

Knobby Apple Cake

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups chopped apples
1 cup chopped pecans

Cream shortening and sugar add eggs and beat well. Add dry ingredients and mix well, stir in vanilla, chopped apples, nuts and mix well. Pour batter in a 9x13 pan Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes serve plain or with whipped cream.

Ranger Cookies

2005-04-19T06:02:00.000-07:00

Cookies! My favorite food group.

Yesterday I visited Cathy at My Little Kitchen. Every Monday she posts a cookie recipe. She has the people at her work critique them and posts their comments.

My grandma M. Always made cookies for my grandpa sometimes she had to lock them up in the freezer so that my brother and I didn't eat them all. For me she made Ranger Cookies without the raisins. ( I don't like dead grapes.)

When she left us I received some of her cookbooks. I grabbed all the cookie cookbooks so I could find this recipe. I found it in a Better Homes and Gardens. Homemade Cookies. It's the very first recipe in the book.

I miss eating my grandma's cookies:(

1/2 cup margarine or butter
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups crisp rice cereal or 1 cup rolled oats
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup raisins

In a mixing bowl beat margarine or butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed about 30 seconds or till softened. Add about half of the flour, the sugar, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, baking powder, and baking soda. Beat till thoroughly combined. Then stir in remaining flour. Stir in cereal or oats, coconuts, and raisins.

Drop dough from a rounded teaspoon 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven about 8 minutes or till lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Then remove cookies and cool on a wire rack.

Makes about 54 cookies...

Apple Dumplings

2005-04-03T21:17:00.000-07:00

I don't like chain letters. If I get one I delete it but I got one a few months ago that actually interested me. I was to mail a recipe to one person and forward the other persons e-mail to 8 people and then I would get 36 recipes. So I did and I only received one recipe. So I'm going to put it down here because this is as good a place as any. This recipe was sent to me by a friend of my moms' her name is Barbara.

Apple Dumplings

2 cans Pilsbury Crescent Rolls
2 apples peeled and sliced into 8 pieces each
2 sticks ( 1 cup) butter melted
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 can Mountain Dew
1 cup chopped pecans
cinnamon /sugar mixture- 1 cup sugar to 1 Tbls cinnamon

Preheat oven 350
place each apple slice in a crescent roll and sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar on it before rolling up. Line the dumplings in a 9x13 baking pan. In a medium saucepan heat butter and sugar together until mixture is boiling. Remove from heat and add Mountain Dew and vanilla. Pour over crescent rolls and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar. Sprinkle nuts over top bake uncovered 45 minutes. Serve with ice cream for extra happy eaters:D

Beef and Noodles

2005-04-02T20:59:00.000-08:00

Today was grandma's birthday she is 80 years young. We had a big party up at the church. Over 90 people were there. It was a potluck I brought Beef & Noodles it was gone in less than 1/2 an hour. Russ brought my great grandmother's version of Potato Salad. And Deb brought Eggrolls yummm. Hopefully they will share these recipes with me.

Beef & Noodles

3 lbs cubed beef
1 can beef broth
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3 cups of water
2 pkgs frozen noodles
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp Tarragon
salt and pepper
2 Tblsp corn starch or flour

Brown beef cubes in a Dutch oven(big pan), add broth and simmer on low for 1/2 an hour. Add cream of mushroom soup, water, and herbs. Bring to a boil and add noodles. Salt and pepper to taste add some corn starch or flour(whichever you prefer)for thickness. Simmer on low for an hour or put in a crockpot for a few hours on low.

feeds 10 - 15 hungry humans at a large gathering depends on how big a helping they take.

Easy Chicken and Noodles

2005-03-11T22:23:00.000-08:00

Okay here it is. I can't believe that everybody likes this version so well.

I prefer my grandmothers recipe myself. But Jeff doesn't like homemade egg noodles and who has time to boil and debone a whole chicken? So here goes.

You will need.
3 chicken breast halves
1 carton of chicken broth
1 carrot (chopped)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 bag of frozen noodles
4 cups of water
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper to taste
yellow food coloring

Cut chicken into bite size chunks. In dutch oven add chicken, broth, carrot, water, bay leaves and garlic simmer for 1/2 an hour. Bring to a boil and add the noodles and cream of mushroom soup. Boil for about 10 minutes. salt and pepper to taste. Add a few drops of food coloring, make some mashed potatoes and viola! Easy chicken and noodles.
hint: I add corn starch to make my broth thicker.

Feeds 4-6 hungry humans or more if you want to add some veggies and dessert on the side.

Oh My God ! Another Blog !

2005-03-06T07:52:00.000-08:00

Well I must be hooked. I was checking out some cooking blogs and thought it would be nice to put down some of the dishes my kids like.

Now that they are getting out on their own they will probably be calling me asking how do you make your meatballs? How much sugar do you put in your sauce? How do you make homemade ice cream?

So why not just write it all down where they can look it up whenever they want? Great idea don't ya think?

I got to thinking I didn't want to put recipes down on my garden blog. I already clutter it up with everyday stuff. Now I just have to figure out how to make an index of the different recipes.

I won't post a recipe today because #1. I was'nt prepared to put one down. #2. It took time to make this and I have lot's to do yet today. and finally #3. I don't measure when I cook unless it's out of a box. So It will take some time to figure how much of this and how much of that I use.

So I guess I'll go and do what I gotta do. And I promise that I'll put recipes in here soon. Later