This is for all you soup lovers ! If you like most vegetables I think you're really going to enjoy this soup. The distinctive garlic flavor sets this soup apart from most other cheese soups . Because it's on the hearty side I like to serve it along side a salad with rolls or muffins. I hope you give this one a try !
2 very thinly sliced carrots
2 very thinly sliced stalks celery
1 small finely chopped onion
1 small clove minced garlic
1 cup chopped cauliflower
1/2 cup chopped broccoli
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
3 cups strong chicken broth
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup half & half
1+1/2 cups milk
2 cups shredded sharp orange cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp salt
Melt the butter in a 6 qt. saucepan and add carrots and celery. Saute for about 5 minutes on medium heat stirring constantly. Add the remaining vegetables and cook another 5 minutes again stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in the flour and cook over low heat stirring for 3 to 4 minutes. Slowly stir in the chicken broth. Add salt and pepper and simmer over low heat until the vegetables are tender about 20 minutes stirring frequently. Add milk, half & half, and cheese and reheat just until it's hot. Serve. Makes 6 servings
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Strawberry Jello Salad
This is definitely not your boring old jello. I served this one holiday and my step son said jokingly that when he died he wanted to be buried in it. That was too funny.
And my husband always says "Don't waste my jello on non-believers !" lol This is a great summer time dessert but can be made any time of year. It can be made with sugar free jello and also fat free sour cream if you are watching your calories. And you only put a small amount of Cool Whip and nuts on it so it's fairly lower in fat. Hope you enjoy it.
2 Lg. boxes strawberry Jello
1 Lg. Can chilled crushed pineapple in juice , with juice drained and reserved
1 Qt. fresh strawberries, sliced
1 8 oz. Cool Whip,any type
1 8oz. sour cream,any type
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
2 cups boiling water
Dissolve Jello completely in a saucepan on the stove in 2 cups boiling water. Press as much juice out of the pineapple as you can and refrigerate the pineapple. Add the drained Pineapple juice to the jello. Pour into a trifle bowl or oblong dish and cool to room temperature. Stir in the crushed pineapple and sliced strawberries and chill till it starts to thicken a bit. Press the fruit through to the bottom to distribute it evenly through out the jello. Smooth the top and chill 1 hour. Next spread a thin layer of sour cream over it. Then follow that with a thin layer of cool whip. Sprinkle the nuts over top and chill overnight. Garnish with a strawberry if desired.
And my husband always says "Don't waste my jello on non-believers !" lol This is a great summer time dessert but can be made any time of year. It can be made with sugar free jello and also fat free sour cream if you are watching your calories. And you only put a small amount of Cool Whip and nuts on it so it's fairly lower in fat. Hope you enjoy it.
2 Lg. boxes strawberry Jello
1 Lg. Can chilled crushed pineapple in juice , with juice drained and reserved
1 Qt. fresh strawberries, sliced
1 8 oz. Cool Whip,any type
1 8oz. sour cream,any type
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
2 cups boiling water
Dissolve Jello completely in a saucepan on the stove in 2 cups boiling water. Press as much juice out of the pineapple as you can and refrigerate the pineapple. Add the drained Pineapple juice to the jello. Pour into a trifle bowl or oblong dish and cool to room temperature. Stir in the crushed pineapple and sliced strawberries and chill till it starts to thicken a bit. Press the fruit through to the bottom to distribute it evenly through out the jello. Smooth the top and chill 1 hour. Next spread a thin layer of sour cream over it. Then follow that with a thin layer of cool whip. Sprinkle the nuts over top and chill overnight. Garnish with a strawberry if desired.
Chicken Salad Filled Puffs
Fancy a mini chicken salad sandwich anyone? Picture these served with a large glass of ice cold lemonade and a fruit platter on a very hot day. Sounds very refreshing. If you're pressed for time you may purchase your chicken salad ready made from a deli and add a few halved grapes or other ingredients to it as long as you use it within a day. Do not make the chicken salad longer than a day before you intend to use it.
Start with the cream puffs which by the way, may be made the day before for your convenience.
Cream Puffs
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Heat the following in a 3 qt. saucepan to a rolling boil:
*1 cup water
*1/2 cup butter
*Stir in;
*1 cup flour
Stir vigorously over low heat till mixture forms a ball about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Beat in:
4 eggs all at once and continue to beat till smooth and glossy.
Drop mixture by teaspoonful onto ungreased baking sheets and bake for 25 minutes until golden brown and dry. Cool on wire rack. Store them in a covered container until your ready to make the mini filled puffs.
Chicken Salad Filling
*2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken
*2 stalks finely minced celery
*1/2 cup green grapes, halved on a paper towel if desired
*1/2 cup mayonaise
*1 tsp lemon juice
*1 tbs. finely minced onion
*salt to taste
*pepper to taste
Combine ingredients and chill right away until you put the mini puffs together.
Cream Puff Assembly
Cut off tops of the mini puffs and fill with a rounded teaspoon of chicken salad. Replace tops and cover with plastic wrap to refrigerate until serving time. Best if assembled as close to serving time as possible. They look great on an elegant platter.
Makes about 40 puffs
These are a great option for bridal showers, luncheons, dish-to-pass events, holidays... any time really.
Enjoy!
Start with the cream puffs which by the way, may be made the day before for your convenience.
Cream Puffs
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Heat the following in a 3 qt. saucepan to a rolling boil:
*1 cup water
*1/2 cup butter
*Stir in;
*1 cup flour
Stir vigorously over low heat till mixture forms a ball about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Beat in:
4 eggs all at once and continue to beat till smooth and glossy.
Drop mixture by teaspoonful onto ungreased baking sheets and bake for 25 minutes until golden brown and dry. Cool on wire rack. Store them in a covered container until your ready to make the mini filled puffs.
Chicken Salad Filling
*2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken
*2 stalks finely minced celery
*1/2 cup green grapes, halved on a paper towel if desired
*1/2 cup mayonaise
*1 tsp lemon juice
*1 tbs. finely minced onion
*salt to taste
*pepper to taste
Combine ingredients and chill right away until you put the mini puffs together.
Cream Puff Assembly
Cut off tops of the mini puffs and fill with a rounded teaspoon of chicken salad. Replace tops and cover with plastic wrap to refrigerate until serving time. Best if assembled as close to serving time as possible. They look great on an elegant platter.
Makes about 40 puffs
These are a great option for bridal showers, luncheons, dish-to-pass events, holidays... any time really.
Enjoy!
Pillow Dogs
This recipe speaks for itself . I prefer to use the all beef wieners when it's possible. They are great for parties or sleepovers.
1 can refrigerated Grand Biscuits
1 pkg. lil wieners
1 pkg. shredded Cheddar Cheese
Squeeze Mustard
Brown wieners slightly. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide each biscuit into 6 wedges. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Flatten and shape each piece into a small rectangle shape to make as many pillows as there are wieners. Dip and press each one into the cheddar cheese. Next take your finger and press down through the middle and push a wiener on top of the cheese in the indent. Bake theses until they are browned about 15 to 20 minutes. Watch them closely so they do not get over baked. Repeat with the remaining pillow dogs.
These will puff up when they bake to look like the wiener is cradled in a pillow.
Next take the mustard and do a squiggle design down the wiener and serve.
Makes Approximately 48
1 can refrigerated Grand Biscuits
1 pkg. lil wieners
1 pkg. shredded Cheddar Cheese
Squeeze Mustard
Brown wieners slightly. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide each biscuit into 6 wedges. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Flatten and shape each piece into a small rectangle shape to make as many pillows as there are wieners. Dip and press each one into the cheddar cheese. Next take your finger and press down through the middle and push a wiener on top of the cheese in the indent. Bake theses until they are browned about 15 to 20 minutes. Watch them closely so they do not get over baked. Repeat with the remaining pillow dogs.
These will puff up when they bake to look like the wiener is cradled in a pillow.
Next take the mustard and do a squiggle design down the wiener and serve.
Makes Approximately 48
Sunday, August 16, 2009
B B Q Meatballs
When you have ground beef and are in a hurry for a quick dinner these meatballs make a delicious meal. It's definitely one of our favorites. I like to serve them with some buttered garlic noodles and a vegetable. A little dab of the sauce on the noodles is wonderful too. I would however advise you to double this recipe if you have a larger family.
Combine and mix well;
1 lb. leaner Ground Beef
1 Lg. egg
1 Cup cracker crumbs
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. chopped onion
1 tsp. ketchup
1 tsp. B. Sugar
dash pepper
pinch of nutmeg
Shape into mini meatballs and brown them on all sides over low heat in a covered frying pan .
Mix;
6 Tbls. Brown sugar
3/4 cup ketchup
pinch of nutmeg
2 tsp. Dry Mustard
1 cup water
Pour this sauce over meatballs and simmer on low heat stirring occasionally about 15-20 minutes till the sauce has thickened and glazes the meatballs. Hope you like them.
Combine and mix well;
1 lb. leaner Ground Beef
1 Lg. egg
1 Cup cracker crumbs
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. chopped onion
1 tsp. ketchup
1 tsp. B. Sugar
dash pepper
pinch of nutmeg
Shape into mini meatballs and brown them on all sides over low heat in a covered frying pan .
Mix;
6 Tbls. Brown sugar
3/4 cup ketchup
pinch of nutmeg
2 tsp. Dry Mustard
1 cup water
Pour this sauce over meatballs and simmer on low heat stirring occasionally about 15-20 minutes till the sauce has thickened and glazes the meatballs. Hope you like them.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Recipes from a Friend
Our friend Trina blogs over at All That Is Good, and although she has a wide array of great posts she also posts recipes from time to time and I thought that I'd showcase a few of my favorites that I've dug out of her archives.
Her Cheeseburger Soup is delicious and although that I'm sure many of you are thinking "Soup? In the middle of summer?" Trust me. Cheeseburger soup is good any time of year. And who doesn't like soup and salad as an easy meal?
Which brings me to another favorite of mine. Her Caesar salad dressing. It's sooooo good. And garlicky. And good. And yes I'm aware that spell check is going to jump all over the word garlicky. But I plan on hitting ignore and posting it anyway. Because garlicky should be a word. And once again I'm drifting off track. Back to Trina's salad. I dream of her Caesar salad. It's that good. One Saturday I almost called her to request that it be her dish to pass for church on Sunday. I didn't because.. well it seemed tacky. Luckily great minds think alike and she brought it on her own accord without my pestering.
And why not take some of that Caesar Salad and some grilled chicken and wrap it up in a homemade Tortilla??? Wouldn't that make a delicious lunch? Well. I have to admit that I have not made tortillas, but I have certainly eaten Trina's. And they are very very good. It's hard to argue with the cost effectiveness and healthiness of making them yourself. And the link above gives a little tutorial too.
And I suppose I should end with some sort of dessert eh? So here is her post for Strawberry Shortcake. Yum.
Well, now that I've rummaged through the unknowing Trina's recipe archives I've developed a grumbling stomach! Be sure to check them out yourselves because they certainly are divine.
Her Cheeseburger Soup is delicious and although that I'm sure many of you are thinking "Soup? In the middle of summer?" Trust me. Cheeseburger soup is good any time of year. And who doesn't like soup and salad as an easy meal?
Which brings me to another favorite of mine. Her Caesar salad dressing. It's sooooo good. And garlicky. And good. And yes I'm aware that spell check is going to jump all over the word garlicky. But I plan on hitting ignore and posting it anyway. Because garlicky should be a word. And once again I'm drifting off track. Back to Trina's salad. I dream of her Caesar salad. It's that good. One Saturday I almost called her to request that it be her dish to pass for church on Sunday. I didn't because.. well it seemed tacky. Luckily great minds think alike and she brought it on her own accord without my pestering.
And why not take some of that Caesar Salad and some grilled chicken and wrap it up in a homemade Tortilla??? Wouldn't that make a delicious lunch? Well. I have to admit that I have not made tortillas, but I have certainly eaten Trina's. And they are very very good. It's hard to argue with the cost effectiveness and healthiness of making them yourself. And the link above gives a little tutorial too.
And I suppose I should end with some sort of dessert eh? So here is her post for Strawberry Shortcake. Yum.
Well, now that I've rummaged through the unknowing Trina's recipe archives I've developed a grumbling stomach! Be sure to check them out yourselves because they certainly are divine.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Garlic Tossed Salad
I'm going to post one of my most requested recipes that I give out over and over again. It's almost addicting to those who eat it. I recall years back hosting my first dinner for my daughter's Mother In Law. Since we are country people and it was winter time I decided on a salad, chicken and dumplings with mashed potatoes along with a dessert that I can't even recall. I served the salad as the first course and she was so delighted with it she actually asked if I minded if she had seconds first . If I take it to a gathering there are never leftovers.
Most recently our daughter-in-law called me again to ask for my "garlic salad" because they had friends come for the week to visit from another state and she wanted to make them this salad. She later phoned to say they had asked for it two days in a row because they so enjoyed it! She said they actually commented in her guest book about it and it was the highlight of their stay!
There is no rocket science to this salad except to remember that the SALT MAKES THE SALAD. I start out using a tsp of salt and when I toss the salad add more if I think it needs more. Don't be afraid to play with it. If you do it right it won't be overwhelming but you will know it's there. I hope you give it a try.
Dressing ;
1 Tblsp. Cider Vinegar
1 tsp. Sea Salt
1 cup Canola Oil
1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, minced
Dressing ;
1 Tblsp. Cider Vinegar
1 tsp. Sea Salt
1 cup Canola Oil
1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, minced
Blend the salt, garlic and vinegar together to dissolve the salt in a salad cruet or covered container. Whisk in the oil and chill .
Salad;
Place in a bowl;
1 head lettuce rinsed and shredded or torn
1 pint grape tomatoes, rinsed
1 small onion, slivered
Whisk dressing again before serving the salad and pour over your salad .Taste for added salt and serve.
Please let me know if you try this how you like it. Happy Cooking !
Salad;
Place in a bowl;
1 head lettuce rinsed and shredded or torn
1 pint grape tomatoes, rinsed
1 small onion, slivered
Whisk dressing again before serving the salad and pour over your salad .Taste for added salt and serve.
Please let me know if you try this how you like it. Happy Cooking !
Pork Chops Supreme
Hi everyone. Here is an easy recipe that uses simple ingredients to top a chop so you can just throw it in the oven when time is short.
Take your Pork chops and place them in single layer in a baking dish.
Slice a large onion very thin and place on top of each chop
Sprinkle each chop with garlic powder
Sprinkle a heaping tsp of brown sugar over that
Cover each chop with a generous squeeze of ketchup and spread it over top of the sugar to blend and cover onions. Bake your chops according to the thickness 45 to 60 minutes at 350 degrees until tender.
Take your Pork chops and place them in single layer in a baking dish.
Slice a large onion very thin and place on top of each chop
Sprinkle each chop with garlic powder
Sprinkle a heaping tsp of brown sugar over that
Cover each chop with a generous squeeze of ketchup and spread it over top of the sugar to blend and cover onions. Bake your chops according to the thickness 45 to 60 minutes at 350 degrees until tender.
Some fantastic links
Hello blogland! I wanted to share some foodie links with all of you. Wandering around the internet can be a great way to find wonderful recipes and why not share the wealth with others?
Recently Stephanie at Stop the Ride recently posted a link to a site called Feeding America and I just had to share it here. It's a site devoted to vintage cookbooks. They have them all scanned in so that you can read them in full PDF format or search for a specific old recipe. It's an awesome site.
The next link I wanted to share is from the Sugar Pie Farmhouse. If you've never stopped by the Sugar Pie Farmhouse then you really need to drop in and browse. This particular link is to a Southern Buttermilk Pie recipe. I've never had a Buttermilk Pie but I'm intrigued so I'm going to give it a whirl. What's even more interesting is that she uses a pat-in-the-pan crust so you don't even have to roll it out, which should be time saving. Be sure to check out her blog while you're there too. She's a true inspiration to women who are trying to be better keepers of the home.
And last but not least there's Ryan over at This is Reverb. He's actually a multi-talented Pastor who loves to cook, and has posted several tutorials for different dishes. This link is to his tutorials page but I myself have made a Carbonara which is the same recipe as the one he has posted. It's out of this world. His tutorials are so simply put together that they are easy to follow.
That's all today folks! I hope that you'll follow me on a culinary trip through blogworld again soon!
Recently Stephanie at Stop the Ride recently posted a link to a site called Feeding America and I just had to share it here. It's a site devoted to vintage cookbooks. They have them all scanned in so that you can read them in full PDF format or search for a specific old recipe. It's an awesome site.
The next link I wanted to share is from the Sugar Pie Farmhouse. If you've never stopped by the Sugar Pie Farmhouse then you really need to drop in and browse. This particular link is to a Southern Buttermilk Pie recipe. I've never had a Buttermilk Pie but I'm intrigued so I'm going to give it a whirl. What's even more interesting is that she uses a pat-in-the-pan crust so you don't even have to roll it out, which should be time saving. Be sure to check out her blog while you're there too. She's a true inspiration to women who are trying to be better keepers of the home.
And last but not least there's Ryan over at This is Reverb. He's actually a multi-talented Pastor who loves to cook, and has posted several tutorials for different dishes. This link is to his tutorials page but I myself have made a Carbonara which is the same recipe as the one he has posted. It's out of this world. His tutorials are so simply put together that they are easy to follow.
That's all today folks! I hope that you'll follow me on a culinary trip through blogworld again soon!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Chicken Wing Squares
I know there are several versions of this using pizza dough but I use refridgerated crescent rolls for the crust.I also brown the chicken to give it the authentic deep fried flavor of chicken wings and i do not use mozzarella. If you have chicken wing lovers in your home they will enjoy this. It's similiar to a chicken wing dip recipe but the squares are easier to just pick up and eat.And it keeps well at parties. Hope you enjoy it !
You will need 2 rolls of refridgerated crescent rolls
2 Large cooked shredded chicken breasts
1 small bottle red hot sauce-Frank's is the best( or more if you like it extremely hot)
1/2 stick butter
2 8 oz. Phila.cream cheese , softened
2 8 oz.Pkg.s shredded Monterey jack or Colby-jack cheese
1 clove finely minced garlic (garlic powder works too)
Heat your oven to 350.degrees. Unroll the 2 crescent rolls but do not seperate the triangles.Pinch together all the seams and pat the rolls thin in the bottom of a parchment lined larger jelly roll( or cookie sheet) with an edge to form the crust. Spread the cream cheese evenly over the crust .
Heat the butter in a non stick fry pan over low heat.Turn heat up and stir in the chicken.
Cook stirring every so often till it starts to brown .That gives it the flavor of fried wings.Add the bottle of hot sauce and garlic and spread chicken mixture over the c. cheese. Sprinkle the Monterey Jack over the top and bake for 30 minutes. I like to place it under the broiler to brown the cheese the last 5 minutes. Cut in to squares and serve with ranch or Blue Cheese dressing on the side.
You will need 2 rolls of refridgerated crescent rolls
2 Large cooked shredded chicken breasts
1 small bottle red hot sauce-Frank's is the best( or more if you like it extremely hot)
1/2 stick butter
2 8 oz. Phila.cream cheese , softened
2 8 oz.Pkg.s shredded Monterey jack or Colby-jack cheese
1 clove finely minced garlic (garlic powder works too)
Heat your oven to 350.degrees. Unroll the 2 crescent rolls but do not seperate the triangles.Pinch together all the seams and pat the rolls thin in the bottom of a parchment lined larger jelly roll( or cookie sheet) with an edge to form the crust. Spread the cream cheese evenly over the crust .
Heat the butter in a non stick fry pan over low heat.Turn heat up and stir in the chicken.
Cook stirring every so often till it starts to brown .That gives it the flavor of fried wings.Add the bottle of hot sauce and garlic and spread chicken mixture over the c. cheese. Sprinkle the Monterey Jack over the top and bake for 30 minutes. I like to place it under the broiler to brown the cheese the last 5 minutes. Cut in to squares and serve with ranch or Blue Cheese dressing on the side.
Cranberry Pecan Cookies
Since this was the first real post on this blog, I thought I'd post the recipe that I most recently made. They are Cranberry Pecan Cookies, and they are delicious. A friend shared this recipe with me a few years ago and they have been a favorite ever since. They are really delicious, the combination of ingredients just goes really well together.
Cranberry Pecan Cookies
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 1/3 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c + 4T all purpose flour
1 c. quick cooking oats
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. dried cranberries
2/3 c. white chocolate chips
1 c. chopped pecans
1 tsp. lemon zest
Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, & lemon zest; mix well. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, & salt. Add to the creamed mixture. Stir in cranberries, white chocolate chips, and pecans. Roll a rounded tablespoonful of dough into a ball. Place onto lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are set and edges begin to brown. Cool 2 minutes before moving to wire racks. Makes about 7 doz.
Note, if you make BIG cookies (I use the big Pampered Chef Scoop) then you would get... maybe 3 dozen out of it. I like big cookies.. mmmm... cookies...
Welcome to Granny's Kitchen!
This blog was started because our family simply has too many good recipes and it really wouldn't be fair to keep them all to ourselves. We share them often, but typing them over and over again into emails and copying down many scribbled recipe cards are not the most efficient ways to share. Which leads us to the birth of this blog.
We (my mother Karen and I) will be periodically posting recipes, links to great food sites, and hopefully a picture or two of our creations. I'd like to think that we could persuade some fellow foodies to guest-post on occasion also.
For anyone who is wondering I will sometimes still be posting recipes on my own personal blog "Occasional Rants, Raves & Praise" but if it's a recipe that is truly worthwhile then I may cross post it here also or just link to it.
If you happen to know my Mama and I in real life, feel free to request a certain recipe and we'll do our best to put it up. Just remember that we are foodies, not chefs, so if something in a recipe is unclear be sure to leave a comment and let us explain ourselves.
Happy Eating!
We (my mother Karen and I) will be periodically posting recipes, links to great food sites, and hopefully a picture or two of our creations. I'd like to think that we could persuade some fellow foodies to guest-post on occasion also.
For anyone who is wondering I will sometimes still be posting recipes on my own personal blog "Occasional Rants, Raves & Praise" but if it's a recipe that is truly worthwhile then I may cross post it here also or just link to it.
If you happen to know my Mama and I in real life, feel free to request a certain recipe and we'll do our best to put it up. Just remember that we are foodies, not chefs, so if something in a recipe is unclear be sure to leave a comment and let us explain ourselves.
Happy Eating!
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