Veggie and Barbecued Onion stuffed Pita Pockets

The combination of all the flavors in this healthy filled to the brim sandwich recipe I found in a magazine over 20 years ago makes for a very yummy sandwich indeed . The barbecued onions give it a great twist. This includes many summer time veggies and worth the effort to prepare and keep ingredients at the ready in the fridge.

Ingredients:
steamed chopped tender - crisp broccoli florets
steamed chopped cauliflower florets
grated carrot
yellow squash
red cabbage

1 sliced onion
barbecue sauce
avocado slices
mayonnaise
thin slivers of dill pickle
finely shredded lettuce
alfalfa sprouts
wheat pita or tortillas
oil for cooking onions

Put a small amount of oil in a pan and cook onions slowly until cooked.
Stir in small amount of barbecue sauce to coat onions.

Spread the pita or tortilla inside lightly with the mayonnaise.
Add the cooked veggies.Stuff with tiny amounts all other
veggies ending up with barbecued onions in the middle and avocado
on the top..These can be put together in plastic wrap
and refrigerated for 2 to 3 days.

Delicious Endeavors Recipe Carnival, Third Edition!

Welcome to the March 23, 2010 edition of delicious endeavors recipe carnival.  This post is a little lackluster, because after spending a lot of time at the doctor's office today it was easier to use the blog-carnival template and just edit it some.  **Once again, note that only one post can be submitted, per blog, per carnival.  Also, if I read your blog and it looks like your post is either just junk or an attempt to increase traffic without offering anything nutritional or an actual recipe I reserve the right to remove it from the carnival.**

That said... read on and enjoy some informative and delicious posts!

Cooking Tips

Kristin Conroy presents 5 Vegetable Tricks From Professional Chefs, Part 1 posted at Words Are Food, saying, "You can view Part 2 by clicking the link at the top of the post."


Wallet Blogger presents Quality Cookware To Save You Time and Energy posted at The Smarter Wallet, giving interesting input about cookware and gadgets.


Naturally Food Team presents Easy pasta | healthy for your kids and for you! posted at Cook's Blog at Kids Recipes, sharing, "Some ideas for simple and fast pasta dishes."

Nutritional Information

Maureen presents 10 Disgusting & Delicious Breakfast Sandwiches Destroying the Country’s Public Health posted at Online CNA Degree Programs.  This isn't a typical post for this carnival but I liked having the caloric numbers pointed out to me... or maybe I didn't like them.  But I needed to read it anyway, lol!


Organic Eating Daily presents Eating Organic on a Budget | Organic Eating Daily posted at Organic Eating, saying, "How to eat organic foods without breaking the bank"

Recipes

Lori presents Garlic Baked Potatoes posted at Two Southern Girls.  This is one of those recipes with the simplest ingredients that sounds like it would be a great accompaniment to so many meals.


NHEZ presents Gluten Free Lemon Pasta Recipe posted at Natural Health Ezine, saying, "This is a fantastically simple recipe that tastes great and is gluten-free to boot!"


axel presents The Healthy Salad posted at axel g.


Zhu presents French Cuisine | Correr Es Mi Destino posted at Correr Es Mi Destino, saying, "French food, from crêpes to quiches!"


Matthew  presents Mulled Pear Frangipane posted at Desserts.  It sounds insanely good.


Lisa presents Microwave Caramel Corn posted at 4-Ricks.  This recipe is so easy and everyone knows that caramel corn is a great snack so anything that makes it faster or easier to make definitely is an improvement right?



That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
delicious endeavors recipe carnival
using our
carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our

blog carnival index page.

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Delicious Endeavors Recipe Carnival, Second Edition!!!!

This post is a little later in the day than I'd intended it but when I started creating it it came to my realization that there were a few submissions that were clearly spam... so I had to take care of that first and edit the post some. 

Also, it does state in the rules that there should only be one submission, per carnival, per blog.  Which means that y'all who submitted five or six different recipes will have to wait for other weeks to submit them.  I can only accept one at a time here.  (although I will admit that many of them looked delicious, so please resubmit them later!)

Remember:  the due date for the next edition is Monday March 22nd!

Now without further ado....

Welcome to the March 16, 2010 edition of delicious endeavors recipe carnival.



Ruben Berenguel presents (do ( ) (( ))): Gluten,dairy,egg-free dark brown cane sugar biscuit posted at (do ( ) (( ))), saying, "A delicious recipe, apt for almost everyone. Don't be shy and try it!"

 

We here at Granny's House submitted this Strawberry Shortcake Cake that was delicious!

Wallet Blogger presents Organic Food: Healthy Food Ideas For The Ordinary Shopper posted at The Smarter Wallet.

Cathryn shared this recipe for Chicken Tortellini Soup on her blog, Lucky 10 Thirteen.


Christy presents Mama's Potato Salad posted at Well, bless your heart, 'eh?, and it looks like a no-fail recipe!


tosin presents Mushroom Onion Pork Chops posted at life, in a nutshell.  These chops sound so easy and can be made with stuff that's always on hand.



Sarah - presents Chocolate Mint Brownies posted at Sarah - NH Mommy of 3 - crazyredhead.  I had to include her picture of these.  Aren't they spectacular? 

Jennifer presents Appelkoek! (Dutch apple cake - a la my mother!) posted at Momof2GreatCats's Xanga.


Lisa presents Tortilla and Butternut Squash Soup posted at 4-Ricks.


Matthew  presents Lemon Tart posted at Desserts.


Lori presents Chocolate Cherry Candy Cakes posted at Two Southern Girls.


Jeff  presents Chipotle BBQ Chicken Sandwich posted at Andrea's Daily Dish.



That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
delicious endeavors recipe carnival
using our
carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our

blog carnival index page.

Share
|

Technorati tags:

delicious endeavors recipe carnival, blog carnival.

A Strawberry Shortcake Cake for Grandpa!

Recently my father had a birthday and I wanted to make him a cake, a cake that I was sure that he'd like.  My father likes fruits, and in the summer he really likes strawberries in the form of pies and shortcake.  Well February just isn't really the time for those desserts.  So I started scouring the internet for strawberry cake ideas that were a little more seasonally appropriate.  If you're familiar with the Pioneer Woman, she has a recipe for a strawberry shortcake cake that looked... well it looked like it would taste ok.  But her icing seemed rather sweet for my taste and the cake itself just didn't scream birthday to me.  Plus it was clear that her strawberries were probably much riper than mine from Wegmans would be.  So I decided to improvise, and this is the cake that I made.

The recipe that follows includes her cake layers (they seemed appropriately firm and absorbant which would give the testure of a shortcake) and let me tell you that they did turn out deliciously.

Then from that point I revised everything.  I added a package of frozen sweetened strawberries, along with 2 16oz packages of fresh berries.  (I do not think you would need the sweetened strawberries if you were making this with the fresh berries of summer... but in the winter it's necessary, not only for flavor but also because out-of-season berries tend to be dry and not give off the juice.  The juice is necessary because it should be absorbed into the cake layers, giving you that moist straight-off-the-picnic-table-strawberry-shortcake texture.

(Believe it or not the picture below was the lonely last remaining slice that was scooped up and eaten before I could even finish taking its portrait... so it's not the most photogenic but still as delicious.)

And the frosting was all my own concoction based on my love of cream cheese and all things fluffy.  Try making this cake, it's definitely worth your time.  Trust me.  It took all of 40 minutes for 4 adults and 2 little people to devour this.  It's that good.  Like better than any professionally made strawberry cake that I've ever tasted.  That good.  And you might question my use of both Cool Whip and Heavy Cream.  I know it seems redundant, but the Heavy Cream is there because of the flavor and richness, while the Cool Whip is there for texture and structure, not to mention sugar content.

Strawberry Shortcake Cake

Cake:

1-½ cup Flour

3 Tablespoons Corn Starch

½ teaspoons Salt

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

9 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Softened

1-½ cup Sugar

3 whole Large Eggs

½ cups Sour Cream, Room Temperature

1 teaspoon Vanilla

Strawberry filling:

1 package (mine actually came in a little tub) of frozen sweetened, sliced strawberries, fully thawed.

1 16oz package of fresh strawberries for the filling

1 16oz package of fresh strawberries (for the top)

Icing:

1 8oz block of full fat cream cheese, softened

1 8oz container of thawed Cool Whip

1 Tbsp sugar

3/4 c. heavy cream

1 tspn vanilla

Instructions:

Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and corn starch.

Cream 9 tablespoons butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well each time. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until combined. Add sifted dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just barely combined.

Pour into greased and floured 8-inch round cake pan. IMPORTANT: If you do NOT have an 8 inch round cake pan that is at least 2 inches deep (mine aren't) then split between 2 round cake pans instead. Cake rises quite a bit so you don't want the batter to fill in any more than halfway to the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, or until no longer jiggly. They get to be a nice golden brown, so don't panic and think that you're burning them like I did, lol! Remove from cake pan as soon as you pull it out of the oven, and place on a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely.

Berries

Either while waiting for cake to bake or cool you can start the strawberry filling. Wash, hull and slice one package of the fresh berries. Combine the thawed sweetened berries, with their syrup and the fresh sliced berries in a bowl and mash them roughly. This will mix their juices, which is very important. Refrigerate berrie mixture until your cake is cool.

Wash, hull and half the remaining package of fresh berries and set aside.

When cake is cooled you can slice it in half and lay with the sliced sides facing up on a baking sheet. If you had to split them into 2 pans then just flip them out of their pans carefully and slice the rounded tops off so you have a cut flat surface on top and lay them on the baking sheet.

Take your berry filling mixture that should be nice and juicy and spread it across the two cut sides of the cake. It should make a nice juicy layer of filling on top of each. Then put them in the freezer for about ten to fifteen minutes while you mix up your icing.

Icing

Beat cream cheese, sugar, Cool Whip and vanilla until smooth and then add in heavy cream and beat that through also. The mixture should be a little thick but still spreadable and delicious. (You can taste it, I give you permission)

Pull the two cake layers out of the freezer. Place one of them on your cake plate and spread a thin layer of icing on top of the strawberry layer, carefully. Set the second cake layer on top of that and frost the entire cake with the remaining icing. It doesn't have to be perfect coverage, in fact it looks pretty darn tasty with a little strawberry showing through here and there.

Then take the remaining halved berries and arrange them evenly on top of the cake. Chill for 2 hours and serve!  (Try really hard not to eat the whole thing yourself)

And if you were wondering, yes it is possible to stand outside in 8 inches of snow holding a cake in your left hand while snapping a picture with your right hand... all with the purpose of good lighting, a snow white back drop and keeping prying fingers from dipping in before you can carry it in the house and set it down to take the picture....  The things I do in the name of blogability.

Simple Muffins

Here is a recipe for a delicious basic muffin to accompany any meal. This is my go to muffin when I am looking for one I can make right out of my cupboard with basic ingredients and serve warm with a little butter. A Tbs. of orange zest and 1 cup fresh halved cranberries can be added for variation Yum !

1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1+1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 level tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease bottom of 12 medium muffin cups. Beat egg; stir in milk and oil. Mix in remaining ingredients just until flour is moistened. Batter may be lumpy but if you over beat they will peak to a point.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full and bake about 18 to 20 minutes until light golden brown. Remove from pan and serve. Makes 12 muffins

Marinated Vegetables

Combine these healthy vegetables in a clear glass bowl
for a pretty presentation.

1/2 head cauliflower, cut up
2 sliced carrots
2 sliced stalks celery
1 sliced green pepper
1 4oz. jar drained stuffed green olives
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbls. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup water


Combine everything in a large pan and bring

it to a boil stirring occasionally.

Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.

Cool and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Drain before serving.

Makes 3 cups.

Delicious Endeavors Recipe Carnival, First Edition!!!!

Welcome to the first ever edition of delicious endeavors recipe carnival!  I'm so excited that there were such great submissions, and so many!  Y'all have reinforced my opinion that this would be a good idea.  Please be sure to check out all the posts because there surely are some great ones!

First of all, here are a couple posts with some great meal planning, pantry stocking and money saving tips!

Cooking Tips

SVB presents Cheap Meals and Easy Dinner Ideas: Recession Dining For Under $10 posted at The Digerati Life, saying, "Thanks!"


TSW Blog presents Cheap Meals You Can Cook At Home To Save Money! posted at The Smarter Wallet.

Megan submitted this great post on Cheats for Ethnic Cooking and she includes a list of pantry must-haves in order to complete some great recipes!

 

And then here are some fantastic recipes!

Recipes

30 Minute Meals Blog submitted a great Taco post, saying, "The Recipe Blog is my way to keep you informed about new and exciting ways to use the secret ingredient in your 30 minute meals. Coyote Trail Sauces-make everyday gourmet."


Next there was a recipe from Lori for Sauvignon Beef Stew posted at Two Southern Girls, which not only sounds great but from wandering around on her blog I found a cupcake carnival that she's trying to get started! 


Jen submitted a recipe for  Moist Molasses Bran Muffins posted at Momof2GreatCats: furballs and other mysteries of life, and they sound great!

Karen (aka Granny here at Goodies From Granny's House) submitted her Pumpkin Square recipe... and it's out of this world, from experience.

Cathryn presents a Hearty Corn Chowder Recipe in Got Soup? posted at Lucky 10 Thirteen,

Sarah at NH Mommy of 3 submitted this fantastic sounding recipe for Mounds Bar Cake... I can't begin to tell you how good this sounds.  I'm going to have to try this one right away.

If you wander over to Life in a Nutshell you'll find a recipe for Ranch Dressing that sounds just out of this world.

Christy over at Well Bless Your Heart eh? has shared a post with a brownie post that I can personally attest to because I have tried her deep dish brownies and love them!


Anne-Marie presents Slow cooker recipes: homemade onion soup mix and a venison shoulder roast posted at This Mama Cooks! On a Diet.  It's actually 2 recipes in one post!!!


Naturally Food Team presents Home Style Baked Beans | Naturally Food posted at Naturally Food, saying, "A wonderful recipe for baked beans so you can cook yours at home. Homemade baked beans have more flavor and are healthier."


Then Lisa shared this recipe for her family meatloaf in the post Junk in the Trunk, posted at 4-Ricks.


Check out this recipe for Homemade Gluten-Free Oreo Cookies; Seriously, Delicious! posted at Parenting Squad.



That concludes this edition of the Delicious Endeavors Recipe Carnival!  Please feel free to play along with us next time!!!  We'll be doing it once a week on Tuesdays, with the deadline being Monday evenings!  Submit your blog article to the next edition
using our
carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our

blog carnival index page.

Pumpkin Squares

Here is a recipe for cream cheese frosted pumpkin bars. These are cake-like moist bars perfect for snack time or gatherings. Keep them covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Mix;
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
2 cups flour

Add;
4 eggs
1 cup canola oil
1 15 oz can pumpkin(approx. 2 cups)
1 tsp vanilla

Beat until smooth and pour into a large jelly roll pan.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees and cool.

Beat with mixer until creamy;

1 softened Philadelphia cream cheese
3/4 cups confectionery sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 stick softened butter

Frost bars and place in the refrigerator to set frosting.
Keep leftovers in the refrigerator in covered container. Makes 15 generous servings or can be cut smaller for a party.

Introducing The Delicious Endeavors Blog Carnival

We've recently decided that while we love participating in the Make it From Scratch Carnival (and will continue to do so) we the owners of this blog (that would be Traci and Karen) would like to get together with some of our blogger buddies and create a food specific carnival of our own, which welcomes recipe posts or other how-to posts regarding food.

Which brings us to the new Delicious Endeavors Recipe Carnival.  We hope that our readers out there will enjoy the assortment of recipes that this will promote and that they will feel encouraged to jump in and submit posts.

The submission dates will be Mondays at 5pm.  Here is a link for this week.  The carnival itself will be hosted here on Tuesdays.  Please link back to the carnival so your readers can check out all the recipes.

And if you have a recipe or food related post please be sure to submit it!

Easy Pecan Pull Apart

This is just a fun recipe to throw together and bake
with children. They get to play too :)
And reminds me of the little ones you buy in the store.
Line a round pizza pan with parchment paper or greased
foil and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

You will need;

2 8oz. cans refrigerated crescent rolls
1/2 cup melted butter

Mix in a pie plate;

1 cup sugar
1+ 1/4 tsp.s cinnamon
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans

Separate dough into rectangles. Cut each rectangle

in half lengthwise.
Roll dough strips into ropes about 12 inches long.
Dip into butter and coat with pecan ,cinnamon and sugar , mixture.
Starting at the center of the pan loosely spiral the ropes
in a circle around the pan joining together at the ends.
Bake at 375 for for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.
Serve warm.

Corn 'N' Frank Chowder

Please give this yummy corn chowder a try soon.
Feel free to throw in a chopped
leftover cooked potato if you so desire it.


1 lb. beef hot dogs, sliced
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 TB. butter
1 16 oz. can cream style corn
1 cup whole white kernel corn
1 cup milk
3/4 lb. velveeta cheese, cubed
salt and pepper

Saute peppers , onions and sliced franks
in the butter in a 3 qt. saucepan.
Add remaining ingredients and stir over
low heat until cheese is melted.
Six 1+1/3 cup servings

Popover

Popovers

1 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
2 eggs
1 1/4 c. milk
1 T. melted butter

Whisk the dry ingredients together in one bowl. Whisk the wet ingredients together in a second bowl. Then fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring very lightly until mostly blended. Pour into a well greased muffin or popover tin, (Make sure that the cups are greased all the way to the top edge.) Filling the cups about 2/3 full.

Bake for 15 minutes at 450*, then 20 minutes at 350*. Serve at once with butter, jam, honey, etc.

OR, you could slice them open and fill the inside with Chicken salad.

Favorite Minestrone Soup

Mmmmmm Mmmmmmmm Good ! This is a hearty meal- in -a -bowl soup with beans and pasta. I sometimes turn my leftover ham and cabbage dinner into this soup because the broth gives it an excellent flavor. And you may add any type pasta but the spaghetti is my choice.

1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 cup cubed ham or( low fat
alternative such as turkey bacon)
1 clove minced garlic
3 cups water or cabbage broth
1 14 oz. can chopped stewed
tomatoes with juice
1/2 cup canned chick peas,
( kidney ,lima or white
beans can be substituted)
1/2 cup finely shredded cabbage
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
2 TB. minced dried parsley
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 cup broken spaghetti

Brush bottom of large pan with olive oil.
Heat and cook the onions, celery, garlic and bacon
or ham until slightly tender.

Add the liquid and tomatoes in with the rest
of the ingredients but spaghetti
and simmer till tender about 1/2 hour.

Break the spaghetti into the soup and cook about 10 min.s until tender and serve.

Makes 6 servings

Just a little inspiration for you

It feels like it's been a while since I posted any links here. So I thought I'd share a link to a blog that is just too cute for words. It's called Bake It Pretty and it includes all sorts of cute ideas for baking, recipes, projects, etc. It's really worth stopping by.

Kale and Sweet Potato Soup

Recently I've been trying to cut back on certain high caloric foods. Soups are not something that I'm particularly fond of, but they happen to be an easy way to incorporate lots of veggies and healthy proteins, such as lean meats and beans so I've been trying to add some more soups to our weekly menu. I found a similar recipe to this in Martha Stewart's recipes and thought that sweet potato seemed like a great alternative to the typical white potato in soups. I changed a few things and this is what I came up with. It ended up working out quite well. We will be repeating it, probably even after I've given up on my mission to cut calories.. er... I mean, I'll be making it forever because I'm going to eat healthy for the rest of my life. Yeah. That's it. Definitely...

But seriously, try the soup. It's good.

Kale and Sweet Potato soup

1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
Salt
2 cans of cannellini beans, drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small green onions, rinsed, white and light-green parts thinly sliced
2 large sweet potato/yams, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 bunch kale, (3/4 pound) washed and chopped
6 cups homemade chicken stock, or canned low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

pinch of dried rosemary or a tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary

In a large soup pot saute the green onions, garlic, onion and kale, until the kale wilts slightly. Add the beans, sweet potato, rosemary and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the sweet potato is fork-tender. Salt and pepper to taste.

Lemon Cheesecake Pie with Blueberry Sauce

I like to make this when fresh blueberries are in season but I do make it for special occasions sometime and make a double batch of both the recipes and make it in a 9 by 13 pan. I'm sure it would be good with strawberries as well.

8 oz. cream cheese , softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
2 tsp.s grated lemon peel
1 lg. egg
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp. butter

Cream cheese and butter together.
Add sugar and egg and beat.
Add flour and milk and beat again.
Stir in the lemon juice and peel.
Pour into prepared crust below;

Graham cracker crust;
1 + 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup melted butter
1/3 cup sugar

Blend well and press into a pie dish.
Pour in the filling and bake for 35 minutes
until set in a 350 degree oven. Chill.

Serve with Blueberry topping;

1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 cups blueberries
1/2 cup cold water
1 + 1/2 tsp.s lemon juice
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest

Mix everything but blueberries well in a small saucepan.
Add the berries and bring to a boil
stirring gently until it thickens.
If it seems too thick add a drop or two of water.

Chill and serve over pie.

Orange Glazed Spiral Ham

Hello everyone and Happy New Year ! Please stop by and say hello to us this year won't you? Thanks for checking out our blog and God Bless all of you in the coming year! It's been a busy season for everyone so I apologize for not posting as frequently as I normally do. Here is my new favorite holiday ham recipe I use. I'm not fond of the spicy glazes so I decided one day to make something different.
Everyone seems to like it and I use it for chicken tender dipping also after I add some garlic powder and a tiny dash of cayenne pepper to it and cook it in a small pan for a few minutes.


1 12 lb. fully cooked spiral sliced ham
1 cup bottled orange juice
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. orange flavoring extract


Optional garnish ;
1 thinly sliced orange
marachino cherries speared with
toothpicks and poked through orange slices
into ham before baking.



Score your ham cross ways.
Mix all 3 ingredients together until sugar is dissolved.
Pour half the mixture over top of the ham dripping
it down over the sides.
Bake for about 50 minutes.
Remove ham from oven and brush remaining glaze all
over again and continue to bake until
ham is heated through another 20 minutes
or so according to package directions.

Apple Coffee Cake

I found a similar recipe for coffee cake from
Taste of Home and changed it up a
bit and was so happy with the results.
This is not your typical dry coffee cake.
The first time I took it to church
people were surprised at how moist it was.
It's the lightest crumbly coffee
cake I have ever made and I think you
will really enjoy this.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter 9 x 13 inch pan.

Cream till fluffy;
1/2 cup soft butter
1 cup sugar

Add:
2 lg. eggs
1 tsp .vanilla

Combine :
2 cups flour
2 + 3/4 tsp.s baking powder
1 tsp baking soda


Next add dry ingredients to
butter mixture alternately with
1 cup sour cream and beat.

Stir in 1+3/4 cups chopped Macintosh apples


Prepare topping by blending;
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbls. cold butter
1/2 cup pecans

Crumble topping evenly over the batter
and bake for 35 to 45 minutes
until toothpick comes out clean.

Serves 12.

Crack (Sweet Snack Mix)

Michael's cousin shared this recipe with me at a Christmas get-together and it was so easy and delicious that I think I've become obsessed with it. Just keep in mind that I said it was delicious, not healthy, lol!

Sweet Snack Mix

1 c. butter

1 c. brown sugar

8 c. chex cereal

3 c. nuts (I prefer pecans)

Combine chex mix and nuts and spread on 2 greased cookie sheets with sides. Boil the butter and brown sugar for a few minutes. Pour over chex mix and stir through to coat well. Place in a 375* oven for 8 minutes. Let cool and enjoy. Store in an air tight covered container.

12th Recipe of Christmas - Stuffed Bread

This recipe is a my take of an appetizer that a favorite local restaurant serves. It's really filling so we'll often order this and just a salad. I've taken to making this at home quite often when I need some sort of a sandwich to go with soup, salad, etc. and have made it for our Christmas Eve celebration for the last few years.

Stuffed Bread

1 loaf of Italian Bread (if you can't make a crusty outside, fluffy inside loaf of Italian at home then please use store bought as a heavy bread will not work well for this.)

6 slices of hot ham/capicola

8 slices of salami

5 slices of provolone

3/4 cup of shredded mozzarella

1/4 cup pasta/pizza sauce

1 clove crushed garlic

banana pepper rings

olive oil

dried oregano and basil

grated Parmesan

Slice the loaf of bread in half horizontally as if to make one big sandwich. Place halves on cookie sheet open face up. Brush the open faces with olive oil and crushed garlic. Put in the oven on 375* for 5-7 minutes or until the top starts to get a little firm as if you're making garlic bread. Remove from oven.

Carefully layer the cheese, meat and peppers on the bottom half. Sprinkle with grated parmesan and dried seasonings and drizzle with olive oil. Take the top half and spread it with the pizza sauce. Place the top half on the bottom half and smush it down some so it flattens. Wrap the whole thing carefully but tightly in foil so it stays slightly flattened. Put back in the oven for another 10 minutes.

Carefully unwrap it and slice it like a loaf of bread, about 1 1/2- 2 inches thick slices. Each slice should look like a mini sandwich with a top and bottom piece and fillings.

When we eat this at the restaurant I like to dip it in my leftover ranch dressing but of course I wouldn't advice doing that at home because.. well because I'm a much healthier eater than that. Seriously. Hey what are you laughing at?

This recipe can also be made with black olives, roasted red peppers, feta cheese, etc. I've tried it in various ways but this seems to be everyone's favorite.

11th Recipe of Christmas - Peppermint Patties

Peppermint Patties

1 8oz cream cheese, softened
1 bag of confectionary sugar
1 tspn peppermint oil (NOT extract)
Dark Chocolate chips or discs

Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and peppermint oil until well blended, it will look a little crumbly like a pie crust dough. Roll into small balls and flatten out. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.

In a double boiler or the microwave melt the chocolate. Dip each patty in chocolate and then transfer to wax paper. Let cool and then refrigerate.

10th recipe of Christmas - Mice

Every year I make a selection of candy to give away as gifts and the last few years I've included Christmas Mice. here is the recipe for them, I hope you try them because they turn out simply adorable.

Christmas Mice

Maraschino Cherries w/stems (each mouse requires one cherry)
Hershey Kisses (each mouse requires one kiss)
Almond slices (not slivers, each mouse requires 2 slices)
Semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate discs
Tube of decorating gel in desired eye color

Drain the marashino cherries and discard any without stems. Dry on paper towel. Remove the foil from as many Hershey Kisses as you have cherries. Sort through a bag of sliced almonds and select two well formed slices for each cherry. Melt chocolate chips/discs in double boiler. Cover cookie sheets with waxed paper or parchment paper. Dip cherry in melted chocolate, covering it fully including the stem. As you pull the cherry out of the chocolate place a hershey's kiss on the bottom and place cherry and kiss together on their side on the waxed paper. Before the chocolate on the cherry cools, stick two almond slices between kiss and cherry for ears. When cooled dot eyes on the kiss with the decorating gel.

Aren't they cute? I love my little mice. In fact they're the only kind of mice I like, lol! And they're fun to bite the heads off of. They look cute scattered around a plate of goodies or a cheese platter.

12 recipes of Christmas, Jalapeno Poppers

Jalapeno Poppers

2 cans of pillsbury crescent rolls
1 8oz package of softened cream cheese
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3/4 cup of real bacon bits
1 8oz package of shredded cheese (I prefer Monty Jack or a Monty Jack mix but Mozzarella works too)
3-6 jalapeno peppers, seeds removed and chopped

Preheat oven to 375*

Mix the softened cream cheese with the garlic, bacon, and shredded cheese. Take one of the crescent roll triangles and put a dollop of filling in the middle of it. Put a few chunks of jalapeno on top of the filling. Wrap the edges of the triangle up around the filling, bundling it together and pinching the dough so that it seals. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with all the rest of the triangles until you have 16 wrapped poppers.

Bake at 375* for 8-12 minutes or until golden.

If you like hot peppers you may want to put more chunks of jalapeno... it all depends upon your preference.

These make a great appetizer for a smaller get-together. For a bigger crowd you can spread the filling out on top of the crust like a pizza, which is THIS version here.

Bread Pudding With Cranberries

Well.... It's not Figgy pudding like the Christmas Song says ...( Okay.. I must admit I have never had or know anyone who has ever had Figgy pudding either.) but I bet it's just as good. I decided to throw some dried craisins (cranberries) in my bread pudding one day awhile back and I simply loved it that way. The sweet and tangy flavors blend ever so nicely. I am not a huge fan of regular raisins but my family is so I sometimes double the recipe in an oblong baking dish and make it half cranberries on one side and half raisins on the other just to humor everyone. This is great for a brunch on Christmas Day.


Prepare 3 cups(4 slices) dried bread cubes by baking them in a 300 degree oven about 15 minutes.

Heat oven to 325 degrees.
Put the next ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat well;

4 beaten eggs
2 cups milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla

Place bread cubes in an 8 X 1 + 1/2 in. casserole .
Sprinkle with 1/2 cup dried cranberries (craisins).
Pour the egg mixture over bread and fruit.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
Cool slightly before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

While visions of Cinnamon Hard Candy danced in our heads....

This is the very recipe I used to make candy with in my high school homemaking class many years ago. (Thank you Mrs. Arnault for inspiring me to cook !:) It became a tradition when Traci was old enough to take it to her school class room holiday party all wrapped up in tiny little cellophane bundles and tied up with ribbon! I'm so glad she got to grow up in a safer time when home made snacks were still allowed on party days. This is like eating a cinnamon apple at the fair without the apple.

2 cups sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1 cup water
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp oil of cinnamon
1/4 tsp red food coloring
Combine the first four ingredients in a large pan and cook stirring
constantly until it reaches a boil on medium heat.

Reduce heat and cook till it reaches the hard crack stage or
310 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Stir in the oil of cinnamon and the red food coloring and
pour immediately into an oiled 8in. square pan.

Cool just until it will hold an imprint
from a knife when you cut into small little squares.

Cut cross ways 8 rows one way and then cross ways 8 rows the other.



Keep going over the imprints this way till they are set.


Remove the candy from the pan and lightly tap the back

with a butter knife to seperate each candy piece.



Makes about 64 pieces.


Package up with cellophane wrap and tie with a bow. Candy must be kept away from moisture, but can be successfully stored in an air tight container for weeks.

And on the 6 recipe day it's.... Caramels

These make the best gifts because they are so darn yummy !! I love to have one with a cup of coffee. They are like the soft rolled caramels you can get at that famous restaurant/store with the rocking chairs on the porch :) Yep that's the one !

Ingredients:

1 vanilla bean
2 cups heavy cream( 1 pint)
1 cup light Karo syrup
2 cups sugar
1/2 stick unsalted butter cut up
1/2 tsp salt

Line a 9 inch pan with parchment paper.

Split the vanilla bean down the middle
length wise and remove the seeds with a sharp knife.

Add the seeds and cream in a 1+ 1/2 qt. pan.

Heat to scald cream . Turn off the heat but
leave it set on the burner to stay warm.



In a heavy 4 to 5 qt. pan
stir corn syrup and sugar thoroughly
over low heat until dissolved .

Turn heat to medium and gently boil until it
reaches 305 degrees(hard cracked stage) on a candy
thermometer about 9 to 11 mins.

Add the butter and salt stirring constantly.

Pour the warm vanilla cream in slowly in a stream while
still keeping candy at a boil

Mixture will become very bubbly and foam up so be careful.

Lower heat to medium and gently boil again until the
thermometer registers about 245 degrees stirring
occasionally to prevent it from scorching. I do
a soft ball in cold water too till it's a solid soft ball
 stage because I like them soft.

Takes about 15 minutes.

Turn off heat and set it aside for a couple minutes.

Pour ,( scraping the pan) into the parchment lined pan.

Cool 6 hours.


Invert onto a clean cutting board and either wrap
entire chunk up tightly in foil and cut some off as
needed or cut in short strips and place on small
cut rectangle pieces of parchment paper twisted
at the ends and rolled on the counter to make them rounded
like tootsie rolls. It's less sticky wrapped.

I like to do them about 4 inches long. But they can be cubed too.

They will stick together if you don't wrap each single one.

This makes a large 2 lb. batch of caramels .

Sour Cream Pumpkin Coffee Cake

And recipe number 5 is........... a yummy coffee cake my dear Sister-In-Law gave me the recipe for years ago when she found it on the label of "Libby's can pumpkin . This is done in layers but it's a fabulous dessert for you pumpkin fans !

Butter a 9 by 13 pan.


For batter, cream in mixing bowl:

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Add and beat well;
3 eggs



Combine well in another bowl:
2 cups flour
1 tsp .baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda

Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture

alternating with;

1 cup sour cream

Set this batter aside.

Combine filling seperately;

1 + 3/4 solid pack pumpkin (16 0z can)
1 slightly beaten egg
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice


Prepare and crumble well the streusel topping;

1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup butter,chopped
2 tsps. cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts


To assemble the coffee cake spoon half of the batter

in the bottom of the pan evenly.

Sprinkle half of the streusel over the batter.

Next spread the pumpkin mixture over the streusel topping.

Carefully spread the remaining half of

the batter over the pumpkin mixture.

Sprinkle with remaining half of streusel topping.

Bake at 325 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes.

Test with tooth pick to see if it comes out clean.

Makes 12 servings

And now onto number four of our Christmas recipes...

So now I ask you my friends , what holiday would be complete without a fruity punch ? I used to get a drink like this at a popular seafood place and decided to recreate it at home one day . It's so simple and light and also can be doubled for a large party. Cheers !!!


1 large bottle cranberry juice
1 2 liter bottle sprite
a large carton orange juice
1 small container orange sherbet
Ice cubes

Pour equal amounts of cranberry juice and orange juice into
a punch bowl or 2 glass pitchers.

Add half the sprite for carbonation and fizz and
a large scoop of the sherbet
just before you're ready to serve .

Pour drink over ice in glasses.

And the celebration continues.....

Banana Split Cake

This is our family's favorite version of yummy banana split cake. Again there are different recipes floating around but we love this one. I think you will too. Enjoy !!

Mix well;

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 stick melted butter
4 Tbls. sugar

Press in the bottom of a 9 by 13 pan.

Beat together filling with a mixer;

1 8 oz. softened cream cheese
1 stick melted butter
2 cups confectionery sugar

Spread this filling over the crumb crust.

Slice 4 banana's and place evenly over filling.

Drain and pour 1 large can of crushed pineapple in its own juice

evenly over the banana's.

Cover with cool whip.

Decorate with split maraschino

cherries that are dried on paper towel.

Sprinkle with chopped walnuts.

Chill for at least 5 hours

Drizzle with chocolate syrup if desired when you serve it.

12 Days of Christmas Continued........

Holiday greetings to all of you !!!! Just wanted to remind you to browse through our other posts because we have so many recipes on here that can be used for the holidays such as dips, fudge, potato recipes, breads, and salads to name a few that we also serve on special occasions. Thanks for stopping by and God Bless !

Creamy Crab Stuffed Garlic Shrimp

On the second day of Christmas you get............. a seafood dish !!!! Yum !
If you're having a small dinner party around holiday time with some folks who enjoy seafood you just have to try this recipe I created ! And I promise, this one is not like other seafood stuffing you have had it in the past. I split the shrimp basically like you would a lobster tail.Be sure and warn your guests that they are still in the shell. :) Serve these and it's bound to be one of the most memorable Christmas meal for years to come !


Ingredients you will need:

1 dozen jumbo uncooked shrimp still in the shell
2 Tbls. fresh minced garlic
1 8oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup fine bread crumbs
1 tsp. white cooking wine
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 small can fancy jumbo lump crab meat,drained
salt and pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 lemon , cut in half
1/4 cup melted butter
paprika

De vein shrimp leaving the shell intact.
Rinse under cold water.
Slice part way down through the back
of shrimp and spread them
open a bit but don't break them apart.
Place in a covered baking dish and sprinkle with the minced
garlic .
Chill to marinate for several hours.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare your filling by mixing the cream cheese , Parmesan,
cooking wine, garlic powder, crumbs, a quick
squeeze of the lemon and a dash of
pepper and salt together in a medium bowl.

Gently stir in the lump crab.

Divide filling evenly and fill each shrimp.

Squeeze lemon juice over the top of the shrimp.

Drizzle melted butter over the stuffed shrimp.

Sprinkle with paprika and bake for 20 minutes.

Turn your oven up to broil and broil until the
top of the stuffing is lightly
brown a few minutes.

Watch these closely.

Let set for 3 minutes and serve.

Cranberry Holiday Jello

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...
A layered jello creation!!!!

And then I saw a little man eyeing my jello creation!!! (Can you blame him though? It does look wonderful...)

Okay for the first recipe we post I picked one that both looks and tastes wonderful and can be used for any special occasion. I found this in a 1982 Kraft cookbook and I continue to make it today. The wine is my first choice and in the original recipe but if children are eating I make it with juice. This layered fruit salad looks so pretty in a fancy glass bowl garnished with a curly endive lettuce leaf.

Happy Holidays to all of you !


Ingredients you will need for the first layer are as follows;

1 - 3 oz. box raspberry jello
1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup ice cold water
1/4 cup chilled port wine or cranberry juice
1 cup chilled whole berry cranberry sauce
1/4 cup chilled peeled chopped apple
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Dissolve the jello well in boiling water in a medium size bowl.

Add cold water and wine or juice.


Chill till partially set.

Stir the fruit and nuts in well and pour into the bottom of

a 2 + 1/2 qt. glass bowl and refrigerate again.




Ingredients for middle layer;


1 - 3 oz. box lemon jello
1 cup boiling water
1 cup heavy cream, whipped until thick

Dissolve jello in hot water and cool. When it's completely cool
add it to the whipped cream
and fold it gently in.

Pour this mixture over top of the first layer and chill.


Ingredients for last layer are as follows;

2 - 3 oz. boxes raspberry jello
2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup ice cold water
1/2 cup port wine or cranberry juice

Dissolve jello well in hot water.


Add cold water and juice or wine and chill till
partially set.


Pour this layer on top of the lemon layer.

Chill completely overnight.

Garnish if desired before serving.

Serves 10 to 12 but may be doubled in larger bowl.

12 recipes of Christmas!

Ok... so I know that Christmas isn't really here yet. But as of Friday the Christmas season will have officially arrived in my book, so you'll have to bear with me.

The next 12 recipes that we post are going to be some of our holiday season favorites. If you've ever celebrated Christmas with us, chances are you've had some of these recipes so this might be a walk down memory lane for you. If you haven't.. well you'll be with us in spirit if you try some of these.

Oh, and before you get your hopes up.. no my mama will NOT be sharing her award winning Christmas Cookie recipe!!!

Spinach & Artichoke Dip

I can't believe I'm posting this recipe. It's just that awesome. It's like giving every woman in blogworld the key to my husband's heart. I'm not exaggerating. Be appreciative ladies, because I wouldn't share this recipe with just anyone. Wait. I guess that's exactly what I'm about to do...

Spinach & Artichoke Dip

1 8oz block of Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 c. mayo
1 can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tspn garlic salt
1 c. chopped fresh spinach

Stir together all ingredients until thoroughly mixed. Spread the mixture in a pie plate. Sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese on top. Bake at 375* 20-25 minutes or until golden. Eat with tortilla chips.

Try not to eat the whole dip yourself. Seriously. It's that good.

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

This is my version of a famous restaurant soup I love. If your not as big a fan of spinach as I you could cut it in half but it needs some for flavor. I simply serve mine with some warm bread and make a meal but you could use it as a first course to your meal if your entertaining. It's so........ good ! All I can say is " try it you'll like it!"

Simmer for 45 minutes in a large pan ;

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 cups water
2 Tbls. instant chicken broth

In the meantime in a medium pan add;
1 stick butter
2 stalks finely chopped celery
1 large carrot, finely chopped
1 + 1/2 tsp. finely minced garlic
Cook on low heat until vegetables are soft stirring often.

Add;
1 cup chopped fresh spinach and cook till wilted.

Stir in;
1/3 cup flour
Cook stirring for about 3 minutes until flour is blended with butter.
Stir in;
2 cups milk
Cook on low heat stirring constantly until it bubbles and thickens .
Add;
1 Tbls. dry minced onion
1 pinch of italian seasonings
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Set this aside .

Remove chicken from broth and set aside to cool.
Mix the remaining broth from the chicken(around 4 cups)
and thickened vegetables together in the pan.
Add;
1 16 oz. pkg. gnocchi ( potato dumplings )
cooked chicken breasts, (cubed)

Cook the soup for about 10 minutes on low heat until
gnocchi are tender stirring often.

Thin with some water if necessary and serve.

Serves 4 to 6 people

A Christmas-y Cranberry filled cookie

My mother (AKA Granny, AKA Karen, AKA my fellow blogger) has found a blog that she enjoys immensely. It's called Mennonite Girls Can Cook and she has directed me there several times, but I'm a busy sort and I don't always follow her around blogworld because let's face it I just don't have time what with scheduling my own personal blog posts and trying to keep up with real life too.

Well recently she gave me a few cookies to try. They were a soft lemon cookie, filled with a cranberry concoction and frosted with an almond frosting and sprinkled with coconut. They were out of this world.

So of course... I asked where she found the recipe.

And of course... she answered "Mennonite Girls Can Cook".

And of course... I gave her that dumb deer in headlights look, to which she answered "I gave you the blog address ages ago." Yeah. Because I pay attention to things like that, lol!

Keep in mind that I'm snapping pictures of cookies at this point, in all different lighting and from all different angles because I love my new camera.

And then proceeds a conversation about how I think we should link to the recipe on our blog.. but since she's new to blogworld she was hesitant because, of course she didn't realize that it was proper blog etiquette to do so as long as you give credit to the author and ask permission to link.

Which leads me to... the link for Christmas Cranberry Filled Cookies. Visit the Mennonite Girls who can not only cook, but apparently cook REALLY WELL. And they post some delicious looking recipes so don't plan on just stopping by for one cookie. You'll probably want to stay for dinner.

Chicken Roast

I found this recipe years ago in a cookbook I had borrowed from our local library. This meal was actually coined as "The Amish Wedding Dish" in the book and it caught my attention. I had to cut it down because it was a huge recipe.



water
1 whole chicken
2 qts. bread crumbs
1/3 cup butter
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 beaten eggs
2/3 tsp. parsley flakes
2 tsp. salt
1/3 tsp celery salt
1/3 tsp garlic salt
1/3 tsp paprika
1/3 tsp pepper
1 tsp poultry seasoning

Cook chicken in large pot of water until tender about an hour.
Remove chicken from the pan and cool slightly.
Make sure you save broth.
Debone and remove skin leaving in big pieces.
Put chicken in the bottom of a roasting pan.
Brown bread crumbs in butter stirring constantly.
Combine these with all other ingredients.
Add enough of the broth in to make a very moist stuffing.
Pour stuffing over top of chicken meat in the roaster
and drizzle with some melted butter.
Bake 1 hour + 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven until golden browned .
Serve with chicken gravy .

Fancy Brussel Sprouts

Okay since I enjoy brussel sprouts I'm posting this recipe. Traci actually grew some in her garden that were so sweet and tender awhile ago and shared them. They are so good for you ! I do however promise not to be offended if your not a fan of these little baby cabbages but only if you will forgive me for not liking eggplant! ( I just can not acquire a taste for eggplant. ) Not even fried and smothered with cheese and sauce. :)



1+ 1/2 lb. brussel sprouts
1 packet chicken broth
2 cups water
1/2 stick of butter
1/2 bottle real bacon bits
1/2 cup real coarsely shredded Parmesan cheese (or glass jar variety)
sprinkle of salt and pepper




Boil brussel sprouts in water and chicken broth until fork tender.

Drain brussel sprouts and melt the butter over them.

Stir in the bacon bits and Parmesan cheese.

Add salt and pepper and serve.

Easy Taco Salad with Melted Cheese

We are having a great time spreading ourselves about the Internet world and we hope you are trying some of our tried and true recipes ! Stop by and let us know how we are doing sometime .


Our oldest grandson always requested my taco salad for parties growing up so I thought maybe I would post how I make my version. I have never liked a taco salad with cold shredded cheese in it so I don't use it. And I like to have mine with ranch made from the Hidden Valley package because it's so much better than bottled. But from there the choice is yours on what you prefer to put on. Make only what you know will get eaten right away though because the chips will get soggy. You can cut this recipe in half for a meal and make two large individual salads bowls if you desire to. And I'm thinking taco salad about covers all your basic food groups. lol It's yummy !!!!!


What you will need:

1 + 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
2 pkg.s taco seasoning mix
1+ 1/2 cups water
1/2 head shredded lettuce
2 tomatoes , chopped
1 diced onion
2 small cans sliced black olives
taco sauce , or salsa
sour cream
jalapeno peppers ( if desired )
1 large jar of Cheez Whiz (processed cheese)
1/2 cup milk
tortilla chips
ranch dressing
avocado chunks (if desired)

Brown the ground beef and add water and taco mixes. Cook stirring occasionally
about 10 minutes.
Melt the cheese and milk together in microwave or small pan.
Just before serving assemble the salad.
Spread some chips out on the bottom of a large platter .
Top the chips with the warm taco meat.
Drizzle a large spoon of the melted cheese over the meat and chips.
Sprinkle the onions on top and cover with shredded lettuce .
Spread tomatoes over top of the lettuce.
Sprinkle the black olives on.
Pour the melted warm cheese all over the top of the salad.
Serve with the remaining ingredients.

Creamy Hashbrown Potatoes

This recipe is for you Becca as promised !!!! I must give credit where credit is due so thanks go out to my niece Lisa H. for passing this one on a few years ago. She has the same appreciation for recipe sharing that I do so I know she won't mind a bit. This makes a nice dish to pass at parties.


Creamy Hash Brown Potatoes


1 2lb. package frozen hash browns
2 cups cubed American cheese (Velveeta )
2 cups sour cream
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 lb crumbled bacon
1 lg. chopped onion
salt and pepper

Place the potatoes in 5 Qt. crock pot Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and pour over and mix well. Cook on low 4 to 5 hours.

Make it From Scratch Carnival

This week's Make it From Scratch Carnival was hosted by Rina the Mama Bear over at Gotta Little Space to Fill. Although I would advise stopping by her blog to get the full list of entries, I wanted to post a quick sample of some favorites here too.

These Lemon Meringue Cupcakes look soooooo good. Like seriously deliciously good.

They are just so cute aren't they? They are the creation of Liss, of Frills in The Hills. I think that they are delightful little cupcakes and I'm thinking that the men in my family would love them. (We have a few lemon fans among us)

Another post that intrigued me was a Blue Hubbard Squash Casserole recipe, posted at Local Nourishment. After working in the produce department of our local Wegmans for many years, I developed a taste for many fruits and vegetables that I wouldn't normally have tried. (I couldn't very well have given away samples of dishes without TRYING them could I???) Hubbard Squash never made it onto my list of "I've had that" vegetables. In fact recently I walked by one and thought that I'd like to give it a try but it's a very intimidating squash, quite large in stature and I would need a recipe to venture into it. Well, now I have one and I'll probably give it a try. Plus Hubby will like it because there's mozzarella cheese in it. (Get it, Hubby will like the Hubbard squash??? I crack myself up!)

One of the things that I've tried to establish at our house is a Mexican food night. I've tried to include on Mexican recipe each week and thus far it's worked well. We like Mexican food and it's not hard to make healthy versions of such things. Obviously the post for Homemade Refried Beans at Prosper & Be in Health stood out to me immediately as being helpful. And of course this post for Homemade Enchilada Sauce from Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker was of interest to me also.

These are just a few of the posts, and as always there were non-food posts that were awesome also, so be sure to stop over and check out the whole carnival!

Potato Soup with Ground Beef

This is the recipe for Potato Soup my Mother always made for us and it uses ground beef instead of ham . It's simplicity at it's best. It's so good with crusty buttered bread for dipping . In fact I'm thinking I need to make this soon now that fall is upon us. If your cooking for one or two I am sure you could cut this recipe in half. I personally think soup is better the next day after the flavors blend in the refrigerator . Thanks for stopping by our blog and "Happy Fall Ya'll !!!!"


2 stalks, chopped, celery
2 medium onions, chopped
1 + 1/2 lb.s ground beef
6 large potatoes, cubed
8 cups water
salt and pepper

Brown ground beef in 6 qt. pan over medium heat leaving it chunky. Drain grease off the beef and add in the celery, water, onions, and salt and pepper and simmer about a half hour over low heat.

Meanwhile cube potatoes and add to soup. Bring it back to a simmer and cook another half hour or until potatoes are tender and season again with salt.

Tossed Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

This is our delicious go to salad for any occasion when we want only to serve one dressing . I never fail to get asked for the recipe whenever I take it anywhere. Just make the dressing ahead and keep it chilled until you dress and serve your salad. Add whatever you like to the salad . I sometimes will throw in pecans or croutons or top it with a sliced piece of chicken as a meal if I'm in the mood. If you want to keep the dressing on hand or are making it for a big party just double the recipe and shake before you pour . It's a sweet and sour dressing that seems to please every one's palate.

1 washed head of lettuce, shredded
1 bag of colorful baby lettuce greens
1 container of grape tomatoes
1 cubed chunk of monterrey jack or provolone cheese
1 cup Craisins (dried cranberries)

Dressing:

Mix in your processor or blender until sugar dissolves:
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp . garlic powder
2 tsp.s poppy seeds


Gradually pour in:


1 cup canola oil while processing until it's thickened and pour into a salad cruet
or shaker container. Chill.

Split Pea Soup

I enjoy a rib sticking soup as a meal in the cooler weather so I throw this soup together and make a muffin or homemade bread to go with it. But " To puree or not to puree, that is the question ? ..... I don't puree my soup although the recipe says to but if you prefer it that way instead just remove the hock and process the soup. Then add the ham off the hock and some heavy cream if you like it to the soup afterwards.



1 8 oz cup dry split peas , rinsed and sorted
1 small meaty ham hock
8 cups water
4 tbls. butter
1 med. chopped onion
2 potatoes ,peeled and cubed
2 stalks chopped celery
salt and pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)

Place the peas in the water with the ham hock and simmer 2 hours on low heat stirring occasionally. In a small pan heat the butter and cook all the vegetables until slightly tender. Add those to peas and cook til beans are tender about an hour. Add salt and pepper. Remove the bone to cool and take meat off it. (puree the soup if desired at this point) Add ham meat to the soup along with the heavy cream and serve. Serves 6 to 8 people

Scalloped Potatoes with Kielbasa

I like to change things up a bit sometimes so I make my scalloped potatoes with kielbasa sausage on occasion . It's quite tasty. Just peel, rinse, dry and slice as many potatoes to the size casserole dish or pan you need. Of course if your making a huge pan add extra butter too. Be sure you make them in a deep enough pan to they won't bubble over in your oven.


You will need:

amount you desire of thinly sliced potatoes ( peeled )
1 pkg lean kielbasa or turkey kielbasa, slice as much as you feel you need
1 large onion , sliced
1 stick butter , cubed
1 tbls. flour
salt and pepper
Whole Milk to cover entire casserole.

Butter your dish and alternate layers starting with potatoes, then onion, more potatoes, kielbasa, flour sprinkled over , and cubed butter spread around. End with a last layer of potatoes with more kielbasa on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper . Pour milk over them to completely cover and bake about 2 hours or more for larger pan until potatoes are very tender in a 350 degree oven. ( Smaller casserole might get done sooner).

Remove from oven and let stand to cool and thicken up a bit about 15 minutes before you serve them.

And here's a hint. If you have never tried throwing a dab of butter in a fry pan and frying leftover scalloped potatoes until browned on both sides you should try it ! It's yummy.

Spring Garden Dip

If you're searching for a different dip recipe try this one. My sister gave me this recipe which goes well with fresh vegetables .

1/4 cup green onions
1/4 cup cucumber
1/4 cup radishes
1/4 cup green pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt (add more if you think you need it)

Grind all the vegetables up in blender or processor and drain well in small strainer or on a paper towel. They should resemble a course relish. In the mean time mix the sour cream , sugar, salt and mayo together in a container. Add the drained vegetables and mix. Chill to blend flavors. Serve with raw vegetables of your choice.

Carrot Raisin Muffins

I have to give credit to our daughter in law for this muffin recipe she gave me several years ago. What could be better than a warm buttered muffin with a cup of coffee or tea for breakfast ? Great way to start off your day in my opinion ! I like to double this recipe and share them with others. A good tip if you want nice rounded muffins is not to over beat them after you add wet ingredients or they will rise to a point. Hope you like them too.


2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp.s baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup shredded carrots
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 8 oz. can un-drained crushed pineapple
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Mix all the dry ingredients together in mixing bowl. Stir in the carrots , nuts, and raisins . Combine pineapple and juice, eggs, butter and vanilla in small bowl. Stir this into dry ingredients just until blended. Spoon into 12 greased muffin cups. Bake in 375 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes

Cabbage Soup

A neighbor gave me this recipe over 30 years ago and it's my husband favorite soup. There are several versions of this so called "Diet Soup" floating around but this is the one I use. We love to add lots of pepper to ours for spicy flavor !

3 thinly sliced carrots
3 thinly sliced stalks of celery
2 medium onions , diced
1 medium head cabbage, shredded
1 large can tomatoes, mashed
6 packets of instant beef broth
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pepper
8 cups water

Pour tomatoes in 6 qt. saucepan and mash them up.
Add the remaining ingredients and simmer 2 hours or until tender.
Add salt and pepper and serve.

This soup is only 45 calories a cup for those who prefer to use it as a diet soup.

Artichoke Chicken Pasta

This is one of those meals that developed when I went to the cupboard and put everything I found in a pasta dish. It worked so well together that my husband has since requested this same combination.. which I admit was a struggle to recreate, but I eventually got it right again.

The ingredients are:

Farfalle (bow tie) pasta

Cooked boneless chicken breast, chunked

one can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped.

a cup of chopped fresh spinach

one clove of garlic, minced

1 stick of butter

1/2 cup of feta cheese

grated Parmesan cheese

chives

Boil the pasta according to the directions on the box. While that's cooking saute the chicken, garlic and spinach in the butter until the spinach wilts. Add the chopped artichokes and cook through until it's all heated thoroughly.

Stir in the feta cheese and blend through, just to warm it. Drain the pasta and add it to the chicken mixture. Stir it through, and top it with parmesan, salt, pepper, and chopped chives.

And it's ready to eat. It's a really easy pasta that tastes great and goes great with a salad, like my mom's garlic salad.

Happy Eating!

Applesauce Drop Cookies

This is one of those cookie recipe from the old cook book I spoke about in a prior post. I made this cookie a lot when my daughter was growing up because they were a great afternoon snack. We were always on the go to picnics and week-end get-a-ways and they traveled so well and could be eaten on the run. And the fact that they are lower in fat because of the applesauce and that they have no eggs is an added bonus. I used to double the batch and keep them in a closed container.

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 +1/2 cups sweetened applesauce
2 tsp. baking soda
2 +1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Beat shortening and sugar in bowl. Stir in the applesauce. Add the remaining ingredients and drop by heaping teaspoon onto greased cookie sheet and bake slowly for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees.