Pink Stuff

This recipe will not win me any gourmet friends.  It will not thrust me toward stardom and my own cooking show.  And if you don’t feed your kids anything with food dyes; you may excuse yourself now.  What I’m about to show you is kid food at it’s finest. Pink Stuff. 

Pink Stuff is special to my family.  My grandmother would make it for every special occasion.  Holidays, birthdays, you name it; we had Pink Stuff.  I vaguely remember it being made a different way when I was very young, but I think Mimmy adjusted the recipe to it’s perfect state I give to you today.  Mimmy isn’t with us anymore, but the Pink Stuff is, thanks to my Aunt Teresa who carries the Pink Stuff torch.

I actually made it this weekend, for my Mom’s birthday.  And chances are good that we will have Pink Stuff at least once in November and once in December.  I like those odds.  I think I could live to be 103 and not tire of Pink Stuff. 

So here is the deal.  You make it with Strawberry Jell-O.  But theoretically, you could make it with any flavor Jell-O that would go well with pineapple, (as it is in the mix too.)  However, though there has always be talk about it, we never have strayed from strawberry.  Why mess with perfection?  So, if anyone tries this with another flavor, tell me how it goes!  You just may persuade me to mess with tradition; but not on a holiday or birthday.

Pink Stuff

20 oz. can of crushed pineapple with juice 16 oz. small curd cottage cheese 6 oz. box of Strawberry Jell-O 16 oz. tub of Cool Whip, thawed to room temperature Mix the pineapple/juice, cottage cheese and Jell-O powder into a large bowl.  Fold in the Cool Whip until well combined and pale pink.  Refrigerate before serving for best results.

The Graduate

 

This is a picture of my little sister, Rebekah.  It was taken just yesterday.  At least, that’s how it feels. 

Rebekah graduated from High School last Saturday.  She’s not a little girl anymore, she has become a beautiful young woman. {wipes tear}

After the graduation ceremony, we had a little party for her.  She deserved it, she’s worked hard to get where she is.

We are so proud!

The cake was from Costco.  YUM!

The Heritage High School colors are Red and Blue, (they are the Generals.)  We live in a very historic area, so this is quite appropriate.  It also happened to be Memorial Day weekend, so the color scheme was easy to work with.  I made these cookies using the tried and true Nigella Lawson Recipe.  I make them my own by using a thinned Wilton Royal Icing made with just an 8th teaspoon (maybe a little more) of lemon extract (before adding the rest of the liquid). You want the icing thin, but not so thin it drips right off the cookie. I dipped the tops of the cookies in the icing and then before they hardened I added the sprinkles.

The patriotic sprinkles came from Michael’s but this is the season to find them all over.

I also made these cute little brownie bites.  They are a Pampered Chef favorite.  The cream cheese icing is delish!

Michael’s also had these cute little wrappers, 99 cents for 100.  What a deal! I’m going to have to go back for more.

I used two different wrappers so you can see the design even after they are baked. If the two papers are the same brand, you can bake them in both, but I wasn’t so lucky, so I baked in the white and just added the cute ones later.

I don’t know where to find this recipe in the Pampered Chef universe, but this is how my friend Kim, a Pampered Chef Consultant showed me how to make them.

Cream Cheese Brownie Cups Makes 48 1 package (19-21 oz) fudge brownie mix (plus ingredients to make cake-like brownies) 1 4 oz package cream cheese 1/2 cup sugar 8 oz cool whip, soft from the refrigerator sprinkles, chocolate shavings, mini M&Ms optional for topping Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Spray a mini-muffin pan with cooking spray, or use mini cupcake wrappers, (what I do).  Mix brownie batter according to directions to make cake like brownies.  Use a small scoop to fill each cup 2/3 full.  It will make two pans of cups.  Bake for 14 minutes or until the edges are set. Remove from oven to a cooling rack.  Immediately press tops of brownies with Mini-Tart shaper to make indentions.  Allow to cool.  (If not using wrappers, do not leave in the pan too long or they will stick, hence why I always use wrappers so I don’t mess up!) Mix cream cheese and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer till smooth.  Fold in cool-whip.  Pipe swirls of icing onto the tops of the cups.  Top with your choice of toppings.

 

Somehow I missed taking pictures of the punch.  I’ve blogged about it before.  Here is that picture and the link to the recipe.

My sister and the other graduates were honored at church a couple weeks ago.  Each graduate had a slideshow made to play at the reception.  Here is Rebekah’s.  If you are fortunate to know my sister, go ahead and grab some tissues.  It isn’t enough we’re seeing adorable pictures of her growing up, but she sings the song that is playing too.

Enjoy!

 

We love you Geggie!

 

A Hoppin’ Party: Oreo Truffles

 

I didn’t mean to, but I’ve had a nice little break from blogging.  I kept saying, I’ll write that post tomorrow.  And then I would forget and say, I’ll write that post tomorrow.  Now it’s a few tomorrows later, and here I am again.  I’ve a couple more posts about Liam’s birthday party to share with you.  Today’s is Oreo Truffles.

I thought everyone had heard of these little sweets.  They made the rounds a few years ago and I guess they are still popular.  They should be popular because they are so very, very good.  If you like Oreos, then this will be a recipe you should try if you haven’t already.  It is so easy. 

Oreo Truffles Makes 3 dozen

Ingredients: 1 package Oreos, cubed 1 8 oz block of cream cheese White Chocolate Bark or Candy Melts Toppings-optional

In a food processor, blitz the Oreos until they are fine crumbs.  Add the cream cheese and pulse until it becomes a nice gooey mixture.  Refrigerate until nice and cold.

Roll the mixture into about 1 inch sized balls and place on waxed paper.  If the balls become mushy, return to the fridge until more stable. 

Melt half of the white chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave according to the package directions.  I find that using the double boiler works better because it keeps the chocolate warm.  Using dipping tools or a fork, dip each ball in the chocolate and allow to dry on the waxed paper.  This is the “crumb coat”. 

Once all the truffles have dried, use the rest of the chocolate and dip them once more for a more even coat.  Sprinkle the top with more crushed Oreos, Sparkling sugar crystals or Sprinkles.  Keep refrigerated before serving.

I’m not particularly good at dipping candy.  That may be because I couldn’t find my dipping tools and just used a fork.  Some of my truffles were down right ugly.  But they tasted sooooooo fantastic.  They are incredibly rich.  My favorite thing is that if you let them set out just a bit, the inside softens a little.  You bite through the solid wall of chocolate to a creamy Oreo inside. 

If you haven’t had these before, go out right now and buy the ingredients.  You must make these A.S.A.P.!

Bakerella has a nice little tutorial for those who need a visual.

Linked to Polly Want A Crafter and Get Your Craft On.

A Hoppin’ Party: The Meal

 

When it comes to first birthday parties, since your little one isn’t likely to have a bunch of cronies yet, it’s likely the guest list will be made up with mostly family and close friends.  By the time I added up everyone who absolutely had to be invited, it was already going to be a big guest list, so why not add a few more people who love our son?  We had invited about 60 people in the end.  We also decided that an evening party would be best for several reasons.  This worked out great because some family wouldn’t have been able to come to an earlier party.  Since we were having an evening party, we decided to serve a full meal. 

We kept the menu simple: salad, two kinds of pasta and bread.  My Mother-In-Law took care of the salad and bread.  My Sister-In-Law, Leigh, made the spaghetti sauce which I used to make Baked Spaghetti.  Basically, I just mixed the cooked spaghetti and sauce in a pan and added a few cups of shredded mozzarella to the top before covering with foil and adding to a warm oven.  I used the Hefty EZ Foil Party Pans Giant Size (19 1/2 in x 11 1/2 in).  They fit over the steam tables we used.  I was able to fit four 1 pound boxes of thin spaghetti plus sauce and cheese into the one pan. 

The other pan held 3 batches of Chicken “Fettuccini” Alfedeaux.  This is alfredo for people who don’t like alfredo. Trust me, I live with one of these people.  My husband WILL NOT eat fettuccini alfredo, but he loves this!  I think the secret to this dish’s success is that the cream sauce is not thick and overpowering as you will usually find alfredo sauce to be. 

And if you’re wondering about the spelling of Alfredeaux, that is because the chicken is seasoned with Cajun spices.  I only seasoned the chicken so that it wouldn’t be too spicy, but it is really good with a little dash over the top of the pasta too.

I lost count of how many requests I had for this recipe; it really is that good!  But I can’t take credit for it as I once requested this recipe from our friend Keith.  Thank you so much Keith, I am so grateful!

Chicken “Fettuccini” Alfredeaux

6-8 servings

1-12 oz. package of wide egg noodles

1 package of Knorr White Sauce or Alfredo Sauce Mix

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

2-3 large boneless chicken breasts

Cajun spice mix to taste

1 cup parmesan cheese

1 stick butter

1 pint heavy cream (although half and half works too)

Prepare noodles according to the package directions, drain and set aside.

Bake or grill the chicken seasoned with the Cajun spices.  Cut up or tear the chicken into small pieces.

Melt the butter in a large pot.  Add the packet of sauce mix and stir.  Add the cream.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for four minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat: add the cheese and garlic and mix well. 

Mix well and pour over the pasta.  Toss the pasta well until the sauce is distributed throughout.  Finally, add the chicken and stir into the pasta.

Serve warm and with a dash of Cajun spices over the top.

Click here for the Printable Recipe at Tasty Kitchen.

Linked to Suzy’s Artsy Craftsy Sitcom and Today’s Creative Blog.

Perfect Pork Chops

 

Sometimes the best recipes also happen to be the easiest ones.  That’s the case with these fantastic pork chops.  It is really simple and the outcome is perfect in my opinion.  This is my go to marinade for pork chops.

Perfect Pork Chops

Ingredients:

2 lbs. pork chops

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup water

Place everything in a large Ziploc bag. Stash in the fridge until needed, at least a few hours, but overnight is even better.  If the liquid doesn’t completely cover the chops, turn the bag a few times to help things out.

Now how do you want those chops? Grilled?  Ok, then just grill them on high until the middle is no longer pink. 

Want something even easier?  Then forget marinating in the fridge and just put everything in the crock-pot and cook according to it’s manufacturer’s instructions. Turn them over about halfway through cooking.  SO easy!

These chops want to be served beside mashed potatoes and these peas.  Dinner is served, YUM!

Click here for the Printable Recipe at Tasty Kitchen. 

Linked to Made It On Monday.

Just Peachy

Here’s another recipe from Nana. Peach Cobbler is one of my favorites, not only because it tastes so good, but because it is simple to make. It would be great as an impromptu dessert, to take to a potluck, or give away to a lucky friend. (A cute little loaf pan such as in the photos can be found many places. Mine came from Michael’s a few years ago, but I’ve seen them all over. They are perfect for gift giving.)

Yummy with vanilla ice cream!

Nana’s Peach Cobbler

3/4 stick margarine	1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup milk	1 (29 oz.) can sliced
1 cup self-rising flour	peaches with syrup
1 cup sugar

Place margarine in a 9x13 casserole dish and melt in oven at 350 degrees, (I do this while the oven is preheating). Mix milk, flour, sugar and cinnamon together. Pour mixture into the dish with the melted butter. Evenly arrange the peach slices on top of the batter. Pour the syrup from the can over the entire pan. Do not stir! Bake for 30 minutes.

It’s divine with a little cream poured over!

Click here for the Printable Recipe at Tasty Kitchen!

Good Gravy

Saturday mornings at Nana's means eggs, sausage, bacon, apple butter, biscuits and gravy. I have eaten this all my life. You know you better hurry and get up when you smell the bacon cooking, because you don’t want to miss this!

In my attempt to conquer all of Nana’s recipes, I had to make her Gravy for Biscuits. I tried to learn to make this once, but that was before Nana had figured out the ingredient amounts. “Add a little flour, add a bowl full of milk,” It just wasn’t anything I could replicate without her guidance. But now she has the recipe figured out.

Nana's Gravy for Biscuits

• 4 tablespoons fat drippings from bacon or sausage
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon salt

Combine fat and flour in an iron skillet on medium-high heat and stir well until lumps are gone and mixture is nice and brown.

Add milk and salt and stir until thick. If it gets too hot it will start to foam, so turn it down a little and continue until thick. (Nana’s gravy is neither too thick nor too thin. It’s just right!)

Serve on top of your favorite biscuits!

* Nana’s Note: “I always make a double batch for our crowd.”

*My Note: Use the skillet you just cooked the meat in and be sure to scrape up all the flavorful bits still stuck to the skillet once you add the milk.

Click here for the Printable Recipe at Tasty Kitchen.

Nuts and Bolts

Nana has a stack of recipes she only makes this time of year. I am gonna work my way through these recipes in order to share them with you. She's probably got a system to bang these out each year, and I've got two kids, so we'll see how long this takes.

Nuts and Bolts is basically Chex Mix, but in our family we like to take it to the next level by adding as many nuts as we can get away with. It's cause we're a nutty bunch! We're addicted to this stuff, and it's a good thing Nana only makes it at Christmas when we're planning on wearing our stretchy pants anyway. If I ate this year long, I'd be in trouble!

Now I have to admit, this isn't exactly Nana's recipe. That's because she actually gave me two different recipes for the same thing. They are both very large recipes, so the following is scaled back for ease of cooking. And edited. And probably she won't recognize it. But she better like it cause I just made a huge batch to share this weekend. It tastes the same to me, so I think she will like it. Cross your fingers for me please!

Nuts and Bolts
Click here for the Printable Recipe at Tasty Kitchen

3 cups Plain Cheerios
3 cups Rice Chex
3 cups Corn Chex
3 cups Wheat Chex
1 cup Pretzel Sticks, (the small skinny ones)
1 cup Mixed Nuts
1/2 cup Pecans
1/2 cup Cashews
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce (Lea & Perrin's, if you please)
1 1/2 teaspoons Salt (I used Lawry's Seasoned Salt, but table salt is fine)
3/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder


Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a large roasting pan, mix together cereals, nuts and pretzels. Melt butter and add to it the seasonings and mix well. Drizzle butter mixture over the cereal mix and stir well. Bake for 2 hours, stirring well every 15-20 minutes.

Store in gallon sized ziploc bags or in a large popcorn tin. And don't forget your stretchy pants!

The Best Cupcakes Ever

Unless you're new here, you'll know that I feel no shame in using a box cake mix, as long as you make your own icing. But the recipe below is worth the extra effort to make the perfect chocolate cake.

We had a baby shower for my Sister-In-Law Saturday. I made cupcakes using Pioneer Woman's recipe for "The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever." I just had to let them bake a little bit longer than if it had been a sheet cake. Then I used a recipe from Tasty Kitchen called, "That's The Best Frosting I've Ever Had!" This is the frosting for people who don't like frosting. It's not overly sweet like most icings you'll find. It also has a secret ingredient: flour! It sounds crazy, but it soooo works! Since the shower was for my first nephew, I just added some blue sugar crystals to the top, easy peasy!



If you're wondering about the double wrapper, it's to prevent the cupcake from pulling away from the paper. Use two baking cups when baking cupcakes and then when they are cool, you can either serve them doubled or take the outer baking cup off and save for later use. Or you could use one of these, I really wanted some, but I couldn't find a pattern I could use.

These really are incredible. Just look at how fluffy that icing is! The cake itself is so good that I love to eat the cake, icing free, straight from the fridge, (make sure they are covered well, so they don't dry out!). And don't even get my Father-In-Law started on these, he might not stop!

Click here to check out Pioneer Woman's step by step for these cupcakes. And try these soon, you'll be glad you did!

Dutch Oven Dinner

 

This weekend we went camping with my family in Blairsville, Georgia. It was Liam's first time camping, (he's only 8 weeks old). Sophie was just 4 months the only other time we've been camping with her, so to her this was a new adventure. Luckily there was a sandy spot in our campsite where she could play and get completely filthy--nature is fun!

Now don't think that when we go camping that we "rough it" too much. We had water and electric hook-ups and we sleep on air beds in our tent with our tiny heater. And most of all, we eat very well. That's because my Dad is the king of the Dutch Oven.

Dad used the contraption pictured above this weekend. Let me explain what it is. He bought this at an Army Surplus store. It is a cast iron cooking stove made in 1951 for the Korean War. It was originally made to put a burner inside and be used as a stove. It also came with a taller chimney so it could be used inside a tent to cook and for warmth during the cold Korean winters. Dad replaced the tall chimney with this smaller chimney and put a lid over the hole for the burner.

In the bottom of the stove he placed hot coals, then put his dutch oven inside. Saturday morning he baked biscuits, so he put hot coals on the lid of his dutch oven. To make stew, he put the stove lid on and left it for several hours. At night he would rake the coals together in the fire pit and placed the top of the stove over it to contain the smoldering embers.

Not the outdoorsy type? Don't have a dutch oven? Don't worry, you can still make this recipe for Papa's Stew. Papa's Stew, (named after my grandfather and pronounced "Pawpaw") is one of our family favorites. Papa and Nana created this recipe by trying different things until they came up with this perfect stew. Of course, if you want or need to make substitutions, Nana says pretty much any vegetable will work. So please enjoy this recipe. You can cook for a crowd, or just your family and freeze the leftovers. Just make sure you share it with people you love.

Papa's Stew
25-30 servings

Click here for the printable recipe at Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:
5 lbs. potatoes, peeled and diced
1 whole chicken cut up or 3-4 chicken breasts boiled and shredded, (boil for 20 minutes or left all day in you crock pot)
3 15.25 oz. cans English Peas
3 14.5 oz. cans sliced carrots
3 14.5 oz. cans corn kernels
3 14.75 oz. cans cream corn
1 lb black eyed peas, remove debris and rinse well
1 12 oz. bag frozen butter beans, speckled recommended
2 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes
2 large onions, chopped
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup Worcester sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes or until nearly done. Do not drain. Add all other ingredients except tomatoes and simmer until thickened. Add tomatoes last and cook for 15 minutes. Serve with crackers or cornbread for some true comfort food!

Floyd Markham
1926-2003

An Egg With Many Names

Ah, the Deviled Egg! What church potluck would be complete without them? I love Deviled Eggs, but did you know that they have lots of different names? For example, say you want to take them to a church potluck, but don't want to call them "deviled". Then call them "Dressed Eggs". Or if you want to sound highfalutin, then call them by their French name, "Oeufs Mimosas" (Eggs Mimosa in English). In Hungary they are called "Casino Eggs". When they are stuffed with Caviar they are called "Russian Eggs". In the Middle Ages they were called "Stuffed Eggs" and only relatively recently (the 1800s) began to be called "Deviled" due to the spices that are often used.

I grew up eating my Nana's deviled eggs. They are simple and delicious, with few ingredients, so it's economical too! Below I will give the basic instructions for making these eggs. It's not a "recipe", but more like the techniques you need to make them. You know, that's how Grandmothers cook, a dash of this, a splash of that...

Deviled Eggs

Ingredients:
Eggs (as many as you want/need)
Mayonnaise (Hellman's is recommended)
Salt
Pepper
Paprika

Directions:
Place your eggs in a pot and cover with cold water, allowing for a couple inches of water above the eggs. Place the pot on the stove burner and set to high. Once the water has started to boil, set a timer for nine minutes. After nine minutes, the eggs should be hard set. Remove the eggs from the pot by using a ladle and place eggs in a bowl of cold water.

Remove shells immediately. Carefully crack the egg, (I find that cracking the egg under water allows some water to get between the egg white and the membrane to allow for easier shell removal). Gently peel away the shell and set the hard boiled egg aside.

Once all eggs have been peeled, slice the eggs in half lengthwise. Pop out the egg yolks and place in a bowl. Place the egg whites in an egg dish hollow side up.

Mash the egg yolks with a fork or potato masher. Sprinkle with salt: the amount of salt will depend on the number of eggs used. It usually takes about 1 dash of salt per egg, but only add about half of that at this time. Add pepper at this time, no more than one grind/dash per two eggs. You can always adjust later to taste. Mix well. Add mayonnaise, one spoonful at a time mixing well after each addition until egg yolks are creamy. Taste the yolks and make necessary adjustments to seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if necessary.

Nana scoops the egg yolk mixture into the egg white using a fork. I have found that using a pastry bad makes the job quick and easy, not to mention kind of pretty. Either way, just fill up the hollow part of the egg white. Finish with a sprinkle of paprika over the top. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

*Troubleshooting:
For the last few years, I have been the deviled egg maker for the our family reunion. So using about 4 dozen eggs, I'm turning out around 100 deviled eggs!! Needless to say, not only do I have a lot of egg plates, but I also know some tricks when it comes to fixing mistakes! One time I added too much salt. Adding a little milk will help tone down the saltiness. Another time, I used a new mayonnaise brand, which I didn't realize tasted too much like vinegar until after adding to the egg yolks. A little milk and sugar did the trick, no one would have ever known. I've also used my food processor to mash and mix up the egg yolk mixture when I'm making such a large number of eggs...anything to make life easier! Finally, for the family reunion, I don't fill the eggs until I get to the location. I make everything the night before, then cover my plate with the egg whites with plastic cling. The egg yolk mixture goes into my pastry bag and sealed into a Ziploc bag and I park all of it in the fridge overnight. When I get to the reunion, I just pull out the pastry bag and quickly fill the eggs then sprinkle with the paprika.

Though many people put other ingredients in their deviled eggs, our family loves these eggs "plain", as Nana says. It's a great way to please the picky eater. That being said, there are so many ways to make deviled eggs, so how do you dress your eggs?

Strawberry Cobbler

Today is the last day of Strawberry Week. I really can't believe I've written five posts in as many days. And I'm pretty sure that unless someone wants to pay me for blogging, I won't be making a habit of it. Anyway, I'm happy to end Strawberry Week with a recipe from Brian's Aunt Vera: Strawberry Cobbler. It's easy and delicious!

Pictured above is a half recipe

Strawberry Cobbler

Ingredients
1 cup water + more if necessary (up to a cup)
1 cup sugar
2 heaping tbsps cornstarch
3 oz box Strawberry Jello
4 pie crusts- homemade or store bought (I won't tell!)
3-4 cups strawberries, hulled and halved
3 tbsps melted butter

In a saucepan, combine sugar, 1 cup water, and cornstarch. Cook on medium heat until sugar is dissolved and ingredients are well combined. Add jello and stir until combined. Add more water if necessary to fill baking dish.

Place two pie crusts in a 9x13 baking dish covering bottom and sides of dish. Add strawberries and jello mixture. Top with remaining pie crusts and press edges together. Cut a slit in the top of the crust to allow for steam to escape.

In a 350 degree oven, bake cobbler for 35-45 minutes. Brush with butter about half way through baking time and again at the end. Allow to cool before serving.

Go here for a Printable Recipe at Tasty Kitchen.

Note: I used too much water and the result was a runny cobbler. It was still delicious so I spooned out some liquid and it congealed better. However, if you were planning on eating with ice cream, the liquid would make a good sauce.

A Fish Called Wonderful

Salmon: my all time favorite kind of fish. Bake it, broil it, smoke it (oh yeah!), fry it, and grill it! Doesn't matter what you do to it, I'm gonna eat it. Unless it comes from a can. One time I opened a can and pretty much they had just stuffed a whole fish in there. I know you can eat the skin and bones, but I just don't want to. I steer clear of the canned fish and go for the vacuum packed foil pouch fish. It tastes better anyway.

One way we enjoy salmon at my house is Salmon Patties. Call 'em fish cakes if you want, but I've got a two year old, I don't need to confuse her. For this recipe, you can use foil packed salmon, canned salmon (gag), or cook your own fresh salmon beforehand.

My mouth is watering!

Salmon Patties
6-8 Servings with 2 or 3 patties per person

Ingredients:
12 oz. cooked salmon

6 oz. box of cornbread stuffing mix (herb flavored recommend)
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup canola oil (may need more or less depending on your skillet size)

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, mix together stuffing mix and water. Add salmon, mayo, lemon juice and mozzarella; stir to combine well. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.

Heat oil in a skillet on medium , (oil should pretty much cover the bottom). Using the scoop of your choice, (large ice cream scoop, 1/4, or 1/3 cup measuring cup depending on desired size), scoop out mixture and form into slightly flattened patties using your hands. Add to oil and cook about 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Move cooked patties to a paper towel lined baking sheet to drain while cooking other patties. (Tip: a slotted spatula is the way to go here)

Special Notes:
To make ahead, form patties and then store in refrigerator freezer. If freezing, let thaw before cooking.

This would also be a good way to use up leftover homemade cornbread dressing. Omit the water and follow other directions using 6 oz. of your own yummy dressing.

Click here for the printable recipe at Tasty Kitchen.

Creamy and flaky on the inside and a little crunchy on the outside.


I think I'll have just one more...or two!

Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

Here is an easy recipe to use up day old rolls, croissants, and/or stale bread. It's almost worth making rolls just to let them go stale! My favorite bread to use is leftover rolls from O'Charley's. There's no use letting them go stale and throwing them out when there is Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding to be had!

Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding
Use your leftover rolls from O'Charley's/favorite restaurant rolls!

1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups whole milk (or 2 1/2 c.heavy cream)
12 rolls or croissants (slightly stale is good)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Using a food processor, mixer or blender, combine butter and sugar; blend well. Add cinnamon and vanilla and continue to blend.

While the machine is running, add eggs to the mixture. Turn off the machine and scrape down the sides. Add the milk and blend once more.

Lightly butter a baking dish. Break up the bread into 1-inch pieces and add to the dish. Gently mix in the chocolate chips to evenly distribute throughout the bread. Pour the wet mixture over the bread pieces and allow to soak for 8 to 10 minutes. Lightly push down the top pieces of bread to allow to soak up wet mixture.

Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and the custard is set but still moist. Allow to cool, then dive in!

Click here for the Printable Recipe at Tasty Kitchen.

Inspiration

If you know me, then you probably know why I haven't had a new post in a while. Yep, that's right...morning sickness. Not really been up to doing much in the kitchen, but I'm slowly getting there. Here is a post I've been saving for a cold day, and since it's snowing outside my window right now, I'd say it's a good time to post it.

When I was young, I had some cookbooks designed for children. I poured over these books looking at the pictures of all the things I could make. I'd love to say that I cooked up all kinds of tasty things from these books, but I honestly can't remember making anything but a sandwich where you spread peanut butter on the inside of a hot dog bun and then add a peeled banana to finish it off. At that age I was intrigued with cooking and while there were some foods that I enjoyed cooking, it wasn't until I was in college that I really found my love for all things culinary.

I give some credit to my roommate Martha for inspiring me to be more knowledgeable in the kitchen. She could take what seemed like random items from the fridge and throw them together to make an amazing meal. More credit goes to my friends Trevor and Pauline. Having spent several weeks in their home one summer, I watched this amazing team serve delicious food from their kitchen. Soon, I eagerly began to watch the Food Network and search for inspiration on the many websites devoted to food. I found this recipe when I was in college, and it has been a favorite ever since.




Creamy Lemon Chicken with Vegetables
serves 4

Ingredients:
4 boneless chicken breasts (Sometimes I cut into large cubes)
1/4 tsp pepper
salt to taste
1 tbsp butter
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) cream of chicken soup
grated peel and juice of 1 large lemon
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) mixed peas and diced carrots, drained
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or half that dried)


Season both sides of your chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat and melt butter. Add your chicken to the skillet and cook until nice and brown and cooked thoroughly, (about 3 minutes each side.) Add soup, lemon peel and juice, and stir well to incorporate with the drippings from the chicken. Turn heat to medium-low, cover the skillet and let simmer for about 5 minutes, stir every couple of minutes to keep sauce from sticking. Add the vegetables and parsley, cover and simmer a couple of minutes until entire dish is completely heated. Serve with wild and long grained rice.

Click here for the Printable Recipe at Tasty Kitchen!

Hot Potatoes!

 

When I want a special side dish for a special occasion, it must be roasted potatoes. They are so yummy and easy to make, there is no reason to pass on making these babies!

I've had potatoes mashed, baked, boiled, fried, scalloped, au gratin and hashed. I've had tater tots, French fries, potato dumplings, potato soup, potato bread, potato chips, and probably other preparations of potatoes that I can't think of right now. Yet there is something special about roasted potatoes.

I learned to make roasted potatoes while staying with some friends in England. Roast Potatoes are a staple in British cuisine. You'll find them most often in the Sunday Lunch and as a part of the Christmas spread as well. I guarantee they will be on my table this Christmas!

Roasted Potatoes

6 large potatoes, peeled and quartered

1/4 cup of vegetable oil

Kosher salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water, adding a little salt to season the water. Bring the water to a boil and boil potatoes for 5 minutes. Drain the water and return the potatoes to the pot. Cover the pot with its lid and holding the lid in place shake the pot to "rough up" the potatoes.

Place the potatoes in a roasting pan and drizzle with the oil and toss the potatoes to coat well. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Place pan in the oven and roast for about 50 minutes. Turn potatoes at least once halfway through cooking to allow for even browning. Once the potatoes have browned as you like them, remove from oven and place on a paper towel to drain the excess oil. Serve warm, but be careful that you don't eat them strait from the oven or you may burn your mouth!

Once you have learned to make roast potatoes, you can modify the recipe to create different versions. For example, changing the oil to a goose fat or the drippings from a roast will change the flavor. Try adding different herbs or spices. Roast the potatoes in olive oil and add fresh rosemary. I like using vegetable oil, salt and pepper and adding carrots that have been cut into large chunks. The possibilities are endless!

Click here for the Printable Recipe at Tasty Kitchen.

Pumpkin Hearts Chocolate

 

I can't help myself!! I can't stop making this Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread. It is amazing! I could remind you how much I love Pumpkin and Chocolate together, or you could just go here. Make this a few days ahead of Thanksgiving and wrap in cling wrap until ready to eat. I think it is best served a little warm so the chocolate is a little soft. Mmmmm, I'm salivating just thinking about it.

Just look at it! It's calling out to you!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Original Recipe Found

Here at Make It Do

 

Ingredients:

3-1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour

2 teaspoons Cinnamon

2 teaspoons Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1-1/2 teaspoon Salt

2-2/3 cups Sugar

2/3 cup Softened Butter

4 Eggs

1 pound Mashed Pumpkin

2/3 cups Water

1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (I actually used a whole 11.5 ounce bag of chips)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Sift together dry ingredients and set aside. Cream sugar and butter until well incorporated. Add eggs one at a time and then add the mashed pumpkin. Alternate adding dry ingredients with water. Fold in chocolate chips.

Pour into two large greased bread pans and bake at 325 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Taco Soup

It's cold and rainy today. On a day like this I'd like to stay under my blanket instead of hanging out in the kitchen. That means it's time to pull out the crock pot and make Taco Soup. I've tried different versions of this soup, but I find this recipe that my friend Martha gave me to be the best.


Taco Soup

1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
2 cans Shoepeg corn
1 can Black beans
2 cans Kidney beans
2 cans Crushed tomatoes
1 package taco seasoning
1 package ranch dressing mix


Put all ingredients into a large pot, (do not drain cans.) Cook on high for 30 minutes, stirring often. Simmer until ready to serve.

OR...

Put all ingredients into crock pot, (do not drain cans.) Cook on low all day or on high for 5 hours. Stir often.

I think shredded cheddar cheese and corn chips are the best way to adorn this soup, but feel free to try crackers or cornbread too.

Foodbuzz Blog Awards
Take part in the foodbuzz blog awards by voting today!! Just click the link below to see the nominees. Some of my favorites are Bakerella, Cake Wrecks, and Iron Cupcake: Earth. Bakerella always has sweet ideas with great photos. Cake Wrecks gives readers a daily dose of wit and humor, not to mention hilarious cakes. And if you've been reading this blog you'll already be familiar with Iron Cupcake: Earth. Since it is a community effort, a win for Iron Cupcake: Earth is a win for all of us cupcake challengers too!
http://www.foodbuzz.com/blogs/1474529-announcing-the-foodbuzz-blog-awards-
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