Food Memories

Christmas Cooking

2011-12-24T07:29:00.000-08:00

Food is the reason for this blog -- making memories with family and friends around a shared, joyful experience. I am excited that holiday baking time is finally here. I love this time of year the most because of the warm, settled, happy feeling I get when cooking and baking with family. There is nothing like steaming up the kitchen with loved ones when it is cold and gray outside. Our family tends to slow things down a lot this time of year-- we have more patience for little fingers in ingredients, and we just enjoy each others company without the stress of deadlines, homework, sports etc.

I was going to scale way back this year (due to new baby and no sleep), but I would miss out on the fun of cooking with family -- so we have scaled back a little. We have settled on the following menu for Christmas Eve and Christmas:

Tonight -- Potato soup with homemade bread (my family cannot get enough of this simple bread recipe -- we eat it fresh from the oven with some fancy salted butter, and it is gone in minutes!). We usually have a seafood gumbo for Christmas Eve dinner, but we had that for Thanksgiving this year (thanks to Pa Pa Skipper), so we wanted something different.

Christmas Eve goodies: - we are making this orange chocolate chunk cake (I am so excited about this-- I love orange and chocolate combinations). We are making Christmas cookies (our tradition Boddhi loves to make these -- we have made them the past 3 years-- usually deliver some to meals on wheels recipients but not this year). We are also making peanut butter balls (not our traditional family recipe because I don't want to use paraffin wax -- but this one is very similar -- just a different chocolate coating).

Christmas brunch - We are having a simple breakfast of chocolate chip scones (recipe from The Art of Simple Food), bacon and eggs (I might do a frittata if I am up to it -- saw one with apple, bacon and cheddar that looks delicious).

Christmas dinner - We are making pan fried pork chops (similar to our fried chicken recipe), mashed potatoes, yeast rolls, and cabbage.

That is it I think. What are you guys making? Mom, Steph and Bob -- feel free to edit this post and add what you are making for the Holiday.

Will be thinking about you all (family on both sides) since we cannot be together this holiday. We love you and miss you.

Enjoy your Christmas in the kitchen with loved ones.

Posted by Stace

Crawfish Etouffee -- by Stace

2011-10-11T18:14:00.000-07:00

When Bob and I lived with my dad, he used to make us all kinds of Cajun comfort food -- gumbo, shrimp etouffee, fish couvillion (not to mention his everyday recipes that had a Cajun flare -- like spaghetti or hamburgers).

Occasionally it would be just Bob, Dad and I sharing a yummy meal together in our small dining room, but more often my Dad would invite a friend or two to share the meal (for Cajuns more =merrier). I love my Dad's cooking (love my mom's too when she cooks -- My Dad's Aunt Sylvia taught my mom to cook Cajun), and I always think of cooking as a social thing when I think of him. I can remember sitting at a bar stool watching him prepare a meal (it just came to him -- like with most Cajuns -- they don't need recipes). He would talk -- to himself and to me --while he cooked, adding a bit of this and dab of that until the smells coming from the pot made your mouth water in anticipation. As an adult, I have called him many times to ask a question about his roux or ingredients.

Right now I am 33.5 weeks into this last pregnancy of mine, and I feel like I can't get enough food. I am craving comfort foods -- meats and carbs, and I can't seem to get enough. I made a cabbage soup this weekend, and it was delicious, but I could have eaten the whole pot and not felt full (will post that recipe later).

So today I decided I wanted crawfish etouffee and french bread for dinner. I have never made etouffee, so I had to do a little research. I read about the history -- the different types (Creole and Cajun) and read more than a few recipes. Once I felt I had a good feel for the recipe, I called my Dad to run it by him (tomatoes or no tomatoes, butter or oil roux). Then I got to work -- adding my own flair and preferences. I am very pleased with the results (and so full I can't walk). There are many etouffee recipes out there and many philosophies about how it should be made -- follow your own instinct on that, but here is what I did:

I started a roux using grapeseed oil (this is the oil I had on hand. you could use vegetable or canola or whatever you like) and white flour (I think I used 1/2 cup of each and kept adding a little more flour until it was thick enough). If you have not made a roux before, you will need an iron skillet, a wooden spoon (preferably) and some uninterrupted time to stand over it (you can't leave a roux). You start on a medium to medium low heat (just keep an eye on the roux and you will be able to tell the right temp). You want to stir the flour and oil mixture slowly (it helps if you have a partner in the kitchen to stir while you prepare other things). It is also lots of fun to add music and a bottle of wine (to drink not to cook with --my dad always says you need a bottle of wine to make a roux -- by the time you are finished with the bottle, the roux will probably be done -- I of course had no wine with this batch as I am pregnant and my cooking partner was my 4-year-old).

(above) roux in the front and veggies simmering in the back

While my helper stirred the roux, I started the veggies in another iron skillet. I used the Cajun trinity (bell pepper, onion and celery) as well as my own trinity (onion, garlic and habanero). I put a little olive oil in the bottom of an iron skillet and let the vegetables cook until softened. Once the veggies were soft, I added my crawfish (about 1 pound) to the pot with the vegetables (along with a little salt) and let all of that simmer while I worked on the roux. You will want to start your white rice somewhere around now as well.

I let my roux brown until it was the color of a light milk chocolate (for gumbo I go all the way to dark, dark chocolate, but I felt the medium brown was good for the etouffee). I added the roux to the crawfish mixture and then used a bit of leftover broth to clean up the roux pan. I added the broth to the crawfish mixture as well -- and probably another cup of water. You want it to be the consistency of a stew -- not too thick or too thin, so keep adding liquid until it looks right to you.

I let the etouffee simmer on low for another 10-15 minutes to let all the flavors blend together. Season to your taste with salt, cayenne, white pepper or a cajun mix like slap ya mama. I only added a tiny, tiny bit of slap ya mama because the habaneros bring enough heat of their own.

Then I poured it over a scoop of white rice and added a piece of this delicious, homemade french loaf.

french loaves rising

What you need:

1 pound crawfish tails - they had some in the seafood freezer at HEB -- pricey but worth it. I have also had luck in the past with small Hispanic groceries carrying frozen tails for A LOT cheaper.

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow or white onion

2 stalks of celery

3-4 cloves garlic

2 habanero peppers (these grow really well in Texas and you can also find them at your local Hispanic grocery store).

1 bunch of chopped green onions to add right before serving

salt (to your preference)

cayenne pepper or a cajun mix like slap ya mama (you only need a sprinkling if you use habaneros in your recipe)

1/2 cup white flour (for roux)

1/2 cup oil (for roux)

cooked white rice

and a french loaf (if you like them).

I can't wait for leftovers tomorrow :)

Enjoy!

--posted by Stace

Smoothies by Stace

2011-07-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

This summer has made me a smoothie lover. I cannot get enough of them. Dustin has been making them for Boddhi -- as a quick, nutritious meal he loves to eat -- since he was very small, and Mike has been making them as an after school snack regularly, but I have never really been that interested in them until now (maybe it is a pregnancy thing). I love having them for breakfast or even as a mid-afternoon snack.

Here is what I am putting in my smoothies lately:

I use the magic bullet processor (comes with lots of different cups so each person can prepare their own smoothie while they wait).

I bought a bunch of organic frozen fruits (to use instead of ice) -- strawberries, peaches, mangoes, blueberries, but I enjoy using the strawberries the most.

For example this morning I used a half banana, 4 frozen strawberries, 1 T honey, 2 scoops of organic, whole milk yogurt, and filled the rest of the cup with raw milk. The result was a perfect blend of creamy, fruity sweetness. Boddhi wanted the same thing with added oranges (yuck!), but I obliged. He loved it and nearly drank the whole thing.

Dustin has used chocolate chips in Bo's (as a substitute for an ice cream treat), and he usually uses no sweetener. If you use 1 whole, ripe banana you really don't need the honey. Boddhi loves to help out -- chopping the fruit and putting it all in the cup.

Dustin really wants a juicer, and he says he would be more inclined to eat more green vegetables if he could juice them. This would allow us to make green smoothies (which I am very interested in) -- adding kale, spinach or carrots to our smoothies. No one around here eats enough vegetables, so I am all for the idea (just have to find one at a reasonable price).

I know Bob makes smoothies all the time too. Maybe she would be willing to add her favorite combinations to this post? Feel free to chime in Mom or Steph?

And to our (few) readers: what do you like to put in your smoothies?

10/09/2011 - Edited to add: We have been making different (superfoodish) smoothies lately. My favorite flavor combination is:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Super Smoothie

1 frozen banana
4 frozen strawberries
2 scoops whole, plain yogurt
1 heaping Tablespoon of raw organic cacao powder
1 heaping Tablespoon of coconut oil
1 teaspoon royal jelly
1 Tablespoon peanut butter
enough raw milk to cover the ingredients

mix it all in the magic bullet or blender -- tastes like a yummy chocolaty treat!

Dude makes this breakfast smoothie every morning -- he calls it the "green monster" (vegan)

3 cups or so coconut milk (he makes his own -- will post a link to this recipe later)
2 frozen bananas
2 T raw. organic cacao powder
1 T bee pollen
1 T spirulina powder
1 T liquid chlorophyll
1 T Maca powder
1 T Hemp protein powder
handful of goji berries
handful of cashews

Blend all ingredients and enjoy :)

posted by Stace

Recipe Links by Stace

2011-07-20T08:57:00.001-07:00

Here are some great links I have been using lately:

Raspberry Ricotta Scones by Smitten Kitchen - I made these yesterday morning. OH SO YUMMY! I had mine with a cup of hot raspberry tea (great for pregnant women!).

Homemade Naan - Bobbie and I made this to take to the beach while on vacation. We whipped up some homemade hummus and made hummus sandwiches -- soooo good. We added greens and tomatoes to the hummus and rolled them up -- great beach food.

Fry Bread - I made this bread a few months ago because I had a craving for something savory. I cooked up some grass fed beef, homemade black beans and we made fry bread tacos ( I could only eat half of mine). We topped them with lettuce, tomato, cheese, salsa and whole milk yogurt.

Pita Bread - I am always on the look out for bread recipes. I hate store bought pita bread, naan and tortillas, so I love to experiment with new recipes at home. Saves money and tastes soooo much better than the processed kind. I used this recipe when I made hummus sandwiches for the family a while back. We stuffed the pita with hummus, added spinach, tomato, olive and topped with whole milk yogurt (with some dill mixed in).

posted by stace

Flour Tortillas - by Stace

2011-07-20T08:38:00.001-07:00

This is Bobbie's recipe (I will let her add origins, memories etc.). We have been using it for a while now as a super-easy way to make homemade tortillas. Boddhi cannot eat the store bought ones (and nor should we) because of the hydrogenated oils --[by the way did you know that eating hydrogenated oils and processed fats inhibits your body from absorbing good fats that your brain needs to function?].

This recipe is so quick -- you can have yummy homemade tortillas cooking in a matter of minutes. Dude and I have also used this recipe to make chimichangas. We just par cook the tortillas, then add the ingredients, seal the dough and fry (yummy!).

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup oil

Mix dry ingredients together, then add the oil and water. Knead until they come together. Then pull off small bits of dough and roll into balls. Use a rolling pin to roll out the tortillas on a floured surface. Heat on each side in an hot skillet (I prefer iron) and enjoy! This recipe makes 6 tortillas.

posted by stace

Chicken a la Jovan

2011-01-26T15:13:00.000-08:00

I thought I would post one of my favorite Jovan recipes. It is very delicious. It's kind of a chicken stew, but the sauce made with white wine and heavy cream. Very delicious.

Ingredients:

chicken (we use thighs, with or without bone)
3 small potatoes
3 carrots
fresh green beans (cut in half)
3 cloves garlic
1 small onions
1 jalapeno
cooking wine (white) 1 small bottle
1/2 pint of heavy creamer or 1 cup of milk
add 1 small bottle of cooking wine and milk to a large cooking pot.
add onion, garlic, jalapeno and simmer
season according to your taste (salt, pepper, herbs, etc. - jovan puts a smidgen of curry as well)
cook chicken and season in a separate pot with olive oil and seasonings
add carrots, green beans and potatoes and let simmer until potatoes are cooked well.
slow simmer will taste better, but 1 hour will do.

Pizza Dough by Stace

2010-10-04T14:01:00.001-07:00

Friday night is the perfect night for pizza and movies.

Nothing beats a handmade pizza for bringing the family together around a project. One person rolls out dough while the others chop and grate. Then everyone gets to sit down together to watch a movie.

I started pizza / movie night originally as a way to limit tv time during the week. Whenever Boddhi asked me if he could watch a movie, I would just say "on movie night you can." Then watching movies became something special (and rare) and not just a way to get him out of my hair.

I have tried a few different dough recipes, but my favorite for flavor and texture comes from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters. I usually double this recipe for my family -- then we make half the pizzas and freeze the rest of the dough for the next week (then I don't have to make dough every week).

Pizza Dough

Stir together

2 tsp dry yeast

1/2 cup lukewarm water

Add and mix well

1/4 cup unbleached white flour
1/4 cup rye flour

Allow this to sit until bubbly (about 30 min)
Mix together in another bowl:

3 1/4 cup unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon salt

Stir this into the yeast and flour mixture with

3/4 cup cold water
1/4 cup olive oil

Mix by hand or in electric mixer with dough hook. Dough should be soft and elastic -- soft and slightly sticky. Put the dough in a large bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until it doubles in size (about 2 hours).

Divide dough into 2 (or 3 if you like think like me) and form into nice smooth balls. Allow the dough balls to rest wrapped loosely in plastic for an hour or so. Flatten each ball into a disk about 5 or 6 inches, flour lightly, cover and let rest for another 15 min. Place a baking stone on the lowest rack i the oven(remove other racks for easy access) Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Gently stretch one of the disks into a round about 10 inches across. Put on a floured peel or an inverted baking sheet. Brush dough with olive oil and, leaving a 1/2 inch border uncovered, top with your choice of ingredients.

We like hamburger pizza (grass fed ground meat cooked with habanero peppers from the garden) and also veggie pizza with spinach, purple onion, tomato, olives and feta cheese. Boddhi prefers plain cheese, and the girls eat just pepperoni.

Enjoy your pizza :)

Posted by Stace

Black Bean and Cheese Enchiladas by Bob

2010-09-14T05:34:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Stacey's recent veggie post I decided to try something veggie myself. Since we are broke, and I also want to buy meats from local farmers I have been trying to convince Jovan we should cut back on meat. This hasn't been easy, but the best way to do it is just cook the meal!! He really liked it but did say "just a little chicken added and it would be perfect." With a sly grin on his face.

Here it goes:

1 pkg dry black beans (seasoned to taste)
1 can of corn (or fresh/frozen corn)
1 block cheddar cheese (i only used half but the more cheese the better)
1 onion
1 green pepper
1 jalapeno
1 tomato
2 cloves garlic
corn tortillas
enchillada sauce

Cook the black beans early, and season them to taste. I added salt, pepper, cumin, bean seasoning and taco seasoning. Also threw in a couple of whole garlic cloves crushed. When black beans are about done add the corn. In a separate pan saute onion, green pepper, jalapeno, tomato and garlic in a pan. Add this to your black beans.
Begin cooking corn tortillas (as Steph says in a previous post it helps to but a couple of drops of water on them). Fill each tortilla with cheese and them bean mixture and line the bottom of a pan. Sprinkle cheese on top and add enchilada sauce. I used a green enchilada sauce from a jar. It had fewer unidentifiable ingredients in it that the canned ones. Bake on 350 until cheese is melted.
It was yummy :) Jovan clearly liked it since he at about 8 enchiladas. I had two and was stuffed!

Vegetarian Recipe Links -- by Stace

2010-09-08T12:59:00.000-07:00

We have been eating vegetarian meals on weekdays for about two weeks. We tend to eat a lot of our meat on the weekends, so it has made sense to try and find new ways to prepare veggies and beans for during the week.

We only order 5 lbs of local grassfed beef per month, but lately it seems like we buy other easy things like hot dogs if we are too busy to cook. We do not want to spend money on bad meat from the grocery store, so we are trying to find inexpensive, healthy veggie meals for weeknight dinner.

Here are the recipes I am using this week:

Monday: Egyptian Edamame Stew (went over well -- Boddhi did not eat it, but I saved him some brown rice and edamame without the other stuff, and he gobbled it up)
Tuesday: Bean Bolognese (yummy! I was pleasantly surprised with this recipe. It really tastes like a rich pasta dish, and it has no meat - I was full all night -- did not even need a midnight snack. I gave Boddhi some pasta with plain beans, and he enjoyed that).
Wednesday: Creamy Avacado and White Bean Wrap (I will let you know how it turns out, but I am really looking forward to this one!)
Thursday: Eggplant, Mushroom Tomato Casserole (not so excited about this, but I have been wanting to try an eggplant recipe - will let you know).
Friday: Homemade pizza (this one is always a hit with everyone. We use the pizza dough recipe from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters and the kids have fun rolling out the dough and creating their own individual pizza. We do use some of our grassfed beef for the pizzas on occasion, cooked with habanero peppers from the garden --so yummy).

I have also found that if I force myself to commit to a menu plan, I spend so much less at the grocery store. I just buy what I need for my recipes (plus fruit, bread etc.), and I am all set for the week. Weekends are usually casual and unplanned -- I am trying to let Dude and the girls take over on cooking and cleaning during the weekend since they really do not have a lot of time to help during the week, and I end up cleaning up after them all (which is not my job just because I am at home!).

What works for your family?

--posted by Stace

Bailey's Candy Cane Hot Chocolate - Mama Katie

2010-06-03T09:10:00.000-07:00

Great drink to warm you up in the winter.

Ingredients:

2 pkgs Hot Chocolate Mix (add water or milk)
1/2 shot Bailey's Irish Creme
1/2 shot Rumple Minze (peppermint)

Or just add a shot of Bailey's to flavored coffee or hot chocolate.

Baked French Toast Casserole w/Maple Syrup - by Mama Katie

2010-06-03T08:24:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe that a friend gave to me from work. It was one of the dishes that was shared at our birthday breakfast. I think it was one of Paula Dean's recipes but with a few minor changes.

Ingredients:

1 loaf French Bread (13 to 16 ounces)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline Topping, recipe follows
Maple Syrup

Directions:

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9x13 inch baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. (I do not leave overnight because it makes it soggy to me. I just prepare it 30-40 minutes ahead).

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread Praline Topping (recipe below) evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with Maple syrup.

Praline Topping:

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.

Grilled Chicken Salad - by Mama Katie

2010-06-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

Food Memories: Not many yet. This is a new dish that I first made in the summer of 09. I just started putting things together that sounded good to me. I am sure you could change it up with other ingredients. I think the grilled chicken (Papa Leo's special) makes a big difference in the taste.

The measurements below are just a guesstimate. I usually don't measure anything.

Ingredients:

2 very large chicken breast (seasoned with Tony's Creole Seas. & grilled prev. - adds a hint of spice to the chicken)
2 Fuji or any sweet apples chopped with peelings on
Grapes (small sweet)
Dried Cranberries
Walnuts (chopped chunky)

Dressing is just mayonaise or miracle whip (light coating). Just until it kind of sticks together. Add grapes, cranberries & walnuts to taste.

When Leo grills, he usually grills extra and we freeze it and take it out as we want.

Pasta with Asparagus -- by Stace

2010-06-03T07:17:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1lb Asparagus (or more depending on your taste)
3 (or more) cloves of garlic (chopped)
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lb fettuccine pasta

boil water for noodles
cook noodles, drain and set aside
Heat olive oil
add garlic and pine nuts
stir until toasted
add asparagus and cook until tender (not too tender)
add oil, asparagus, pine nuts and garlic to the noodles (add salt to taste as needed)
toss all ingredients together and serve

Great summer dish!

Hot Cocoa - By Stace (snow day food 1 of 5)

2010-02-23T14:54:00.001-08:00

We had a snow day today, and we made lots of warm goodies to eat.

When I heard the girls were coming home early, I knew I wanted to have some hot cocoa ready. The last dreary weather day we had, I concocted some cocoa out of a few ingredients I had on hand and had it waiting for the girls when they came home. They were grouches when they walked in the door but all smiles and giggles when they saw the cocoa with whipped cream and sprinkles.

I started with a stainless steel bowl of dark chocolate chips over a pot of boiling water.

When the chips melted, I poured in half and half, sugar and a little coconut oil (tip from a blog and I cannot remember which one now). I whisked this slowly letting the heat rise (but not boil). I just kept adding sugar and milk to taste.
This is a thick, rich cocoa (it is like drinking a chocolate bar!). My teens loved it, but could not finish the whole cup (fill cups about 1/2 full and add whipped cream and sprinkles).

For the whipped cream -- we bought a carton of heavy whipping cream, added sugar (to taste) to that and whipped it in the stand mixer until it looked pretty.

Enjoy!

ingredients:
1/2 package dark chocolate chips
1 cup (about) half and half
4 T sugar (about)
1 t coconut oil

melt chips, add half and half, sugar and oil
whisk slowly over boiling water
test heat occasionally (do not let cocoa boil)
serve with whipped cream and sprinkles.

Dessert Crepes -- by Steph

2010-02-02T07:04:00.000-08:00

3 Eggs
1/2t salt
1 1/4 c flour
2 cups milk
1T sugar
2t vanilla
2T melted butter

Combine eggs and salt

mix in flour and milk alternating a little at a time. Next sugar vanilla and butter. Mix until smooth.

Refrigerate an hour or more
stir before cooking

Cook in a small fry pan. Just the size you want the crepe to be.

We have to double the batch for our family 2 have about 2 apiece with a few left over

Smear with nutella, whipped cream, bananas, strawberries or ice cream is good too.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal -- by Steph

2010-02-02T06:51:00.000-08:00

Made this and the kids love it! Easy and Yummy. This makes a lot of oatmeal serves about 7.

3 Cups Apple juice
3Cups Water
3 Cups oats
1/2 t cinn
2 t lemon juice to balance the apple juice
Sprinkle of salt
Mix these ingredients and
Cook until firming up and ready.

Stir in 1/4 c sugar
1/4 c butter

Serve

Homemade Yogurt and Granola - by Bob

2010-02-02T05:36:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago Jovan requested some granola. He loves it, but it's kind of expensive at the store so I said, "I think I will try to make some." It is so good! After making that a friend told me she had been making her own yogurt so I thought I would give that a try and mix them up. I'm eating it right now and wanted to post this new masterpiece on our blog :) Hope others enjoy it too! The yogurt I made is plain but if you want sweet you can just add some maple syrup/vanilla or anything else you want. We use ours as a sour cream substitute and I like it with the granola since it's sweet enough.

Granola recipe

1 container of oatmeal ( 6 c - not quick or instant)
2 c mixed nuts and seeds (sunflower, sesame, chopped walnuts, pecans, almonds or cashews)
1 c dried unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)
1tsp ground cinnamon (or to taste)
dash salt
1/2 to 1 c honey or maple syrup, or to taste
1 cup raisins or dried fruit

Preheat oven to 350. Combine oats, nuts, seeds, coconut, cinnamon, salt and sweetener in a bowl. Place on a sheet pan and place in oven. Bake for 30 min, or a little longer, stirring occasionally. Stir occasionally. Mixture should brown evenly. The browner it gets (without burning) the crunchier it will be.

Remove from pan and add dried fruit. Cool on rack stirring once in a while till it reaches room temperature. Transfer to sealed container and store. It will keep indefinitely.

Plain yogurt

1 quart milk (whole, lowfat, skim)
1/4 c commercial, unflavored yogurt
2 to 4 tbs sugar or honey (optional)
add milk powder for thicker yogurt

Place cold pasteurized milk in top of a double boiler. stir in sweetener if desired. Heat milk 180-200 degrees, stirring and hold for 10 minutes. Do not boil!
Place pot in cold water to cool rapidly to 112 degrees. Add commercial yogurt to mix. Pour into clean hot containers (mason jars) and place in incubator for 7-12 hours. Refrigerate immediately.

Incubation method I used. Cooler full of hot water.

Hot Fudge Sauce -- by Steph

2010-01-26T10:09:00.000-08:00

I should have posted this earlier. Oh soooo good I could eat it with a spoon. But it is intended for Ice cream topping. maybe it is cheaper than in the jar but definitely better too. Great for Family Home Evening.

3/4 cup semisweet choc chips
1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
5 oz can (2/3 cup) evaporated Milk ( yes really Evaporated NOT condensed)

In heavy saucepan melt the chocolate and butter. Add sugar; gradually stir in evaporated milk. Bring mixture to boil; reduce heat. Boil gently over low heat for 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove pan from heat. cool slightly. Makes 1 1/2 cups sauce ( I usually double it and refrigerate. When reheating heat only the part you will use or It will become grainy)

Best Ever Sauce -- by Steph

2010-01-26T07:19:00.001-08:00

To be served with Pumpkin Pudding Recipe.

1/2 c butter
1c sugar
1/2 heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
dash nutmeg

Heat on low heat all but vanilla and nutmeg for 12-15 min until slightly thickened. Do not boil.
Add vanilla and nutmeg.

Pumpkin Pudding -- by Steph

2010-01-26T07:14:00.000-08:00

Another Chesley recipe. I havent tried this one but I am going to as soon as I can. Also served with "Best ever Sauce" recipe

1-1/2 c flour
1/2c c brown sugar
1/2 c Sugar
1tsp baking soda
1tsp cinn
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/3 c butter
1C pumpkin
1 egg
2/3 c buttermilk

Combine: beat 2 min pour into lightlty greased small casserole dish. Pour boiling water in big pan put casserole dish in big pan(with boiling water). Bake 50-60 min 350 F

Apple Syrup -- by Steph

2010-01-26T07:10:00.001-08:00

We had this recipe while staying at the Chesley's
We all loved it on our pancakes. We are having it tonight on moms homemade waffles except make with brown rice flour.

1Cup sugar
2T corn starch
2tsp cinnamon
2C apple juice
2T lemon juice
1/4 c Butter

In sauce pan combine first 5 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted. Serve over pancakes, waffles, cake, ice cream etc....

Shepherd's Pie -- by Stace

2010-01-19T18:24:00.000-08:00

There was no special occasion, holiday or memory attached to this recipe (yet). I just had about 8lbs of potatoes growing impatient in my pantry, so I needed a recipe that would use a lot of potatoes.

I searched the Internet for potatoes and meat and found some great recipes. I took a few and changed them according to the ingredients I had at the house (because I was too lazy to go to the store).

Here is what I came up with:

Pototoes:
I used about 5 lbs of potatoes for this.
Chop potatoes into cubes and boil until tender
Drain potatoes
add 2-4 egg yolks (depending on how many potatoes you use), milk, butter, plain yogurt, salt, pepper and nutmeg to the potatoes and mash.
Some of the recipes called for sour cream or cream cheese or heavy cream -- but I used what I had, and I liked the result.

Meat mixture:
1.5 lbs ground meat
2 cloves of garlic
1 onion
1 bag frozen peas
1/2 bag mixed veggies (carrots, green beans, peas and corn is what I had)
chicken broth
roux (4 T butter 4T flour)

pour 2 T olive oil into skillet and cook chopped onion and garlic until onion is translucent.
add ground meat and brown
add salt and your preferred seasonings to taste (I used a bit of Tony Chachere's).
add vegetables and 2-3 cups (about) chicken broth
let cook until veggies are somewhat tender
add roux until mixture thickens

Pour meat mixture into a casserole dish
Cover the meat mixture with the potatoes
Place in preheated oven (350 degrees) and bake for 15-20 minutes (until potatoes begin to brown on top).

Everyone loved this dish (except Boddhi who called it yucky). We ate over half the pan, and still put away 4 servings for lunches (which we finished off today).

This is a hearty dish (so filling) that uses meat, potatoes and veggies. This will definitely be a comfort food recipe that I use from now on. I intended to take a picture, but we ate it so quickly that it was not pretty anymore. Here is a picture I found while searching for recipes though (I wanted you to see what it looks like when done).

Enjoy!

-posted by Stace

Fried Chicken Dinner -- by Stace

2009-12-31T09:43:00.001-08:00

I have been perfecting this recipe off and on since Michaela was born. I made my first fried chicken dinner for a family friend when Michaela was a tiny baby. When I was pregnant with Boddhi, we started making this recipe often, and even though we have not made it in awhile, Michaela had been requesting it regularly for her birthday dinners. She LOVES it, and can eat a ton. I made it this year for her birthday, and we sat down and ate it on my grandmother's fancy china. It was fun, and I have a picture I will share at the end of the post.

Double Battered Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

chicken tenders (we like boneless, skinless chicken)
flour (fill a gallon ziploc bag 1/4 of the way full with flour)
seasonings (season the flour to your taste -- we use Slap Ya Mama or Tony Chachere's seasoning -- and I add a lot to the flour).
milk -- pour some into a bowl
add eggs (about 2 -- add to milk and beat)
oil (we use organic sunflower or organic canola) -- pour oil into iron skillet (covering bottom of pan --about 1/2 inch high) and heat on medium heat (test it with some batter and see if it sizzles)
jalapenos -- chop jalapenos and add to oil (seeds and all) -- this adds a nice flavor to the chicken (it does not make it too spicy though)

I dip the chicken tenders into the milk and egg mixture once then throw them into the bag of flour and seasonings. I shake them around and then put the chicken back into the milk and egg mixture and then back into the flour mixture. After they are coated in flour, I place them gently into the hot oil (you do not want the oil too high or too low -- the chicken should fry gently and steadily). Turn the chicken over when it is crisp and lightly brown on one side. Fry it until golden brown on both sides -- then place gently on a plate covered in a paper towel.

Cream Gravy -- After you fry all the chicken, turn your oil down to low heat and add some flour to the oil, stir slowly while the flour absorbs the oil and browns a bit. Add milk to the mixture until it is the right consistency (we like ours a little thick -- but keep adding milk to thin the gravy according to your taste). I add salt and a little seasoning.

Mashed Potatoes:
wash and cut organic potatoes (we have used organic red, but recently we used organic russet-- we leave the skin on ours, but you can remove them if you prefer). Organic is important for potatoes as they tend to absorb a great deal of the chemicals and pesticides used on them.
put them in a pan to boil
boil until tender (falling apart)
mash with butter and milk
add salt to taste

We also make yeast rolls and broccoli with this meal.
Enjoy!

Posted by Stace

Apple pie -- by Bob

2009-12-20T18:52:00.000-08:00

We had a pretty crazy snow day these last two days. I don't know what it is about snow that makes you want to bake, but I decided to make an apple pie. First I had to trek down to the grocery store (about 12 blocks) in the snow. It was well worth it because I saw some pretty fantastic things.

Here is our street for one. 23 inches of snow in Philadelphia!

A rather tall, slender snowman in Clark Park.

And yes, a woman cross country skiing on a Philadelphia sidewalk.
You just never know what your going to see in Philly :)

Back to the original reason for this post however, Apple Pie!
I called up Jovan's mom, Edie, for a recipe. She had made a delicious apple pie for us last year when we visited at Christmas. No answer from her, so I called up Leo, who also made one of the best apple pie's I've ever tasted (at our Thanksgiving feast). Leo informs me that his recipe is straight off the Pilsbury pie crust package. Well, wondering if I would be able to find that exactly I waited to hear back from Edie. She called me back and guess what? Her recipe is straight of the Pilsbury package! Guess it's not so much a family recipe but it sure is delicious. Therefore I thought I would share it here.

Tonight Jovan and I made this pie together. Afterward we made the chicken enchiladas straight from this blog. Delicious!
Needless to say I did not find the exact Pilsbury recipe that Leo and Edie used. Thankfully Edie had written it down, so here it goes.

6 c of thinly sliced granny smith apples
3/4 c sugar (I used turbanado sugar and mixed in a little brown, i also used a little less than required)
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 T lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine all above ingredients and put in the Pilsbury pie crust (added some butter pieces to the mix). Cover the top with a second pie crust, and add your design (slits in the top). Bake for 40-45 min. If edges begin to get to dark or burn cover them with foil.
Side note, I bought a smaller pie crust. For this one I recommend getting the biggest one out there. We have lots of apples left over and will have to get another crust to make a second pie.
It turned out delicious! Add some vanilla ice cream to the side and you've got the perfect dessert. Sorry we don't have bluebell around here, but if you do you are better off!

Update: November 24, 2010
Made it again this year. Pie crust from scratch after looking at the ingredients in the store bought pie crust.

Perfect Pie Crust Recipe

Ingredients

All Butter Crust for Sweet and Savory Pies (Pâte Brisée)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
6 to 8 Tbsp ice water

Method

1 Cut the sticks of butter into 1/2-inch cubes and place in the freezer for 15 minutes to an hour (the longer the better) so that they become thoroughly chilled.

Dough is ready to shape.

2 Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor; pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse 6 to 8 times, until mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add ice water 1 Tbsp at a time, pulsing until mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it's ready. If the dough doesn't hold together, add a little more water and pulse again.

3 Remove dough from machine and place in a mound on a clean surface. Gently shape into 2 discs. Knead the dough just enough to form the discs, do not over-knead. You should be able to see little bits of butter in the dough. These small chunks of butter are what will allow the resulting crust to be flaky. Sprinkle a little flour around the discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days.

4 Remove one crust disk from the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes in order to soften just enough to make rolling out a bit easier. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch circle; about 1/8 of an inch thick. As you roll out the dough, check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. If necessary, add a few sprinkles of flour under the dough to keep the dough from sticking. Carefully place onto a 9-inch pie plate. Gently press the pie dough down so that it lines the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Use a pair of kitchen scissors to trim the dough to within 1/2 inch of the edge of the pie dish.

5 Add filling to the pie.

6 Roll out second disk of dough, as before. Gently place onto the top of the filling in the pie. Pinch top and bottom of dough rounds firmly together. Trim excess dough with kitchen shears, leaving a 3/4 inch overhang. Fold the edge of the top piece of dough over and under the edge of the bottom piece of dough, pressing together. Flute edges using thumb and forefinger or press with a fork. Score the top of the pie with four 2-inch long cuts, so that steam from the cooking pie can escape.

posted by Bob

Recipe link: Potato Soup - by Stace

2009-12-16T09:22:00.000-08:00

I have been searching for a good potato soup recipe, and I think I am going to try this one tonight -- the smoked Gouda hooked me. It is so cold, and we need a hearty, warm soup. We are putting up our Christmas lights today, trying to get our house in order, preparing for some serious holiday baking this weekend.

Here are the notes I took from the video (in case it gets deleted)

Ingredients:
1 T dried basil
½ stick of butter
2 cups shredded smoked Gouda
6 small diced potatoes
2 carrots
2 celery sticks
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 cups heavy cream
6 cups ck broth
roux (4 T butter 4T flour)

in a stock pot on med high melt butter down
add celery onion and carrot
cook until onions are translucent
add basil
add garlic
stir for 3 minutes
add potatoes
stir for 3 minutes
pour in ck broth
boil for 20 min
add roux and whisk (1 T at a time and whisk)
let it cook until thickened
then whisk in half and half
simmer 20 min
stir in cheese
melt it down, slowly stirring cheese in
sprinkle with cracked pepper when served

edited to add:
We made this for our Christmas movie marathon night -- it was so much fun. Lydia chopped celery, Michaela chopped onions, and I chopped carrots; we sat at the table chopping and talking -- enjoying each others company. Then we all sat down to a DELICIOUS and filling soup (with rosemary sourdough bread). Afterward we watched Charlie Brown Christmas, Santa Claus is Comin' to Town and The Cricket on the Hearth -- with a warm cup of hot cocoa. This is one of my favorite Christmas memories from this year.

posted by Stace

Corn Bread Dressing by Stace

2009-11-26T07:58:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving all!

Mama Katie, Papa Leo, Bob & Jovan, Lauren and my family are together for Thanksgiving this year (but sadly missing our sister Steph). Bob and I are are sitting at the kitchen table while Mama Katie runs around frantically preparing corn bread dressing and Papa Leo is calmly preparing the turkey.

I did manage to get out of my chair long enough to retrieve my mom's recipe box from the top shelf of the pantry, so I am posting her yummy corn bread dressing recipe.

I will paraphrase her memories about this dish while she cooks it.

Mama Katie says: It was my first Thanksgiving as a new mother, and I did not know how to cook. My mother-in-law and her sister, (Cajun Queens of cooking) were slowly educating me, offering me recipes and tutoring me to make things like beans and rice, gumbo, homemade biscuits, chicken & dumplings and Thanksgiving dishes for my new, tiny family.

The first time I prepared this, I added a whole chicken. You can add a lot of meat to this recipe and make it a meal in itself. I brought my offering of dressing to the big family Thanksgiving, and it was a hit! (which encouraged me to make it again and again). This has been a Thanksgiving tradition for our family since that first Thanksgiving over 35 years ago.

Stacey adds: This is one of the only dishes my mother prepares at Thanksgiving anymore. Papa Leo usually prepares most of the meal, dishing up tender turkey, sweet and bacony green bean wraps, smooth homemade mashed potatoes, sliced and baked sweet potatoes, fresh from his garden carrots, and homemade cranberry sauce.

Stacey says: This dressing is amazing, much better than the stove top I made and took to church on Sunday :(

Enjoy this time with your family. We are thankful that we have time to be together, time away from the everyday schedules, pressures and stress -- to relax, tease each other and enjoy good food together.

Recipe for corn bread dressing (feeds 10-12):

Ingredients:
-- 2 9x11 pans of cornbread (we used a mix today but my mom usually makes it from scratch). Here is a corn bread recipe from the web in case you need one.

--turkey giblets (whatever comes in your turkey)

--8 stalks of green onion (use all of them)

--6 stalks of celery (less or more depending on your preference)

--seasonings: sage (we have some fresh from Papa Leo's garden), garlic, onion, curry powder, red pepper, pepper and paprika, a tiny bit of salt (to taste).

--4 or 5 chopped, boiled eggs

--almost 64 oz of chicken broth (to add moisture)

--Grandma Werth suggested oysters, but we have never used them in ours

Instructions:
Crumble the cornbread into a bowl and add chopped onions, celery and eggs. Pour chicken broth into the mixture (you want the texture to be wet not crumbly). Add finely chopped giblets. Add seasonings to taste. Place mixture into pans (either 2 9x11 pans or one 12x17 pan). Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown (moisture will have absorbed into the dressing).

--posted by Stace

Recipe Links - by Stace

2009-11-22T14:14:00.001-08:00

Here are links to some recipes I have used recently.

It is the season for soup, and I love soup for many reasons.

1- it is a good way to make a little meat go further
2-it can be yummy even when you have no meat
3-it is cheap (usually)
4-it warms the house and makes everyone feel cozy and at home

Today I made Wesley's 15-bean-soup (check out her Soup Sunday posts). I soaked the beans overnight, and then put everything in the crock-pot before we left for church, and it is ready now. We will have it tonight with whatever hard bread I can find at the grocery. This recipe made a lot of soup, and we will be eating it all week (yum!).

My sister is coming to town, and I am in the mood to make some banana bread, so I am headed to get some too-ripe bananas from the store.

Wesley's 15-bean soup

Southern Plate's Chicken Stew
This stew lasted a week, and we loved it. I made it on a Sunday, and we ate it with crackers. I ate it all week for lunch, and the five of us still made two more dinners out of it, one with some delicious garlic breadsticks.

I made our Chicken Tortilla Soup for friends on Friday night, and we still have a little of this left over. I will make up some dishes for the girls to take to school and freeze the rest tonight.

What are you cooking?

New Blog Design

2009-08-07T21:40:00.000-07:00

I had to change the blog design because our old one lost its images; I guess they stopped hosting them on that site.

--posted by Stace

Tuna Pasta Salad by Stace (getting the ball rolling again)

2009-08-07T20:12:00.000-07:00

I miss this blog! So I am posting some yummy summer recipes (this may be my only one. I need to try out some more) to get us going again. Life took over for a while, but I do enjoy sharing these memories, and I want to start adding to them again.

This is a great summer dish - easy, quick and delicious. Dude and I started making this in our apartment in McKinney, the year we were married, the same year I was completing my student teaching and he was searching for a steady job to help support us. It was a lean year (understatement) and we needed some new ways to eat tuna fish!

We have tried this with many noodles over the years, but our favorite is the organic, veggie, spiral noodles we found at HEB recently (in the bulk section -- good price too...about 1.50 a pound). We have used spinach pasta with good results, and Target sells a looped, veggie pasta (name escapes me right now) that is pretty good too. I have never actually measured the mayo or miracle whip or other ingredients. The following measurements are estimates. You just add until it looks moist and tastes good.

Ingredients:
16 oz Tuna (canned or vac-pac)
1/2 cup Mayo
1/2 cup Miracle Whip
1 T dill relish (optional)
2 boiled eggs, chopped (optional)
16 oz of veggie pasta
3 T capers (optional)
3T chopped olives (optional)

Directions:

• boil water and cook pasta according to directions (al dente is best). Drain and set aside to cool.
• pound tuna with meat tenderizer (to get out those chunky pieces that clump together)
• add mayo, miracle whip, eggs and relish
• mix until moist
• add to cooled pasta and mix thoroughly
• add capers and olives and toss (or serve on the side so picky eaters do not have to pick them out)
• serve cold

Lyd (16) made this for us two nights ago, and it was delicious; she did a great job. This is the one meat dish that she would eat when she was going through her vegetarian phase. Bo (our toddler) even eats it (tons of it) even though he does not like tuna plain, so I guess it is a good way to get the kids to eat tuna, better than tuna casserole anyway. Enjoy! I would love to see some good summer recipes on here. Feel free to share.

Edited to Add - (07/21/2011) - Just made this for lunch today, and I used a combination of organic whole milk yogurt and a tiny bit of organic mayonnaise instead of the mayo/miracle whip mixture. I also have been using dried dill weed instead of relish (since Nicole suggested it). Boddhi cannot eat miracle whip or regular mayo, so we have had to tweak a few recipes. I may try to use all yogurt next time and see how it turns out. I intended (but have not yet) to try making my own mayo -- maybe another time.

posted by Stace

Baked Ziti - by Mama Katie

2008-12-04T06:54:00.000-08:00

Food Memories: This is a new recipe that Stace and Dude introduced to me. I love it and everyone I have shared it with loves it.

Ingredients:

1 Jalapeno pepper seeded (optional - the sauce is already spicy)
2 lbs. ground turkey or ground beef
2 jars Arriabiatta Sauce (from Target is the best)
Ziti pasta
large container of grated parmesan cheese
sliced or grated provolone cheese

Cook pasta and set aside. Brown the meat in a large pan. Add chopped jalapenos to taste. Add the jars of sauce. Stir in the amount of pasta that you prefer. I like it to still be a little saucy and not too dry.

Sprinkle the parmesan cheese in the bottom of a 9x11 baking dish. Add a layer of the pasta/sauce mixture, then a layer of parmesan and crumbled or grated provolone mixed. Repeat that step again. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees until cheese is melted and all is hot.

This freezes well and can be reheated in the microwave. May have to add a little water for moisture.

Green Bean Bundles - Grandpa Leo

2008-11-27T06:22:00.000-08:00

Food Memories: This recipe came from Lauren's grandmother (Faye Fields). It quickly became a favorite for the Bray's and was a part of their holiday meal every year.

Ingredients:

2 cans whole green beans (not cut)
garlic powder seasoning
brown sugar
butter
1 lb. bacon

Drain green beans and place in a large mixing bowl. Season to taste with garlic powder. Toss gently. Set aside.

Slice bacon strips in half. Wrap bacon around approximately a 1 inch bundle of green beans and place in a 9x13 inch baking pan. (usually use glass).

Melt 1 regular stick of butter in a sauce pan. When melted add brown sugar to taste (usually 2 to 3 tablespoons). When disolved, pour over green beans and bake in oven at 350 degrees until bacon is brown. If you overcook, green beans will shrivel.

Dirty Rice - Mamma Katie

2008-11-19T09:24:00.000-08:00

Food Memories: This is just something that I tried on my own and I would vary the ingredients from time to time.

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked rice
1 1/2 lb. ground meat or ground turkey (sometimes I would chop up a smoked turkey leg or two)
1 can creme of mushroom soup
green onions chopped to taste
onion seas.
garlic seas.
salt & pepper

Cook rice and set aside. Brown ground meat. Add to ground meat the onions and seasonings to desired taste. Put lid on and let onions tender over low fire. If excess grease cooks out of meat, take some off. After onions tender, add soup and cooked rice. Simmer for just a few minutes. Ready to eat. If after adding soup and rice it seems to dry, then you can add a little water.

Chicken Spaghetti - by Momma Katie

2008-11-19T08:42:00.000-08:00

Memories: I got this recipe from Donna Riley. I served it several times on Saturday or Sunday to the men that were helping to build our home in BC. I always loved it because it is sooo cheesy.

Cook chicken, de-bone and tear into pieces. Save broth and boil down to 2 cups. You will be adding the ingredients below to this broth. Also, cook spaghetti, drain and set aside.

Mix ingredients below into the 2 cups of broth that you saved and then add chicken pieces to the mixture:

1 can creme of mushroom soup
chopped onions
chopped green bell peppers (might be fun to try yellow or orange)
pimentos
chopped celery
3/4 of large jar of cheese whiz

Put spaghetti in 9x11 pan and put ingredients on top. Add remaining cheese whiz to the top.
Cook at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

This is an easy dish to take on the go and reheats very well. You could actually refrigerate it and bake it later.

Mississippi Mud - by Bob

2008-11-16T05:13:00.000-08:00

**Updated with recipe and pictures below.

Bob's food memory
I am going to gain from this more than I contribute. I don't seem to have records of any recipe's. Though I do have lots of food memories to share.
One of my all time favorite Grandma C recipe's is the Mississippi mud cake! It is like a combination of fudge brownie, chocolate cake, and smores. It has been years since I've had one of these, and I think it's time!
I wish I could remember the first time I tried this cake, because I am sure it was a special moment :) I always requested this cake for my birthday. I can remember a birthday party at the lake. Stace made me the cake and the whole family was there. After water skiing and swimming, the cake was a delicious treat!

Who has the recipe?

Updated by Stace.
Here is the recipe Bob (pictures are from the cake I made for Mom's birthday-- Happy Birthday Mom):
Gather your cake ingredients:
1/3 cup of cocoa
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 tsp soda
2 cups sugar
1/tsp salt
2 sticks melted butter
4 beaten egges
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups of pecans (or other nuts)
large marshmallows (or marshmallow creme)

Mix together dry ingredients:

add butter, eggs, vanilla and pecans

(I left out the pecans because my nieces and nephews don't like them)

Mix well

pour into greased 9x12 and cook for 45 min at 300 degrees

When cake is done, add marshmallows to top of hot cake and melt in oven for a few minutes (or top with marshmallow creme -- I prefer the toasted marshmallows).
When marshmallows are soft, spread them across cake (like icing) and allow to cool. When cake is completely cool, ice with this fudge icing.

1 box powdered sugar (16 oz)
1/3 cup cocoa
1 stick melted oleo (or butter)
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
mix until creamy and add to cake

Enjoy!

Peach Belini Recipe

2008-11-07T13:33:00.000-08:00

Very good for Brunch

Ingredients:

1 oz. Peach Schnapps
3 oz. Champagne
1 tbs Grenadine

Can mix larger quantities at a time

Perfect Margaritas - by Momma Katie

2008-11-07T12:32:00.000-08:00

This is one of the best Margaritas I have had. The recipe came from Charleston's Restaurant.

For 1 serving

1 oz. Grand Marnier
1 oz. Cointreau
2 oz. Tequila (1800 or better) I usually use Patron or Tres Generaciones
6 oz. Jose Cuervo Margarita mix (I have tried a few others that were not as good)

Pour each ingredient into the shaker. Add ice and then shake until cold and pour into martini or margarita glasses rimmed in salt. Garnish with olives.

To make just under a gallon at a time. Will keep a long time in the refrigerator.

10 oz. Grand Marnier
10 oz. Cointreau
20 oz. Tequila
60 oz. Jose Cuervo Margarita Mix (which is a 1.75 liter)

Beans and Rice Malawi Style - by Bob

2008-11-02T08:47:00.000-08:00

Finally posting this one.

Beans and rice was my favorite meal in Malawi. I could never get it quite as delicious as a Malawian could, but I did my best. I also really loved the beans with Nsima (staple food of Malawi), but I have not cooked that since I've been back.

For the beans:
1 bag of red kidney beans
1 onion
2-3 tomatoes
1 clove garlic
olive oil

I don't have any specific measurements for any of this, but I usually cook the beans with a significant amount of water. I prefer mine not too runny, but enough water to keep the moisture. Add salt to the beans, to taste.
Once the beans are nearing done (usually about 3 hours on the stove top) begin chopping onion and mincing garlic. Simmer in olive oil. Chop tomatoes and add to onions and garlic. Cook until tomatoes form a sauce. Add this sauce to your finished beans and stir in, cooking for about another 15 minutes.
I prefer my rice extra sticky, but prepare your rice the way you like it :)

Enjoy! And imagine cooking this on an open fire. If you want the full experience, go to your back yard, place three large stones in a circle (just far enough apart that a pot can sit on top of them. Gather some sticks and wood for your fire, and place between the stones, with the fire focused in the center. This cooks your beans much faster, but you will have to continually watch the water level, and keep your fire going for a couple of hours! Good luck with that part! :)

posted by Bob

Chicken and Dumplings - by Stace

2008-10-30T14:41:00.000-07:00

Mom made this for us on Monday...so comforting. Dad always said (still says) mom made the best chicken and dumplings he ever tasted.

Ingredients
1 whole chicken
green onions
celery
chicken bouillon cubes
salt and pepper

boil chicken in water and set aside to cool
add celery and onions to broth
along with 3-4 bouillon cubes
tear chicken apart and add back to broth

Make buttermilk biscuit recipe. Roll dough and cut into thin squares.

Add dough squares right before serving. Drop one or two in and let them float back to the top. Keep adding (but not too quickly or they will stick together).

Add more chicken broth if the dumplings absorb too much of the juice.

Enjoy! Very filling -- no crackers or bread needed.

Posted by Stace

Tamale Pie - by Steph

2008-10-24T07:10:00.001-07:00

A friend brought this to me as a frozen dinner when I had the twins. All our friends pulled together and brought meals to eat and some for the freezer. We so enjoyed trying new things and having good food when we were too busy and exhausted to make it.

1lb ground beef - cook and drain

1 15 oz can ranch style beans

1 14.5 can diced tomatoes

1 box jiffy cornbread mix

combine meat and beans and tomatoes, simmer to reduce extra liquid. Pour into 8by11 pan.

Mix package of cornbread according to the directions. Spoon over the top of bean and meat mixture. bake 400degree 20 minutes or so.

posted by Steph

Fettuccine - by Steph

2008-10-24T06:48:00.000-07:00

This is the Alfredo Fettuccine we had while you were visiting stace.

1/2 stick butter
1 pint half and half or cream
1/2 tsp garlic
Parmesan
broccoli(cooked)and/or chicken(cooked)
salt and pepper
1pkg noodles

Cook noodles.
Melt butter and garlic, saute (I add some flour 2T? to thicken the sauce and sometimes a couple Tbsp cream cheese). Mix in cheese. Add sauce to noodles; Add cream broccoli or chicken (or both) and salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

posted by Steph

Chicken Tortilla Soup - by Stace

2008-10-23T10:14:00.000-07:00

My husband and I invented this recipe at our first house in Fort Worth. We enjoyed cooking it together while listening to music and drinking wine. As our girls have gotten older, we have included them in the cooking; they enjoy "doing it themselves." This is a kid favorite that our girls request often. I hope to be able to make it with my grandchildren someday, sharing the stories of warmth and togetherness it brought to our blended family -- one of our first original traditions :)

Ingredients:
1 pound of trimmed chicken breasts
3 T olive oil
1 lg onion, chopped
1 jalapeño, chopped
1 box of organic chicken broth (32 oz)
4 T butter
1 can crushed organic tomatoes
1 can black refried beans
1 can whole black beans
1 or 2 cans Hatch red enchilada sauce
2 bags (32 oz) frozen corn
1 bag corn tortillas
16 oz Monterey Jack Cheese
1 large avocado

Directions:

• Sauté onion and jalepeno in saucepan (with olive oil)
• Add chicken and cook until tender. Set aside to cool
• While chicken is cooking, pour 1 box (32 oz) of broth into saucepan
• Let broth get hot, then add butter
• After butter melts, add crushed tomatoes
• Allow to simmer for a few minutes
• Add beans and Hatch sauce
• Add onion and jalepeno (from chicken pot)
• Add chicken (simmer 20 minutes)
• Add corn (simmer 30 minutes)
• Cut tortillas into strips and fry in oil
• Salt strips and place in bottom of soup bowls
• Top soup with Monterey jack cheese and avocado slices

Notes: You can use a whole chicken if you like. Boil it, set it aside to cool. Then remove skin and tear apart for soup. My husband has a thing about touching chicken while it is on the bone, so we usually use boneless, skinless chicken breast (so we don't gross him out).

01/26/2011 -- More Notes - I made this soup again last night, and I used a slightly different process. It was the best soup yet! I started with boiling a chicken (added sloppy slices of onion and carrot along with salt) in one pot. Then I melted butter in my dutch oven, added diced jalepenos and Serrano peppers (because we ran out of home grown habanero and that is what the grocery store had available). I let those cook for a minute or two, releasing the oils. Then I added fire-roasted crushed tomatoes. Next I took the broth right from the pot of chicken and added it to the dutch oven. I then added my other ingredients one by one. The soup was smoky and spicy -- just the way I like it, so I thought I would share...

posted by Stace

Mexican Casserole - by Steph

2008-10-23T08:44:00.001-07:00

Brown rice cooked
refried beans
sour cream
cottage cheese(optional)
cheddar cheese
corn tortillas
enchilada sauce

layer brown rice, beans, sour cream, cottage cheese, enchilada sauce (liberally), tortillas until you fill the pan. Cover with a heavy load of cheddar cheese. Put in over 350 or so until warmed through.

Cottage cheese is not my favorite. But in this recipe it is sooo good. It adds extra protein for a vegetarian meal. Everyone in our house likes this. That is nearly impossible.

posted by Steph

Chicken Enchilladas - by Steph

2008-10-23T08:21:00.001-07:00

This is a made up recipe and can be modified in all sorts of ways.

cut up breasts of chicken in bite size pieces.
onions
bell peppers
jalapenos or jalapeno cheese.
cream of mushroom soup
white cheese( mont jack or other)
cheddar cheese
Garlic
Enchillada sauce(optional)
Corn tortillas

Saute onions, peppers and chicken. stir in mushroom soup add Tony's or other seasoning, cheese cheese cheese.
I just taste it and change until I like it.

Corn tortillas bought at the store are usually dry and not so good. So, I put a small amount of water ( just drops) in the bottom of a hot non stick skillet. Then put one corn tortilla and heat through. This kind of moistens them. You may have to add more water when turning them over. Spoon a strip of chicken mixture in the middle of each warmed tortilla and roll up. I usually put them in a cake pan lined up. Then I cover them with the same chicken/cheese mixture, sprinkle on a bit more cheese and put stripes of enchilada sauce. Not all over just drizzled. I usually pop in the oven to melt cheese. These also freeze nicely in individual dishes for taking to work etc.

posted by: Steph

Bonnie Hart's Sugar Cookie Recipe - by Steph

2008-10-23T08:06:00.000-07:00

These are the ones I usually make for holidays and ice for gifts.
These are memories for my kids. We made these for Valentines, Easter, and for cookies on a stick gifts for favorite babysitters. The kids cut out, iced and ate. I have to make them today for a fall get together for the primary kids Saturday. That is why I am typing it now.

1C Butter
1C Sugar
1t soda mixed with 2T milk
1/2 t Baking Powder
1/8 t salt
1t vanilla
4C flour
2 eggs beaten

Directions,
first mix butter sugar eggs
then mix baking soda and milk together add along with all other wet ingredients
finally mix in flour

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours then roll out and cut out

bake at 350 degrees for 12-20 minutes depending on thickness. Experiment with different thickness to make soft or crunchier.

posted by Steph

Homemade Dinner Rolls - by Momma Katie (Aunt Priss)

2008-10-22T08:17:00.000-07:00

Momma Katie memories: I will never forget the smell of these rolls rising and baking in Aunt Priss's oven. After starting a warm fire in the fireplace, cooking breakfast (homemade biscuits, sausage, eggs and milk gravy), she would start the rolls so that they would be ready for dinner. She would even put 2 balls of dough side by side to make rolls that split down the middle for easy butter application.

Ingredients:

1 package dry yeast
1/2 tsp. sugar

Put into 1 cup of warm water and let stand for about 15 minutes.

Then add:

1 cup scalded milk
3 TBS. lard (haven't tried oil in it's place yet)
2 TBS. sugar
2 tsp. salt
5 cups flour

Let rise. (can't remember if you let it rise in bowl and make into rolls and rise again or just make into rolls and let rise) I do remember it is an all day process and needs to be in a warm area to rise.

Bake at 450 degrees. Makes about 4 dozen.

posted by: Momma Katie

Pumpkin Cake -- by Momma Katie (Aunt Priss)

2008-10-22T08:11:00.000-07:00

Good time of the year to try this out. It was good, but pumpkin wasn't my favorite.

Ingredients:

4 eggs
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 cups unseasoned pumpkins
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. soda
1 cup wesson oil (canola or olive oil would probably be good)

Beat eggs, add sugar and oil. Sift dry ingredients and add to egg mixture. Add pumpkin. Blend well. Pour into greased and floured tube pan (any pan would do, I think she cooked it in coffee cans) Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before removing from pan.

1 cup nuts and 1 cup raisins can be added.

posted by: Momma Katie

Fresh Apple Cake - by Momma Katie (Aunt Eileen)

2008-10-22T08:01:00.000-07:00

Momma Katie memories: Aunt Eileen was another person I learned some cooking tips from. This is a recipe I got from her when I was a young mother. Because it had fresh apples in it, I felt like I was feeding you healthy food. It is also very good sliced, heated and butter applied.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup corn oil (I am sure you could change that to canola or olive)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs

Mix well and add:

2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 cups flour
2 apples chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
1 cup nuts (optional)

Mix and pour into greased and floured cake pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

posted by: Momma Katie

Fig cake - by Momma Katie (Grandma (Mom) Collins)

2008-10-22T07:37:00.000-07:00

Momma Katie memories: I remember as a kid thinking 'Fig cake - gross', but was pleasantly surprised when I tried it. I would slice a piece, put it in a toaster oven to warm and then add butter to it. As a young wife, I would make this cake, an apple cake and banana bread; slice them into individual pieces and freeze them. I would put a different one in your dad's lunch everyday.

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sour milk (or 1/2 tsp vinegar to sweet milk)
1 tsp. soda (dissolved in the milk)
1 1/2 cup fig preserves (1 pint jar juice and all)
3 eggs
1 tsp. cinnamin
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup nuts (optional)

If you have sour milk, put the soda in cake mix. If not, mix milk, vinegar and soda before mixing cake so that it can rise.

Mix and bake at 350 degrees. Test several spots with a toothpick because the figs will make the toothpick come out gooey in places. Again, I don't seem to have the cooking time.

The fig preserves were picked at your Grandpa Werth's house and Mom Collins and I preserved them. The figs were still whole pieces and we would chop them up for the cake. I have found fig preserves like this at that barbeque place that is halfway between FW and BC.

posted by: Momma Katie

Old fashioned Sugar cookies - by Momma Katie (Grandma Lovell)

2008-10-22T07:27:00.000-07:00

Momma Katie memories: There was absolutely none better than Grandma Lovell's famous sugar cookies. She always seemed to know when someone was coming and made sure that she had plenty of freshly baked cookies in her cookie jar when we arrived. It made her smile when the first thing that we would do after getting our hugs was to head to the cookie jar. Yum, I can taste them now.

Ingredients:

2 sticks margarine (I bet butter would be even better)
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
4 cups flour
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mix ingredients, roll out and bake. After someone tries these, add the temperature and baking time. I can't believe that I did not have that on my recipe.

Posted by: Momma Katie

Stace edited to add: We made these for our Christmas Eve cookie delivery this year (2009), and I baked them at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes (the smaller shapes cook faster, so just keep an eye on them -- when they begin to brown around the edges, they are done.) We made so many cookies, and I even had leftover dough in the fridge; I cleaned out the refrigerator yesterday, so Boddhi, Dustin and I rolled out and baked the rest of these together. Here are some pictures:

P.S. Grandma Katie got Boddhi this little baking set (from IKEA) for Christmas. It comes with a rolling pin, cookie cutters, cookie pan, and a tiny bundt cake pan. He is becoming a cookie baking pro with his set (he knows it is his too -- he would only put his cookies on his cookie pan --and he told me to use my own rolling pin -- not his).

Buttermilk Biscuits - by Momma Katie (Grandma Werth)

2008-10-22T06:59:00.000-07:00

Momma Katie memories: I was a 19 year old stay at home mom trying to learn to cook, sew, crochet and be domestic. Your Grandma Werth and Aunt Sylvia were instrumental in teaching me some of these skills. This buttermilk biscuit recipe from Grandma Werth is the one that I used to make dumplings for my chicken and dumpling recipe. They were absolutely the best dumplings ever. Cracker Barrel comes close. I used it occasionally for just biscuits too.

Ingredients:

4 cups unsifted flour
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup oil
1 1/4 cup buttermilk

Sift flour, salt, baking powder and soda. Blend in oil and buttermilk into mixture. Knead lightly till smooth.

For biscuits : Roll out onto lightly floured surface to 1/2 inch thick for biscuits. Cut and bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees fir 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

For dumplings: Roll out to a thick version of a tortillia and cut into strips. Save these to drop into your chicken dumpling broth.

posted by: Momma Katie

Banana Bread - by Steph

2008-10-21T07:09:00.000-07:00

Mom made several things that were wonderful. But another of her recipes that stood out as the best of its kind is Banana Bread. The moist cake like insides hidden under the sweet and slightly crispy top is so Delicious.

Momma Katie added: Claim to fame for this recipe actually goes to Aunt Priss. It was one of my favorite recipes and a great way to use bananas that young girls determined were no longer edible. Priss shared many yummy comforting recipes with me such as her delicious apple cake and her (bet you can't eat just one) caramel popcorn.

4 cups flour
3 cups sugar
1 cup oil
1/2 buttermilk (or a few drops of vinegar in with reg. milk)
1/2t soda
4eggs beaten
1tsp vanilla
1cup pecans(some say are optional but not to me)
3 or 4 lg bananas chopped

Mix wet ingredients
And dry ingredients separately then mix together. Stir in Bananas and pour into greased pans.

Stephs modifications
1/2 white 1/2 wheat flour
1/2 applesauce 1/2 oil
1/2 sugar 1/2 honey
and triple the soda.

I usually double or triple for our family. I make 1/2 of the loaves with no nuts. Then when the bowl is 1/2 empty I pour in nuts to my liking. Otherwise I find little already been tasted (and then spit out) pecans in corners of the house or table.
Admittedly it is not the original. But it allows us to eat more of it, with a little less guilt.

Stace added:
Thanks for posting this Steph. We made this recipe last night (nearly all gone now). We cooked the bread at 350 for about 1 hour. The recipe made two regular loaves. We just kept checking until the toothpick came out clean. Here are some pictures:

Homemade Waffles - by Stace

2008-10-20T19:14:00.000-07:00

Momma Katie's waffle memory: This recipe started with my mom. I am not sure where she got it. I never remember not eating them, so she had to have used this recipe from the time I was very young. All that tried them loved them. I remember the smell of them cooking on her large square heavily used chrome waffle iron. She always melted the butter and heated the syrup to go on the waffles.

Stace's waffle memory: I remember mom making us homemade waffles for breakfast and sometimes dinner (a recipe passed down from her mother, that I now use every Saturday); she would stand above the waffle iron, passing out waffles to grabbing children below; we went back for seconds and thirds before she even sat down with her first. I always ate mine plain with butter—no syrup. They were that good.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
3 T sugar
3 t baking powder
1 t salt
4 T butter (melted)
2 eggs (separate yolks from whites)
1 ½ cups milk

Directions:

• Combine dry ingredients in large mixing bowl, sift together or mix thoroughly
• Add wet ingredients (butter, egg yolks and milk) and stir (batter will be lumpy)
• Beat egg whites until fluffy
• Fold into waffle mix right before pouring
• Pour about a ½ cup of mix onto waffle iron and cook
• Top waffles with just butter or load them up with peanut butter, syrup and bananas. Some of our kids like them with chocolate chips, strawberries and whipped cream.

posted by Stacey