Summer Salad

Sitting at the beach with my family. My son, William, just asked my Aunt Jane for the recipe for the salad she served for supper. Here's the recipe.

Summer Salad

Dressing:  Brianna - Blush Wine Vinegarette (brand name, store bought)
Salad is made of lettuce, red onion, Craisens, candied pecans, feta cheese.
Add one pack of sweet and low (or splenda).
To make candied pecans, put pecans in frying pan and add a little Karo Syrup. Then cook in oven for 30 - 45 minutes on 250 degrees. Stir often. Want them hard like candy.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Drop Cookies

Getting ready to go visit  William. These are his favorite cookies and mine! I will say that they are easy to make, but sometimes don't turn out perfectly. Time and humidity sometimes hurt the cookies. I never make  these when it is about to or raining. I like them to be creamy like fudge when done. Occasionally, if they are over cooked (boiled) they will turn out gritty and dry. Soooo...the first time you make these, follow the time exactly. If they come out dry...then use LESS time the next time. If they don't harden at all, then use  MORE time the next time you  make them. Remember, however that when you dip these on the wax  paper, they WILL be runny like thick molasses. You must give them time to harden...it may take overnight. I they don't harden, I have put them in  the freezer or just  enjoy by eating them with a spoon. Give it a TRY...most of the time they are perfect...but perfect or not...they are ALWAYS delicious.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat  Drop Cookies

2 C sugar
3/4 C butter (not margarine) (go ahead and premeasure and put aside)
1/2 C whole milk
3 T cocoa powder
3/4 C peanut butter
3 C quick-cooking oats, uncooked (measure ahead and put aside in bowl)
2 T vanilla extract (I use mexican pure vanilla)

Combine sugar and cocoa and mix in  your large sauce pan on the stove. Add milk slowly and mix well.  Throw in butter. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a FULL boil. Cook 1 minute and then remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter thoroughly. Add vanilla. Then stir in the oats. Crop mixture onto  wax paper by spoon. Cool thoroughly. Will be like thick molasses at first and will cool like  fudge. Makes 4 doz.
Store in container. I just cut the around the cookies and store  ON the wax paper in layers.

Kahlua Cake

When my family heads to my folks place at Myrtle Beach...my sister always makes the Kahlua Cake. Hot out of the oven...it is to die for. Thinking about the beach tonight...so here's the recipe.

Kahlua Cake

Devils food cake mix
small  box vanilla instant pudding
1 pint sour cream
4 eggs
3/4 C oil
1 C Kahlua
1 (12 oz) bag milk chocolate chips

Mix and then  stir in chips. Pour into large greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes - an hour. Freezes well. Keeps days in  fridge.

Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese

Everyone wants this recipe. Comfort food at it's best. Lucy makes this alot for church pot luck lunches. It is the BEST. I always add just a little dry mustard powder to any cheese dish. It brings out the flavor of cheese.

Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese

7-8 oz macaroni, cooked
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
1 1/2 C Skim Milk
1 t salt
2 C sharp cheddar cheese
1  C med cheese
2 eggs beaten
little onion powder

Mix together. Rub down sides of crockpot with margarine. Pour in mixture and top with extra cheese. Cook 4 hours on low.

Steak and Bacon Shish-Ka-Bob (kinda)

One of my favorite meals growing up was what my mom called shish-ka-bobs. They weren't really. Nothing was skewered over the grill. But who cared...this tasted great. Steak, bacon, and miracle whip...you can't go wrong. Sooooo easy and soooo good. Thanks mom for the memories.

Steak and Bacon Shish-Ka-Bob  (kinda)

Ingredients

Couple of steaks
lots of bacon
onions
green peppers
miracle whip
hot dog buns

Broil the steaks in the oven or cook on the grill
Cut steaks up into bite size pieces
Cook lots of bacon in frying pan till really crispy
pour out most of the bacon grease
pan fry chopped onions and green peppers
Put the hot dog buns in  the oven on broil and toast them (open)
Watch carefully or you'll have "coates toast" (burnt)
Put all of ingredients in bun smuthered in miracle whip (or mayo if  you prefer).
Be ready to fix a second helping. YUM.

Triple Chocolate Cookies

OK...my TWO favorite words...chocolate  and cookies...then add the word  TRIPLE...and it's even better. Rich, chocolaty hot cocoa mix is the secret ingredient in a decadent and chewy cookie.

Triple Chocolate  Cookies

cup LAND O LAKES® Unsalted or Salted Butter, softened

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup hazelnut spread with cocoa
1/2 cup Jif® Creamy Peanut Butter
 (four 1.25-oz envelopes) or 1 cup milk chocolate instant hot cocoa mix (dry)
2 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 bag (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate baking chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper or spray with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray.
2. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. On low speed, beat in hazelnut spread, peanut butter and dry cocoa mix until well blended. Stir in flour, oats, salt and baking soda until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips.
3. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto cookie sheets. Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until edges are set. Cool 3 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Store tightly covered.

Orange-Chocolate Truffle Bars

Found this on the  Pilsbury Bakeoff web site. Top 100 winning recipes. This one looked the best to me.


Orange-Chocolate Truffle Bars

Base

1 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Fisher® Chef's Naturals® Chopped Pecans

Truffle
1 can (14 oz) Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 bag (12 oz) Hershey’s® Special Dark® chocolate baking chips (2 cups)
2/3 cup Smucker’s® Sweet Orange Marmalade

Topping
1 container (8 oz) mascarpone cheese
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon grated orange peel (from 1 large orange)

Topping

1 container (8 oz) mascarpone cheese
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon grated orange peel (from 1 large orange)



DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch pan with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray.
2. In medium bowl, beat butter, powdered sugar and salt with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. On low speed, gradually beat in flour until dough forms. Stir in pecans. Spread mixture in pan. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
3. In medium microwavable bowl, microwave milk and chocolate chips uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave up to 1 minute longer, stirring until smooth. Stir in marmalade; spread over base. Refrigerate 1 hour or until set.
4. In medium bowl, beat cheese, granulated sugar and cream on medium speed until smooth. Beat on high speed until mixture is thickened. Stir in orange peel. Spread over truffle layer. Refrigerate 1 hour or until chilled. For bars, cut into 5 rows by 4 rows, wiping knife after each cut. Store covered in refrigerator.

Fruity Tea

Jane Cook is a wonderful cook and friend. At her sons outdoor wedding reception she served the best tasting tea. Of course what really made it was the FIREFLY (a sweet tea liqueur). Refreshing on a hot spring day like we are having...even better  on a HOT summer day.

Fruity Tea

Make a gallon of sweet tea.
Add small can pineapple juice. A big scoop of orange juice concentrate and pink lemonade concentrate.
Firefly is optional (but recommended)

Strawberry Soup

The first time we went on a cruise, one of our favorites every night was the "fruit" soups. Now when we have a "fancy" meal at home, especially  with  guests, this is our First Course. So treat your family like royalty tomorrow night and make this soup. It's always a hit!  This is a good recipe, but if you are in a real hurry, just add a puree of fruit like strawberries, cantelope, melon, etc. to melted vanilla ice-cream.

Strawberry Soup

2 pt strawberries
1  C orange juice
1 1/2 t instant tapioca
1/8 t allspice
1/8 t cinnamon
1/2 C sugar
1 t lemon juice
lemon peel
1 C buttermilk

Puree berries  in food processor.
Add orange juice and pour into medium saucepan.
Mix tapioca with 4 T strawberry puree  in separate  bowl.
Add this mixture to saucepan along with allspice and cinnamon.
Heat, stirring constantly until comes to boil. Cook 1 minute longer or until thickens.
Remove from heat.  Pour into large bowl. Add sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel, butter milk.
Cover and chill at least 8 hours. 
Soup can be made 3 days ahead of time and even frozen  prior to adding buttermilk.
Garnish with strawberry and sprig of mint. Serve in chilled glass  bowls. Makes 5 cups.

Walnut Lace Cookies

The president of William and Sonoma says these are his favorite cookies. They are mine too. A little tricky to make. They do look like lace doilies. Very fragile. But delicious. Watch them, they need to get brown, but not burned. Rich taste. Delicate  feel. Let them cool  completely. yum. p.s. You are not misreading the directions, there  are only 2 Tablespoons of  flour in these cookies.

Walnut Lace  Cookies

2 T all purpose flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 stick softened butter
1 C sugar
2 eggs slightly beaten
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 C coarsely chopped walnuts
parchment  paper

Preheat 375 degrees.
Line cookie sheet with parchment paper (a must)
In a bowl, sift together 2 Tablespoons of all-purpose flour, 1/2 t baking soda, 1/2 t salt. Set aside.

At medium speed, beat for 5 minutes: 1 stick softened butter, 1 C sugar

Then add 2 eggs lightly beaten, 1 t vanilla.

Fold all of this into the flour mix. Fold, don't mix.

Then stir in 1 1/2 C of coarsely chopped walnuts.

Using a teaspoon, put small mounds the size of a quarter onto the parchment paper at least 4 inches apart. These cookies spread out alot. Bake until evenly browned around 8 minutes.  COOL until harden. Transfer to a wire rack.

King Salmon Fillet

I had the privilege of officiating at the wedding of Mary Michalski and Dick Strossner (as in the Bakery!). At their reception they had the BEST salmon I had ever eaten. Mary was kind enough to email me the recipe. There's no "amounts"...just add it to taste. I used about a teaspoon of all of them except chili  powder and paprika, and a little more than a teaspoon of basil. I find the best Salmon at Sam's Wholesale or  Cosco. You can even find it in frozen bags. 1 lb of King Salmon  Fillet serves 2 - 3 people. Two 6 lb fillets for a party  will serve around 25- 30 people. Mary was a cook for me at Camp Buckhorn for a couple of summers...a dear, dear friend. If you go by Strossner's Bakery please  tell her I said hello!

King Salmon Fillet

Make  a rub using brown sugar, salt, paprika, garlic powder, chilli powder, freshly ground black pepper, sweet basil.

Spray a baking dish with Pam or lightly grease with olive oil.  Lay Salmon SKIN  side down and pack the rub over  the entire top fo the fillet.  Let sit in the 'fridge for 30 minutes.
Cover with foil and bake at  375 degrees until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees. Take off foil the last 4 minutes if you like the rub to crunch up a little. (12 lbs took around 45 minutes, 2 lbs around 15 minutes) Best to use a thermometer.

Macaroni and Cheese, Fancy

Friday's are my  day  off, and yes, while I'm cleaning house, I watch The View. I especially like their Hot Topics. Today they had a lady on that has a cookbook called, "The Pioneer Women  Cooks".  Looked up her website, http://www.thepioneerwomen.com/. Really  good recipes. Great pictures...wish I could do that! Macaroni and Cheese is always a "feel good" food. Here's her recipe...looks great.
Fancy Macaroni and Cheese


4 cups Macaroni
8 Tablespoons Butter (Salted Butter)
2 whole Medium Onions, Cut In Half And Sliced Thin
10 slices Regular Bacon
1 Tablespoon Bacon Grease (reserved From Bacon Slices)
¼ cups All-purpose Flour
2 cups Whole Or 2% Milk
½ cups Half-and-Half
2 whole Egg Yolks, Beaten
Salt And Pepper, to taste
½ cups Grated Gruyere Cheese
½ cups Grated Fontina Cheese
½ cups Grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
4 ounces, weight Chevre (soft Goat Cheese)

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook macaroni for half the time of the package instructions. Drain and set aside.

Fry bacon until slightly, but not overly, crispy. Drain on a paper towel. Reserve grease.

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a skillet and then saute onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown and soft. Set aside.

In a pot, melt 4 tablespoons butter (and add 1 tablespoon of the reserved bacon grease for good measure!). Sprinkle in flour and whisk to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat for 1 minute. Pour in milk and half & half, then cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until thick. Reduce heat to low. Add salt & pepper to taste. (Do not undersalt!)

Beat egg yolks and drizzle 1/4 cup hot mixture into the yolks, stirring constantly. Stir to combine. Pour egg mixture into sauce and cook for another minute.

Add cheeses and stir until melted. Add onions and bacon and stir. Taste for seasonings and add more salt if needed. Add cooked macaroni and stir to coat.

Pour into a baking dish and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until sizzling and hot. Serve with red meat or a green salad.

Hungarian Goulash in Crockpot

This recipe is  not in my cookbook. Left it out, and I'm sorry. It WILL be in  my 2nd book. Here it is. So good. Make it at night, stick it in the fridge, then  plug it up in the morning and it will be ready for supper.

Hungarian Goulalsh in Crockpot

2 lbs stew beef cubed
1 Large onion or onion powder
1 clove of garlic minced or garlic powder
1/2 C catsup
2 T Worchestershire
1 T brown sugar
2 t salt
2 t paprika
1/2 t dry mustard
1 C water
1/4 C flour (to be used at end, AFTER cooked)

Place meat in slow cooker, cover with sliced onion. Combine ingredients (except flour) and pour over meat.
Cover and cook on low 9 - 10 hours. Dissolve flour in a little cold water.  (small amount of water). Stir into the mixture to thicken. Turn on high for another 10 - 15 minutes until thick.  Serve over egg  noodles or rice. 5-6 servings.

Cake Cookies Quick

Don't have time to make cookies right out  of the oven. Don't even have those "roll" cookies to cook. IF you have a cake mix of any kind you can make cookies. We have a  Child  Development Center at our church. Every so  often I make HOME MADE chocolate chip cookies for the kids. You  won't believe HOW MANY kids have never had  BAKED cookies. So no more excuses...use this SIMPLE  recipe. Lemon Cake Mix is my favorite. You can add grated lemon rind to that one.

Cake  Cookies Quick

Combine:
Cake Mix (like Lemon, Chocolate, any mix will do)
1/2 C oil
2 eggs

Scoop by spoonful on ungreased cookie  sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Apple Dumplings

Yesterday when I blogged Monkey Bread for  breakfast, I also thought about these Apple  Dumplings. If I had to choose, i think I'd pick these dumplings. They are sooooo  good hot or cold. Sometimes I add a piece of caramel or a pecan in with the apple. When you make this the first time, you'll wish you  had doubled the recipe.  Can top it  with a little vanilla ice-cream.  Let me know what you think. I PROMISE you'll LOVE it.

Apple Dumplings

2 packages of 8 oz cresent rolls
4 apples, cored and quartered (peeled or unpeeled, your choice)
Pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice or just cinammon (can even use little ground gloves)
1 C sugar
1 stick of butter
1 can sprite

Roll up an apple piece into each square of cresent roll dough
Lightly  spray butter pam in a 13 X 9 in pan (glass or metal)
Put the apple/rolls in the pan and sprinkle with spice and  a little  sugar on top
MELT a stick  of butter, cup sugar and can of sprite on  stove top
Pour over  the apple/rolls
Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Monkey Break

Need somthing delicious for Easter Breakfast? I LOVE this for breakfast. Rich and delicious.

Monkey  Bread

3 cans of canned biscuits
1/2 C sugar
2 T cinnamon (or more to your taste)
1 1/2 stick of BUTTER (not margarine)
1 1/2 C brown sugar
3 t water
1/2 C pecans

Put the nuts at the bottom of a bunt or cake tube pan. Quarter the biscuits. Just pull them apart and roll in the cinmamon and sugar that has been mixed together in a bowl. Put 1/2 of the rolled biscuits in the pan. Melt the butter, brown sugar, and water. Boil 2 minutes and pour 1/2 over biscuits. Then throw in the other half of buscuits and pour the other half of liquid on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  When it is cooked, turn it upside down on a dish that can hold liquid. Watch out, it's HOT. Then just pull off pieces and ENJOY. You'll be in monkey heaven. (another option is to throw a little  of the pecans on top of the different layers of biscuits so they'll be all through and not just "on top". )

Herbs de Provence and Chicken Cristo

After Maundy Thursday service, Lucy and I went to Adams Bistro at 8:30 p.m.  for supper. I ordered the Chicken  Cristo. It was covered in spinach, goat cheese, grilled onions and roasted red peppers. It was grilled to perfection. Had a nice smokey flavor. I'll try to find a recipe for this, but everyone I looked up on the web used Herbs de Providence as the spice  for the chicken. Here is Emeril Lagasse's recipe. BAM! Sounds like it would make a great grilling spice for chicken cooked about any way. In a lot of recipes I looked up, they also included 2 T of lavendar. Following is a recipe I found for the chicken. I'm going to try it soon.

Herbs de Provence


2 tablespoons dried savory
2 tablespoons dried rosemary
2 tablespoons dried thyme
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons dried marjoram
2 tablespoons dried fennel seed

Directions
In a small mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients together. Store in an air-tight container.

Chicken Cristo
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoon olive oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each)
Herbes de Provence
All-purpose flour (for dusting)
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 shallot, chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chicken stock
Juice of 1/4 lemon
1 tablespoon butter
Julienned lemon zest (optional)

(if you  like it the way I had it, add grilled onions, goat cheese and roasted  red peppers)

Preparation--Heat oven to 375°F. Heat oil in a large ovenproof sauté pan over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt, pepper and herbes de Provence. Dust with flour; tap off excess. Cook, meaty side down, 5 minutes. Turn over; cook 1 minute. Add garlic and shallot; stir 30 seconds. Add wine; cook 1 minute. Add stock; cook 30 seconds. Add lemon juice. Transfer pan to oven. Bake until chicken is cooked through, 9 to 13 minutes. Transfer chicken to cutting board. Place pan over medium heat; simmer sauce 1 minute. Add butter; swirl pan until butter incorporates and sauce thickens slightly. Cut each breast into 4 slices; transfer each to a plate; top with sauce and garlic. Serve with spinach ; garnish with zest, if desired) I would add a little liquid smoke to this.