Sausage Stuffing

1 loaf day old bread; cubed (I use homemade bread)
1 lb. roll sage breakfast sausage
3-4 stalks stalks celery; diced
1 onion; diced
1-1/2 Tblsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. rubbed dried sage
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1-1/2 to 2 cups chicken stock (I use homemade stock)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread bread on a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly toasted.

In a large skillet, cook sausage until no longer pink. Drain grease but do not discard. Set sausage aside.

Add a little of the drained grease to the skillet; add vegetables and sauté until tender. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add sausage, bread crumbs, sage, basil, oregano, salt & pepper; stir well.

Slowly add in broth to breadcrumb & sausage mixture; adding about 1/2 cup at a time. Lightly mix until evenly moistened.

Pour into a greased 9x13" casserole dish and bake at 350* for 30-35 minutes. Serve warm.

Candied Yams

1 large can of yams in syrup
1/3 c. brown sugar
3 Tblsp. honey
1 Tblsp. cinnamon
2 Tblsp. molasses
2-3 tsp. vanilla
corn starch

Drain yams; reserving juice. Dice yams and place into a medium casserole.

To the reserved juice, add in honey, brown sugar, cinnamon, molasses and vanilla. Stir and blend well.

Add in about 3 Tablespoonfuls of cornstarch to juice. Stir well. you will want the juice to thicken slightly but not be too thick. Pour juice over yams.

Bake for 30-25 minutes or until juice is bubbly, in a preheated 350* oven. Remove from oven and top with marshmallows. Return to oven and bake until marshmallows are slightly melted and golden. Serve warm.

Heavenly Eggs

12 Raw eggs (or however many you need for your serving tray)
Mayonnaise
Mustard
Salt
Pepper
Minced garlic
Old Bay Seasoning

Place uncooked eggs in a large pot and fill with enough cold water to cover. Cover with lid. Bring to a boil and cook for about 20-25 minutes.

Allow eggs to cool and then peel.

Slice each egg in half.

Gently scoop out yolk and place in a small mixing bowl.

Set egg shells aside.

Add mayo, mustard, salt, pepper, garlic and Old Bay together with egg yolks. Amounts of each ingredient are dependent upon your taste. Using a fork, mash yolks to mix all ingredients well.

Spoon filling back into egg shells and place on egg tray.

Garnish with Old Bay sprinkled on top of each egg.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. (you don't want to make these too far ahead of time as they will begin to get watery - but one day in advance will be fine.)

Walnut Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin layer:
2 eggs
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. flour
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 c. canned pumpkin
2/3 c. evaporated milk
1 9-inch deep dish pie pastry

Walnut layer:
2 eggs
1/2 c. light corn syrup
2 Tblsp. light brown sugar
2 Tblsp. molasses
1 Tblsp. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup walnuts
1 tsp. vanilla

Place uncooked pie pastry into a deep pie baker. Set aside.

For pumpkin layer:
In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, sugars, flour, pie spice & salt. Beat until smooth.

Pour in pumpkin and mix well.

Beat in milk, adding a little at a time.

Pour mixture into prepared pie pastry.

Cover edges with a pie shield or foil and bake at 425* for 10 minutes. Then reduce heat to 350* and bake for 15-20 minutes.

For walnut layer:
In a separate bowl beat eggs until foamy.

Add in corn syrup, brown sugar, molasses, flour, vanilla and salt. Beat well.

Remove pie shield or foil and pour mixture over pumpkin layer in pie plate.

Layer walnuts on top of pie.

Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes or until set. Allow pie to cool completely. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Creamy Italian Sausage w/ Fetuccini

2 T. olive oil
2 bunches green onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 lb Italian sausage, casing removed
1 cup whipping cream
2 (14.5-oz) cans diced tomatoes in juice
1 tsp. dried sage
1 lb. pound fettuccine noodles (or linguine noodles)

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add green onions and garlic; cook until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add sausages and cook until no longer pink, crumbling the sausage.

Add cream; simmer for about 5 minutes. Pour in undrained tomatoes as well as sage. Simmer until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. This shouldn't take very long, maybe 20 minutes or less.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and add to meat mixture. Toss pasta with tongs to coat.

Tator Tot Casserole

2 lbs. ground beef
1 family size can cream of mushroom soup; undiluted
2 cans evaporated milk
1 small bag frozen tator tots
1 cup grated cheese (optional)

Brown meat in a medium size skillet. Drain fat. Transfer drained meat to a casserole pan. Set aside. In a medium saucepan combine soup and milk. Stir over medium heat until blended well and warmed thoroughly. Top with a layer of tator tots. Pour soup mixture over meat in casserole. Evenly sprinkle with grated cheese if using. Bake at 350* for 35-45 minutes or until tots are golden and sauce is bubbly.

Glazed Cinnamon Swirl Bread

¼ c. softened butter
1-1/3 c. sugar; divided
1 egg
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 c. buttermilk (see note below)
1 Tblsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tblsp. vanilla extract

Glaze:
1 c. powdered sugar
4 tsp. milk
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350* Grease and flour regular size loaf pan. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, 1 c. sugar and egg until blended. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to egg mixture alternately with buttermilk. Blend in vanilla.

In a small bowl, combine cinnamon and sugar.

Pour 1/3 batter into greased loaf pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 of cinnamon-sugar mixture. Repeat ending with a thin layer of batter. With a knife, gently swirl cinnamon through batter. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool in pan about 10 minutes then remove from pan and transfer to a wire cooling rack. Cool completely.

For Glaze:

In a small bowl combine powdered sugar, milk & vanilla. Spoon over cooled loaf. Enjoy!

I realized I didn't have any buttermilk on hand, so I added 1 Tblsp. white vinegar to a measuring cup & fill cup with enough milk to equal 1 cup. Let mixture sit for a few minutes until it begins to "sour." Use as directed.

Homemade Household Cleaners

All Purpose – Antibacterial Spray Cleaner For Kitchen, Bathroom, Window’s & Mirrors
1 pint wintergreen rubbing alcohol
2 Tblsp dish liquid
2 Tblsp ammonia
2 Tblsp vinegar

Pour all ingredients into a clean large spray bottle. Add cold water till bottle is full. If you wish you can double this recipe and pour everything into a gallon jug, just fill the rest of the jug with water. Cap & swish to mix, and then clean to your hearts desire.

Carpet Freshener
2 cups baking soda
½ cup cornstarch
2 Tblsp whole cloves (or ground if that’s what you have)
2 Tblsp cinnamon

Mix together and put into some sort of powder bottle, (if none is available put into a plastic bag for storage, and use your hands to sprinkle it around the room.) Once it is on the carpet, let it sit for 15 min. before you vacuum.

Homemade Febreeze
1 Spray bottle (windex size)
¼ cup or even less, fabric softener of your choice (or for natural approach use white vinegar)
1/4 cup rubbing alcohol ( to help kill bacteria and allergens- safe for most fabrics)
water

Pour fabric softener into bottle and then add water till mostly full. Spray lightly on furniture for fresh sent.


Wrinkle Releaser
1 Spray bottle (windex size)
¼ cup fabric softener of your choice
4 Tblsp white vinegar
water

Pour fabric softener and vinegar into the bottle & mix gently. Then add water slowly almost to the top, so as not to cause it to bubble up, & mix gently. To use spray a very fine mist onto your clothing, rub it into the fabric, pull and stretch so as to release all wrinkles. Put on to a hanger to let air dry, this will only take a few moments.


Homemade 409
1 empty gal. size milk jug
2 c. white vinegar
3/4 cup ammonia (lemon scent smells best)
4 squirts of dish washing liquid (dawn is awesome but any kind will work)

Combine above ingredients in gallon jug, then fill the rest of the way with cold water. Shake to mix. Fill a spray bottle with mixture and use as normal.

Homemade glass cleaner
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup rubbing alcohol
1/2 cup of water

Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle and use as normal.

Laundry Soap - (soft water)
3 pints water
1/3 bar Fels Naptha Bar soap, grated
1/2 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax
2 Tbsp. fragrance oil (optional)

Mix the grated Fels Naptha in a pan with 3 pints of water, heat until dissolved. Stir in Washing Soda and Borax. Mix until it thickens and looks like honey. Remove from heat. Put 1 quart of hot water in a two gallon bucket, add soap mixture. Mix well. Fill bucket with cold water. Stir until blended. It will thicken as it cools. Use 1/2 cup for each load, or more for heavily soiled items. You can also use about 1/2 cup of vinegar in the rinse cycle. Store in a container with a tight fitting lid. Label it and keep out of reach of children.

Laundry Soap - (hard water)
1/3 bar Fels Naptha Bar soap, grated
3/4 cup Washing Soda
2 cups 20 Mule Team Borax
2 Tbsp. fragrance oil (optional)

Mix same as above for soft water recipe. Use 1 cup per load. I use approximately 1/2 cup of vinegar in the rinse cycle.


Multipurpose Cleaner
1 tsp. Borax
1/2 tsp. Washing Soda
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1/2 tsp. liquid soap
2 cups very hot water

Add the first four ingredients to a spray bottle, then slowly add the hot water and shake until dry ingredients are dissolved. Label the bottle and that's it! Can be used in the kitchen, bath or anywhere.

Window Cleaner
1/2 tsp. liquid soap
3 Tbsp. vinegar
2 cups water

Add ingredients to spray bottle - mix gently. Label it and it's ready to use.

Dishwasher Soap
Borax
Baking Soda

Mix equal parts of each and store in a tightly sealed container, use 2 Tbsp. per load. **Note, if you have hard water, double the amount of baking soda in your mixture. For either mixture, use vinegar in the rinse cycle.

Homemade Scouring Powder
1 cup baking soda
1 cup borax
1 cup regular salt

Combine the three ingredients and keep them in a tightly closed container. Use as you would Comet or Ajax.

Homemade Pre-treating Stain Remover
1/2 cup ammonia
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup baking soda
2 Tbsp. liquid soap
2 qts. water

Mix all ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake well before each use. Spray liquid onto the stain and let sit for a few minutes. Launder as usual.

Liquid Fabric Softener
Recipe #1
6 c. water
3 c. vinegar
2 c. any hair conditioner

Mix in a gallon container and stir. Do not shake, this will cause foaming. Pour a small amount into the rinse cycle or spray on wash cloth and throw into the dryer.

Recipe #2
2 Cups White Vinegar
2 Cups Baking Soda
4 Cups Water

Combine slowly and carefully over sink. The baking soda and vinegar will fizz. Pour into plastic bottle, cover, and shake. Use 1/4 cup in the final rinse or in a "Downy Ball".


You can also use these products alone to soften:
Plain White Vinegar - Add 1/2 cup to final rinse.
Baking Soda - Add 1/4 cup to final rinse.
Hair Conditioner or Cream Rinse - Pour 1 tablespoon into damp washcloth and toss in with clothes.

Homemade Yeast Dinner Rolls

2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast (or use 4-1/2 tsp. bulk yeast)
1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided
1/2 cup luke warm water
1-1/4 cups warm milk (not scalding or super hot)
1/2 cup melted, cooled butter
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs, beaten
6 to 7-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water with 1 teaspoon sugar. Add milk, butter, salt, remaining sugar, eggs and 3 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in remaining flour 1 cup at a time, until a soft dough forms.

Turn out onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, adding additional flour as needed. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divided dough in half. Roll each dough half into a rectangle; about 1/4" to 1/2 " thick. Using a medium size biscuit cutter cut dough into pieces. Shape each piece into a ball; place into a greased or silpat lined baking pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Brush lightly with melted butter if desired. Remove from pans to wire racks. Serve warm.

Makes: about 35-40 rolls (depending on how well dough rises & the size of your balls)

Nichole's Satsuma Marmalade

Nichole's Satsuma Marmalade

48 Satsumas
Satsuma zest
1 cup lemon juice
8 1/2 cups sugar

2 pouches liquid pectin

25 (8 ounce) jelly jars with rings and lids

Zest the peel of each satsuma and place into a large stockpot. Peel and section each satsuma & add to zest in stock pot. Add in lemon juice and sugar to satsumas. Stir to combine. Fill pot with enough water to cover.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 45 minutes to an hour. Stir often to prevent burning. Using an immersion blender, blend mixture slightly to "pulp-ify" your satsuma sections. Remove from heat and allow to sit for about 30 minutes. Place pot back onto stove burner and heat over high heat. As soon as mixture to begins to bubble (not a roaring boil but close to it.) pour in both packets of liquid pectin. Stir vigorously to mix well. Remove from heat and immediately spoon mixture into hot sterile jars, leaving a 1/4 inch head space. Place seals and rings on each jar. Tighten to finger tip tight. DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN! Place jars in a water bath canner and bring to a full rolling boil. Once full boil starts, set your timer to 10 minutes for processing.

Once jars have fully processed, remove from canner and allow to cool. You should hear "pinging" sounds from your jars. This means they have properly sealed.

Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
1 c. oil
2 c. peeled, shredded zucchini; uncooked
1-3/4 cups sugar
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
2 Tblsp. vanilla
1 c. chopped nuts; optional
2 c. flour

Grate zucchini & place in strainer. Press out excess liquid. Leave in strainer to continue draining until ready to use.

Beat eggs, sugar, and oil together.

Add flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, salt, vanilla, and nuts. Mix together.

Add drained zucchini. Beat to combine.

Pour into 2 greased, floured, loaf pans (or mini loaf pans). Bake 45 minute at 350 deg. F.

Canning Plum Jelly

Canning Plum Jelly

First we need to get out our basic supplies to so we can get started.

You'll need your fruit,powdered pectin, 1/2 pint sized canning jars, jar rings/bands & seals, water bath canner, jar rack, magnetic lid lifter, jar lifter, jar funnel, jelly strainer & strainer bag.

Start by washing your equipment. You ALWAYS want to work with clean items. sterilize your jars, jar lifter, funnel, magnetic lid lifter, lids & bands. This can be done by placing them in the water bath canner filled with water. (I also like to add a tablespoon or two of white vinegar to the water as it fills. This helps keep the cloudy film from building up on the jars as they boil. It's not a necessary step - just a personal preference.) Allow water and items to come to a full rolling boil. Let simmer until you are ready to use. An alternate method would be to wash them in the dishwasher. If your machine has a "sterilize" setting (which most newer appliances have), set the cycle to wash and sterilize. You will want to keep jars hot until ready to use. Never fill cold jars with hot liquid or else you will run the risk of the glass breaking and ruining your product. Safety first!

Meanwhile you will want to start working on making your juice. Wash fruit, making sure to remove stems and blossom ends. Chop or quarter fruit removing seeds and place in large bowl. Do not remove skins or peel fruit. Measure fruit into 1 quart (4 cups) increments. Dump into a large, heavy stock pot. for each quart of fruit measured add 1 cup of water to pot. Once all fruit and water have been measured and added, cover with a lid and allow to simmer until fruit is softened and juice has formed.

You will want to strain the fruit through a damp jelly bag or several layers of cheesecloth to get out as much juice from the fruit as possible. At this point you can either use the juice for making jelly (which we are going to do) or you could can the juice itself and use it for cooking or other cooking needs. It will also freeze nicely too.

Now for the jelly making itself. You will need...
5 cups plum juice*
1 package powdered pectin
6-1/2 cups sugar
*I started with around 5 1/2 lbs. of fruit before making juice. Once it was strained I ended up with 10 cups of juice. In order to have the jelly set well, I did this in two batches. Therefore the recipe measurements reflect this. So in essence...to use all of the juice you have you will actually need 10 cups of juice, 2 packages of pectin & 13 cups of sugar.

Combine juice and pectin in a large, heavy stock pot. stir to mix well. Over high heat, bring mixture to a boil. Stir in sugar until fully dissolved. Return mixture to a full rolling boil. Let it boil hard for 1 full minute. Remove pot from heat. You may notice some foam on top of your liquid. This is normal. All you need to do at this point is skim it off.

Ladle hot liquid into your hot sterile jars. Make sure you leave at least 1/4" head space in each jar. With a clean damp paper towel wipe down edges of jar to clean any spills. DO NOT TOUCH the mouth of the jar itself with your bare hands. Remember you are needing to keep everything as sterile as possible.

Using the magnetic lid lifter place a jar seal over the mouth of each jar. Place the jar ring. Screw rings on securely but only until secured & fingertip tightened. DO NOT screw on overly tight as you can as you need some "wiggle" room per sea in the lid for processing.

Using jar lifter place each filled & closed jar back into the water bath canner. Fill with water until jars are completely covered and you have at least 1 inch of water above the top of the jars. Place canner onto stove burner, cover and bring to a full rolling boil. Let process at full boil for 5 minutes. DO NOT start timing until after boiling has started.

Once processed, remove jars using jar lifter and place on several layers of a dish towel or newspaper (you just want to make sure to protect your counter top from the heat of the jars) and allow to cool completely. As jars cool you will hear a "ping" sound. This means your jars are sealed. Once jars have fully cooled, press down lightly over each lid. If lid does not pop back up for you then the jar has properly sealed and is now ready to be placed in the pantry for later use. If lid presses in and pops back up for you the jar is NOT properly sealed. In this case you will need to remove the lid seal and ring. DO NOT reuse the same lid seal, instead replace it with a new one, screw ring back onto jar and start the water bath processing all over again. Once cooled check to make sure seal has taken. As you can see I ended up with 21 half pint jars of jelly.

**If you only have one jar that hasn't sealed you can always skip trying to reprocess if you like, and just place it in the refrigerator. You can still eat use it with no problem, it just can not be stored in the pantry.

Happy canning!

SWISS CORN BAKE

SWISS CORN BAKE

shared with me by my friend Kathy D.

18 oz. pkg. frozen corn or 3 c. fresh corn * I used frozen corn
6 oz. can evaporated milk
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp. chopped onion
½ tsp. salt
1 c. shredded Swiss cheese *I used crumbled Fontina cheese & 2 slices swiss cheese in the topping
½ c. soft bread crumbs * I used Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs
1 tbsp. melted butter

Cook corn according to package directions; drain well.

Combine evaporated milk, egg, onion, salt, dash of pepper and crumbled Fontina cheese in a sauce pan. Heat until cheese is lightly melted.

Add corn to mixture and stir well.

Pour into a lightly greased casserole dish.

Combine bread crumbs, melted butter and torn Swiss cheese slices. Sprinkle over top of corn mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Serves 6

Nichole's Sweet Tea

Nichole's Sweet Tea

Take 1 large family size tea bag, (I use Tetley but any tea brand of your choice will work), and place the bag into the coffee filter receptacle.

Fill coffee carafe with water, as if you were making a full pot of coffee. Then pour into the water tank of the coffee maker. Place carafe onto the warming plate and turn coffee maker on and let it perk away.

In no time at all, you will have a full pot of tea.

Using a gallon size pitcher, add 3 full spoonfuls of sugar. I use a large cooking spoon to measure out my sugar.

Pour hot tea into pitcher and stir to dissolve sugar.

Fill pitcher with enough water to make a full gallon. Stir to mix well.

Let stand until cooled and then refrigerate. Serve chilled and enjoy!

Sweet & Spicy Black Bean Chicken

Sweet & Spicy Black Bean Chicken

1 pkg. boneless skinless chicken breasts (4-6 depending on the amount you need)
1 (8-oz) can of diced pineapples, semi-drained (a little liquid is fine but no the whole can)
2 Tblsp. apple cider vinegar
1 to 1 1/2 c. cooked black beans*
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
salt, pepper, garlic powder & paprika to taste

In sauce pot combine pineapple, cider vinegar, beans and red pepper flakes. Stir. Simmer on medium heat until heated through. Keep mixture warm, over low heat, while preparing chicken.

Preheat a non stick or lightly greased skillet. Meanwhile season chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder & paprika. Season both sides of chicken.

Place chicken in preheated skillet. Cook until chicken is completely no longer pink and juices run clear.

Serve with black bean sauce over chicken.

*when using homemade or canned black beans, don't add too much bean juice to the sauce pot or your topping will be watery in consistency.

Nichole's Spazagna

Nichole's Spazagna

In a medium skillet, over med-high heat cook 1 lb. ground beef with, 3 ribs of celery that have been diced, 1 Tblsp. minced dried onion, salt & pepper & 1 Tblsp. Italian seasoning blend. Continue to cook until meat is no longer pink. Drain fat. Return meat to pan.

Take left over cooked spaghetti noodles and diced into bite size pieces. I had about 3 cups of spaghetti noodles once they diced. Toss noodles in with the meat in the skillet.

Pour in pasta sauce and mix well. You can use as much or as little sauce as you like. I used about 1 1/2 cups of sauce. Cook over med-low heat until heated through.

Once mixture is heated, spoon enough meat mixture into the bottom of a greased casserole dish to cover bottom of dish. Next add a layer of cottage cheese. Next add a layer of Italian blend cheese over over the cottage cheese.

Repeat layers until you end with grated cheese.

Bake at 350* for 40-45 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Yum, Yum! A new family favorite. Serve with a tossed green salad and some warm garlic bread. Enjoy!

The Frugal Gourmet's Sour Cream Meatloaf

The Frugal Gourmet's Sour Cream Meatloaf

2 eggs

8 ounces sour cream

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons minced parsley**

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef

1 (3/4 ounce) package brown gravy mix

hot mashed potatoes

In large bowl combine eggs, 1/2 C of the sour cream and milk;

Stir in bread crumbs, onion, parsley** (I didn't have parsley on hand so I used minced garlic instead), Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper.

Add beef and mix well. Put into 9x5x3 loaf pan or shape into that size and place in 12x7 1/2 x 2 inch baking dish.

Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for about 1 1/4 hrs or till meat thermometer registers 170 degrees. Let cool 10 minutes; remove from pan.

Meanwhile, for the gravy, in medium pan stir together the remaining sour cream and dry gravy mix. Add water as called for on pkg. Cook according to pkg directions.

Slice meat loaf and serve with the mashed potatoes and gravy.

Smothered Pork Chops & Rice

Smothered Pork Chops & Rice

Season both sides of your pork chops with salt, pepper, and any other seasonings of your choice. We happen to like our food a little spicy so I am seasoning my meat with Weber's Grill Creations "Kick'n Chicken" spice.

In a large preheated skillet, saute pork chops until cooked through. Turning each piece as they cook. I usually cook them on medium heat.

As your chops are cooking go ahead and start cooking your rice (according to package directions.) The amount needed depends solely on how much you want. I am normally cook up about 2 cups of rice, that way I have extra left over for use in another meal. Don't forget to fluff your rice with a fork once it has cooked.

Once pork chops are completely cooked, add to the skillet a can of cream of mushroom soup. I am using cream of mushroom with roasted garlic just to add a little more flavor. However, any cream style soup will do. I have used Cream of chicken & cream of potato before as that was all I had on hand and it turned out just fine.

Next, fill the soup can with milk to about a 1/3 - 1/2 full. Swish the milk in the can slightly to get any remaining soup bits that might have been left in the can. Pour into skillet.

With you spoon or small whisk, stir mixture together to combine all ingredients as well as the cooking bit that are on the bottom of the pan from the chops.

Let simmer on low heat until completely heated through and sauce has thickened somewhat. Serve over hot, cooked rice.

Shoofly Cupcakes

Shoofly Cupcakes
courtesy of Country Woman magazine

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups packed brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup cold butter, cubed

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 cups boiling water

1 cup molasses

In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. Set aside 1 cup for topping. Add baking soda to remaining crumb mixture. Stir in water and molasses.

Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool. Yield: 2 dozen.

Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie

1 (16-oz) package frozen mixed vegetables
1/2 - 1 cup cubed cooked turkey meat
1 (12-oz) jar turkey gravy (or left over homemade if you have it)
1/2 tsp. ground sage
1 (20-oz) container prepared refrigerated mashed potatoes (or 2 1/2 c. left over potatoes)
1/4 lb. shredded cheddar cheese (or swiss for a tangier taste)

Heat oven to 350* Grease a 2 qt. round casserole dish. Cook vegetables according to package directions. Drain. Combine vegetables, turkey, gravy & sage in a prepared casserole dish.

Prepare mashed potatoes according to directions, but omit butter/margarine. Spoon potatoes over turkey mixture. Sprinkle top with grated cheese.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.

*to make your potatoes festive, add a few drops of green food coloring in honor of St. Patrick's Day.

** I added a few slices of jellied cranberry sauce before adding my potatoes. This gave it a Thanksgiving-y taste.

Sausage Bake

Sausage Bake

1-lb. link sausage (I used Burton brand green onion sausage)
1-1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese (can use mozzarella for more of an Italian taste)
1-lb. whole wheat rotini noodles
3-4 c. homemade pasta gravy (can use store bought if need be)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, return to cooking pot & set aside.

Slice sausage links. Place into preheated skillet and saute over medium heat.
Once sausage is heated through, transfer to a colander and drain grease.

Combine pasta gravy, sausage and cooked noodles. Toss to coat well.

Transfer to a 9x13" casserole dish. Spread mixture evenly. Then top with a layer of grated cheese.

Bake uncovered at 350* for 20-25 minutes or until heated through and cheese has melted.

Rolo Chocolate Cookies

Peg's Rolo Chocolate Cookies
2-1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 tsps. vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup chopped pecans
48 Rolo Caramels, unwrapped (9-oz. pkg.)

Heat oven to 325. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off . In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and cocoa; blend well.

In large bowl, beat 1 cup sugar, brown sugar, and margarine until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs; beat well. Add flour mixture; blend well. Stir in 1/2 cup of the pecans Chill dough for a little while to stiffen. For each cookie, with floured hands, shape about 1 tablespoonful dough around 1 Carmel candy, covering completely.

In small bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup pecans and 1 TBSP sugar. Press one side of each ball into pecan mixture. Place, nut side up, 2 inches apart on un-greased cookie sheets.

Bake at 325 for 10 minutes or until set and slightly cracked. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely on wire rack.

Peg’s Hints:
Put cookie dough in the refrigerator or freezer for a little while until kind of stiff and easy to handle.

Make sure your hands are floured well when shaping into ball.

Perfect Rice

Perfect Rice

Combine 1 part rice to 2 parts water (i.e. 2 cups rice to 4 cups water.) Stir to mix. Cover with tight fitting lid. Cooking rice over high heat, bring to a full rolling boil. Once rice has come to a boil, immediately remove from heat and allow to sit for about 15 minutes. DO NOT REMOVE OR OPEN LID! After 15 minutes, remove lid and fluff rice with a fork. Voila! Perfect rice without any messy boil overs. Now wasn't that simple!?!

Pear Honey

Pear Honey

8 cups (about 3 pounds) peeled, cored & chopped pears *(I used a gallon size can of pears in light syrup that I drained)
One 20-oz. can crushed pineapples with syrup
10 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Combine all ingredients together in a heavy stock pot. Stir to mix well.

Cook until pears are tender & mixture thickens; about 30 minutes. The original recipe does not call for it but, I used my immersion blender to bend up my fruit so the consistency would be smoother.

Place in sterilized jars and seal while still hot leaving a 1/4-inch head space. Screw bands on only finger tip tight. Do not over tighten. I took a taste of it while I was ladling it into my jars and let me tell you ...it is YUMMY!!

The original recipe ends at this point, however I felt better processing my jars for 10 minutes just to be on the safe side. Once jars are sealed (meaning you hear the "ping" noise as the lids seal tightly, then tighten bands around jar. Yields: 15 half pint jars.

Peanut Butter Chip Cupcakes

Peanut Butter Chip Cupcakes

1 box white cake mix
3 eggs
1 stick butter flavor Crisco shortening
1 bag Reese peanut butter baking pieces
1 container white frosting (you can use any flavor you desire)


Prepare cupcake pans by using either paper liners or by greasing and flouring them well.

Prepare cake mix according to package directions.

Pour batter into cupcake liners, filling about 3/4 full.

Top each cupcake with a handful or so of Reese's peanut butter baking pieces.

Using the tip of a butter knife, lightly press baking pieces into batter.

Place cupcake pans in a preheated 350* oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Remove cooked cupcakes from pan and cool on wire rack. Allow to cool completely.

Once completely cooled, top with icing. Enjoy!

Pasta Carbonara

Pasta Carbonara

12 oz. linguine
6 bacon strips, diced
2 Tblsp. garlic, minced
1-1/4 cups milk
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed
1/2 cup butter or margarine, cubed
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove to paper towels.

In the drippings, saute garlic until tender.

Add the milk, cream cheese and butter; stir until smooth.

Stir in the Parmesan cheese and bacon; heat through.

Serve pasta tossed with sauce.

Pantry Pork & Pasta

Pantry Pork & Pasta

Start with 1 family size can of cream of chicken soup, 2 regular size cans ranch style beans*, 1 small can evaporated milk, 1 can Hatch brand diced tomatoes with green chiles, 1/2 a block pepper jack cheese, 1 lb. pork sausage, 1 (12oz) pkg. large elbow noodles.

Shred 1/2 of the cheese block and set aside.

Prepare noodles according to package directions. Drain.

Return drained pasta back to pot and top with a dollop of butter. Stir to melt (this helps prevent the noodles from sticking together.) Cover and set aside.

Slice sausage link into thin rounds.

Cook over medium heat until browned.

Drain fat and set aside.

In a medium sauce pan combine cream of chicken soup and can milk. Stir to blend. Heat over med-low heat until smooth.

Add in beans and can tomatoes.

Stir to combine and heat thoroughly.

Pour mixture over cooked pasta noodles. Stir to mix well.

*I am literally making this as I go along -- it looks like one can of beans isn't enough, so I decided to add in another can.

Add cooked sausage to mixture; stirring to combine well.

Look what I found in the icebox after further investigation...grated cheddar cheese! Woo Hoo!

Add to meat & noodle mixture. Stir well.

Pour mixture into a 9x13 casserole dish.

Dot with butter.

Top with the grated pepper jack cheese.

Bake at 350* for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Old Fashioned White Bread

Old Fashioned White Bread
2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast*
2 cups lukewarm water
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6-1/2 to 7 cups all-purpose flour

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add sugar, salt, eggs, oil and 3 cups of flour; beat until smooth. (I use my Kitchenaid mixer with the bread hook and it does great on this step.) Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn onto a floured work area (instead of using my counter top I use my Tavolini board - which I just love when working with any type of dough); knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Divide in half and shape into loaves. Place in two greased loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Bake at 350* for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans. Tap bottom of loaf. If it makes a hollow sound, bread is done. If not return loaf to pan and bake for a few minutes longer. Cool on wire racks.

*yeast: one 1/4 oz. package = 2 1/4 tsp. of bulk yeast; therefore to make recipe for 2 loaves, you will need 4 1/2 tsp. bulk yeast if not using packets.

**Dough can also be frozen for later use: after 1st rise, punch down dough as directed and divide into loaves. Wrap dough allowing for a little looseness in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag. IMMEDIATELY place in the coldest part of deep freezer (you may want to set the dough on a small jelly roll pan while freezing.) Once fully frozen (yes it may begin to rise some in the freezer before it is frozen - this is ok and normal, it won't rise fully) remove jelly roll pan if used and store frozen until ready to use.

To use frozen dough: Grease bread pan as directed in above recipe. Unwrap frozen dough and place in pan. Cover loosely with the plastic wrap you just took off the loaf and allow to rise (this will be the 2nd full rise as stated in recipe.) Once doubled in size bake as directed.

Anthony's "Oh Yeah, That's Good" Stroganoff

Anthony's "Oh Yeah, That's Good" Stroganoff


1 (12-16 oz) pkg. frozen cooked meatballs
3 c. beef broth
4 oz. can sliced mushroom pieces & stems; drained
16 oz. carton sour cream
4 T. all purpose flour
1 c. whole milk
1 T. dry mustard
1 (16 oz) pkg. cooked egg noodles

In a large skillet, combine meatballs, beef broth & drained mushrooms. Bring to a boil then reduce heat & cover. Let simmer until meatballs are heated through; about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl combine sour cream & flour. Whisk together until blended.
Next add in milk & dry mustard. Whisk until well blended.

Pour sour cream mixture into the meatballs & broth. Stir & cook until thickened & bubbly over medium heat. Keep stirring so mixture does not stick to bottom of skillet. Serve over hot cooked noodles.

Nichole's New Year's Eve Double Crust Turkey Pot Pie

Nichole's New Year's Eve Double Crust Turkey Pot Pie

3-4 c. diced cooked turkey (or chicken)
1 (15 oz) can mixed vegetables; drained*
1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn; drained*
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of chicken & mushroom soup; undiluted*
1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt & pepper
1 T. Old Bay seasoning
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 c. turkey stock (or chicken)
1 (2 count) box already prepared frozen pie crust; uncooked

Preheat oven to 425*

Dice turkey into bite size chunks then place into a medium size mixing bowl.

Add in dry seasonings.

Next add in drained vegetables* and can soup. *you can also use thawed frozen mixed vegetables.

Stir ingredients together until blended.

Pour in 1/2 c. of turkey stock and stir. Add more liquid as desired until mixture is moistened but not wet and soupy.

Unroll one of the two crust into a 9" deep dish pie plate. If using a glass pie plate make sure to grease the pan lightly before placing dough into plate.

Spoon filling into crust and spread evenly.

Take second crust and unroll over top of pie.

Fold excess dough under or trim to tidy edge. Then crimp or flute edges as desired.

With the tip of a knife, make 4 small vent holes in the top of the crust.

To prevent pie filling from cooking out of the crust and spilling into the oven, place pie onto a cookie sheet before placing in the oven.

Place pie onto center rack of oven and bake at 425* for 40 minutes. About 20 minutes into cooking time, check pie crust for browning. If it looks like the edges are browning too quickly, take pie out and tear strips of aluminum foil. Place strips over crust edge, place pie back in oven and let finish cooking and crust is golden.

New Year's Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin

New Year's Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin

4 pound pork tenderloin
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. turkey, vegetable or chicken stock *I used turkey as that is what I had leftover on hand
2 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Rinse pork under cool water & pat dry with a paper towel. Trim excess fat if need be.

Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; place pork in skillet. Sear each side to brown entire surface. Remove meat from pan; set aside on a warm plate.

Add balsamic vinegar and stock to skillet, stirring to scrape any cooked bits of meat from skillet. Reduce heat to medium; stir in brown sugar; mix well to make a glaze.

Return tenderloin to skillet; spoon glaze over meat.

Place pork in a small roasting pan. Drizzle any pan juices over top. Roast for 20 minutes. Remove pork from oven; allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Canned Nectarines

Canned Nectarines

Peel, pit and slice up your nectarines and place in a medium size mixing bowl. Add 1 cup of sugar and the juice if 1 lime to the fruit. Toss lightly to coat well on all sides. Allow nectarine mixture sit for at least 20 minutes (or longer if needed) to allow juice to form.

Ladle fruit into canning jars. You can refrigerate your nectarines if you plan to use it immediately, otherwise place jars in the freezer for later use. (do not leave jars out on your pantry shelf as the jars obviously are not sealed.)

Nectarine Crisp

Nectarine Crisp

1 full quart prepared nectarines (since my quarts are not totally full, I am adding the two together)
1/4 c. - 1/2 c. sugar (adjust to suit your taste - since my nectarines already were packed in sugar I used 1/3 c. to this recipe.)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. old fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. flour
1/2 a stick (1/2 c.) of Crisco butter flavor shortening stick

Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Grease a baking dish and set aside.

Pour nectarines into a mixing bowl; reserving juice. ( juice can be saved and used as a topping on ice cream, in a recipe for cooking chicken, in place of syrup on your pancakes, etc., so don't throw it out. If you want you can put it in a smaller canning jar and freeze it until you need it.)

In a small bowl, mix together sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over nectarines. Toss to mix; then pour into baking dish.

In a another bowl, stir together oats, brown sugar and flour. Using a pastry blender, cut-in butter/margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Sprinkle over nectarines.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until fruit is tender and topping is golden.

My nectarines kept 'making' juice as it cooked so my topping is not exactly a crisp, but hey it tasted great anyway.

Nichole's Mexican Crockpot Beef Stew

Nichole's Mexican Crockpot Beef Stew

1 ½ lb. beef stew meat
1 large spoonful of flour
1 package beef bullion powder
1 T. minced jar garlic
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes & chili's (undrained)
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
*Can use the above listed cumin & chili powder –OR- use 1 T. taco seasoning mix*
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried cilantro
1/2 tsp. enchilada seasoning
1 tsp. dried minced onion
1-2 c. water (or as much as you desire)
Salt & pepper to taste

(I am using semi frozen beef...I forgot to take it out of the freezer last night to thaw, so I simply let the Ziploc bag of meat soak for about 30 minutes in the sink filled with enough cool water to cover. If bag floats, simply fill a glass with water and place atop the meat to keep it submerged. This will thawed the meat out enough to allow me to pull the pieces apart and not have just one frozen mass of meat chunks.)

In a small bowl add the large spoonful of flour. (I am using a spoon that I would normally use in cooking just to give you an idea of what size spoonful I am referring to.)

Dredge meat in flour to coat, then place onto bottom of a 4-6qt. crockpot.

Add remaining ingredients on top of the meat.

Add water, adjusting amount by your desired preference.

Cover and cook on LOW 6-8 hours. Serve over cooked rice.

Italian Sausage Casserole

Italian Sausage Casserole

2 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese
5 links of Italian sausage (hot or mild)
1 lb. large shell pasta noodles (or whatever you have on hand - ziti works well too)
1 (26.5 oz) can spaghetti sauce (or 3 c. homemade - whatever you have on hand)
Salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper* (to taste)
1 tsp. minced garlic

Place sausage on a cookie sheet, then cook in a 400 degree oven until links are browned; turning once. (You are not looking for them to be cooked through, only browned. They will continue to cook later.)

Prepare pasta until just done according to package directions. (Pasta will continue to cook in the oven so it need not be fully done before draining.) Drain, return to cooking pot and set aside.

Simmer pasta sauce and add seasonings to taste.

Slice Italian sausage into bite size pieces, and add to noodles. Next ad tomato sauce, cooked & 1/2 of the Mozzarella to the pasta & sausage mixture. Stir well to combine.

Transfer to medium size casserole dish. Top remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

*I used crushed red pepper in our meal tonight as I used mild sausage. If you use hot sausage omit the pepper unless you like a lot of spicy heat. You can omit the red pepper altogether and only use mild sausage if you do not like heat at all.

Ice Cream Delight

Ice Cream Delight

12 ice cream sandwiches
6 1/2 oz. can chocolate flavored whipped topping
12 oz. pkg. malted milk balls, crushed

Arrange 4 ice cream sandwiches side by side on a serving platter. Spread a layer of whipped topping over sandwiches. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the crushed malt balls. Repeat layers, ending with the malt balls. Freeze for 3 hours. Serves: 8-10

From Gooseberry Patch Church Suppers

Perfect Lemon Bread

Perfect Lemon Bread

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 1/3 c. sugar, divided
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. oil
1 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
4 1/2 Tblsp. lemon juice

Mix flour, 1 c. sugar, baking powder & salt together in a large bowl; set aside. Beat together eggs, milk, oil & zest. Add to flour mixture. Stir until well blended. Pour into a greased & floured 9x5" loaf pan. Bake at 350* for 45-50 minutes.

Combine lemon juice & remaining sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat; cook & stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Using a skewer or straw, poke holes in hot bread and drizzle glaze over top. Allow to cool before serving. Yield: 1 loaf

a recipe of mine that was printed in GBP Church Suppers

Homemade White Bread

Homemade White Bread

4 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast*
4 cups lukewarm water
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons salt
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
8 to 11 cups all-purpose flour

In a measuring cup, dissolve yeast in water.

Transfer to large mixing bowl; add in sugar, salt, eggs, oil and 6 cups of flour; beat until smooth. (I use my Kitchenaid mixer with the bread hook and it does great on this step.)

Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn onto a floured work area; knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down.

Transfer dough to floured surface. Using a pastry cutter cut dough into quarters.

Using a floured rolling pin, roll dough into rectangles (the shape does not have to be perfect) and then roll dough towards you to shape into loaves. Place into greased loaf pans with seam side down. Deuteronomy 28: 5 "Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store."

Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

At this point you can brush the tops of the bread with melted butter if you want; which I did.

Bake at 350* for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans. Tap bottom of loaf. If it makes a hollow sound, bread is done. If not, return loaf to pan and bake for a few minutes longer. Cool on wire racks.

Yield: 4 loaves

*yeast: one 1/4 oz. package = 2-1/4 tsp. of bulk yeast; therefore to make recipe for 4 loaves, you will need 9 tsp. bulk yeast if not using packets.

Homemade Seasoning Mixes

All purpose black pepper seasoning
1/4 c. black pepper
1/4 c. salt
1/4 c. garlic powder

All purpose red pepper seasoning
1/4 c. cayenne pepper
1/4 c. salt
1/4 c. garlic powder

Bean seasoning
1/2 c. ground cumin
1/2 c. chili powder
4 Tblsp. salt
1-1/2 c. dried minced garlic (or garlic powder)
4 Tblsp. black pepper
1-1/2 c. dried minced onion

Taco seasoning
3/4 cup dried minced onion

1/4 cup salt

1/4 cup chili powder

1 Tbsp. dried oregano

2 Tbsp. each cornstarch, crushed dried red pepper, dried minced garlic, ground cumin

To Use: 2 T Mix, 1/2 c. water & 1 lb ground beef, simmer altogether. Add 2 Tbsp. dry mix to 1 lb. ground beef and 1/2 cup water. Heat through.

Chicken fajita seasoning
1 Tblsp. corn starch
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. sugar
1 pkg. chicken bullion powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder (or dried minced onion)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. cumin

Homemade Pizza

Basic Pizza Dough
(yield: 2 pizzas)

1 Tblsp yeast
1-1/4 cup luke warm water (about 110*-you don't want it too hot or it will kill the yeast)
4 cups flour
1 tsp grey sea salt
2 Tblsp olive oil
1 Tblsp honey

In a small bowl, combine the water, honey and yeast. Stir until dissolved. Allow mixture to sit until yeast "activates" & a layer of froth develops on the surface.

In a large mixing bowl, combine salt & flour.

Add yeast & olive oil.

Mix together, using the dough hook of your mixer. Continue to mix dough, increasing speed a little at a time so motor does not over heat from the weight of the dough. Allow dough hook to knead the dough until it is smooth, shiny and elastic (about 5 - 10 minutes.) If the dough is too sticky or soft, add extra flour (a Tblsp at a time) or if it's too dry and crumbly, add water (a Tblsp at a time).

Place dough into a large, oiled bowl. Turn dough once to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise until double in size.

Punch dough down, then transfer to a lightly floured counter or bread board. Divide dough in half and shape each piece into round disks, rolling out to 12-13" pizzas. (We also made a square pizza to show that you are not limited to just using the basic round shape.) Place onto a pizza stone or cookie sheet lined with a silpat.

Brush lightly with oil and let them rise again, for about 20 minutes.

Your pizzas are now ready to add the toppings, sauce and cheese of your choice.

Bake at 400* for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is browned.

Hillbilly Housewife's Homemade Ketchup

Hillbilly Housewife's Homemade Ketchup

6 ounce can tomato paste
1/4 to 1/3 cup tap water (I used 1/3 cup)
2 T vinegar
¼ tsp dry mustard
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
¼ cup brown sugar

In a medium bowl combine all of the ingredients & mix with a wire whisk. Blend well.

Scrape the mixture into a pint-sized, resealable container. Chill overnight, to blend the flavors. Use wherever ketchup is desired. Yields: 12 ounces.

V's Hamburger Buns

V's Hamburger Buns

2 c. warm water
5 Tblsp. sugar
1 1/2 Tblsp. yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c oil
5-6 c. flour
1 beaten egg white
1 Tblsp. water
sesame seeds or dried onion flakes

Combine the water, sugar, yeast, salt and oil in a mixing bowl. Add in flour, a cup at a time, until its a nice bread dough that doesn’t stick to the sides.

Transfer to a clean counter top or bread kneading board that has been dusted lightly with flour to keep dough from sticking. Knead for 10 minutes.

Grease a separate bowl to transfer dough to once kneaded. Turn once to coat both sides of dough with oil. Cover and let rise until doubled in size.

Punch down and knead the air bubbles out. Divide into 12 pieces for hamburgers or 18 pieces for hot dogs or brats. Roll between hands into correct shapes.

Place on greased cookie sheet for 20 minutes to let rise (hot dog rolls should be squished together so they rise UP and not just out.)

Carefully brush with mixture of egg white and water and sprinkle with seeds or flakes if desired (flakes are excellent for hamburgers.)

Bake at 400* for 20 minutes or until nicely browned. Let cool 5 minutes and then break apart and move to a cooling rack so the bottoms don’t get soggy.

Herb Yeast Roll Dinner Wreath

Herb Yeast Roll Dinner Wreath

You will need 12 frozen dough balls

Turn a cookie sheet upside down. Either grease & flour the surface or cover with a silpat.

Place frozen dough balls onto cookie sheet making a circle or wreath shape. Lightly spray a piece of plastic wrap with oil and place greased side down over the dough. Allow dough to sit in a warm, draft free place to rise until doubled in size. (Depending on the temperature this could take anywhere from an hour and a half to longer. To help the rising process you can stick the dough into the oven. Turn heat on at the lowest heat setting. After about 10-12 minutes turn heat off. Do not open oven door if possible and allow to rise. After about 30-45 minutes, you can begin to check on the dough and judge how much longer it will need to rise.)

Once doubled in size, melt 2 T. butter in a small dish and add add in any herbs of your choice. I use basil and oregano. Then lightly brush tops of rolls with the butter mixture.

Bake rolls at 350* for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

Ham & Noodle Skillet

Ham & Noodle Skillet

Enjoy this recipe from Our Favorite Cheap & Easy Recipes Cookbook (M486).

2 c. cooked ham, cubed 1/4 c. onion, chopped 2 T. margarine 1/8 t. pepper 1/8 t. paprika	1 t. Worcestershire sauce 1 c. water 4-oz. can mushrooms, drained and 1/4 c. liquid reserved 4-oz. pkg. medium egg noodles, uncooked 1 c. sour cream
Saute ham and onion in margarine; stir in pepper, paprika and Worcestershire sauce. Add water, reserved mushroom liquid and noodles; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Stir in mushrooms; heat for 5 minutes. Add sour cream; heat through without boiling. Makes 4 servings.

Nichole's Ground Beef with Ramen Noodle Rice

Nichole's Ground Beef with Ramen Noodle Rice

Start by browning 1 lb. ground beef with a 1/4 c. diced onion and seasonings of your choice in a medium size skillet. Drain fat. Set aside.

In a small saucepan combine melt 2 Tblsp. butter. Add in 1 cup uncooked long grain rice, 1 ramen noodle beef seasoning packet* and 2 cups beef stock. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes without lifting lid. Turn off heat and allow to sit until all liquid is absorbed.

Combine cooked beef with rice. Stir to combine. Serve warm with slices of bread and butter.

It wasn't the fanciest meal but hey, it was cheap, it filled us up and it used what I had on hand.

*Hubby loves ramen noodles but usually only mixes one seasoning packet with 2 bags of the noodles so I am forever having stray seasoning packets left in the pantry. So this is a good way to use it up.

Ground Beef with Black Beans

Ground Beef with Black Beans

1 1/2 to 2 pounds lean ground beef
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
2 carrots, shredded or finely diced
3 medium cloves garlic
1 can (16oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (16oz) corn, drained
1 can (16oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup chopped green pimiento-stuffed olives*
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 to 3 dashes hot pepper sauce
pepper, to taste

Brown the ground beef; drain well and transfer to slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients; mix to combine. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours (or high for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2). Serve with mashed potatoes or rice.

*I am going to omit the olives in this as I don't have an on hand.
**As I was mixing ingredients in the crockpot, it looked a little dry to me so I added about 1/4 c. water to it. before turning the setting on to cook.
***After it had been cooking for about 2 hours, I still thought it needed a little "something" for more sauce; not necessarily water or juice, but something to make somewhat of a sauce. Therefore I added to the mixture one can of tomato soup and a little shy of half the can of water to rinse remaining soup out.

Green Chile Beef Enchiladas

Green Chile Beef Enchiladas

1 lb ground beef
2 tsp. taco seasoning
1 T. minced garlic
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese*
1/4 a loaf of processed cheese; diced
1 small can evaporated milk
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles (undrained)
1 (20 count) pkg tortillas
2 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese

In a medium size skillet, brown meat with taco seasoning, salt, pepper and garlic until no longer pink.

Drain meat, then return to skillet. Add shredded cheddar cheese *(you can actually use some of the Mexican blend cheese if you want. I just happened to have some left over cheddar on hand & needed to use it up) to the meat and stir to blend.

Meanwhile in a saucepot, combine diced cheese, evaporated milk and undrained diced chiles. Simmer over low heat stirring often, until cheese is melted.

On a flat surface, fill each tortilla with the meat mixture; roll tightly. Place each rolled tortilla seam side down into a lightly greased 9x13 casserole dish. Pour melted cheese & chile sauce over the tortillas rolls. Then top with grated cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350* for 20-25 minutes or until heated through and shredded cheese is melted.

Great Smokies' Great Cornbread

Great Smokies' Great Cornbread
1-1/2 c. buttermilk or sour milk
2 eggs
1 Tblsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 c. corn meal
1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. melted butter or margarine

In a medium size mixing bowl, beat first 5 ingredients together. Stir in corn meal and flour. Add melted butter. Stir to mix well. Pour batter into a greased 8-inch square baking pan. Bake at 425* for 30 minutes or until golden brown.


To order the cornmeal for yourself, go to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Store and click on Food of the Smokies.

Grandma's Buttermilk Brownie Cake

Grandma's Buttermilk Brownie Cake

by Connie Mrachek of Charles City, IA

Cake:

2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup butter or margarine
½ cup reduced-fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:
½ cup butter or margarine
¼ cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup reduced-fat buttermilk
1 (1-pound) box confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cake:
Preheat oven to 400F. Grease a 15 x 10-inch baking pans.

To prepare brownies, combine granulated sugar, flour and cocoa; mix well.
Combine 1 cup water with oil and butter in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; add to flour mixture and mix well. Add buttermilk, baking soda, eggs and vanilla. Beat well by hand and pour into pan. 20 to 22 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Cool completely on wire racks.

To prepare frosting, combine butter, cocoa and buttermilk in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar and vanilla with a mixer at low speed. Spread evenly over cooled brownies.

Makes about 3 dozen brownies.

French Toast Casserole

French Toast Casserole
8-10 c. bread cubes (I had left over crust from sandwiches that I cubed and placed in a freezer bag for later use. I saved them up over the past few weeks and they sure did come in handy.)
8 eggs
2 c. milk (I used 2% as that is what I had on hand)
1 c. buttermilk
4 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt

Topping
2 Tblsp. butter; cubed
3 Tblsp. sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Place bread cubes in a greased 9x13 casserole dish. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, milks, sugar, vanilla and salt. Pour over bread cubes. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Dot top of casserole with butter.

In a small bowl combine sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over top of casserole.

Cover and bake at 350* for 45-50 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand about 5 minutes. Can be served with maple syrup if desired.

This recipe will feed 6-8 people depending on how large your serving portions are. So this would make a great breakfast for when you have overnight guest stay with you.

French Onion Rice

French Onion Rice
1 cup uncooked white rice
1 can (10.5 ounce size) condensed French onion soup
1 can (10.5 ounce size) beef broth
1 small can sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup butter, sliced

Preheat oven to 425*. In a small casserole combine rice, soup, broth and mushrooms. Place butter slices on top of mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake 30 minutes longer.

Dehydrated Onions

Dehydrated Onions

I was out of dried minced onions. So instead of buying them, I decided to make my own. I took a left over onion that I had in the icebox, sliced it about 1/4" thick and placed it in the dehydrator. In the morning I will have dried onions that I will dice up and store in my empty spice bottle. If doing this during the day, allow about 10 hours for them to fully dry. (Using the empty store bought container is great to help reduce waste as well as the fact that the product label is already marked for you to use.)

Crockpot Garlic Roast

Crockpot Garlic Roast

I am doing my roast a little different than usual. I forgot to take it out to thaw last night but with the crockpot on HIGH for the first hour or so of cooking, that won't be a problem. Anyway, I placed my roast in the crockpot and seasoned it with salt, pepper, garlic powder, 1 Tblsp. minced garlic, 1 family size can of cream of mushroom, 1/4 a jar of homemade chicken stock, 1 packet of Roasted Garlic gravy mix for steak, diced onions and then filled the crock with water. I am going to let it cook on HIGH for about 1-2 hours since it's frozen, then I will kick it back to LOW and let it cook for 6-7 hours or until done. So we should have a nice filling meal come dinner time.

Nichole's Creamed Peas

Nichole's Creamed Peas

1 lb. fresh or frozen cream peas
3-4 slices of jalapeno pepper (fresh or pickled)
1/4 a link of sausage; diced (any flavor you prefer -- I used jalapeno flavored)
salt, pepper & garlic powder to taste

Rinse & drain peas in a colander. Place into a medium size sauce pot.

Add in jalapeno slices, sausage, salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Fill pot with enough water to cover ingredients. Place tight fitting lid on and cook over high heat until it comes to a full rolling boil. *DO NOT simmer the peas, they MUST boil in order for them to "cream"*

Continue to let peas boil over medium high heat, with lid set very slightly ajar to allow some steam to escape, until peas are tender (about an hour or so.) **Watch your pot though to make sure liquid doesn't boil out. Your heat should not be high enough to allow it to cook that hard but keep your eye on it to be on the safe side.**

Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Enjoy!

Sourdough Starter

Sourdough Starter

1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cool water
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Proof yeast in warm water. Add remaining water and flour, and mix well in a large container -- it may triple in size. Cover. Let rise 6 to 24 hours at room temperature. Makes nearly 2 cups. Unused portion can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bread

Featured in the October 1991 issue of Texas Monthly.

From Debra Auden owner of LocuStreet Bakery, 206 E. Locust, San Antonio.

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 3/4 cups warm water
1/2 cup active sourdough starter (see recipe, below)
5 scant cups unbleached all-purpose flour or bread flour
1/2 cup powdered milk
2 teaspoons sea salt or plain salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon cornmeal

Proof yeast in 1/4 cup water. Add sourdough starter and remaining water, and beat until well blended. Combine flour, powdered milk, salt, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips in separate bowl. Blend thoroughly into yeast mixture, about 2 minutes with an electric mixer or 4 minutes by hand. If using mixer, knead with dough hook about 4 minutes, then finish by hand until taut, about 20 seconds. If blending by hand, knead 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Place in large bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until tripled, about 3 hours.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface, and knead briefly (if making 2 loaves, divide dough in half). Flatten dough out, then spread peanut butter in center. Roll dough up into oval shape, pinching seams. Pick off chocolate chips on outside. Place on baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal, and let rise again, covered, in warm place until almost doubled in size, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle dough with flour, and slash loaf before baking. Bake until bottom of loaf sounds hollow when tapped, about 60 minutes for large loaf and 35 to 40 minutes for 2 loaves. Let cool on rack at least 2 hours before slicing.

Chicken Justin

Chicken Justin

1 whole chicken - cut up
salt & pepper to season (can use black or cayenne pepper)
4 c. diced onion
1 c. diced celery
1 c. chopped parsley
1 c. chopped bell pepper
1/2 c. pimentos
Dash of hot sauce mixed into 4 c. wine (I used chicken stock)
2 Tblsp. Worcestershire sauce

Grease a 9x13" casserole dish with non stick spray or butter. Add chicken and top with remaining ingredients. Bake for 1 1/2 - 2 hours at 350*.

Cheeseburger Soup

Cheeseburger Soup

1 lb. ground beef
3/4 c. chopped onion
3/4 c. chopped carrots
3/4 c. diced celery
1 tsp. dried basil
3 T. butter, divided
3 c. chicken broth
4 c. potatoes, peeled & diced
1/4 c. flour
1/2 of a large block of processed cheese loaf, diced
1 1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. sour cream
1 T. old bay seasoning
salt & pepper to taste
*For an added variation, you can also add is a couple slices of cooked & crumbled bacon strips.

In a skillet, cook beef until browned & no longer pink. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot, saute onion, carrots, celery and basil in 1 T. butter until vegetables are softened; about 5 minutes.

Stir in broth, potatoes and beef. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

In a saucepan melt remaining butter and whisk in flour to make a roux.

Briskly stir roux into soup mixture. Let simmer about 5 minutes.

Now add in cheese, milk, Old Bay, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly until cheese melts.

Remove from heat and blend in sour cream. Serve warm.

Chicken & Noodle Casserole

Chicken & Noodle Casserole
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (regular, 98% Fat Free or 25% Less Sodium)
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
2 cups medium egg noodles, cooked and drained
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (about 2 ounces)

Stir the soup, milk, black pepper, vegetables, chicken, noodles and Parmesan cheese in a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish. Bake at 400°F. for 25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Stir the chicken mixture. Top with the Cheddar cheese.

OPTIONS:

Golden Onion Chicken & Noodle Casserole: Substitute 1/2 cup crushed French fried onions for the Cheddar cheese.

Hearty Chicken Casserole with a Twist: Substitute 2 cups cooked corkscrew-shaped pasta for the egg noodles.

Cheeseburger Pasta

Cheeseburger Pasta
1 lb. ground beef
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Tomato Soup (Regular or 25% Less Sodium)
1 1/2 cups water
2 cups uncooked medium shell-shaped pasta

Cook the beef in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until the beef is well browned, stirring frequently to break up meat. Pour off any fat. Stir the soups, water and pasta into the skillet. Heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender but still firm, stirring often.

Nichole's Cheeseburger Casserole

Nichole's Cheeseburger Casserole

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1 – 10 ¾ oz can condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
1 – 10 ¾ oz can condensed cream of chicken & mushroom soup, undiluted
½ cup milk
½ tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp pepper
2 cups macaroni, cooked and drained
1 cup Velveeta style cheese; cubed small
½ cup dry bread crumbs
1 T. melted butter

In a skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.

In a mixing bowl, combine soups, milk, basil and pepper; mix well.

Stir in beef mixture.

Fold in macaroni and cheese.

Pour into a greased 9x13" casserole dish.

Toss bread crumbs with butter then sprinkle over the top of casserole.

Bake at 375° (uncovered) for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.