Husband's Delight

Yesterday was Recipe Rally over at Family My Way.
Gonna pitch in my "two cents"!

HUSBAND'S Delight

don't ask me...I didn't name the stuff

preheat oven to 350. grease a 2 qt casserole dish.

• cook up one 8 oz package of skinny egg noodles.
• brown 1 1/2 lb.s of lean ground beef. When it is almost done, add 1 clove of minced garlic and 1 tbsp of butter.
• to the browned meat, add 3 8 oz cans of tomato sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, and season to taste (salt, pepper, italian seasonings). turn the heat on low and let this mixture simmer for about 10 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, blend together 8 oz of softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 cup cottage cheese, 1 cup grated cheddar, 1/3 cup chopped yellow onion and 1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper (optional).
  
• place half the cooked noodles in the bottom of the casserole. Spread the blended cheese mixture over the noodles. Layer on the rest of the noodles and pour the meat and tomato sauce over the top.
  
• sprinkle the top with another cup of grated cheddar or Jack/cheddar mix and top it all off with a dusting of parmesan.
• bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
• CHOW DOWN
  

My one Avocado recipe - FMW

Today is Recipe Rally at my new "hang out" - Family My Way! The theme for the day is Avocados. Hmmmmm, I didn't have to think too long about my fav green recipe. In fact, it'll take me longer to type it than it did to decide which one I wanted to share.

Mainly because this is the ONLY time I EVER eat Avocados. **Giggles**

Maybe I'll find some new Green mushy slimy recipes to try after today.

I patterned this after my favorite meal in the whole wide world. In fact, if ever for some unknown reason I am on death row and I get a last meal...?

Well, I'm just sayin'...ya' know!?! It's THAT good!

Plus, it'd probably buy me some time. Because I found this delicious culinary treat at a small funky restaurant over on the coast of my state. And at the risk of being sued for stealing their recipe, I will say that what I'm entering here is a just a sad imitation of the real thing. In order to really relish the experience, one needs to soak in the hippy-ish ambiance of the Riverhouse. Nice glassa wine, Potato Salad that makes you DROOL with a little olive on top, a tuft of sprouts on the plate to add crunch to the sandwich if you so choose. And for dessert? Their carrot cake is so good it brings tears to your eyes! No Joke!

Anyway, they serve this treat cold or open-faced hot. I like the open faced hot one...and I conveniently forget the tomatoes. Mainly cuz tomatoes make me gag.

Janean's Poor Imitation of a Turkey Gobbler

Stuff you will need -

two slices of nice sourdough bread
Cream cheese - softened
Thinly sliced deli turkey breast
A tomato if you want it
Good ripe avocado
Monterey Jack cheese
Grated Parmesan

now assemble this thing on a cookie sheet or some other flat pan you can put in the oven. Toaster ovens work great. Lay out your bread slices side by side and spread with the cream cheese. The next layer is the turkey; pile it on according to your taste. Peel and slice the avocado and arrange those on for the next layer. Then would come your tomato slices (ERK) if you so choose. Sprinkle the whole delectable pile with salt and pepper to your taste. Now cover both halves with generous slices of the Jack cheese. To finish off, I love REAL grated Parmesan (not that powdered stuff that comes in a plastic can) so drizzle that over the sandwich.

Broil for a couple of minutes till the cheese is starting to bubble and turn golden in spots. ENJOY with your favorite Alfalfa sprouts, salad or just on it's own. Cuz it's enough to feed two people EASY.

Have a good one!

One of my most treasured possessions

My grandmother was amazing...
I know I've written about her before. I never saw her lose her temper. Ever. I know she made some mistakes in her life, but I won't go into those here. Still, I have always dreamed and prayed that I could be as gracious and caring as she was.
Her ministry was letter and card writing. No matter what, rain or shine, ill or well she had a list of people she wrote to every week.

I don't know if my sisters received one or not, but she wrote...HAND WROTE...a recipe book for me in a 5-subject spiral notebook.

When I saw the request over at CHBM's Recipe Rally for Green Bean recipes, I knew I had to share Gram's Ground Beef and Beans.

And I couldn't find the book!! I was crying by the time I found it wedged inside the Better Homes and Gardens binder.
I think I'll keep it in my bedroom from now on.

ANYWAY, Here it is friends. From my Gram's kitchen to you...

Ground Beef and Beans

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Throw 2 TBSP butter in a LARGE skillet and saute' up about a half cup of chopped white or green onion.

Add 1 1/2 lb.s of ground beef and brown that.

Then sprinkle over the meat...

2 tsp salt, dash of pepper, 1 tsp sugar and 4 TBSP flour.

Stir that up and turn the burner on low just to keep it warm.

Drain 2 cans of green beans and SAVE one cup of liquid from the cans. Pour that liquid over the meat mixture and stir well. Then fold in 1/2 pint of Sour Cream. Now stir in the green beans.

Transfer the mixture to a greased 2 qt. casserole dish and top with 2 cups of crushed corn flakes, 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese and a sprinkle of parsley. Then bake in the 400 oven for 20 minutes.

VERY good served with buttermilk biscuits.

You can't see her very well, she would tend to shy away from cameras although she always had one in her hand. She's the fluff of white hair in the back corner at this Thanksgiving dinner in 2003.

Another day and Peanut Butter Cookies

It's so weird not to have him here.
But he likes his new job...so that's good.
I respect him for heading out and doing what he needs to do.
And I appreciate him more when he's around.
He's worried that, especially once college classes start up, we'll never see eachother. So I just keep reinforcing that it's only ONE term. Then the schedule will change again.
We are both growing stronger and more independent so we can come together in a healthy relationship based on mutual respect and a new life rather than "baggage" and neediness. We are working together now to make a better future for us and for the kids. Yah, it may be uncomfortable now, but the goal is worth the struggle.
So that's how I feel about that subject anyway.

It all seems so trivial when I read on Kelli's Place about how she has developed some massive infections. She awaits a kidney transplant and, friends, her life is in danger! Her daughter has been posting updates, but she needs prayer...BIGTIME!

I see that Butterfly Kisses is going ahead with Psalm Sunday. I don't know what I have to contribute, but it looks like she will be doing Psalm 45 next week. I think I'll give it a shot.

Stuffy noses. Aargh! Seems it always starts just as school does. First #2, then #4, now #3 and I are feeling scratchy and achy. Rats.

Made PB choc chip cookies today, though. Got done with my "Volunteer Work Experience" a little early today so thought I would bless my family with a sugar high.

Here's the recipe. I found it in a church cookbook. Sometimes those are the BEST sources of "real" food recipes. This one is courtesy of a sweet little lady named Florence.

Irresistible Peanut Butter Cookies
They ARE, too!

¾ cup crunchy peanut butter

1 ¼ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup shortening or margarine

1 TBSP vanilla

1 egg
3 TBSP milk

1 ¾ cup flour
¾ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp salt

Combine peanut butter, shortening or margarine, brown sugar, milk and vanilla until well blended. Add egg; beat until blended. Sift together flour, salt and soda; add to creamed mixture.
Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Flatten slightly with fork dipped in sugar (crisscross).
Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes or until set and edges are browned. Cool for 2 minutes and remove from pan to cool completely on waxed paper or wire racks.
These are GREAT with 1 cup of chocolate chips stirred in! Yummy!

I always double it. Cuz we eat alot of cookies. :D

OK. I'd better go cook dinner. I feel rather domestic...

FRUITY Goodness

FRUIT is the subject of the day for the Recipe Rally at CHBM's!

I must admit I don't get alot of ripe fruit. And when I do, I preserve it! Pears, Peaches, Apples go into sauce and Apple butter. Blueberries go in the freezer and so do plums.

So I hope you don't mind that my "fruity" recipe is Ambrosia. You've probably seen about 43 different versions of this. Here we go...


Can of fruit cocktail (drain and discard juice)
can of pineapple tidbits (SAVE the juice! Cut up a banana and an apple into bite sized pieces and dip it into the pineapple juice to keep it from getting brown.)
can of mandarin oranges (drain and discard juice)
One sliced banana, treated as above with pineapple juice.
One medium apple, cut up and treated as above with pineapple juice.
3 cups mini marshmallows
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tub Kool Whip
1 cup coconut

I didn't give a size on the cans, because you just add to taste. Most of the time I use a BIG can of fruit cocktail and smaller ones on the other fruits. It's all up to you. Open a bunch of cans, drain 'em and dump 'em in a bowl. YUMMY!

SEE? I'm the real gourmet cook here, huh? LOL

Yummy Pasta

Today is RECIPE RALLY over at the CHBM's!

Here's my favorite pasta (comfort food) recipe.

Husband’s Delight

1 8 oz pkg skinny egg noodles

1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 ½ lbs lean ground beef

1 clove minced garlic
1 Tbsp butter

3 8oz cans tomato sauce *I use 26 oz spaghetti sauce
1/3 cup chopped onion
Salt and pepper to taste

1 Tbsp sugar
1 8oz pkg cream cheese

1 cup cottage cheese
¼ cup sour cream

¼ cup green pepper (optional)

Cook and drain noodles; set aside. Brown garlic, onion and green pepper in butter, add ground beef and cook till brown; drain. To the beef, add tomato sauce, salt, pepper and sugar. Let simmer over low heat. Blend cottage cheese, cream cheese and sour cream.
In a greased 9X13 casserole, layer ½ cooked noodles, cottage cheese mixture and then the second half of the noodles. Cover with tomato/beef mixture and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Crocked or Cracked?

Pardon that dorky title. I don't know WHERE that came from.

Crock pot meals....Hmmmmm. This one was hard for me. I usually have all the best intentions, but just can't seem to get organized enough to start a meal at least 5 - 8 hours before I need it.

HOWEVER, if I do...I use this one. I don't do it in a crock, but I imagine you could.

Four Hour Stew

3 lbs lean stew meat 2 Tbsp tapioca
3 cups carrot chunks salt and pepper to taste
2 cups chopped celery 1 can beef broth (soup can sized)
1 onion, thinly sliced 1 can cream of celery or cream of
4 – 5 potatoes, cut in chunks mushroom soup
1 Tbsp sugar

Do NOT brown the meat. Layer vegetables in heavy 5 qt dutch oven or roasting pan; Potatoes, carrots, celery, onion. Top with meat. Sprinkle with sugar, tapioca, salt, pepper and any other seasonings you enjoy. Mix broth and soup together with a wisk and pour over the stew. Cover and bake at 275 degrees for 4 hours. Don’t uncover to check it! It lets the steam escape. Serve with corn bread or biscuits! Makes enough for 6 people. I've got a BIIIiiiiig family.

Yummy Carbs - Recipe Rally Breads

Today is Recipe Rally day at CHBM's! Shoshana has picked Breads for the Chow-of-the-week and I am REALLY glad. Got some GREAT bread recipes!

**In case you can't tell from the next two recipes, I think Taste of Home Magazine and Quick Cooking Magazine are the greatest things since sliced bread, ya'll! I'd spend my last $20 on a subscription**

Sally Lunn Batter Bread

(for those who hate to knead)

Banana Split Bread


Cinnamon rolls from scratch
"Janean’s Blue Ribbon Cinnamon Rolls"
I actually won Blue two years and Best of Show one year. Serious!

Mix together 2 cups flour and 1 pkg of active dry yeast in a large bowl. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup milk, 1/3 cup sugar, 1/3 cup butter or margarine and 1 tsp salt JUST UNTIL warm (approximately 100 degrees), stirring constantly. Add to the flour mixture. Stir well.
Add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Stir in as much of 2 ½ cups of flour as you can with a spoon, then knead in the remainder (less than 5 minutes) to make a moderately stiff dough. Shape into a ball; place into a large GREASED bowl and turn once. Cover loosely with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place till double (about one hour).
Prepare pans by liberally buttering them and sprinkling heavily with brown sugar.
Punch dough down and divide in half. Cover and let set for 10 minutes.
For each half, you will need:
3 TBSP melted butter
¼ cup brown sugar MIXED with 1 tsp cinnamon
Raisins and nuts to taste (optional).
Roll each half into a rectangle (approximately 8 X 12). Spread with melted butter, sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar, raisins and nuts. Roll lengthwise and slice into one inch slices. Lay each on their side about ½ inch apart in prepared pans.
Cover with tea towel and let rise in a warm place till double (approximately 30 minutes to an hour). Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add ¼ cup water to the bottom of each pan, distributing evenly between the rolls (do not pour the water OVER them).
Bake at 375 degrees for 20 – 25 minutes or until nicely browned. Remove from the oven and brush tops with melted butter. Allow to cool and drizzle with icing (see recipe below). Makes approximately one dozen.
Icing for Cinnamon rolls
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
¼ tsp vanilla
Milk to drizzling consistency (approximately 3 TBSP)

Appetizers

The Recipe Rally for today is all about appetizers. My two favorites don't really require any recipe...

Spread some thin-sliced ham with cream cheese. Wrap it around a dill pickle spear. Skewer it with a toothpick.

Voila'!!

Then you can get a flour tortilla, sprinkle some cheese, chopped chicken, mild green chili sauce, and chopped olives on there. Cover it with another flour tortilla (preferably the same size) and either mickey-mike it till the cheese melts (about a minute and a half) or lay it in the frying pan till it's light brown and the cheese melts.
Slide it onto a serving plate. Use your pizza cutter to whack it into about 8 equal wedges and serve with monkey dishes of sour cream and salsa.

TADA!

There you have it, friends. My entire repertoire of appetizers.
Come on, ladies!! post some more and link! I need help!!
I am "appetizer-deficient".

Delectable Desserts - Recipe Rally

MY Favorite DAY...we finally get to do a dessert over at CHBM's Recipe Rally.

I have to do two.
Actually, it's hard to restrain myself to two. I have SO many favorite desserts.
I love to bake. Not COOK, Bake. Pastry, pies, breads, desserts. Mmmmmm.
Maybe that's why I used to weigh 405 lbs. Yah think?

Here's one of the bestest cookie recipes...
She'll probably make cookies a seperate post later on, but that's ok, I can share more then!
I have a million of 'em!

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

2/3 cup butter or margarine 1 cup sugar
1 egg 1 tsp vanilla
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 ¾ cup flour
½ cup buttermilk ½ tsp baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips ½ tsp salt

**Note – if you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a great substitute by placing ½ TBSP white vinegar into a measuring cup and adding milk to make ½ a cup. Let stand for 5 minutes**

Cream butter, sugar, egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine cocoa powder and buttermilk until smooth. Add to creamed mixture and blend well.
Sift together flour, soda and salt; add and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 – 10 minutes or till set. Makes 4 dozen.

And then I HAVE to share this one with you, because it sounded SO weird. TO be honest with you, I haven't tried it yet. But I've been wanting too...REALLY BADLY!

Deep Fried Twinkies AKA Heart Attack on a Stick
Courtesy of the LawDog

6 Twinkies
Popsicle sticks
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 Tablespoon oil
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
The recommended amount of cooking oil for your fryer.

"Take your Twinkies and impale them on the popsicle sticks. Leave enough stick protruding from the twinkie to make a decent grip and lay the twinkies into the freezer over-night.On the day of the deed, mix your flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate dish, mix your milk, vinegar and oil. Once the liquids are mixed, whisk them into the dry mix and mix until smooth. This is your batter, toss it into the fridge.
Heat your fryer to about 375.Once the oil is at the proper temperature, take your twinkies from the freezer, dust lightly with flour, and swish through the batter mix, making sure to coat evenly and fully.Holding your twinkie stick with some tongs, dunk it into the oil. It's going to try to float, so hold it under the surface until it turns a nice golden brown -- usually about three to four minutes.Toss twinkie onto a paper towel, allow to drain, and consume.If your cardiologist finds out you've been eating these, I didn't post this, I wasn't here, and you must have gotten the recipe from my evil twin, Skippy."

Hee HEE! Isn't he FUNNY!
If you actually try these, let me know. I'd love to hear your opinion!

Ham and Potatoes Au Gratin

I am SO late for Recipe Rally Tuesday over at Crazy Hip Blog Mamas, but I had to write and contribute my favorite potato recipe.

Mainly because it's one of my FAV foods ever!

This recipe comes from Louise, a friend of mine, and was included in my church's cookbook. I have decided to make it a rule for the rest of my life to always buy Church Cookbooks whenever I see them for sale. Because Church LOL's (Little Old Ladies) are the BEST cooks!

Anyway, here it is...

Presenting...

Ham and Potatoes Au Gratin

3 medium potatoes, cooked, peeled and cubed. (3 cups)
1/2 lb. cooked ham, diced. (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
2 TBSP butter or margarine
2 TBSP flour
dash of pepper
1 tsp salt
1 cup of milk
1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded or cut up in little pieces so it melts easily.
1/4 cup mayonaise

Combine Potatoes and ham in a large bowl. Prepare a 2 qt casserole by spraying it with nonstick cooking spray and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a nonstick saucepan, cook onion and green pepper in butter until tender (till onion begins to become translucent). Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Cook for one minute over medium heat. Add milk all at once; cook and stir until milk begins to steam. Reduce heat; add cheese and mayonaise. Stir until cheese melts. Pour sauce over potatoes and ham in the bowl and fold well to coat.
Turn the mixture into the prepared casserole and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Hungry now, are ya'??? :D

Ambrosia Yummy!

Today's Recipe Rally over at The Awesome and Wonderful C.H.B.M site is all about SALAD.

Now, you'll have to excuse me. I don't usually DO salad. Mainly because it's, like...uhhh, GREEN and GOOD FOR YOU. Sometimes I have one smothered in Ranch dressing. But, then, sometimes I have EVERYTHING smothered in Ranch dressing. LOL!!

Seriously, I have a couple of good recipes for Hot Chicken Salad (which is really more of a casserole) and German potato salad (which I didn't like because it had vinegar in it.) But those recipes are at home...and we ALL know where I USUALLY am when I blog. :D

And I can't give you my secret recipe for the Learned Family Potatoe Salad ala' Mustard. Cuz it's a secret! And then I'd have to kill you all.
Actually, truth be told - We don't have a recipe. We just throw a bunch of "potato-salad-like" ingredients into a bowl and stir it up with enough mustard to make it the appropriate color.

SOOOOOooooo, we are down to my very last salad recipe. I usually just go to the store, buy a bunch of cans, make a pass through the dairy and freezer sections and get what I need for this salad. It'll set you back about $12 but it makes enough to feed about 10 people.

It's also a really popular recipe...so don't be surprised if you see another variation of it on another Recipe Rally Blogger's site. It's just that good!!

We call it...

AMBROSIA
Get a BIG bowl. Like that one you make the 22 dozen cookies in. Yah, That one!
And a spoon. Ready?
Open these cans in no specific order... But DON'T dump them in yet. Just open them.

(sizes are approximate)
1 13-oz can of pineapple chunks
1 13-oz can of manarin orange segments (or two little 7-oz ones)
1 26-oz can of fruit cocktail
(**Note - I have used sliced bananas and chunked up an apple or two to add, but if you do this you will need to save the juice out of the pineapple can and toss the banana and cut apple in that juice to keep them from turning brown.)

Take these cans to the sink and drain the juice (unless you're using the pineapple juice for the above noted purpose). Then empty the cans into the bowl.

Add:
1 cup of flaked or shredded coconut
1/2 a cup of sour cream
3-4 cups of mini marshmallows (to taste :D)
and 1 tub of thawed Kool Whip.

Fold it all up together. Keep refridgerated.
That's how I make it. Hope ya' like it!

Recipe Rally - MG's Favorite Baked Trout

GUESS WHAT?? Today is Recipe Rally over at Crazy Hip Blog Mamas and... I ACTUALLY REMEMBERED!

WooHoo! Yeah for me! Hoo Hoo Hoo! (ya' gotta do that last part while pumping your fist in the air, you know!)

The recipe selection this week is FISH.

First of all, a disclaimer. I don't do sea food. Or freshwater food either, for that matter. SO when I say this recipe is "good", you will have to take MG's word for it. Not mine. Cuz I'll yak if I eat fish. Serious.

Secondly, I ain't no fancy cook. Don't do flambe' or braising or wine cooking (wine drinking, maybe, but no wine COOKING). Just plain ol' down home pan-fry cookin'.
Ya'll.

Wait, OK, I did do a Baked Alaska one time. And it wasn't half bad.

Anyway, here's MG's favorite baked trout recipe.

Preheat oven to 350.
Take a coupla trout outta the freezer.
Cover the cookie sheet with foil or spray the bottom of the 11X9 pan with nonstick spray.
Place a 1/2 cup of margarine in a coffee cup and put it in the mickey-mike (aka microwave) for about 40 seconds till melted.
During that 40 seconds, unwrap your fishies and lay them in the pan. Frozen solid. Yep.
Drizzle them with melted butter.
This is the cool part, cuz the butter will solidify (ooops, big word there...uhhhh, get hard again) on the frozen fish as you drizzle.
Then I get out the Lawry's Steak Seasoning with Garlic and liberally sprinkle the fish.
When the oven is hot, I put them in the oven and cook 'em till there done. Legals will take about 30 minutes. Trophy size will take about 45 - 50 minutes. You test for done-ness by sticking them with a fork in the thickest part and twisting. If it flakes apart easily and it's all white (NOT clear meat) then it's done.
Plus another clue that they are done is that the little tails get all toasty brown and crunchy.
My 13-year old eats them.
Yes, the tails.
I kid you not.

It gives me the willies just THINKING about it.

Enjoy yer down-home trout and have a wonderful week!