Honeydew Melon, Watermelon, Pineapple, Cantaloupe, surround Grapes
A Sweet Treat
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Holiday Cooking Assignment ~
My family, as I am sure yours is too, is scattered from here to wherever. And the family now has families, which now have families which makes it difficult for all of us to come up with just the right day during the holidays to be festive together. Today is the day! We all share the cooking and my cooking (?) assignment is fruit salad. I started the prep work yesterday, draining and chilling. On alighting from the bed this morning, I mixed! That's it.....an Easy Fruit Salad. So yummy for so little effort.
My fruit salad is ready to load in the car and travel.....let the holiday fun begin!
Just yesterday morning ~
friends and I were discussing of all things......a slow cooker aka CROCK POT! and just this morning, I found that Stephanie O'Dea has been making meals 365 days of the year with her CROCK POT. She has even put her list of recipes in alphabetical order for us. If Stephanie can do it why, then oh why, can't I? make this trail mix?
Now, I'll digress with the rest of the story:
You see, the year was around 1972...'73 or so and a CROCK POT was one of the Christmas gifts the company I onceslaved worked for offered me. I took them up on the offer and my avocado green CROCK POT sat and sat and sat on the shelf for 20 or more years until in one of my down-sizing moments, it was sold in a garage sale or given away or something. Suffice it to say, it's just no longer taking up needed space on my kitchen shelf.
Okay, now I'm back to current day thoughts:
In retirement, we continue to have Christmas gift choices, and lo and behold, one of the choices this year is OH NO....not another CROCK POT! Pickens are slim this year, so, I shared to the quilting group just yesterday that I might have to get another CROCK POT. Come to find out, I may be the only quilter who doesn't cook with a CROCK POT. So in my quest to be like others, I went on a search this morning for CROCK POT recipes and did I ever find them:
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| Nuts and Bolts Trail Mix |
Now, I'll digress with the rest of the story:
You see, the year was around 1972...'73 or so and a CROCK POT was one of the Christmas gifts the company I once
Okay, now I'm back to current day thoughts:
In retirement, we continue to have Christmas gift choices, and lo and behold, one of the choices this year is OH NO....not another CROCK POT! Pickens are slim this year, so, I shared to the quilting group just yesterday that I might have to get another CROCK POT. Come to find out, I may be the only quilter who doesn't cook with a CROCK POT. So in my quest to be like others, I went on a search this morning for CROCK POT recipes and did I ever find them:
- Stephanie O'Dea....recipes in A to Z order
- Recipe4Living....stuffed bell peppers
- Six Sisters Stuff....cashew chicken
- Stick A Fork In It.....barbecue chicken
- Mama and Baby Love....great info on freezing it up
Are You A "No-Reply" Blogger?
It was a complete surprise to me several months ago when a blogger friend emailed me to say....with shock and an exclamation point......I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ARE A NO-REPLY BLOGGER!
I was shocked too to get this news....me, Marty In Motion, the photographer with Reflections Unfurling....Marty's Fiber Musings! A No-Reply person! But, truly I was....when I went to my Blogger profile and found sure enough, not knowing how or when or who did this to me, in my face, my settings were set for a NO-REPLY.
The more I asked around, the more bloggers I found, like myself, that weren't aware what this means....but what it means, is that it cuts a part of us off from the blogging community. And that's why I blog! To be a part of the blogging community. How about you?
Now, having said that, click the button to read how Pleasant Home tells us how to correct the NO-REPLY blogger problem, while answering questions and debunking a lot of myths about going public with an email address. My thought after reading this post: WOW....I didn't know that.
The more I know, the more I grow.....
Egg--actly how to hard cook an egg!
Hello Peeps: I'm not sure how I've missed knowing eggactly how to hard cook an egg all these years, but the other day after emptying the egg carton, I stumbled upon this information printed inside the carton lid......
In case you can't read this, I'll reprint it: There are three easy steps
Now Peeps...I'm no spring chicken but I've never hard cooked an egg this way.....as a matter of fact, I've never even boiled an egg this way. My grandmother never taught me to cook an egg this way and neither did my mama. Whatever happened to putting the eggs in the pan, covering them with water and turning on the heat. Now is the time to go about your business and when you remember to go back into the kitchen, you turn the heat off since the eggs are no doubt good and hard boiled by this time. Works every time for me.
And for more great tips, visit greatdayfarms.com
Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter.
In case you can't read this, I'll reprint it: There are three easy steps
- Place the eggs into a saucepan. Fill with cold water. Be sure the water covers the eggs by about two inches.
- Bring the water to a full boil. Once it's boiling, put a lid on the saucepan and remove it from the burner. Let the eggs stand for 12 minutes still covered by the lid.
- Place the eggs under cold running water until they are completely cooled. Safely tap egg on a hard surface to crack the shell. Continue peeling until the eggshell is completely gone.
Now Peeps...I'm no spring chicken but I've never hard cooked an egg this way.....as a matter of fact, I've never even boiled an egg this way. My grandmother never taught me to cook an egg this way and neither did my mama. Whatever happened to putting the eggs in the pan, covering them with water and turning on the heat. Now is the time to go about your business and when you remember to go back into the kitchen, you turn the heat off since the eggs are no doubt good and hard boiled by this time. Works every time for me.
And for more great tips, visit greatdayfarms.com
Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter.
Paparadelle with Kale Pesto: via Farmhouse Table
I've just subscribed: A most delicious blog chock full of recipes: Farmhouse Table. My first glimpse was this recipe....looks so good and seems to be so easily prepared. One of those 'must try' recipes!
EDITED...........I WAS THUMBING BACK THROUGH SOME OF MY OLDER POSTS AND DISCOVERED THAT THIS BLOG NO LONGER EXISTS. SADLY, THE VIEWER CANNOT SEE HOW SCRUMPTIOUS THIS RECIPE MIGHT HAVE BEEN.
EDITED...........I WAS THUMBING BACK THROUGH SOME OF MY OLDER POSTS AND DISCOVERED THAT THIS BLOG NO LONGER EXISTS. SADLY, THE VIEWER CANNOT SEE HOW SCRUMPTIOUS THIS RECIPE MIGHT HAVE BEEN.
tuesday morning
It's an ongoing love affair ~ me and onion, garlic and celery! Along with red, yellow and green bell peppers, I put them in some combination or other in practically every dish I make....a must in stew, soup, gumbo, bisque and quiche recipes. So, here are my store-and-save solutions:
of course, the most obvious thing to do is chop and store in freezer bags to use as needed. And that's okay for most recipes....just pull from the freezer and saute for some recipes and just use as is for others...but sometimes, fresh celery is needed.
of course, the most obvious thing to do is chop and store in freezer bags to use as needed. And that's okay for most recipes....just pull from the freezer and saute for some recipes and just use as is for others...but sometimes, fresh celery is needed.
So.....when I bring celery home from the market, I chop off the heart....and munch down on the sweetest part of the celery immediately! Wash and store the stalks standing on end in cold water. I don't skin my celery....I think that only encourages faster decomposition at this point. Try it....
it's amazing how long the stalks will stay fresh with this feet-in-water trick.
Garlic.....storing garlic is easy when you purchase jars of minced or crushed garlic stored in oil. I just store in the refrig and spoon out as needed. When I need to roast garlic for a recipe, I just buy a pod, roast and use and don't worry about storage. Life can be too short.
Onions and bell peppers don't normally last long enough in my kitchen to worry about storing.....but should I have any part of them not used, I just put in zippered bag and store in refrig crisper for tomorrow!
But, for now....it's time for breakfast. I think I'll have a banana smeared with peanut butter and a glass of milk ~
It's nice to have computer issues resolved and have my light-hearted self back!
There's more than meets the eye
A fruit cake recipe (without a fruit cake picture) - give you three guesses as to what happened to the fruit cake before I got a picture! No, it wasn't stolen and No, the dog didn't eat it.....
On page 155 in Looking at Cooking
Candied Orange or Lemon Peel - A Recipe
So Good!
In fruit cake or dipped in chocolate or just eaten as is!
I made a fruit cake for the Christmas holidays - nope, not even one picture was taken before it was sliced and eaten! Darn me!
But the fruit cake recipe called for a slice of orange peel??? Now what! I scoured all my Louisiana cookbooks - found lots of ways to make jambalaya and gumbo....lots of recipes for pecan and sweet potato pies - and how to make a roux....boy did I learn everything I ever needed to know about making a roux.... and then.....eureka! In one of my oldest cookbooks - Looking at Cooking with Mildred Swift - there it was....the recipe. Older.....local.....folks will certainly remember this cooking and gardening legend and probably have her cook book on the shelf. If you do, pull it out to page 226. And the uncooked fruit cake recipe is on page 155.
Candied Orange Peel
Peel of 6 oranges (or lemons) (or a grapefruit)
1 tablespoon salt
4 cups water
3 cups sugar
hot water
I only used one orange and one lemon, so I cut the other ingredients proportionately.....
Cover peel with salt and water. Weight down with plate. Let stand over night. Drain and wash. Cover with cold water. Bring to boiling point. Repeat this rinse and raise to boil point 3 times, changing water each time. Cut peel in 1/4 inch strips with scissors. Add sugar and hot water. Cook slowly until peel is translucent. It takes a while! Drain. Roll in granulated sugar and dry on a wire cake rack.
And my cornbread still tastes good!
I don't cut my cornbread into pie wedges - and it's still delicious!
The HuMAn grew up in a home that had a housekeeper who cooked for the family!!! And she cut the cornbread in pie shape wedges. He was shocked to learn that my family was rural poor and if we didn't do it, then it didn't get done. Thus, whoever cut the cornbread....well, they just cut the cornbread until it was cut! Didn't matter how it was cut, it still tasted good.
And, what did you have for lunch? It was steamed turnips, sauteed onion and yellow squash and cornbread for me. Gifted squash....thanks Ethel. Life is easy, just a tad of canola oil in a skillet, saute onion and squash for a few minutes then add a wee bit of water and let the squash simmer until done. Minimal salt and cracked black pepper.
The HuMAn grew up in a home that had a housekeeper who cooked for the family!!! And she cut the cornbread in pie shape wedges. He was shocked to learn that my family was rural poor and if we didn't do it, then it didn't get done. Thus, whoever cut the cornbread....well, they just cut the cornbread until it was cut! Didn't matter how it was cut, it still tasted good.
I heart breakfast!
I seldom have eggs for breakfast, but a few weeks ago I found a recipe that seemed too easy to resist.
Crack two eggs into an oven-proof ramekin. Sprinkle with herb seasonings (fresh or otherwise)....I use Mrs. Dash when my herb garden is out of season, but always have fresh chive, basil, thyme, sage, and oregano available just outside the kitchen door in the summer months. Anyway, back to the recipe!
Do not stir and pour a few drops of milk over the eggs....again, do not stir. Bake in the oven to the done-ness you like. I like just a slightly soft yellow and a really cooked white. Served with toast and jam along with a slice of bacon and your meal is complete. May be under 300 calories....may be over! I'll let you count your own calories - I have enough of my own!
Calendula Officinalis
Kingdom Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass Asteridae
Order Asterales
Family Asteraceae – Aster family
Genus Calendula L. – marigold
Species Calendula officinalis L. – pot marigold
Additionally, just add Calendula petals to an egg salad sandwich! Simple enhancement to an already great luncheon spread.....
Summer Salad - A Recipe
A favorite summer salad at the Mason dinner table - very simply - chopped cucumber and mango....no dressing required. I chop early in the afternoon and let the cucumber and mango bond. They fall in love within a few hours. Serve up on a chilled salad plate or in a martini glass sans the liquor! It's delicious.
We'll serve it up with baked tilapia and I'm thinking egg noodles. No, then perhaps green beans or broccoli.
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| cucumber and mango |
A favorite summer salad at the Mason dinner table - very simply - chopped cucumber and mango....no dressing required. I chop early in the afternoon and let the cucumber and mango bond. They fall in love within a few hours. Serve up on a chilled salad plate or in a martini glass sans the liquor! It's delicious.
We'll serve it up with baked tilapia and I'm thinking egg noodles. No, then perhaps green beans or broccoli.
Dingy to Divine!
You see, when I need fresh containers, I make my Santa Fe Stew recipe - 'cause I can get at least six new ones as I dump each can into the biggest pot in the house.
Then, once I get the pot simmering (an all day affair), some tough decisions have to be made!
Do I punch holes in the bottom of the cans? When I do that, then the containers have to be used to repot.....
a leaf from my Christmas cactus.
Or Autumn Joy Sedum....or coleus or....impatients...or sage, or.... the list goes on and on. I love repotting snippets to easily delight my own windowsill or pass along to others.
But back to that tough decision. If I leave the bottom of the can intact, then it becomes the perfect foil for my next flower arrangement! Now is this not divine!
Or, another tough decision: Before I do all that, do I play around with the can label in photoshop!
Do I need to tell you that it's been a full fun-filled morning? Now, I'm off to find that Santa Fe Stew recipe again! Oh, here it is. This is one of those plan-ahead dishes. It's enough for dinner tonight, then there's plenty to freeze to have ready for unexpected (or expected) company!
Pickled Beets ~ A Recipe
Homemade pickled beets - hard to beet beat! Here's the recipe:
Remove green stems from beets, wash and cover with water and boil. They should be cooked through but not mushy. To the firm side is best. Slip skins off and slice into quarter-inch rounds.
Pack into a jar.
Heat one cup white or cider vinegar, one cup water and a quarter cup sugar and pour over beets.
Seal jar and cool at room temperature then refrigerate.
Will keep for several months; however, mine don't last that long!
Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
Sounds good to me.....
1 can green enchilada sauce
l large can green chilies (chopped)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 medium onion (chopped)
1/2 tsp. salt, pepper and garlic salt
2 cups cooked chicken (cut up)
10 flour tortillas
2 cups Monterey cheese (grated)
Mix 1/2 enchilada sauce with the chilies, soup, sour cream, onion, seasonings and chicken. Place 3 tablespoons mixture on each tortilla, sprinkle with cheese and roll up and place seam side down in a greased 9" x 13" oven proof casserole dish. Cover with remaining enchilada sauce then sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours before cooking in 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes.
Can be divided into smaller dishes and frozen before cooking. Ready to heat and serve after a heavy day of sewing!
by Judy Etier ~ Casual Gourmet cookbook: North Louisiana Quilters' Guild
1 can green enchilada sauce
l large can green chilies (chopped)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 medium onion (chopped)
1/2 tsp. salt, pepper and garlic salt
2 cups cooked chicken (cut up)
10 flour tortillas
2 cups Monterey cheese (grated)
Mix 1/2 enchilada sauce with the chilies, soup, sour cream, onion, seasonings and chicken. Place 3 tablespoons mixture on each tortilla, sprinkle with cheese and roll up and place seam side down in a greased 9" x 13" oven proof casserole dish. Cover with remaining enchilada sauce then sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours before cooking in 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes.
Can be divided into smaller dishes and frozen before cooking. Ready to heat and serve after a heavy day of sewing!
by Judy Etier ~ Casual Gourmet cookbook: North Louisiana Quilters' Guild
Apples: Color Inspiration.....and a recipe
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| A Gala delight..... |
Baked apples...we love them. I like Gala - stuffed with brown sugar, vanilla (flavor or bean), splashed with cream sherry, then sprinkled with cinnamon. In the oven at 350 for 45 minutes...serve hot....yummm!
But also yummy is the red and brown color combo I pulled from my fabric stash - how delicious....I mean, gala!
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| a quilter's delight |
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