Thanksgiving Favorites

I have several recipes I've been wanting to add to this blog and just haven't been able to find the time. I hope to get to it soon!  But with Thanksgiving just around the corner, I wanted to post a few of my Thanksgiving Favs!  While I don't have any pictures of the finished dishes, I do have some cute little recipe cards I found in my archives.  So here goes...

I'm not much of a cranberry person, but I do like
this version of cranberry relish.
Love the citrus flavors! 

This recipe was another of my grandma's recipes.
 It's  not "pretty", but it  sure is tasty! I like
to keep mine refrigerated.  (I like my pumpkin cold!)

Here are some fun favors for your Thanksgiving guests,
they make your table look very Thanksgiving-ish, and
the kids will have fun decorating them (and eating them)!

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Living Simply and Deliberately: Grandma's Fresh Apple cake

Since its the season for apples, I thought I'd post this apple recipe from my other blog. Its a wonderful use of any extra apples.....a sweet taste of the season!  (just click on the link below)

Living Simply and Deliberately: Grandma's Fresh Apple cake: I know it's not apple season yet. But this was too good to save..... Several years ago, I gathered together my mother's recipes and scann...

Apple Pie

 I love apple pie.  It's just one of our favorite apple treats. When I got several bushels from the local farm market earlier this week, I wasted no time.







If you are new to pie making, go here to get some tips on getting started. Making pie dough is not as scary as you may think.    


I like to get everything ready ahead of time...

Combine all ingredients for pie in a bowl and set aside. 

(scroll down to see the recipe below) 

Roll out pie crust and refrigerate. If you need a pie crust recipe, click here to find the recipe that suits your needs.

OPTIONAL -Mix together 1 egg with some milk and refrigerate.  This is the glaze for the pie that turns your pie into a work of art.  

When all the prep work is completed, 

get those apples peeled!  If you are making several pies and can't find a volunteer to help with the peeling....One of these apple peeler/corer does a fine job.  I have found that these work best for

 fresh apples. 

Now its time to put your pies together...

I start by sprinkling a fair amount of flour in the bottom of each pie.  This helps in thickening the juice in your pie.  

 Pile up the apples as high as you can and sprinkle the sugar mixture on top.  

Top with the second crust.  Crimp the edges and cut some slits on the top for the steam to escape.

With a fork, blend egg and milk together and paint the mixture onto your top crust with a 

Pastry Brush.  

I like to sprinkle coarse sanding sugar lightly across the top. 

(Sanding sugar can be purchased where you buy decorative sugars for cookies)

Bake..start at 425 for about 10 minutes and reduce for about 30 more minutes (maybe longer) until golden brown.

Allow your pie to cool before cutting.  You need to give your pie time to set.  

Homemade Apple Pie

Apples

1 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

½ tsp nutmeg

1 tsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp butter

Peel, core (quarter) and slice apples.  Mound apples as high as possible in pan.  Mix remaining ing. And sprinkle  evenly over apples.   Makes 1 large deep dish pie or 2 smaller pies.   (sprinkle an ample amount of flour on the bottom crust as a thickener before placing apples in pan)

Bake at 425 for 10 or 15 minutes, lower to 375 for 30 more minutes or until golden brown.

 (larger pies may take longer)

YUMMM!

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake and Wilton's Peanut Butter Cream Frosting

There isn't a more perfect marriage than

Chocolate and Peanut Butter!

And this Chocolate cake with Peanut Butter Cream Frosting.

The cake recipe is by Hershey

and the frosting by Wilton.

(Can it get any better than that?)

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

¾ c. Hersheys cocoa

1-1/2 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1 c. boiling water

1-3/4 c. flour

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 c. milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING. 10 to 12 servings.

VARIATIONS:
ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.

THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.

BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.

CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.

Wilton's Peanut Butter Cream

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup solid vegetable shortening
• 1/3 cup butter
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 cups (approx. 1 lb.) confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 4-6 tablespoons milk

Makes:

About 3 cups.

Cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add peanut butter and vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk, one tablespoon at a time, and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

Cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add peanut butter and vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk, one tablespoon at a time, and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.




Jalapeno Poppers

It's that time of year again when the garden is in full swing.  And that means hours in the kitchen putting food by for the coming year.  This week I made some jalapeno poppers for the freezer, so they'll always be ready for a party or, at our house, a good card game!

Jalapeno Poppers

·        1 1/2 cups shredded Jack Cheese (I used cheddar cheese)

·        1 cup flour

·        2 cups buttermilk pancake mix

·        1 3/4 cup water

·        canola oil for frying

Aprox. 2 dozen Jalapeno peppers    
  Panko (optional)

1.  Wearing gloves, make a slit in the side of each jalapeno and remove seeds. Grate the cheese

     

 2.     For each jalapeno, take a small amount of cheese, squeeze it together to form a little log, and place inside the peppers. Squeezing the cheese into logs will make stuffing the peppers much easier.

3.   Place the flour in a shallow pan or dish. Dredge the stuffed jalapenos in flour.

4.    Pour at least two inches of canola oil in a deep, heavy pan. Heat to 350 degrees.

5.     Make the batter. Mix the pancake mix and water until thick and smooth. Holding the stem of the jalapeno, dip in the batter, then sprinkle with Panko and place in the hot oil.

  

(The Panko is optional.  However, I like the crispy coating it gives to the poppers.

In my opinion, Panko makes everything better!!)

Only cook three or four poppers at a time, so they have room to swim around and won't stick together. Fry each side for 2 to 3 minutes.

6.     Drain the poppers on a rack, and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. The cheese is extremely hot. 

7.     To freeze the poppers. After draining off the excess grease, place the poppers on a clean flat plate or baking pan, leaving space in between the poppers. Cover with wax or parchment paper. Place in freezer for three to four hours, or until completely frozen. Then put the poppers in a freezer bag and label.

8.    To reheat frozen poppers, and keep that crunch do not microwave. Heat your oven to 375 degrees. Place poppers on a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until heated through.

I usually heat just a few at a time in the toaster oven and serve with sour cream. 

(no thawing necessary) 

And don't forget to save some seeds for next year!

Beet Chocolate Cake

This recipe is taken from the cookbook, Deceptively Delicious, written by Jessica Seinfeld.  This book contains recipes to help your children get a few more veggies into their bodies.  I tweeked the recipe by exchanging the flour with slightly less, freshly whole grain flour, making the recipe even healthier. (If there is such a dessert;)


Beet Chocolate cake

Batter:

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil or trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread
• 1     large egg
• 2     large egg whites
• 3 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate , melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup beet puree
• 1/2 cup lowfat 1 percent buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°. Coat a 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the brown sugar with the oil or margarine until creamy. Add the whole egg and egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the melted chocolate, beet puree, buttermilk and vanilla.

Add the flour, baking soda and salt, and beat until smooth.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center, 35 to 40 minutes. Let the cake cool 5 minutes in pan before turning out onto a rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. Beat the cream cheese with the confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla until smooth. Slice the cake in half horizontally. Spread the frosting over the top and between layers of the cooled cake.

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. 

From the book Deceptively Delicious 

Pizza in a Pan

PIZZA IN A PAN

1 LB burger

1 c. chopped onion

1/2 chopped green pepper

1/2 chopped red pepper

2 cloves of chopped garlic

8 oz of sliced mushrooms

1 1/4 cups elbow macaroni

1 jar of pasta or pizza sauce (14 oz)

1 jar of water (using sauce jar) 

1  (2.4 oz) slice black olives (optional)

1 (8 oz) package of shredded mozzarella cheese (2 cups)

sliced pepperoni

salt and pepper

Heat oven to 400.    In an oven proof skillet brown ground beef, onion, bell pepper, garlic and sliced mushrooms about 5 minutes until meat is cooked through; drain excess fat.  Add macaroni, pasta sauce, water and olives.  Cook until slow bubble for about 15 minutes, until macaroni is soft.  Add mozzarella cheese and pepperoni on top.  Garnish with reserved bell pepper, a few sliced mushrooms and black olives.  Bake in oven 15 minutes until cheese is nice and browned on top.  Serve directly from the pan. 

Hard Boiled Eggs Part 2- Macaroni Salad

I thought I'd share another favorite around here using some of those hard boiled eggs. While I don't exactly use a recipe, I'll do my best to give you some estimated measurements.  This is your creation so make it to your taste.  Anyway, recipes are just recommendations, right?

Macaroni Salad 
In a large bowl:
Begin with 2 cups of dry  macaroni cooked- but not overcooked

Add:
Some chopped onion, and celery
 Several hard boiled  eggs, chopped.  Reserve a few for garnish
(Feel free to add anything else you desire.  My mom adds pimento for some color)

To make Macaroni Salad my own, I add some small pieces of chopped up cheddar cheese.

I used white cheese because that is what I had.  However yellow cheese will add more color.

Macaroni Dressing
Mix together:
Begin with about 1 1/2-2 cups of Mayonnaise  (My family insists on Hellmanns)
add 2/3 c. of sugar and 2/3 c. vinegar
a squirt of yellow mustard

add the secret ingredient............horseradish. 

 Start with a small amount, add more if desired.  

Pour dressing over Macaroni.

Add some salt (or celery salt) and coarse pepper to taste.

Garnish with sliced Hard Boiled Eggs and sprinkle with Paprika!

 ENJOY!!

Hard Boiled Eggs

I have found the secret to hard boiling eggs perfectly-every time.  Many folks tend to overcook their eggs creating that nasty green layer on the outside of the yolk.  But one simple tip can fix that.  I can't believe something so simple is not so well-known.  But here it is.............

Are You Ready..................

STEAMING!  

Yep, that's right.  Steaming your eggs is the secret to great hard boiled eggs-EVERY TIME!

You just need one of these...

OR THESE

OR THESE

I used an electric steamer like the one pictured above.  Just place a small amount of water in your pan with the eggs.  (I had to use a bit more than 1 cup in the electric steamer.)  

Steam for 20 minutes.

Cool immediately.  I usually add my eggs to ice and water.

When eggs are cooled,   (It only takes 5 or 10 minutes to cool)  you are ready to Peel.  Even our fresh from the nest eggs peel fairly well, 'cause you know...fresh eggs are a bugger to peel.
I turned these eggs into pickled eggs.  Yum!    

I made pickled eggs with the beets I pickled this summer.

Happy Steaming!