Nutty as a Fruitcake!! 12/13/12

I see Christmas is sneaking up on us really fast.  I am certain that you all know I have really been trying to be good, but at that point I must rest my case. As I ponder over a few circumstances that I am afraid you might have heard about, I think the only thing left from me to do is to come clean and admit that you heard right. But why would anyone with the years of experience that I have had, be part of something that defies good sense. My only recourse is to blame my little sneaky friend who is always stirring in my business, making a mess of things.  I really had my Thanksgiving dinner plans under rigid control.  I had invited those who needed a place to share the noon meal to come to my house.  I carefully list what I am making and issue the  fact that whatever else they do not bring, we will not eat!  It always works wonderfully and we have more food than we know what to do with.  

I have a favorite recipe for Easy Meat Balls that I ordinarily have an extra one prepared in the freezer ready for unexpected guests. As the day approached, I began to think maybe I should use the two 8x 8 baking dishes full that I had prepared when I found a really good deal at the local grocery store on low fat ground beef.  So I intelligently took them from the freezer in advance so they would be ready to use for our noon meal.  So far, so good.  I even managed to have a time schedule so they would be ready the same time as my Honey Mustard Chicken that was already cooking in the oven.  I very confidently put the first one in the oven. As I was doing the second one, I removed the elastic bound plastic cover from the dish, I thought, ”Oh, Oh!” I did not remember removing the cover of the first one. Sure enough, and it was worse than I thought.  I had used Glad Wrap on that one and the whole thing had disintegrated except that that was clinging desperately to the sides of my dish.  There was none on the food, so I scraped off what I could and we ate it, but I am still digging off plastic from that dish! Reheating it was not a successful operation. 

Guess I am a slow learner and should really pay more attention to that little old lady that tries to help me when I really do not need any interference.  This time I was so proud of myself that I was doing Christmas cookies earlier than I ever start.  I keep my flour in a Tupper Ware container that holds over five pounds of flour. I was so proud of myself because I had put it back where it is stored instead of leaving it set on the counter where I was mixing cookies. It must have been her that put it back because I still needed it to roll out the cutout cookies. It is stored above the dryer and is a tricky reach for me, but I can master it with no problems. Wrong!  As I stretched to reach the container and pull it from the cupboard, wouldn’t you know that she had left the small flour sifter sitting on top of the container. It was less than half full , but I know there was more flour than that, and it landed directly on top of my head!  I think that I thought a bad word or two. Anyway, it was the first time that I washed my own hair at home since I retired and became a lady of leisure and luxury and have my hair done each Saturday morning.

Since both of these atrocities happened when I was preparing food, my advice will be carefully scanned, so I am going to use really simple recipes this time.  For years and years a favorite of mine is one that that my daughter told me about and we used it for her wedding reception. You may want to use it for your Christmas festivities.  I make it every year for a son-in-law’s birthday. I think I gave it to you years ago, but it might be a suggestion for you younger cooks.

                        

CHEESE AND BOILED EGG SPREAD

1 pound of Velveeta cheese

2 cups Miracle whip

4 hard boiled eggs, chopped

1 tablespoon bacon bits, more if you prefer

Melt cheese in microwave at 50% power.  Do not over heat.  Stir in Miracle Whip and blend thoroughly.  Add eggs and bacon bits.  Serve with favorite crackers. To make a smaller amount of spread, just remember to use as much Miracle Whip as you use cheese and add egg and bacon bits according to your preference.

How about a dessert that takes only 15 minutes to prepare? Let it chill while you are preparing the rest of the meal.

                  

PISTACHIO CREAM PIE

1 prepared 9 inch graham cracker crust

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese

1 cup milk

1 package (3.4 oz.) pistachio instant pudding

1 can( 8 oz.) crushed pineapple, drained

2 cups whipped topping

Toasted coconut

Mix the cream cheese, milk and pudding until smooth. Fold in drained pineapple.  Place in graham cracker crust. Spread top with whipped topping and sprinkle with coconut. Refrigerate until served.

The spirit finally got to me and I started decorating for Christmas.  Since I am having no celebrations at my home, I am doing less than usual.  I like them during the season. But I hate removing them and packing them away. I enjoy seeing all of the ones a lot of you so laboriously produce.

Family - God's Greatest Creation 10/25/12

Family has always taken a great priority with me. Even when I was very young, nothing was greater than when my cousins whom I did not see but a few times each year, came to visit my grandparents and often came to our house.  Since my parents came from families of 6 and seven siblings there was always a multitude whenever we had a family gathering.  That also provided me with numerous aunts and uncles, each very special their own personalities and their association with me personally and my family. These aunts and uncles were always the focus of attention and special to us at all family gatherings.  Now guess who is the old generation!  My how time changes things. Then when my own family turned out to be the magic number of nine, family necessarily became very important.

This is all leading up to a great day a week ago Saturday when my father’s family had their annual family reunion  at my nephew’s home. Steve and Barb graciously agreed to entertain us at their home when providing insurance each year for the use of the Miller Park facilities became a problem.  A fantastic day with hay rides, bonfire, trips to the Jennings addition of the Farnham cemetery where 6 generations are buried, yard games, rides in a delicate conditioned covered wagon were all on the planned agenda.  Not to mention a fantastic meal with lots of good Jennings cooking. We forgot to consult the weather man when we moved it ahead two weeks to guarantee a nicer day.  But it takes more than a few showers and wind to spoil a day of enjoying family for the ones who came from Lafayette, Indianapolis, Elkhart, Warsaw and a lot of us from more local destinations.  Oh yes, I need to mention a guest from Africa!  Elsie, the exchange student who is making her home with my daughter and son-in-law gets the prize for coming the greatest distance!  Let’s not mention who was the oldest!!  I won’t offer a prize for guessing that in two guesses!  Thanks again to Steve and Barb for their hospitality, extra work and expense of being our hosts. We agreed to come back next year hoping for nicer weather.

I hope you are proud of me because I still know where my book and recipes are that I promised to use this week.  I was going to say I am proud of myself, but my mother’s voice rang loud and clear in my hearing aid improved ears that “Pride goeth before a fall” and “Self praise stinks!” So maybe we should just say I still have it nearby.

I have never mastered beef roasts but this sounds simple enough I am going to try it. So you will be on your own. I may have to call you for advice! The only problem is that is serves eight, so I would be eating it for a week. Since it calls for two roasts it would be easy to diminish it for your needs.
             
COFFEE-FLAVORED BEEF ROAST
6 medium red potatoes, cut into wedges
6 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch lengths
2 beef sirloin roasts, 2 to 3 pounds each
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 medium onion, halved and sliced
2 cups fresh mushrooms, quartered
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ cups brewed coffee
1 teaspoon chili powder
3 tablespoons corn starch
¼ cup cold water
Place potatoes and carrots in a 6 quart slow cooker.  Sprinkle beef with half of the salt and pepper. In a large skillet brown beef in oil on all sides. Transfer to slow cooker. In the same skillet, sauté onion in the drippings. Add mushrooms and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes longer. Stir in the coffee, chili powder and remaining salt and pepper. Pour over the meat. Cover and cook for 6 to 8 hours on low heat or until meat is tender. Remove meat and vegetables to a serving platter. Skim fat from cooking juices, and transfer to a small pan. Bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir into the hot water. Cook until thickened. Serve with the meat and vegetables. I think these rolls would complement the roast.

             
PARMESAN KNOTS
1 tube (12 oz.) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
¼ cup canola oil
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
Cut each biscuit into thirds, Roll each piece a 3 inch rope. Tie into a knot, tucking the ends under. Place 2 inches apart on a  greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Combine the cheese, garlic powder, oregano and parsley. Add the warm knots and gently toss to coat.

There is also an interesting peach pie recipe that I will save for another day. Peach pie is one of my favorites and this one is different than any I have ever tried.

7/26/12

I am certain that the storm related fire to one of our local churches is old news.  But the devastation and heartbreak of losing a church home and its benefits to the community linger on. What is God trying to tell us?  Do we need to change our ways, admitting that He is in charge?  Or is it to challenge those of us who still have our churches to reach out with compassion and a helping hand?
You might  say, “Oh, it  was just a building!”  But really it is part of the heart of Edgerton and who we are.  As  personal loss, I enjoyed each morning looking out my back door as I unlocked it for the day’s activities and viewing the beauty of the church surrounded with majestic trees, particularly with the rising of the morning sun shining on the bell tower, sending forth its beauty seeming to say to me “God is in his heaven, all is right with the world.”   May He bring peace to the community and the hearts that are hurting the most.

I made a quick trip to Bryan Saturday morning to buy a set of ink cartridges for my printer.  I decided that while I am here, I guess I will take advantage of the special sales in the grocery stores.   I had written a few things down, but my roving eye sometimes wanders to things that I enjoy rather than need. I have a particular craving for nectarines ever since our trip to Alaska in 1990, when one of our traveling companions had them with her most of the time.  I had enjoyed them once this year, but the ones that caught my eye were the biggest that I had ever seen and seemed to say, “Please take me home with you.”  I yielded to the temptation and quickly gabbed a small bag of them that were already assembled and put them in my cart.  When I got home I scanned my receipt, thinking that they had not charged me for one item. What hit me between the eyes was the information that I had paid over $9.00 for that little bag of nectarines!  That certainly wiped out the savings of the sales items that I planned to buy.  (They were $2.49 per pound and I had over three and one half pounds!)   I did share two with my daughter and son in-law, telling then to take small bites, chew  slowly and savor every bit of each golden morsel.  They really were very nice and just as tasty, but my oh my, nine dollars!!

While looking for something different, this recipe caught my attention. Should work for a light Sunday evening supper as well as a snack.
                                  
SAUSAGE CHEESE SNACKS
1 pound bulk sausage, Italian or otherwise
½ cup chopped onion
1 can (15 oz.)  pizza sauce
½ pound sliced fresh mushrooms
1 loaf (16 oz.) French bread, cut into 22 slices
1 pkg. (8 oz.) sliced mozzarella cheese, halved

Cook sausage and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink.  Stir in pizza sauce and mushrooms. Place bread slices on a 10 x 15 baking sheet. Spoon  2 heaping tablespoons of sausage mixture on each slice.  Top with a half slice of  cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

Don’t you think that we need a quick and tasty summertime dessert?  This will be quite easy to make and should be family pleasing. Make it  fancy by using crystal  dishes or increase the ingredients and make it in a large trifle bowl for a larger group.
                         
DOUGHNUT PARFAITS
2 cups cold milk
1 package (3.4 oz.) instant vanilla pudding mix
16 powdered sugar doughnut holes, halved
2 medium firm bananas cut into ¼ inch slices
2 cups whipped topping
Chopped nuts and maraschino cherries.
In a bowl whisk the milk and pudding mix. Let stand until soft set. Place 4 doughnut hole halves in each of the four parfait glasses. Top with half of the pudding, bananas and whipped topping. Repeat layers. Garnish with nuts and cherries.  Enjoy.

Whenever I bake a batch of cookies I nearly always have  some left over that is not enough to fill a cookie sheet. I usually do not want to waste it so I bake whatever is left on a large baking sheet.
I just notice a hint that sounds worth trying.  Just freeze whatever is left over and when you are cooking a casserole or other entrees in the oven, just pop your left over cookie dough in the oven and have warm cookies for dessert.

5/3/12

God again reached down and plucked another flower from my garden of siblings.  Last week my youngest sister answered His call after an over 2 year battle with kidney problems. She surprised us because she was always so full of life and was on no medication.  Me and my six siblings were all close with no problems between any of us.  In looking for a reason, I can only suggest that part of it was due to the untimely death of our mother at the age of 41.  We all had to band together emotionally and share the household work so we could remain at home as a complete family. We lived in a home with a Delco battery light system, with the only appliances being a radio and an iron.  If we wanted to fry an egg in the summer time, we had to go get corn cobs, kindling and fire wood to build a fire in a wood range in the kitchen. In the winter time a fire was kept burning constantly to help heat the house. So we had to be concerned and care for each other.

Till and I were united by several bonds.  She had just turned 12 at the time and I was 16.  Remember how smart you were when you were that age?  We always had a standing joke that I taught her everything that she knew, but not everything that I knew!  In our later years, we were both widows, me for 30 years and her for 23. So we did a lot of time sharing.  I went with her on at least a dozen bus trips sponsored by the Farm Bureau. She would call me and say she was going to Angola, Auburn, Defiance, Kendallville, or wherever and did I want to go along.  No matter what I was doing, I just left it and went to her house and went shopping. She would ask me if I were hungry and my answer was always “What has that got to do with it? Let’s go eat”!  I have adjusted to missing these jaunts since her becoming a resident of a nursing home these past two years, but they will always be etched in my memory. The only plus side is that at the end of the month I still have more money left.

Her name was Wilma Jean, which I thought was a very pretty name, but my dad gave us all nicknames and she was known to most of her friends as Till. She was so involved with living, never met a stranger, and enjoyed the activities of my kids and grandkids.  We went to Ohio Northern to a number of soccer games, basketball games, tennis matches, and other sport events. She made  many  premature  baby burial garments and donated and delivered them to a number of local hospitals to be given to families who lost a premature infant. Another ritual was for a number of years donating ham salad to the Butler blood drive for food for the blood donors. Her death leaves a big hole in our lives, but we will manage on our great memories.  See you down the road, Till.

As we go to food, we remember that she made a mean chocolate sheet cake.  It was always a favorite of ours and I will pass on to you the recipe, so it can still be enjoyed by everyone.
                       
TILL’S CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE
Bring to a boil:
1 stick butter or margarine
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
4 tablespoons cocoa
Pour over
2 cups sugar mixed with
2 cups flour
ADD:
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup milk
Bake in a sheet cake pan for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.   
ICING
Bring to a boil:
1 stick butter
6 tablespoons milk
4 tablespoons cocoa
ADD:
1 teaspoon vanilla          
1 pound powdered sugar           
1 cup chopped pecans
Spread on hot cake.

She had a great following for her ham salad. I am not certain that she had a recipe. But here is the way I would say that she made it. We were partial to Echrich  bologna.
           
HAM SALAD (made with bologna).
1 pound sliced bologna
¾ cup Miracle Whip
½ cup pickle relish
Boil bologna to remove excess fat and salt.  Chop fine but do not puree.  Add Miracle Whip and pickle relish.  Serve in sandwiches made with your choice of rye, white or whole wheat bread. I usually put a bit of chopped onion in mine and some people like chopped hardboiled eggs added. Be creative according to your family’s preferences. I like it grilled occasionally, too.

Rest in peace, Till. You will be greatly missed.

3/15/12

I do not know where I will go with this today.  The most exciting thing that I have done this past week was a doctor and a dentist visit!  For excitement, you would think I could do better than that! I tried to pad my excitement account with a visit to the nursing home.  I have a new friend who is a patient across the hall from my sister and she is a delight to visit.  She is past her 100th birthday, her mind is in better shape than mine, she is always in a cheerful mood, and she likes me!  I always leave feeling exhilarated from my visit with her. She and my sister both accept their confinement with such courage and contentment that it is a pleasure  to spend time with them.  My aunt is there, too but she has trouble hearing me so that makes a conversation much more difficult. My elderly friend quoted a scripture to me the last time I was there “about God’s mysterious ways his wonders to perform” and said it was certainly a good thing she fell and broke her arm, resulting in her stay at the nursing home, or she would have never met me!  What a way to build someone’s ego! Whenever I feel let down and alone, it is a real treatment to visit with her and it fills my day with magic moments.  It is a pleasure to fill her request for me “to be sure and come back”!

I made the “four ingredient” recipe for Swiss Chicken breasts last week. White meat is not my favorite and therefore made a lot of it for me to eat but it was quite tasty. I finished the last one for my lunch today.  I added a little more liquid and sliced the meat before heating it in a sauce pan. Along with a slice of New York Garlic toast, it made a nice lunch.  I was making it from memory (which is scary) and thought it was mushroom soup. As I searched my pantry cupboard, I discovered someone must have came when I wasn’t home and stole my mushroom soup!  I later reread the recipe and found that it called for the chicken soup that I had used.  I think it would be good with the mushroom soup, too.  If I have a lot of time on my hands, the next time I think I will pound the chicken and then brown it before adding the soup and baking it. That is why I tell everyone to adapt the recipes to suit your family’s preferences.

I rescued a cook book in my box of “ones to go” thinking that I might have missed something good.  After spending some time with it, I decided my original idea was a good one.  I did settle on a couple, but if you do not like them be grateful that I did pass on the one called DEVILED SARDINES and one called SZECHUN NOODLES with PEANUT SAUCE ! By now you will be scared to try the ones I did select.
            
COLE SLAW with CARROTS and RAISINS
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
Salt and pepper
4 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup grated carrots
½ cup raisins
2 tablespoons celery seed
Combine mayonnaise, buttermilk, onion, lemon juice, dill weed, salt and pepper.  Blend until smooth.
Combine cabbage, carrots, raisins and celery seed. Pour in dressing and toss well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to allow flavors to blend.

The next one is an ideal appetizer containing only 15 calories per tablespoon with no fat and is high in fiber.  Healthy and I hope it will be tasty.
               
15 CALORIE CHILI BEAN DIP
1 can (15 oz.) kidney beans, drained, reserve 3 tablespoonfuls
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
Assortment of crisp vegetable sticks
Combine drained beans, liquid, vinegar, chili powder and cumin in blender and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and fold in onion and parsley. Refrigerate until chilled and serve with ice-cold vegetable sticks.

If you ever want a delicious spread for on hot biscuits, rolls, corn bread or whole grain and oatmeal breads, mix I stick of butter with ¼ cup of honey.
This recipe book is going back in the “to go” box!