In The Kitchen With Grandma

Bacon Wrapped lil Smokies

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 19:02:00 +0000

I love Hillshire Farms lit'l smokies® any time... we can have a party just so I can serve these! When we wrap these little cocktail weiners in a good smoked bacon, and top with brown sugar... oh my goodness. Over the top good!

These sweet little niblets are served at our annual New Year's Eve party, and they are on my Super Bowl menu. I know. I treat my guys so good.

Bacon Wrapped lil Smokies

Ingredients

1 package lil smokies
1 package smoked bacon
3/4 cup brown sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Cut bacon slices into thirds
Wrap sliced bacon around each lil smokie and place them into a pan,
Evenly spread brown sugar over the top of the bacon wrapped lil smokies.
Bake 40 minutes - until the bacon is crispy and the sugar is melted.

Notes**

It is easier to wrap the bacon if it is cold
You can make these ahead and reheat at party time
I prefer Hillshire Farms lit'l smokies®, but you can use any brand cocktail links.

I'll be posting a few more of our Super Bowl Sunday recipes as it gets closer.

Baked Jalapeno Popper Dip

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 17:58:00 +0000

Jalapeno Popper dip is a favorite for our annual New Year's Eve party, and it is a great dip to serve at a Superbowl football party. It is hot and melty, but with the crunchy topping, it really resembles a fried popper.

My son-in-law threatened to hide with the dish and a spoon... yes. It is that good.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Ingredients

16 oz cream cheese (2 - 8oz packages)
1 Cup mayonnaise (Kraft or Best Foods)
1 4oz can chopped green chillies drained
4 oz canned jalapeno pepper chopped
1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese - divided
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
In a small, microwaveable bowl, microwave the cream cheese for about 30 seconds just to soften it, making it easier to mix with the other ingredients.
Mix in the mayonnaise, chopped green chillies (sometimes I add in a teaspoon or so of the liquid from the can)
Mix in the jalapeno peppers and 2/3 cup of Parmesan cheese.
Spray a baking pan with pam cooking spray - a deep dish pie pan or similar size baking dish, then pour the mix into the dish
Mix the bread crumbs with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese and spread over the top of the dish
Bake uncovered for about 10 - 15 minutes - it is ready when the dip is hot and melty and the top crust is lightly brown.

NOTES**

For a milder flavor, use half the canned jalapeno peppers, for more flavor you can add more. You may want to add half the jalapeno peppers and taste test it before adding more.
You can use fat free cream cheese / mayonnaise or low fat versions
Remember, the flavor of the dip is only as good as the ingredients you use. In other words, do not use cheap mayonnaise. It makes a difference - Kraft or Best Foods.
Serve with French baguette sliced thin - it is also good served with ritz crackers or Keebler® Town House crackers, but we prefer it with the sliced bread. This is the bread we used NYE. The texture was really good with the creamy dip.

Pumpkin Pie Alternative Gooey Pumpkin Butter Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Mom) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 22:11:00 +0000

Oh how I love a good pumpkin pie. I always use the recipe from the back of the Libby Pumpkin can. Super easy to make and oh-so-good. Some of my family members don't like pie.

Hmmmm..... really?

Yes, it's true. Some people don't like pie.

Well, some years ago, I was watching Paula Deen and she made the yummiest looking dessert, pumpkin gooey butter cake. Ohmy.... it looked so good, I had to make it. My family may not all love pumpkin pie, but they are in luv with this pumpkin dessert. This might sound like a complicated recipe, because it is in layers, but it is really easy to put together.

Ingredients

Cake: 1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix

1 egg

8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened1 (15-ounce) can

pumpkin

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

8 tablespoons butter, melted

1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well.

Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to over bake as the center should be a little gooey.

Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Paula Deen's Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake Recipe

Chicken Spaghetti

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Mom) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 22:08:00 +0000

I love how a sent, a photo, or a good meal can trigger a memory and take us back to a special place or time. Well here is a recipe that takes me back to a special time.

We were on vacation 10 years ago when my cousin prepared chicken spaghetti for us. We had a wonderful family meal sitting around their kitchen table in their old farm house.

I've been making it a couple times a month ever since that vacation. Super easy and it seems like everyone loves it. I always get requests for this recipe when I take it to the church potluck.

Chicken Spaghetti

12 oz cooked / drained pasta
2 cups cooked / diced chicken (or shredded or chopped)
1 can rotel tomatoes
1 can cream of chicken soup (you can use cream of mushroom)
8 oz velveeta cheese cut into cubes

Lightly spray a 9x13" pan with Pam cooking spray. Mix all ingredients together, dump into the prepared 9x13 and bake at 350 degrees until the cheese is all melty and yummy. If the pasta is hot, it only takes a few minutes.

You can use mild or regular rotel. There have been times I don't have rotel tomatoes on hand. There are options! Saute' some onions, green peppers, celery until soft, then add a can of diced tomatoes, or fresh tomatoes you dice yourself. If you don't have spaghetti on hand, any pasta will do. I have made this with penne and it was delish!

Sometimes I sprinkle grated cheddar cheese over the top and heat until it is melted.

For crowds, it is easy to double or triple the recipe.

One more note. If I use fresh tomatoes, I peel them first. Simple... I use a large slotted spoon to dip them into boiling water for a few seconds. Cool for a minute in a colander, then the peel slips right off.

Comfort Food Ham and Potato Casserole

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Mom) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:42:00 +0000

This old recipe is a family favorite. It is a great way to use up leftover ham from the holiday dinner.

Ingredients:
4 lbs Ore-Ida® cubed potatoes O'Brien (2 32 oz packages)
1 1/2 cup mayonnaise (not salad dressing)
1 1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup Hidden Valley Ranch dressing (from the bottle - not the dry powder)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoon Johnny's season salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
5-6 green onions chopped
1 1/2 cup white onion chopped
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or colby jack
4 cups chopped cooked ham

Directions:

Butter the inside of your slow cooker.
First dump one bag of potatoes out of the plastic bag into a microwave safe dish. Microwave each bag of the potatoes for 5 minutes
Then dump in the mayonnaise and sour cream.
Sprinkle the seasonings over the sour cream and mayonnaise and mix together very well.
Stir in the green onions and the chopped white onion.
Add the potatoes and ham and mix everything together very well.
Turn the slow cooker to high and cook for 4 hours or cook on low 8 hours.
A few minutes before you serve dinner, stir in the cheddar cheese.

Options: Bake in a buttered casserole dish. 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes - just until it's hot. Be sure to pre-heat the potatoes, just as you do for the slow cooker.

You can make this casserole the day before and refrigerate.

Johnny's seasoning salt is widely available in the Pacific Northwest. If it's not available in your area, it is available through the website: Johnny's Seasoning, Sam's Club, Costco, Amazon.com, and you can even purchase it on ebay. If you must, you can substitute Lawry's or another seasoning salt.

By the way, Johnny's garlic spread is the best! I use it to season my wood smoke grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, and linguine primavera. Sometimes I even use it for my garlic bread!

Let's Talk Turkey

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Mom) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 23:15:00 +0000

Don't you love Thanksgiving! Okay, so that's more of a statement, than a question. But I seriously love the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Family, friends, football, food... turkey! Yummmm!

I've cooked a lot of turkey over the years, but it seems like nearly every time I get ready to cook a turkey, I end up searching online for a great new recipe. Here is a list of some of my favorite turkey websites.

Nesco - my favorite! The turkeys I have roasted in my nesco are always moist! Not always perfectly brown... but oh so yummy! Nesco Recipes - do a search for turkey in the nesco roaster and you'll find the instructions for roasting a turkey in your nesco. You can roast up to a 20 lb bird in the 18 quart nesco roaster.

Rotisserie Turkey - I LOVE turkey roasted on my George Foreman rotisserie. I simply use the instruction manual recipe that came with my George Foreman. The George Foreman rotisserie isn't for a large turkey, so don't plan on it for a big family gathering.

Martha Stewart has several really good basic recipes. The classic stuffing is one of my favorite recipes. I've cooked her 'perfect turkey' and it turned out wonderful. During the holidays, she has the link to her turkey recipes right on the front page, but during the off months, you'll need to go to Martha's website and do a search for turkey recipes.

Butterball - the butterball turkey website can be impossible to get into on Thanksgiving morning. Don't wait till the last day to figure out how to bake your turkey. You can call them Call 1-800-Butterball or you can go to the website to look up tips, recipes, and if you can't find what you are looking for, you can even email them.

Norbest is a wonderful website with information about picking out a turkey, thawing your bird, cooking the perfect holiday bird, whole birds, boneless turkey, and bone in turkey breast. Not only will you find recipes and cooking tips, you'll find a whole section of the website with facts - history of agriculture, trivia, US turkey production, etc...

Jenie-O has information on buying, cooking, stuffing, marinating, rubbing, how-to carve, safely handle, and store left over turkey.

This year seems to be the year for brined turkey. I haven't given that method a try as of yet, but I'm going to look at the recipes on the food network and try out one or two of the recipes early this next year. Until then, I'm not giving any links, since I don't know anything about it first hand.

Berry Red Cranberry Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Mom) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 23:06:00 +0000

Berry Red Cranberry Sauce:

1 bag of cranberries.
1 cup of cran-raspberry juice
1 cup of sugar

Directions:

Stir the sugar into the juice in a heavy sauce pan. Heat and stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring it up to a boil. Stir in the cranberries. Simmer for 10 minutes. Stir often. You'll hear the cranberries popping. It's sort of cool to see them pop like that. After you simmer it for 10 minutes cool in the refrigerator before serving.

***personal note*** I sometimes serve it warm and it is wonderful! Using the red juice makes this really red cranberry sauce. It's beautiful!

Flat Iron Steak

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Mom) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:58:00 +0000

This coming holiday weekend we will be grilling flat iron steaks.

Before our Memorial weekend I had not heard of a flat iron steak. My daughter-in-law's family was grilling the steaks as part of their holiday BBQ. I looked up flat iron steak recipes, and I found a few basic tips for grilling the steaks. After reading all the reviews about what a great tasting steak, and how tender this cut of meat is, I was comfortable purchasing steaks for my family.

Grilling the steaks:
First get the coals going. I wait until the coals in my charcoal grill are all coated with white ash. When I see none of the coals are black anymore, I spread the coals out in an even layer. When the coals are going, while I'm waiting for them to get all ashy, I sprinkle the staks with a steak seasoning I purchased at the grocery store. After I season them, I leave them out at room tempurature while I'm waiting on the charcoal grill to get to the right stage. The flat iron steaks do not need meat tenderizer or a tenderizing marinade.

When the coals are ready, I put the steaks on the grill, close the lid, and leave them for 5 minutes. (Set the timer) I turn them over, close the lid on the grill, and set my timer for 6 minutes. At 11 minutes grilling time, the steaks are done perfectly for me. One of my boys likes his steak left on the grill another minute to get it done to his taste. If you are grilling the steaks, and you like yours fairly rare, be sure to check it before the 11 minutes.

The timing all depends on the heat generated on the grill, and how far from the heat the rack is. I've grilled them enough times, I'm very comfortable with my cooking method, and I don't even check them once the lid on the grill is closed.

The steaks are very flavorful, and extremely tender. I have a hard time chewing most steaks, so when the family is grilling steaks I usually stick to chicken or salmon, but these are so tender, I enjoy my beef steak.

In my local grocery store the steaks run 5.99 a pound. This week they are on sale for 4.99 a pound. At that price, I can purchase flat iron steaks and all the side dishes for my entire family for less than one entree at our favorite steak house.

Classic Old Fashioned Deviled Eggs Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Mom) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:56:00 +0000

Deviled eggs are standard fare at just about every picnic, BBQ, and family reunion across America. I have several recipes for deviled eggs I will be posting this week. Today's deviled egg recipe is a classic, old fashioned recipe my Grandma used in her kitchen.

Classic Deviled Eggs - Grandma's Recipe

12 large boiled eggs peeled - How to Cook Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs
1/3 cup mayonaise
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons mustard
2 teaspoons dill pickle juice
dash of salt and pepper ( to taste )
paprika for garnish

Directions

Cut each of the eggs in half lengthwise.
Remove the yolk from each egg and put into a mixing bowl.
Mash the yolks using a fork.
Add the mayonnaise, sugar, mustard, pickle juice and mix together.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Use a spoon to fill each egg half with the yolk mixture. Try to divide it evenly. For a fancier look, you can pipe the filling into the egg halves using a frosting bag and tip.
Sprinkle with paprika.
Store in the refrigerator until serving time.

How To Cook Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Mom) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:32:00 +0000

This past weekend we celebrated a couple birthdays with a big BBQ picnic with friends and family. Everyone has their favorite recipes for deviled eggs, but does everyone know how to cook the perfect boiled egg? Deviled eggs require perfect boiled eggs. Eggs that the hard shell peels off easily without big chunks of egg white missing.

Well here's a little kitchen hint I learned some time ago.

Perfect Boiled Eggs. Bring a big pot of water to a boil. You'll need enough water in the pot to cover the eggs completely. Add a dash of salt to the water.

While the water is coming to a boil prick each egg with a straight pin or a tack. I leave the eggs in the carton and prick the top end of the egg. The prick hole needs to go all the way through the hard shell.

When the water is at a full boil, use a big spoon and gently put one or two eggs at a time into the water. You'll notice bubbles coming out of the hole... you may even see a little white streamers coming out, but it'll be okay. Add all the eggs to the water. (I've only cooked from 2 to 18 eggs at a time... if I have more, I make two batches)

When the water comes back to a boil, turn the heat down to medium high and simmer the eggs for 10 minutes. At the end of ten minutes, turn off the heat and set the timer for another ten minutes. At the end of the twenty minutes, my eggs are done. If you aren't sure, you can test one to see if it's done.

Drain the hot water off the eggs and run cold water over the eggs. Drain all water and cover the eggs with ice water. The eggs will be cool in just a couple of minutes. To peel the eggs, gently tap the hard egg shell on the counter. Roll the egg between your hand and the counter to make little cracks all down one side of the egg. The peel will come off each one leaving you with perfect hard boiled eggs for your deviled eggs recipe.

Chocolate No Bake Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Mom) — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:41:00 +0000

One of the first things I learned to cook in Grandma's kitchen is a super easy, chocolate no bake cookie with cocoa, oatmeal, and peanut butter as key ingredients.

With a little help from grandma or mom, kids can easily make this cookie recipe.

Chocolate No Bake Cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 cups quick cooking oatmeal
2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions

Be prepared before you start cooking. Measure out all ingredients and place a sheet of waxed paper on the counter to drop the cookies on.
In a large pan, I use my 6 quart stock pot, add butter, sugar, milk, and cocoa. Stir and make sure the sugar is dissolved as you continue to stir. Bring to a rolling boil over a medium temperature. Let it boil for one minute, but no longer than one minute.
Remove from heat.
Stir in the peanut butter, oatmeal, and vanilla
Drop by spoonful onto the waxed paper.
Let cool completely for a firmer cookie.

My Notes

Regular oatmeal can be substituted for the quick cooking oatmeal.
My original recipe called for 3 1/2 cups of oatmeal, but we prefer it with 3 cups.
Do not boil for more than 1 minute.
Weather - rain, humidity, dry heat, etc... will change the outcome of the cookies.
Dark cocoa makes a rich chocolaty cookie.

Heart Healthy... well, to a certain extent, but compared to other cookies, these are better for us than oh... let's say the Nestle Toll House Cookies. These no bake cookies have zero trans fats and a good dose of heart healthy oatmeal, peanuts, and cocoa.

Serve your no bake chocolate cookies with a tall glass of milk. Yum!

Command Performance My Cookware of Choice

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Mom) — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 05:12:00 +0000

A few years ago I purchased a new set of command performance cookware from HSN. I didn't need a complete new set, but it was such a bargain for the whole set. My original intent was to buy it for the big 11" skillet. I thought it would be perfect to bake my casseroles in, and serve it right out of the pan. I love the shape of my pans. I was going to give the rest of the set to my son.

I ended up keeping the command performance pans. I gave away the tools (spoons, spatula, ladle), but I kept the entire set of pans. I gave my perfectly good set of luster craft cookware to the kid when he moved out.

My original set of command performance pans is in beautiful condition. The handles are gold and shiny, the pans continue to have a beautiful mirror finish. I have a big family and a lot of company for dinner. My pans get used a lot... I'm really impressed with how well they have stood up to the abuse they go through in our home.

I have purchased more of the set, since my original purchase. I also have the triple burner set. I keep it on my buffet table. It's beautiful to serve in! I have had guests comment about what a fabulous set of cookware I have. I love that!

HSN has the command performance set up as their today's special. They are also offering the 7 piece triple burner set with free shipping and handling. If you need pans... watch HSN for the demo throughout the day on Sunday. You may just be impressed enough to buy your own set.

Chopped Onions Without The Tears

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Mom) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 00:16:00 +0000

Here's a helpful hint I learned a long time ago. This tip keeps me from crying as I'm chopping onions. Before I start gathering all the ingredients for my recipe, I put my onion in a container and cover it with ice, then pour water over it. Okay, that's not all. Then I light 3 or 4 tea light candles and place them around my cutting board. When I chop my cold onion, there are no tears! I've chopped really hot onions without having the efffects from gasses the onion puts off.

I keep my tea lights and a book of matches right next to my cutting board, so I don't have to go looking all over the house for them. They are as important to my kitchen as my measuring spoons.

New England Clam Chowder - Super Bowl Menu

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Mom) — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 19:28:00 +0000

I realize this is down to the last minute, but here it is, I finalized my menu for game day. Tomorrow. Wow... that is calling it close. This is a pitch-in super bowl party, so there will be a lot of other great foods on the table too. Here's what I'm taking to the party...

Chipotle dip
7 layer bean dip
Tortilla chips
lil' smokies
Buffalo wings
4' sub sliced into individual slices - from our local sub-shop

And because I'm all for the New England Patriots continuing with their winning season, I'm also making up a big pot of New England style clam chowder. Now if the Seahawks were still in the game, it would have to be a pot of Ivar's clam chowder!

New England style Clam Chowder

Ingredients:

1/2 lb smokey bacon cut into small pieces
1 cup onion diced
1/2 cup celery diced
2 (5 oz ) cans baby clams
7 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cans (10 1/2 oz each) cream of celery soup
1 cup cream
1 cup half and half
butter
salt & pepper to taste

Directions

In your soup pot, cook bacon until it's crispy
Add the onion and celery, cook until it's translucent
Add the juice from both cans of clams
Add potatoes
Cover and cook until the potatoes are done. Stir occasionally to keep the potatoes from sticking.
Add soup, and cream and half & half. Stir completely.
Add the clams and butter.
Cover and continue cooking over medium low heat for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally so it doesn't scorch.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

This recipe can easily be doubled.

What I love about a super bowl party, and the menu, is how laid back everyone is on game day. It all equals up to good entertainment, good food, and good company... it doesn't get much better.

Go Patriots!

Super Bowl Sunday - Chipotle Dip

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Mom) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 02:47:00 +0000

Super bowl Sunday... it's all about the food! So what's on your menu?

Here is a really good and super easy, chip dip recipe, originally posted on lilbitgabby.com.

Creamy Chopotle Dip
ingredients:
24 oz sour cream
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1 package Ortega chipotle taco seasoning mix (dry)
a dash or two of cayenne pepper (to taste - optional)
directions:
Mix the sour cream and the taco seasoning mix together. Fold in the shredded pepper jack cheese. Now stir in the cayenne to taste. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

This is really good served with sweet potato corn tortilla chips. But you can also serve it with any corn tortilla chip, fresh vegies, or serve it as a coctail sauce for spicy shrimp.

I'm figuring out the last minute details of my Super Bowl game menu and grocery list. I'll be posting a few of my favorite appetizer recipes over the next couple days.

Perfect Weather for Warm Memories

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Mom) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 06:44:00 +0000

All this snow reminds me of when I was a little girl down on the farm. All of us children would come in out of the snow with red noses and frozen hands. Grandma would fix each one of us a delicious cup of spicy Russian tea to wrap our little hands around. It warmed us right up... the hot drink and all that love.

Russian Tea

Ingredients:
2 cups Tang orange drink mix
2 cups Lipton instant tea mix(sweetened)
1 cup Countrytime lemonade mix (pre-sweetened)
2 teaspoons nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:
Dump ingredients into a blender and give it a good whirl. Store in a
tupperware cannister. To serve, use 1 to 2 teaspoons per cup of
nearly boiling water. This recipe is easily adjusted to your own taste.

Russian tea is still one of my favorite drinks during these cold winter days. And there's a bonus when I make a cup... it's better than a Yankee candle for aromatherapy! Mmmm... sweet and spicy with a pick-me-up citrus aroma that takes me right back to Grandma's kitchen.

Italian Bean Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Mom) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 00:27:00 +0000

With all this snow, I ended up changing out my menu last night. I made up a quick pot of Italian soup. This hearty, thick soup is quick to fix, but it tastes like it's been simmering all day long.

Italian Bean Soup
Ingredients:

2 lbs lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped fine
4 TBS garlic cloves, minced
Seasoning salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 large can (6lbs 12oz) dark red kidney beans, drained
1 can (28oz) crushed tomatoes
1 jar (1 lb 10oz aprox) spaghetti sauce
3 cups beef stock
8oz sliced button mushrooms, drained

Directions:

Brown the ground beef and chopped onions, drain off the grease and season with seasoned salt.
Add the browned beef, onions, garlic, beans, tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, beef stock, and mushrooms to a large soup pot. Season as needed with oregano and basil.
Bring to a slow boil, then reduce heat and simmer at least 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep it from scorching.

**my notes**

Fresh mushrooms can be substituted..
You can use more or less of any of the ingredients... it's a basic recipe, and it's very easy to make substitutions. Example, stewed tomatoes, instead of crushed tomatoes.
I like to use a thick spaghetti sauce with peppers and onions in the sauce.

There's something about a hot mug of soup served with crusty bread... it warms me up and makes me feel cozy.

Old Fashioned Macaroni n Cheese

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Mom) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 20:39:00 +0000

Now here's a real old fashioned comfort food everyone can relate to; baked macaroni and cheese with toasty bread crumb topping. This recipe is a real hand me down from generations gone by.

Old Fashioned Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) package macaroni
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups half and half
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup buttered breadcrumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400° F.
Cook macaroni according to package directions - drain and set aside.
In a large saucepan melt butter, add the flour and whisk together.
Slowly add the half and half, whisking as you add it, stir until it's smooth.
Continue whisking, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium or medium low (it needs to simmer)
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Continue stirring and slow simmer for 10 minutes - this will scorch if you don't stir.
Add the shredded cheese, continue simmering and stirring constantly until the cheese melts.
Remove from heat.
Toss the cheese sauce with the macaroni. Pour into a buttered baking dish.
Sprinkle with the buttered bread crumbs.
Bake 20 minutes - until the bread crumbs are toasty brown

Old Fashioned Homemade Chicken and Egg Noodles

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Mom) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 01:24:00 +0000

I love chicken and noodles! It seems that every family has their version from grandma's kitchen. Some serve the noodles up soupy, with short noodles. I have always believed my grandma's recipe, which was passed down from her grandma, is the very best. So here's the way my grandma made homemade noodles:

Boil a chicken in a big soup pot of seasoned water. When the chicken is
cooked, remove from the pan of broth. De-bone the chicken (take all the meat
off the bones) and shred into bite size pieces.

To make the egg noodles you'll need 1 egg, and 1/2 eggshell of water, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt for each cup of flour. For my pot of broth, I use 4 cups of flour.
Dump your flour into a mixing bowl. Stir the salt into the flour until it's
mixed in. Make a well in the middle of your flour. Dump your eggs and the water
into the well. With a fork, mix up the water and the eggs as best you can, then
start stirring the flour into the eggs. Your dough will be fairly stiff. When
it's all mixed it may be very sticky. Sprinkle flour over your rolling surface.
Put your dough onto the flour, sprinkle the top of the dough with flour. Roll
the dough out very thin. About 1/8" thick. When it's rolled out, sprinkle
lightly with flour. Roll the dough up as you would cinnamon rolls. Cut into thin
strips. Spread the noodles out into another pile of flour. Let them sit all
spread out in the flour, for about 15 minutes, to dry out a
little.

Bring the chicken broth back to a rolling boil. Drop
the noodles into the boiling broth. Stir in some of the flour... at least 1/4
cup. Reduce heat to low or medium low and simmer about 15 minutes, stirring
every few minutes so they don't burn on the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken
to the pot, taste, season as needed, and serve.

I like the thick broth and the long noodles. Of course, you should adjust the recipe to your preferences.

Caramel Apple Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Mom) — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 06:22:00 +0000

My grandparents had a variety of apple trees on the farm, so apple desserts were served fairly often. This dessert reminds me of Grandma's apple crisp, but with a sweet caramely twist that is exceptionally good.

Since I made this the first time, my mom and my aunts ask if I'm baking apple pie anytime soon. I get a kick out of that! They think I'm a good cook... and I learned from them.

Caramel Apple Pie

Pie Filling
1/2 cup sugar
4 Tablespoons flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
7 cups peeled and sliced apples - I used granny smith, because that’s what I
have in the refrigerator

Crumb Topping
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cold butter
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup packed brown sugar

Caramely Topping
1/2 cup chopped nuts - pecans or walnuts
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping - I used Mrs. Richardson’s butterscotch
caramel topping

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375
Prepare the pie crust - fit into a deep dish pie pan.
In a bowl mix the flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in the sliced
apples. Toss to completely coat the apples.
Pour the apple mixture into the pie crust.
Prepare the crumb topping - mix together the flour, oats, and brown sugar.
Cut the cold butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or a couple of
table knives. Continue cutting in, until it resembles course crumbs, about the
size of peas.
Spread the crumb topping over the apples.
Protect the edges of the pie crust with foil or they get way too brown.
Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.
Remove the foil from the pie crust and bake another 25 minutes.
Sprinkle the chopped nuts over the pie, then drizzle with the caramel
topping. Put back into the oven for 5 minutes.

This is best served warm, great with vanilla ice cream and a little more caramel sauce to taste.

Extra Creamy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Mom) — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 05:45:00 +0000

Here's a recipe for chocolate buttercream frosting, I've been making for nearly 30 years. This is an extra creamy frosting and it's very easy to make. You can make it rich chocolate, or light chocolate by adjusting the amount of cocoa powder. 3/4 cup is for a rich chocolate flavor.

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter- softened (not melted)
2 and 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup half and half or heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup unsweetened dutch cocoa powder (use less for a lighter chocolate
flavor)
1 and 1/2 cup cool whip whipped topping - thawed
Directions
Beat the butter and sugar together, until it is creamy. This may take a
minute or two. First it will get all crumbly and look like you've messed up,
just keep beating it and it will all come together to form a creamy
mixture.
Add in the vanilla, mix until it's creamy
Slowly add in the half and half, one or two tablespoons at a time.
Add the cocoa powder to the bowl and continue beating on low until this is
very creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula, to make sure it's all
mixed together.
Fold in the cool whip, mix with a spoon until it's all creamed
together.
This makes enough frosting for one cake mix.

I know, this is an unusual recipe to share in a first post. So let me explain my thinking here. LOL Easier said than done, I assure you. But here goes. I baked a cake yesterday, and when I was making the frosting, I tasted it... Oh you know I had to taste it. It's frosting. It's chocolate! Mmmmmm! Anyway. That's the moment I came up with the idea to create a blog to share my favorite recipes.

In the Kitchen With Grandma

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Mom) — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 21:34:00 +0000

When I was a little girl, I loved spending time in the kitchen with my grandma. Grandma and grandpa lived in an old craftsman style farmhouse. They raised nine children in that big old house on the farm. The kitchen was a big country kitchen, with the family dining table and kitchen all in one room. Nothing too fancy. There was a window over the sink, and huge cupboards. With high ceilings and cupboards soaring to the ceiling, we needed a ladder to reach into the upper cupboards!

There was a china buffet, and a table in front of a big picture window. The window looked out across the valley... our valley. On the back side of the table was a long wooden bench, and a couple of huge tin flour cans with pillow cushions. We used the flour cans as chairs at the table. Of course, us kids were always fighting over who got to sit on the flour cans! The adults all sat on chairs around the table. When dinner time came around, it was squished... and I love thinking back to how squished we all were and all those wonderful family memories around Grandma's table.

I can picture Grandma now... humming one of her favorite hymns, standing next to the stove, wearing her pink cotton house dress. Wooden spoon in hand, she's leaning over the pot, smelling the aromas coming up from the pan. Mmmmm... those sweet aromas!

Grandma passed her favorite old recipes down to my mom and my aunts... Now I'm the grandma. Hopefully I'm creating such sweet, warm memories for my granddaughters.