Cooking with K

Yummy Delicious! Gluten Free Strawberry Snack Cake {Baked In An Cast Iron Skillet}

2012-05-31T13:31:00.000-05:00

Here it is---My first Gluten Free blog post! I am thrilled that I will be posting gluten free recipes periodically. There are family members in my family that are gluten intolerant and welcome gluten free recipes.These recipes will have easy and accessible ingredients that can be easily adapted to gluten free. I was a little overwhelmed with all the wonderful gluten free ingredients that are out there and found some wonderful resources and incredible recipes on how to convert a recipe to gluten free.

Now to my first recipe post! Although I maybe using a new ingredient concept, I am still continuing to use my old classic baking techniques using my cast iron skillet to bake this snack cake. This is a moist and delicious Strawberry Snack Cake that is made with my very favorite gluten free baking mix. I can't say enough about this baking mix or in fact all of their gluten free products. You would not know this Strawberry Snack is gluten free had I not told you so. So yummy delicious!

Gluten Free Strawberry Snack Cake

Cake:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup fresh strawberries, chopped

Preheat oven 350 degrees F. In bowl of electric Mixer using a paddle attachment, cream together sugar and butter until fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, vanilla and almond extract; beat until creamy. Add baking mix and sour cream; beat until slightly mixed. By hand gently fold in strawberries being sure not to mash the strawberries. Spray with a non stick cooking spray in a 10-inch cast iron skillet or a oven proof skillet. Pour batter in the skillet and bake for 40-45 minutes or until done. Remove from the oven and cool 15 minutes before drizzling with icing.

Strawberry Icing

1/4 cup half and half
11/2 cups powered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon strawberry extract

Mix all the above together a with a wire whisk until creamy and smooth. Drizzle over top of snack cake.

Grilled & Glazed Carrots

2012-05-30T09:09:00.001-05:00

This last weekend was filled with grilling kabobs and vegetables. My husband is a big fan of Carrots so I try to cook them as often as I can.

Here is a wonderful recipe for Grilled & Glazed Carrots that is easy and quick. You pre-cook them in the microwave for a couple of minutes and then cook them on the grill for another six or seven minutes, and then take them off and glaze them with a balsamic and honey glaze. See what I am talking about --easy and quick!

Grilled & Glazed Carrots
Recipe Source: Patio Daddio BBQ

6 carrots (as equal in size as possible)
1/8 cup Balsamic vinegar
1/8 cup Honey

Combine the balsamic and honey in a small bowl, whisk to combine and set aside. Peel, trim and slice the carrots in half horizontally. Put them in a zip-top bag and seal, leaving about an inch unsealed. Cook the carrots on high in the microwave for two minutes, or until they are slightly flexible. This shortens the grilling time greatly. (Do not skip this step...I did the first time and it took three times as long to cook them)

Note: You may need to adjust the cooking time depending on the size of your carrots and the power of your microwave. Grill the carrots on a medium-high grill (about 400 degrees) for three minutes. (I used a grilling pan.) Flip them over, brush them with the glaze and continue grilling another three minutes. Remove the carrots to a platter and brush them with the glaze.

M&M Patriotic Celebration Cookies {Easy and Fun To Make}

2012-05-24T10:28:00.000-05:00

These are some Patriotic Cookies that my grandson, Caleb made last summer when we had our cookie marathon, and I never got it posted. These were the red and blue mini M&Ms that he picked out from a package of M&Ms I bought at Easter and thought they were Easter colors. He made some cookies with the orange, brown and yellow ones for a fall cookie recipe.

This is a easy and quick recipe that he not only worked so hard at reading and getting the recipe right, he made sure they were all the same size. I love making cookies with my grandchildren ~ Great job Caleb!

M&M Celebration Cookies

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or 1 teaspoon vanilla)

2 eggs

1 cup mini M&Ms

Preheat oven 375 degrees F. In the bowl of electric mixer using the paddle attachment, add the butter, brown sugar, and sugar. Beat until creamy; add eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. On parchment paper or in a small bowl, sift flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to the creamy mixture. Fold in M&Ms being careful not to break them up. Chill in the refrigerator 1 hour. Using a scope, drop on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on the parchment paper and then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Note: There has been a typing error on the flour amount and the butter amount that I have fixed. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Shared this recipe on Blog Hop, Red, White & Blue Linky Party and here !

Inspirational Thoughts #4

2012-05-20T07:48:00.001-05:00

This week Joyce Meyer's devotional was one that really blessed me and I wanted to pass it along. Glean from God's Word this morning.

Let God Be Your Tour Guide

Psalm 48:14

When He walked on this earth, Jesus always knew the right thing to do because He did only what He saw His Father do. As our Lord, we can trust Him to lead us down the right path every day.

Psalm 48:14 says that God will be our guide even unto death! How wonderful to know that we have a guide to get us from one destination in life to the next.

When my husband, Dave, and I visit a new place, we often hire a guide. Once we decided to explore by ourselves, but we quickly discovered that this was a complete waste of time. We spent most of the day lost, desperately trying to find our way back.

Sometimes I think we treat life the same way Dave and I treated that trip. It's always easier to follow an experienced guide than to wander aimlessly on your own. Instead of going your own way, do what you see your Father do, and let Him guide you. God is committed to guiding us, so it's clearly important that we follow.

Prayer Starter: God, I don't want to live life like a tourist without a guide, aimlessly going my own way. Only You can show me what to do and how to live, so I choose to follow Your guidance every day. Joyce Myer Devotionals

Mother's Lettuce Tomato Chop Salad {Granny's Recipe}

2012-05-15T08:30:00.000-05:00

When you want a go to salad to make, you want one that has simple ingredients and as few as possible. For my go to salad, I always think of my Mother's Lettuce Tomato Chop Salad. This is the salad I served with our meatloaf we had a couple of weeks ago.

I grew up eating this salad mostly in the summer when the tomatoes were plentiful, but with fresh tomatoes readily available in the grocery store, that is not the case now!

Mother chopped up iceberg lettuce, fresh tomatoes, and folded them all together with a cup of Miracle Whip. I don't know if you have a liken for Miracle Whip or not, but growing up, I wouldn't use anything else. Today is another story, with my husband being a fan of mayonnaise, I have switched over.

There is just something about this salad though, that on occasion will call me back to making it using Miracle Whip :)

Lettuce Tomato Chop Salad

1 medium head iceberg lettuce, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 cup Miracle Whip (I use Mayonnaise)
salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, place lettuce and tomatoes. Fold in Miracle Whip, being sure not break up the tomatoes to much. Salt and pepper to taste when served.

This recipe is being shared here !

Classic Strawberry Cake With Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting {Granny's Recipe}

2012-05-07T17:17:00.000-05:00

Mother's Day is Sunday, and I would like to give tribute to my Mother with this wonderfully delicious Classic Strawberry Cake recipe of her's. She has always been and will always be my inspiration for the passion I have for cooking. She loved visiting with ladies and talking about new recipes as much as I do today. You have to remember back in the '60s when I grew up, there was no internet and the recipes were written down on anything you had in your hand at the time. Some of my Mother's are written on napkins, backs of advertisements, but her favorite place to write them down on was in just an ordinary spiral notebook that is so tattered and discolored that we (my sisters) have to handle it with care these days. That is the cookbook that I cook her recipes from today. The one thing that I have noticed most about it, is that she wrote down more baking recipes than her cooking recipes. What I mean by that is, that when you bake, you have to have the right ingredients and measurements to bake, or it will not turn out right--but with cooking she was one of those that did a pinch here and a tab there of seasoning and ingredients and they turned out simply delicious. You probably have someone you know that cooked like that too. They are who I call Classic Cooks!

What I just love most about my Mother's recipes, is that they bring families together. Whether, you are eating around a table with family, or in your kitchen cooking my Mother's recipes, Mother's Classic Family Style Recipes always makes you feel like you are family.

This classic cake recipe has been around every since I was a little girl. Like other classics, this cake came around in the mid '60s when cake mixes were readily welcomed in many kitchens, and with the jello being added to many cakes, a recipe for this luscious cake evolved. Over the years, I have seen this cake in many magazines, cookbooks, and now over the internet, and there is so many variations. The original cake recipe is made with a carton of frozen strawberries and the frosting is a strawberry buttercream, but with fresh strawberries so readily available now, I now use fresh strawberries and for more richness (not that it is not rich enough), I added cream cheese to the frosting. It is absolutely delicious and would be a great cake to make for your Mother or Grandmother on Sunday.

Have a wonderful Mother's Day Everyone!

Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Cake:

1 cup strawberries, chopped (keep juice)
1 (3 oz) pkg. strawberry jello
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 (18.5 oz) pkg. white cake mix
1/4 cup water (depending on how juicy your strawberries are. See my notes)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a sheet pan or three 8-inch round cake pans; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment macerate all the strawberries; RESERVE 1/4 CUP FOR THE FROSTING. Add jello, oil, and eggs beating until well blended. Add cake mix and water and beat until smooth and well incorporated. Pour batter in prepared pan(s) and bake for 30-35 minutes depending on how large your sheet pan is and if you use the round pans which could take 20-25 minutes. It took mine 30 minutes in the sheet pan. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:

1 8 oz pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 cup butter, softened
2 lbs. pkg powdered sugar
11/2 tsp vanilla
2-3 tablespoons half and half milk
1/4 cup reserved macerated strawberries

In a bowl of an electric mixer using the wire whisk, cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy about 3-4 minutes, stopping and scraping down bowl in between beating. Add powder sugar a cup at a time until all is incorporated. Add vanilla; beat until smooth. Add half and half a tablespoon at a time as needed. (See directions below on how to marble the frosting. Or you can add the strawberries at this point and frost the cake)

Directions on Marbling the frosting cake:

Scoop out 2/3 of the cream cheese frosting and frost the cooled cake. With remaining frosting add the 1/4 cup reserved macerated strawberries and beat until smooth. Using a large spoon or scoop, dollop strawberry frosting 3 inches apart in a row on top of the cream cheese frosting. (May have frosting leftover.) After dollops are on top of the cream cheese frosting, take a knife and pull the strawberry frosting through the cream cheese frosting giving it a marbling affect.

This recipe is being shared here !

Classic Old Fashioned Meatloaf {Cooked In A Cast Iron Skillet}

2012-04-30T15:43:00.000-05:00

This Classic Old Fashioned Meatloaf Recipe is my Mother-in-law's recipe. She taught me early on to cook my meatloaf in a cast iron skillet and it has never changed. She would form her meatloaf in a bun and cook it with enough water to come up half way in the skillet. All those delicious juices make for a wonderful gravy. She believed that a good meatloaf recipe is one that has a good ratio of fat in the hamburger. I use 85/15 and sometimes 80/20 which makes for a real moist and tender meatloaf. The leaner the meat the dryer your meatloaf will be.

She always topped her meatloaf with ketchup, but we have varied on this over the years. One thing I continued with--she believed in making plenty of this comfort food. When all my children were home, I would make two of these at a time just to have leftovers. There is nothing better than a good leftover meatloaf sandwich!

Old Fashioned Meatloaf

2 lbs. hamburger
1 cup saltine cracker crumbs (oatmeal or bread crumbs)
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup bell pepper chopped (my addition)
2 eggs
3/4-1 cup evaporated milk (whole milk or half and half)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander (my addition)
2 cups of water
1 cup ketchup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 10-inch cast iron skillet with a non stick cooking spray; set aside. In a large bowl, combine all the above ingredients, except for the water and ketchup, and mix together until well blended. Be careful not to handle the meat mixture to much. Shape into a round bun and place in the cast iron skillet. Pour water half way up in the skillet. Bake in the oven for 1 hour or until meatloaf is done. Spoon ketchup over the meatloaf and return to the oven for another 15 minutes.

This recipe is featured on Recipe Sharing Monday!

Hot & Sticky Chicken {An Easy and Quick Meal To Get On Your Table}

2012-04-24T11:27:00.000-05:00

Sticky chicken recipes are so inviting when I see them on Pinterest. I decided to use ingredients that I had on hand to create this recipe for Hot & Sticky Chicken. You can use chicken thighs, chicken legs, or in my case both. It is the sweet ingredient married with the acidic and hot ingredients that make for a terrific sticky chicken recipe.

This recipe came together rather quickly, and the chicken cooked in an hour. When I have plenty of time to plan on my menu for the month, marinating is a great flavor enhancer---but sometimes, my plans change, and I need to get a meal on the table quick. This recipe is not only easy and quick, but sticky delicious. Have plenty of napkins handy. You will be wiping all those wonderful juices running down from you mouth!

Hot & Sticky Chicken

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
8-10 chicken pieces (thigh, legs, or leg quarters)

Preheat oven 400 degrees F. In a medium bowl, mix together the first six ingredients with a wire whisk, making sure all ingredients are blended well; set aside. Place chicken pieces on a sheet pan separated and not touching. Whisk the marinate ingredients one more time and pour over chicken pieces making sure each one is coated. Bake for 45-55 minutes basting with the marinate in the pan every 20 minutes.

Note: All marinate ingredients can be adjusted to your taste.

Italian Cream Ccoconut Cake {Granny's Recipe}

2012-04-16T14:19:00.002-05:00

In 1973, I was working for the Texas Railroad Commission in an office with several talented cooks. I was in my twenties, just finished college, and was still living at home, so my cooking skills were still being developed to say the least. Once a month we would have a birthday celebration for the employees of that month. Everyone would bring a covered dish of some sort. When you hear "covered dish", you already know what I mean about the kinda of food we got to labor over. You know it had to be hard work eating a serving from everyone's dish. (giggles) I mean, I would want every recipe of the dish someone brought, but not as much as this cake my friend brought. It was the rage that was going around at all the church socials, family reunions, and any get together you could take it to. I am talking about the Italian Cream Coconut Cake of the '70s.

Mother made this cake for Easter that year and for many Easters after that which has become my favorite cake to make at Easter. This incredibly luscious cake is all about the coconut. If you are not a fan of coconut, you need to give it a try anyway. There is just something about the serious amount of coconut in the three layers of cake wrapped up in layers of cream cheese icing. You will have to watch yourself though.....you can hardly keep from raking off some of the wonderful cream cheese icing every time you walk by. I have found that if you make the cake the day before, it will be even better. That is if you can wait! (grins)

Italian Cream Coconut Cake

1/2 cup Crisco (shortening)
1 stick oleo (I use 1/2 cup butter)
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
5 egg yokes (beaten)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 14 oz. pkg. coconut (I use 2 cups)
1 cup chopped pecans (I leave these out)
5 egg whites (beaten stiff)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter three 9-inch round cake pans and dust with flour; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer using a paddle attachment, cream shortening, butter, and sugar until fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add vanilla and egg yokes beating after each. In a medium bowl whisk together flour and soda. Add to creamy mixture alternating with buttermilk and beat until smooth (about a 1-2 minutes). Fold in coconut and egg whites. Spread equal amount of batter in prepared pans. Bake for 30 minutes or until cake is done. Remove from oven and let set for 5 minutes before removing them from pans. Cool completely and frost with icing recipe below.

Cream Cheese Icing

2 pkg. cream cheese (softened)
1/2 stick ole (I used 1/2 cup butter)
2 lbs. powered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons half and half
1 cup coconut
1 cup pecans

In the bowl of an electric mixer using the whisk attachment, cream cream cheese, butter, until smooth. Add powdered sugar a cup at a time until all is incorporated and creamy smooth. If too stiff, add a tablespoon of half and half if needed.

Check out Full Plate Thursday for some great cooks!

Inspirational Thoughts #3

2012-04-15T08:30:00.000-05:00

Restoring the Dignity and Sanctity Of The Home with Devi Titus. Learn why the home is the most important aspect of your life in her new series. Love this woman of God!

Homegrown Green Beans and New Potatoes {Granny's Recipes}

2012-04-10T14:59:00.000-05:00

Fresh vegetables are the best, unless they are fresh out of the garden and then you cannot beat them. I love Fresh Green Beans and New Potatoes cooked together with a little bit of ham or bacon. Growing up, we could not wait for the first crop of green beans and potatoes to come out of the garden. This is another one of those side dishes that Mother would cook a pan of cornbread, slice some onions and tomatoes, and call it a meal. Oh! Another thing, pepper sauce was always on the table along side with the salt and pepper to go with all that lovely pot liquor.

These Green Beans and New Potatoes were on our Easter table this year. They cooked up relatively quick and really went well with the rest of our Easter menu. When I cook Fresh Green Beans and New Potatoes, I leave the green beans and the potatoes whole. It is really important to try and have all the potatoes close to the same size, so not to over cook some of them----and when you reheat them, they are not mushy. We love them leftover, so I usually cook a lot at one time.

Fresh Green Beans and New Potatoes

3 lbs. fresh green beans, ends cut off

1/4-1/2 lbs of ham, bacon, or salt pork, diced

10-12 medium new potatoes, washed

1 tablespoon salt

In a large Dutch Oven, cook green beans and ham on medium heat with water up just over the beans. Cook for 20-30 minutes. Add potatoes and salt, cover and turn heat down to low, cook another 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are done when pierced with a fork. (Depends on how big your potatoes are.)

Note: Amount of ham and salt can be adjusted to your taste.

Join me for Savory Sunday and Recipe Sharing Monday!

Hamburger Carrot Potato Casserole {Granny's Recipe}

2012-02-16T16:09:00.014-06:00

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When I tell people we are having Hamburger Carrot Potato Casserole for dinner, they say "that sounds good, what's in it?" I answer them with, Hamburger, Carrots, and Potatoes --- simple ingredients. Mother made this all the time when I was growing up, and I don't think she really had a name for it. So when I started making it for my family, I started calling it Hamburger Carrot Potato Casserole. This is one of those one pot meals that the whole family just loves. Who can turn down meat and potatoes? And it is a great way to get your children to eat carrots, which I never had any trouble.

I usually make a salad and serve some sort of bread to go with it. This time, I served a delicious Jalapeno Cornbread Loaf, which we made some delicious sandwiches with later. I will be posting that recipe soon.

Going back to the name -- I don't know how the "casserole" became part of the name, it really is not like your normal casserole. It is more like a stew than anything. It has the most delicious juices off the meat, carrots, and potatoes that are cooked with onions and celery. Later down the road and a nudge from my DIL, I took it to a new level by adding Montreal Steak Seasoning. Now do you see what I am talking about ---- It is more like a stew than a casserole!

Hamburger Carrot Potato Casserole

1 1/2 lbs. lean hamburger (85/15 or 90/10)
1 onion chopped
1 cup celery chopped (leaves are good in it)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper
1 1/2 lb. carrots, sliced 1/2 inch
6-8 potatoes, peeled and cut 1 inch cubed
1/2-3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon Montreal Steak Seasoning

In a large stock pot, add hamburger, onions, celery and salt and pepper; brown until vegetables are tender. Add carrots and cook while peeling potatoes. Add potatoes and Montreal Seasoning. Add water and cover and simmer until potatoes are fork tender.

Note: You can adjust the onions, celery, and salt and pepper according to taste.

Linzer Pop Tarts {A Simple Jam Crostada}

2012-02-16T14:35:00.010-06:00

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Christmas and special occasions, these Linzer Pop Tarts are on our Brunch table. I had been making them long before my children were married as a pastry, somewhat like a cookie. Since we enjoyed them so much more warm out of the oven, I decided to start making them for our Christmas Brunch the first year or so, my children were married and have been making them ever since.

As it probably happens to other bloggers on Christmas morning, I never get to get any food pictures for my blog, because we eat them up so fast.

I actually made these at 5:30 in the morning a few weeks ago for my daughter to take to her Moms Group. As soon as the sun came up, I started taking pictures. It was so hard not eating some as soon as they came out of the oven. That is what is so good about this recipe....you can eat them any time for any occasion.

Linzer Pop Tarts

3 cups flour
1/2 sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, cold and cubed
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup blackberry jam
1/3 cup apricot jam
1/3 cup strawberry jam

Preheat oven 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar and baking powder. Cut in butter till mixture resembles pea size crumbs. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla; add to dry ingredients and mix well. Turn dough out on a slightly floured surface; Pull dough together in a ball without working it to much. Reserve 1/3 of the dough and place in refrigerator. On slightly floured surface, roll remaining dough to 15 x 10" rectangle. Lift dough and place in a 14.5" x 10 rectangle baking pan. (You can slightly roll dough and place in a baking dish and pat dough to fit pan). Spread blackberry jam on a third of the dough; spread apricot jam on the next third of the dough; and spread strawberry jam on the last third of the dough. Roll remaining dough to 12 x 10 rectangle. Cut 1/2" wide strips. Carefully arrange strips into lattice top diagonally over jam dough. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until dough is golden brown.

Join the fun here!

Decadent German Chocolate Pound Cake {Granny's Recipe}

2012-02-09T21:37:00.019-06:00

When you see recipes for German Chocolate Pound Cakes, you usually see them made with a cake mix. They are delicious made with them, and I use them, but my favorite recipe is my Mother's. Her recipe is one that was popular in 70's and is made with Baker's German sweet chocolate. This recipe is unique in that you cover the warm cake in a tight cake-cover so that it will sweat until it is completely cool, producing a moist and velvety pound cake.

Happy Valentine's Day ~ This Decadent German Chocolate Pound Cake is sure to please your sweetheart on this most romantic and indulgence of days!

German Chocolate Pound Cake
Original Recipe Source: Adams Extract

2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons butter flavoring
1 cup buttermilk
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 (4 ounce) package German sweet chocolate

Preheat oven 300 degrees F. In a medium microwave safe bowl, melt German chocolate in the microwave for 1-2 minutes at 30 SECOND intervals only until chocolate is melted; stir and set aside. Using the paddle attachment in the bowl of an electric mixer, cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs, vanilla, butter flavoring, and buttermilk. Whisk together flour, soda, and salt. Add to creamy mixture and mix well. Then add melted German Chocolate and blend together well. Pour batter in a 9 or 10-inch tube pan that has been well greased and dusted with flour. Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove cake from pan while still hot and place under a tight fitting cake-cover and leave covered until cold.

Pizza Panzanella Salad {And Another Way To Use Pizza Dough}

2012-02-09T17:39:00.010-06:00

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Some people wait until Summer to enjoy Panzanella Salads which is the tradition in Southern Italy. My husband and I enjoy eating them all year around. In case you don't know about them, they are simply an Italian bread salad usually made with leftover stale bread. Just like the Southerns who make Cornbread Salad with leftover cornbread.

I have made Panzanella Salad with French bread, but the other day, I was making a pizza, and had another batch of pizza dough thawed out, and needed to make something with it. So I got the idea to cut it in strips, then in little croutons, and fry them in a little hot oil. As soon as I took them out of the hot oil, I laid them out on a paper towel and sprinkled them with salt and garlic powder...my....my...these were so good. We ate half of them before we could get our salad made.

As you can see, they were just a little big. So we cut them in half and some we quartered. These pizza croutons were the perfect bread for the salad to soak up all the wonderful juices from the tangy vinaigrette dressing and tomatoes. You will want to eat all of this Pizza Panzanella Salad up in one setting....it is not a leftover type salad. So make just enough that you can do that.

Pizza Panzanella Salad

1 cup fresh spinach
1 1/2 cup romaine lettuce, loosely chopped
1/2 cup yellow or orange bell pepper, diced in 1/2" cubes
1 seedless cucumber, sliced lengthwise and then in slices
1/2 red onion, julienne
3 Roma tomatoes, quartered
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
1 lb. pizza dough
1 1/2-2 cups canola oil
salt
garlic powder
your favorite Greek or Italian dressing

In a medium bowl, toss spinach romaine lettuce, bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, tomato, and feta cheese together; set aside.

Roll pizza dough on a slightly floured board. Cut strips 1" wide and then cut again 1" wide croutons. In medium skillet, heat 1" deep oil until hot. Drop croutons in oil; turn over and fry until golden brown. Remove from hot oil and drain on a sheet pan lined with paper towels. Immediately sprinkle with salt and garlic powder. Toss in prepared salad. Drizzle with your favorite Greek or Italian salad dressing and serve immediately.

Apple Fritter Bites

2012-02-02T15:31:00.011-06:00

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This is the second Apple Fritter recipe I have posted. This recipe is more about how many it makes and the size of the fritter. It makes around a dozen or so and comes together really quick. Just the right amount to make for my husband and I....coffee and Apple Fritters go together, don't you think?

These were real good. Although, I think the next time I make them, I am going to double the apples. We like them real applety....Is that a real word...he he!

Apple Fritter Bites
Adapted from: Seemingly Greek

1 1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 milk
1 egg
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup chopped apple, (can use granny smith, gala, and rome apples) pea size
1 cup powered sugar
3 tablespoons milk or half and half
oil for frying

In a medium bowl, mix flour sugar baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, stir together milk, egg, vanilla, and butter until egg is mixed well. Pour into dry ingredient and just stir until all ingredient are mixed; add apples and fold in gently. Heat oil around 365 degrees and drop in oil with a small cookie scooper being careful not to over crowd. Once in the grease turn fritters over and flatten a little and fry until golden brown. It takes about 35 seconds on each side on this size. Adjust cooking time on size of the fritter and the temperature of the oil.

In a small bowl, mix together powdered sugar and milk until smooth and creamy; set aside. When golden brown, remove the fritters from the hot oil and lay on a sheet pan lined with paper towels. When slightly cooled, dip in the glaze and place on a wire rack over a sheet pan to let the excess drip off. Eat warm. Enjoy!

Note: I had to flatten mine a little to get them done before they browned to much. I only heated enough oil that the fritters did not float to much.

Join the fun here!

Easy and Quick BBQ Beef Pizza {And Game Day Foods}

2012-02-02T08:18:00.014-06:00

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Super Bowl Sunday is a day of indulgence not only for football fans, but for foodie fans as well. We like to keep our Super Bowl Party fun and easy with delicious appetizers and finger foods. This year's menu is not any different. Here are some Fun Super Bowl Game Day Foods that might make it on our table this year!

Homemade Spinach Artichoke Pizza

Texas Style Barbecue Hot Wings

Asian Hot Wings {Recipe coming}

Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

Colombian Pasteles {Recipe coming}
Spicy Chicken Tortilla Roll Ups {Recipe coming}
Jalapeno Popper Bites {Recipe coming}

South of the Border Bites

BBQ Ranch Stuffed Eggs

Ranch Sausage Stars

Ham and Cheese Sliders

Roast Beef Sliders with Caramelized Onions and Horseradish Mayo {Recipe Coming}

Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Peanut Clusters

Punch Bowl Cake

Easy S'mores {Recipe Coming}

The Best Cookie Dough Dip {Recipe Coming}

Now let me get to the recipe for the BBQ Beef Pizza. This is one of my husband's all time favorite pizza to get when we eat at CiCi Pizza. He is such a meat kinda guy and me--well, I am a vegetable kinda girl,. so to keep him happy at home, when I make homemade pizza, I decided to develop a recipe just for him. This one is a winner and he enjoys it often and I get to enjoy the vegetable ones!

BBQ Beef Pizza

1 basic recipe of homemade pizza dough for a 14"-16" pan (I used 1 lb. of pizza dough from Sam's deli)
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 1/2-2 cups Hickory Smoked Barbecue Beef Brisket, chop big chunks (bought at Sam's)
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
2-3 cups of cheddar cheese, hand grated

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Sprinkle cornmeal evenly on the pizza pan; set aside. If you are making homemade pizza dough, make it according to the directions. If using bought pizza dough, roll out dough on a floured counter to the size of your pan and lay it on top of the sprinkled cornmeal, bringing the dough up on the sides as much as possible. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread the barbeque meat over the dough up to about 1/2 on the sides. Scatter onion over the barbeque and sprinkle with cheddar cheese liberally. Bake in the oven 12-18 minutes or until crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly melted.

Notes: The barbecue, onion, and the cheese can be adjusted to your taste.

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Rich Tomato Basil Soup Copycat {la Madeleine' Is My Favorite}

2012-01-25T13:21:00.005-06:00

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Today it is raining like crazy here in Northeast Texas. We experienced a dangerous drought this Summer and early Fall, so we are not complaining. Today is a perfect day for soup and my Tomato Basil Soup is a quick and hearty tomato soup to warm you up.

My favorite place to eat Tomato Basil Soup is at a la Madeleine' Country French Cafe -- so much so that I had to find out how to make it. I found this copycat recipe that is the closest to la Madeleine's so far. Their Signature Tomato Basil Soupe is available at Sam's, and I must say I do buy it occasionally, but it is pretty pricy and doesn't go very far -- so this soup is a fill in until I make it to my favorite eating place.

Tomato Basil Soup Copycat
Slightly Adapted from: Houston Press Blog

4 cups tomatoes, peeled, cored, and chopped (or 4 cups canned whole tomatoes, crushed)
4 cups tomato juice (or mixture of tomato juice and vegetable juice)
12-14 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
1-1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup butter, sliced
1/4-1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper
salt to taste

Combine tomatoes and tomato juice (or tomato and vegetable juice combination) in a saucepan. Simmer 30 minutes. Add basil leaves and puree in food processor until smooth and thick, not watery. Return to saucepan and add cream and butter, stirring constantly over low heat until creamy smooth and all ingredients are incorporated.

Note: I like using a food processor to puree, because you can better control how evenly it purees.

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Healthy Winter Berry Fruit Salad {Janna's Recipe}

2012-01-25T10:42:00.007-06:00

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My daughter, Janna makes this Healthy Winter Berry Fruit Salad each year for Thanksgiving and Christmas that her daddy simply enjoys every time she makes it. Because of her diabetes, she is always looking and developing recipes that are healthy and delicious at the same time. This fruit salad is delicious by itself, but you will want to drizzle the Agave Lime Dressing over it to capture all those wonderful juices from the fruit.

Janna has a real eye for delicious and healthy food and is always calling me and letting me know some of her ideas. She has this wonderful recipe for a Berry Granola Trifle that is a morning ritual for her breakfast that I will be sharing later!

Healthy Winter Berry Fruit Salad

2 fresh honey crisp apples, chopped in 3/4 inch cubes
1 1/2 cup fresh pineapple, chopped in 3/4 inch cubes
2-3 fresh red plums, pitted and sliced
2 clementine oranges, peeled and separated
1 1/2 cups blueberries
1 1/2 cups blackberries
! 1/2 cups strawberries, quartered
1 1/2 cups red raspberries
1/3 cup agave
Juice of 2 limes
2 cups whipped cream (optional)

In a small bowl, mix together agave and lime juice; set aside. In a large bowl, add the follow in the order listed.

apples,
pineapple
oranges
red plums
strawberries
blueberries
blackberries
raspberries

Slightly toss them being careful not to smash the berries. Just before serving drizzle with agave mixture. Serve with whipped cream if you like.

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Today Is National Pie Day {Here Are Some Of Cooking with K's Favorites}

2012-01-23T15:22:00.011-06:00

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Today is National Pie Day and I have linked some of Cooking with K's favorites with my personal favorite being Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Pie!

Nestle Toll House Pie

German Chocolate Pie

Chocolate Cream Pie

Coconut Meringue Pie

Sweet Potato Pie

Mince Cream Cheese Pie

Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cake {Granny's Recipe}

2012-01-17T00:40:00.014-06:00

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Did you know that January is National Oatmeal Month? Another thing you might not know, is that more oatmeal is eaten in the month of January than any other month.

This Oatmeal Cake is a dense, yet moist cake with a broiled coconut topping that will remind you of baked oatmeal with icing on it.Yum!

The recipe of this Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cake is one of my Mother's recipes that I found out was a favorite of my husband's when we got married. I don't know if you are like me when you have recipes that you make and make, and you see a new one, and it takes over the popularity, and then before you know it, the old one gets pushed back in the recipe box and is forgotten. Well, that is what happened to this recipe. I noticed this recipe the other day and had to make it. Oh how I have forgotten how good it is, and most of all, it reminds me of being in the kitchen with my Mother.

Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cake

Cake

1 cup quick cook oats
1 1/2 cup hot water
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup oil (I used butter)
1/2 cup margarine (I used butter)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, pour hot water over oatmeal; set aside. In medium bowl, combine dry ingredients; set aside. In bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and beat until creamy. Add eggs one at a time mixing until well incorporated. Add the oatmeal and the dry ingredients and mix until all is incorporated. Pour in a lightly greased 9 x 12 baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and spoon icing over the top evenly. Return cake to the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until cake is done and lightly brown. Broil for 2-3 minutes before removing cake.

Icing

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup Evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup coconut

In a medium size saucepan, heat butter, brown sugar, and milk until boiling. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Add vanilla, pecans and coconut stir well.

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A "Little" Tidbit

He will yet fill your mouth with laughing, and your lips with rejoicing.

(Job 8:21)

Ham and Cheese Sliders {An Ideal Party Food}

2012-01-16T22:25:00.009-06:00

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The Super Bowl is coming up and what better slider to serve at your Super Bowl Party than these Ham and Cheese Sliders. Here is how easy they are to make---assemble the sandwich, drizzle the sauce and heat them in the oven until the cheese is melted--how easy it that? Sometimes I make the sandwiches up in the morning and put them in the refrigerator. Just hold drizzling the sauce until ready to bake. The buttery mustard poppy seed sauce is what puts these sandwich sliders over the top. Yummy yummy!

You don't have to wait for a get together or party to make these. I made these with some leftover ham we had at Christmas for a quick supper. If I were you, I wouldn't wait for the Super Bowl to make yours. (giggles)

Ham And Cheese Sliders
Recipe Adapted from Annie's Eats

24 Dinner Rolls (Mini Hawaiian Rolls are recommended)
24 Slices of Ham
24 Slices of Swiss Cheese
Mayonnaise

Poppy Seed Sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1/2 cup butter, melted (1 stick)
1 tablespoon on finely minced onion (or 2 teaspoons dried minced onion)
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
Poppy seeds, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Split the slider rolls and spread the insiders lightly with mayonnaise. Fold a slice of ham to fit on each slider bun, and top with slice of Swiss cheese. Replace the top bun to assemble the sandwiches. Place the sandwiches on a baking sheet.

To make the sauce, combine all ingredients except the poppy seeds in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Drizzle the sauce over the tops of the slider buns. Sprinkle with poppy seeds. Cover with foil and bake 10 minutes until cheese is melted. Remove the foil and bake 2 minutes longer. Serve warm.

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Hidden Valley Ranch Sausage Stars {The Perfect Appetizer}

2012-01-09T12:35:00.015-06:00

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Hidden Valley Ranch Sausage Stars were the main attraction at our New Years Eve Party. I have seen these in many magazines over the years and even cut the recipe out, but never made them. Well, I found out just how much these are amazingly quick and easy to make! You can count on these to be on our table for our Super Bowl Party.

To serve a few guest you can make them in a regular size muffin pans, or to serve them as an appetizer like I did, you can make them in mini muffin pans. They hold up well to take somewhere as well as easy to heat up just before you serve them.

Hidden Valley Ranch Sausage Stars

Recipe Source: With a Grateful Prayer and a Thankful Heart

2 cups (1 lb.) cooked crumbled sausage

1 1/2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup prepared Hidden Valley Ranch Original Salad Dressing Mix

1 can (2.5 oz.) sliced ripe olives

1/2 cup chopped red pepper

1 package fresh or frozen won ton wrapper (or eggroll wrappers cut in 4ths)

oil

Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Blot sausage dry with paper towels and combine with cheeses, salad dressing, olives, and red pepper. Lightly grease a mini (or regular) muffin tin and press one wrapper in each cup. Brush with oil. Bake 5 minutes until golden. Remove from tins, place on baking sheet. Fill with sausage mixture. Bake 5 minutes until bubbly. Makes 4 to 5 dozen.

Note: Deer sausage works well in this recipe!

A "Little" Tidbit

He answered and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none;

and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

(Luke 3:11)

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Mud Hen Bars

2012-01-09T12:00:00.014-06:00

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I first got acquainted with these delicious Mud Hen Bars some time back on Your Homebased Mom blog. Since then I have been seeing them pop up a lot on other blogs so I had to give them a try New Years Eve.

This cookie bar starts with a cake like layer and then you sprinkle chocolate chips, chopped pecans, mini marshmallows, and then for the gooey goodness, you pour this wonderful mixture of a brown sugar meringue over the top of all of it and bake.

My favorite way to eat them is straight out of the oven while they are still gooey and yummy. The next day I just heat them in the microwave and give them about a minute to warm up and they are as yummy as the first day! Just thought you might like to know this little tidbit!

Mud Hen Bars
Adapted From: Mommy's Kitchen

1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg + 2 eggs, separated
11/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup nuts, chopped
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, cream together sugar and butter until creamy. Add 1 egg and mix well. Add two egg yokes (saving the egg whites for later use) and mix well. In another bowl, add flour, salt, and baking powder; whisk together. Add flour mixture to creamy mixture and mix well. Spread evenly into a 9 x 13 pan. Evenly sprinkle marshmallows, nuts, and chocolate chips on top of the mixture.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold in the brown sugar and spread evenly over the layers. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the meringue is golden brown and the cake is done. Cool in pan before cutting into bars.

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COUNTDOWN TO 2012: Desserts of 2011

2011-12-31T10:01:00.002-06:00

#1 Very Simplistic Bread Pudding

#2 Coffee Pie {Jennifer's Recipe}

#3 Easy Almond Strawberry Pie

#4 Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake {Granny's Recipe}

#5 Nestle Toll House Pie

#6 Fresh Peach Cobbler with Homemade Double Crust

Well here is the finally of Countdown To 2012, and what a finally it is! It is all about desserts. I am such a dessert fan, that I had to list 6 top post on this one. So many great ones this year! I want to thank Sno White for hosting this countdown. Go over to Finding Joy In My Kitchen and catch all the wonder dessert recipes that have been linked up.