December 11, 2009 at 12:34 pm (Cookies)
Cream together:
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
Mix in:
1 cup peanut butter
Beat well and add:
2 well beaten eggs
In a separate bowl mix together:
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
Add flour mixture to peanut butter mixture. Stir well.
Chill for at least an hour. Roll into balls and then roll in a bowl of white sugar, coating the cookie ball with sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 375* F for 8-10 minutes
Now just see if you can eat just one! 
December 7, 2009 at 5:46 pm (Soup, Tomatoes)
2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes
2 cups water
2 teaspoons chicken boullion
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup milk
6 Tablespoons butter
Place tomatoes in blender and blend until smooth. Place tomatoes, water, and boullion in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; add basil, garlic salt, pepper and sugar. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low; Stir in milk and butter. Cook until butter is melted.
*original recipe on Allrecipes alterations made by me.
This soup is wonderful! I couldn’t get enough of it and had steaming mugs of it for several days. It was so easy to make, yet so delicious!
December 3, 2009 at 12:43 pm (Turkey)
2 eggs, room temperature
1 cup milk, room temperature
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups diced cooked turkey
2 cups diced celery
1 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup minced onion
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1- 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise or salad dressing
1/4 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon pepper
salt to taste
In a mixing bowl, beat eggs until lemon-colored and foamy. Add milk, flour and salt; beat just until smooth (do not over beat). Pour into greased 10-in. glass pie plate. Bake at 400*F for 35-40 minutes or until deep golden brown. Immediately prick with a fork in the center to allow steam to escape. While popover is cooking cook celery, onion and carrot in small amount of olive oil, cook until tender crisp. Next add the turkey, mayo, cheese, milk and seasoning. Stir and cook over low heat until heated through. When popover is done spoon turkey salad into it. Garnish with tomato slices if desired and serve immediately. Serves 8-10
November 18, 2009 at 2:57 pm (Quickbread, Recipes)
The scone is a small British quick bread (or cake if recipe includes sugar) of Scottish origin. Scones are especially popular in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Canada, but are eaten in many other countries. They are usually made of wheat, barley or oatmeal, with baking powder as a leavening agent. The scone is a basic component of the cream tea or Devonshire tea.
Simple Scones
2 cups of flour (use whatever comb. you desire. I used 1/2 c wheat and 1 1/2 c of white)
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 Tablespoons cold butter, chopped
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
1 teaspoon additional sugar
Mix first 5 ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Add chopped butter and blend with pastry blender until it is the texture of coarse meal. Add in chocolate chips.
In a small bowl combine egg, vanilla, and sour cream.
Add to flour mixture and mix together until large clumps of dough form.
Then using your hands work the dough until a ball forms.
Place dough on a floured surface and pat unto a 8 inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges. Place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of sugar.
Bake at 400*F for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.
This is a wonderful basic scone recipe and there are many variations to it…
Dried cranberries and 1 teaspoon orange or lemon zest
Dried cherries and white chocolate chips
Blueberries and lemon zest
Hazelnuts and toffee chips
The options are endless.
Be Creative!
*recipe from allrecipes
November 13, 2009 at 9:58 am (Bread)
Heat 4cups of water and oil to 120-130 degrees (F)
In a bowl mix 4 cups whole wheat flour, 3 packages yeast, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 1/2 Tablespoons salt and 4 eggs.
Pour water and oil over dry ingredients mix and beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Add 2 cups whole wheat flour beat 2 minutes on high speed. Stir in (as much as you can) 6-7 cups white flour and 1 cup oatmeal. Knead for 10 minutes adding in flour that you couldn’t stir in and any additional flour so that the dough isn’t sticky. Place in greased bowl, cover and let rise in warm place for an hour.
Punch down shape into four loaves. Grease loaf pans. Place dough in pans, sprinkle with oatmeal, and cover. Place in warm place and let rise for an hour or until doubled.
Place loaves in pre-heated 375 degree oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.
October 28, 2009 at 5:36 pm (Apples, Canning)
Ingredients needed:
Apples~ (Macintosh, Cortland, Empire, Spy, Ida Red, Jonathan) use 2 to 3 different varieties to make a flavorful sauce
Water
Sugar
Cinnamon
Equipment needed:
Heavy, Large pot
Food Mill
Hot Water bath canner
Quart or pint jars
Lids and bands for jars
Wash and quarter apples (leave on skins and do not core). Place apples in heavy pan. Add about a cup of water or enough to prevent the apples from scorching to the bottom of the pot. (I used a 5qt. pan and found a cup of water worked fine if using a smaller pan use less, a larger pan more.) Place on high heat and cover. When steam starts escaping or you notice pot is boiling, stir up the apples. Place cover back on and continue stirring every so often. Check to make sure the apples aren’t scorching. If they are reduce heat and or add more water. Continue cooking until apples are soft and you have what looks like a chunky applesauce (make sure all chunks are soft).
Remove from heat.
Scoop spoonfuls into a food mill (with a bowl beneath it) and run the wooden paddle around the cone of the food mill until only skins and pulp are left. Repeat this process until you have done the whole pan.
Rinse out your heavy pan and then place the applesauce back into the pan.Add sugar. I used about 1 1/2 – 2 cups of sugar per 5 quarts of apples. The amount will depend on how you want it to taste. Add cinnamon. I don’t measure this I just add and taste. Place back on the heat and bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking.
Ladel hot applesauce into hot jars. Wipe rims and place on heated lids, screw down bands. Place in hot water bath canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.
Process 20 minutes for pints and quarts.
*I found that 10 qts of apples made about 5-6 quarts of applesauce
October 27, 2009 at 8:27 pm (Pies, Recipes)
2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Filling:
2/3 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/4 cups water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
4 1/2 – 5 cups peeled sliced apples
Combine first 5 ingredients; set aside 1 1/2 cups for the topping. Press remaining mixture into an ungreased 9″ pie plate.
For filling, combine sugar, water and cornstarch in a saucepan until smooth; bring to a boil. Continue to cook until thickend and clear. Remove from heat; stir in apples, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour into pie plate; top with reserved crumb mixture.
Bake 350 degrees for 45- 50 minutes or until crust is a golden brown and apples are soft.
*recipe taken from allrecipes with a few alterations made by me.
October 18, 2009 at 7:48 pm (Jams and Jellies)
Last weekend when I was at our local orchard, I picked up a 5# bag of utility Bartlett pears for $1.75. I couldn’t pass up that deal. They weren’t the prettiest pears I’ve seen, but I figured we would eat them right up. Well, even though they looked ripe, they were quite hard. I tried ripening them on the counter, but they just started rotting at the core. So, I got busy and decided they would make excellent Pear Butter. Now, I have never made Pear Butter before, but I made Apple Butter with my mom one year. I got on the Internet and got a recipe that sounded good. I tweaked it a little and this is what I came up with.
4 lbs of pears cored and chopped
1/2 – 1 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you want it.)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup white grape juice
Place cut pears in slow cooker with 1/2 c water. Cook on high 6-7 hours or until soft. (You could do this quicker on the stove, but I was busy with school and couldn’t keep an eye on it so I went for the ease of the slow cooker.) Once soft run it through a food mill. (I then placed it in the fridge to finish it up the next day.)
Place pulp in a large stock pot add sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and juice. Cook on low heat until mixture is thick and molds to spoon. (This took about 3 hours.) Place in hot jars, clean rims, place on lids and bands. Hot water bath for 10 minutes. Yields about 3 pints.
I used half-pint jars, skipped the hot water bath and placed them in my freezer.
We will be enjoying this on our toast on chilly winter mornings or as a snack after a invigorating afternoon of sledding!
August 20, 2009 at 3:00 pm (Canning, Jams and Jellies, Recipes)
Because I don’t have enough to do…
I present to you Mr. Protuberance P. Peach!
He has been the source of much giggling and taking of bets to see who would get the privilege of devouring him. Alas, we will never know because this wise momma, who presides over the hooligans, cut him up and put him in a jar!
I just finished canning the last of the peaches this morning. I am pleased to say that I was able to can 18 quarts of peaches, make 2 batches of peach jam, whip up a peach crisp and still have a few for fresh eating, all from one bushel of peaches! YEAH!
We LOVE peach jam! It is absolutely scrumptious and super easy to make.
If you haven’t canned before don’t fret. You don’t need anything special or expensive. All you need to purchase are jars, canning lids, screw on bands, pectin and peaches. They great thing is that the jars and screw on bands are re-usable!
Peach Jam
8-12 peaches or enough to make up 4 cups of fruit.
1 box of powdered pectin
5 1/2 cups sugar
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Wash jelly jars of pint jars in hot soapy water. Place them in a stock pot and cover them with water. Place on stove and bring to a boil. Once boiling turn heat down and keep them nice and hot.
Place a large pot, filled 3/4 of the way full with water, on the stove and bring to a boil.
While waiting for the water to boil wash your peaches and check for ripeness. I usually do this by sniffing them (they should smell peachy) and by applying light pressure, if they are ripe they will give just a little. You don’t want to use under ripe fruit that is as hard as a baseball.
Once water is boiling place peaches carefully into the water and cook for 1 minute. Remove peaches and place them in a large bowl of cold water, set in your sink. Run cold water over them for at least a minute.
Taking a knife cut around the peach. The skin should come right off and if your peaches are a cling-free variety they should come of the pit easily. Place peach slices into a blender. Or if you desire a chunky jam mash your peaches with a potato masher and skip the blender.
Blend peach slices until smooth. You will need 4 cups of the blended peaches so measure as you go.
Place peaches in a heavy, large pot (6-8 quarts). Place on high heat and stir in the pectin. Bring to a full boil.
Place canning lids in hot water and keep warm.
Gradually stir in the sugar. Continue stirring and bring to a rolling boil and boil for 2 minutes.
Remove pan from the heat skim off any foam (I personally skip this step). Immediately fill your hot jars to about 1/4 from the top. Wipe around the rim to remove any jam. Place lid on top and screw down the band tightly. Invert the jars on a towel. Continue till all jars are filled and then set timer for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes flip jars back to upright position.
And that’s it! Now just listen for the glorious popping of sealing jars!
Let jars set undisturbed for 24 hours.
July 20, 2009 at 10:20 am (Desserts, Recipes)
Fall is upon us and with the cooler temperatures- I feel like baking! This is one of our favorite fall treats. It is simple enough that I feel I can even make it during the week for a special addition to our dinners.
Crust: This is actually bisquit dough. I find it quicker and easier than pie dough and it tastes just a good.
2 c flour
1Tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 c shortening, marg. or butter
2/3 c milk
Stir together flour, baking powder, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt. Cut in shortening till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center; add milk all at once. Stir just till dough clings together.
On a lightly floured surface, knead dough gently 10 to 12 times. Roll to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with a 3 inch bisquit cutter or cup. Roll each bisquit into a 6-8 inch circle. Place about 1/4 cup of filling in the center. Fold in half seal edges. Cut vent slits on top of turnover. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes in a 400 degree oven or until golden.
Filling
3 medium to large baking apples peeled, cored and chopped
4-6 teaspoons of sugar or more depending on tartness of apples (sorry not an exact measurement but I just eyeball it and taste it)
1/2-1 teaspoon of cinnamon (depending on how much you like cinnamon!)
pinch of nutmeg
Mix up these four ingredients in a bowl. Set aside until ready to fill the turnovers.
After the turnovers are done baking and have cooled slightly, I drizzle them with a thin cinnamon/vanilla frosting (I make it thin enough to drizzle but thicker than an icing so it doesn’t just slide off the turnover). Serve warm with a dallop of vanilla ice cream and a steaming cup of coffee. MMMM!
Okay if you are really strapped for time I can give you an even simpler version!
Use refrigerated (store bought) bisquits (7-1/2 oz) roll them out as above. For the filling use 1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped, 1/2 cup applesauce, 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, pinch of nutmeg. Place a heaping Tablespoon on each circle and seal. Instead of frosting brush tops of turnovers with butter, then sprinkle with a cinnamon/sugar mix. Bake 400 degree oven 8-10 minutes or until golden.
