Food For Her Household

Trail Mix recipe

2011-06-29T15:31:00.000-07:00

Hey there everyone! I am sorry for my long absence - but between living my life, and running four blogs, there are times when some of those blogs get posted on less!
We are getting ready to head out on the road for a family vacation, and we are really trying to limit the ammount of food we buy at convenience stores, and how much we eat out, and also trying to eat healthier than we usually do while traveling - so I am busy right now making food for the trip! I just made up my own trail mix recipe, so I thought I post it, even though it's super simple, and you can do pretty much anything you like, I'll go ahead and share how I made mine! I'm not a big nut person, but I need a lot of protien in my diet, so I try to eat the ones that don't make me gag ;) I chose peanuts and cashews, but do what you prefer! I also like dark chocolate better than milk, and it's better for you!

Trail Mix

1 cup salted Peanuts
1 cup salted cashews
1 cup dark chocolate M&Ms
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup plumped raisins

Mix all ingredients, and enjoy!

I might be back later today or tomorrow with a few more recipes I'll be making for the trip!

~Elissa

Cheddar Scones

2011-02-24T08:54:00.001-08:00

When I mentioned these scones in my last post, I went to link to them and discovered I hadn't posted the recipe yet, so here they are! These are a delicious savory scone, and go perfectly with soup and italian dishes!

Cheddar Scones

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup cold butter
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 Tblsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Put flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, dry mustard, and salt into a large bowl; mix well. Cut butter into chunks, and cut into flour mixture with a pastry blender or rub in your fingers, until the mixture looks like fine granules.
Add cheese and toss to mix.
Break egg into milk and beat with a fork to blend well. Pour this over flour mixture and stir with a fork until a dough forms. Turn out dough on a lightly floured board and give 10-12 kneads. Form dough into a round, and cut into wedges. Seperate the wedges a bit so the inside will cook properly
Place on an un~greased cookie sheet.
Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown

Enjoy!

Old Fashion Banana Bread

2011-02-21T14:07:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, sorry I've been rather absent of late, not much time for blogging recently, but I'll try to update periodically. I made banana bread today, so I thought I might post the recipe, this is a nice easy recipe, one of those that you can memorize quickly and whip out in just a few minutes.

For the flour, we prefer to use freshly ground pastry wheat or Kamut, but feel free to use just plain ol' all purpose, it turns out fine either way! Make sure your bananas are nice and ripe, if you have ripe bananas, but aren't ready to use them, just put them in the freezer, and use them when you're ready. If the batter turns out too thick, you can thin it down with a bit of milk or cream, but take it easy, a tablespoon or two should do!
This recipe make 1 loaf - since we often can eat a loaf in a day or two, I usually double or triple the recipe and make bread, muffins, and banana chocolate chip muffins

-----

Old Fashion Banana Bread

1/2 cup butter softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1-2 teaspoons vanilla
3 ripe bananas
1 generous teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350* spray loaf pan** generously.
Put all ingredients into a large mixing bowl, and mix until thoroughly combined, Thin with milk or cream if too thick. Spoon into greased pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool slightly before removing from pan.

**If you have pans that you can double up, it's a good idea to do so with banana bread so the sides and bottom don't get burnt while the insides cook.

-----

I hope you all enjoy the recipe, be sure to tell me if you try it out, right now I'm going crazy smelling it in the oven, I can't wait to have a warm slice smothered in butter with a nice cup of tea!

So what's on your menu for the week? Tonight we're having goulash and cheddar scones. I may possibly try to start back up with the weekly menu thing that I was doing last year, so be sure to check back soon.

Have a fantastic week!!
~Elissa

Pie Crust leaves - a tutorial!

2010-11-22T13:52:00.001-08:00

With Thanksgiving just a short three days away, I thought I would finally put up my pie crust leaves tutorial! I've these pictures for about two months now, but to be perfectly honest, I had completely forgotten about them until I was making pumpkin pies earlier. (For my dad's work potluck) The pies are in the oven right now, so I thought I would take the opportunity to post this tutorial. Pies are my thing. I love to make them, I have all kinds of knifty gadgets for them, I collect pie plates, and pie birds, and I've been making pies alongside my grandmother and mom since I was about 3 years old. For me pies aren't just about the taste. Texture quality and presentation are also hugely important. I have spent many hours perfecting my pie crust recipe and technique to create a tender flaky crust. My grandma taught me as a toddler how to flute the edges of the crust to give it that extra touch of love. My mom taught me this next trick of presentation. Colored Pie crust leaves! I recently took this pie to a potluck, and you would not believe how astounded people are at the presentation, and honestly, though it does take a bit of time, they are really easy to make. So, without further ado, the tutorial. The amounts I've specified only make enough for one pie, so bear that in mind if you are making more than one pie!

You will need:
A half batch of pie dough (most recipes make enough for one double crust or two open faced pies
flour
a rolling pin
Large and small leaf cookie cutters
Egg yolk
food coloring
a small pastry paintbrush
aluminum foil
Cookie sheet

1. Roll out pie dough fairly thin about 1/8-1/4 inch thick, and cut out 15-20 leaves. Cut both large and small leaves. This will give the pie a better appearance and the little leaves allow you to fill in where the big leaves leave gaps.

2. (Optional) If you'd like your leaves to have more detail and look more realistic, score veins into the leaves with a sharp paring knife (I know you can't really see the picture, but I am sure you can use your imagination! :) )

3. Take a length of aluminum foil and roll it into a log, crumpling it slightly as you go, varying the thickness and severity of your crumpling. (for the smaller leaves, it will have to be a lot tighter than this log!)

4.Take the yolks from two eggs and seperate evenly between three small dishes. (If you'd like your colors less vibrant, use whites instead of the yolk) Put two-three drops of food coloring in each dish. (I made yellowish orange, green and reddish orange for my colors)

5.Start randomly painting the colored egg yolk onto your leaves.

6. When you have finished coloring the leaves, drape them over the aluminum foil logs. Make sure you vary the direction the leaves are lying so they aren't all the same.

7. Bake the leaves at 350* for about 5 minutes to start, and then add time from there on. You will want to watch them carefully, because they can be rather finicky, depending on how heavily painted they are. You don't want them really crisp, just barely done (but not underdone) is how you want them.

Assembly:

Let your pie cool for about 15 minutes and the leaves for about 5 minutes before you put them on the pie. You want your pie to be slightly warm so the leaves will stay on the crust, but not so hot that the leaves will sink into the filling. So, just use your judgment, and don't rely on my times! Place the leaves carefully around the edge of the crust. For mine I tried to do large-small, large-small-small, but just do what works for you. Also save one or two leaves to place in the middle where the knife marks are from testing the pie!

I hope this tutorial helps you create a beautiful and unique pie for Thanksgiving this year! If you have any questions or if any of the steps leaves you puzzled don't hesitate to ask or email me, I'll try to get back as soon as I possibly can!

~Elissa

A confession, and a few ramblings...

2010-07-21T16:56:00.000-07:00

I just updated the Whole Wheat and Oat Waffles Recipe, and added a picture as well.
I have a little confession to make... when modifying the amounts of milk the first time I made the recipe, I actually didn't measure... (should I hide now? I think I just failed my home-ec course. It was forever telling me that "You are NOT Amelia Bedelia!")....
rather I "guesstimated" if you will... I added a bit more, and I thought it equaled out to two cups. Well, I made the recipe again last week, with my modifications, and it turned out a bit runny. So I adjusted the recipe here to 1 & 3/4 cups milk... I would suggest starting with that, and if it's still too thick, add a bit more, but maybe not a whole quarter cup more. :)
Well.. anyhow.. I just wanted to let you know, so if you want to try the recipe, you are now forewarned.

As a side note, can you believe that "guesstimated" is actually in Mozilla's dictionary? What is the world coming to?

Oh, and aren't my new cappuccino cups just adorable? I love em! They look like they're straight out of a quaint European Cafe don't they? I used them to bake up some chocolate cheesecake for my birthday - they worked beautifully. I'll be posting the recipe soon, if anyone's interested.

Just one more thing - do you prefer the layout with one sidebar or two? I usually prefer two, but I'm not sure about how it looks for this one - tell me what you think!

Well, anyway, enough ramblings for now, stay tuned for some new recipes!

~Elissa

Lemonade

2010-07-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

Our neighbors brought over a huge bag of lemons and limes earlier today (They had had a wedding in the family, and one of the refreshments was lemon/lime juice, so they had more than they knew what to do with)
I decided to make a big batch of lemonade. Is there anything lovelier for a hot summer day than fresh squeezed lemonade? Especially when the lemons were juiced on a delightfully old fashioned vintage juicer...

Lemonade

2/3 cup sugar
1 cup water

3 large lemons
3 cups cold water

Add the sugar to the 1 cup water, and stir until dissolved. Set Aside.

Roll the lemons on the counter to release juice, then cut them in half. Juice the lemons, an pour through a mesh strainer to remove seeds and pulp. Pour the juice into the pitcher. Add sugar water and cold water, and stir. Taste it and see if it needs any more sugar. Add some ice if desired and serve with a slice of lemon as a garnish!

Variations.
Strawberry Lemonade
Wash and hull about six strawberrys, mash them, and stir them into the mixed lemonade

Enjoy!
~Elissa

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust /Originally posted 6/20/08

2010-06-26T16:30:00.000-07:00

Recipe Update 6/26/10
The original recipe didn't call for it, but this dough really needs to rise for about an hour and up to three hours. I've now included that in the recipe, but if you happened to save this recipe to try, you might want to update it! If you don't let it rise, the dough is tough and hard.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust
Makes two crusts

4 cups freshly ground whole wheat flour (or spelt or Kumut)
1 TB yeast
1TB olive oil
1 TB honey
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1 -1/2 cups very warm water (110*)

In a mixer add water, and then remaining ingredients, adding enough flour to clean sides of bowl. Knead dough 3-5 minutes or until gluten is developed. Cover bowl and let dough rise for at least an hour, and up to three hours.
Pre heat oven at 500 degrees. Remove from bowl. Use about one pound of dough per crust Make the pizza dough more stiff than normal bread dough so that it will be easy to roll out with out stickiness. Roll out on pizza paddle or pan (you can roll it out on cornmeal, but I just grease my pan) Brush crust with oil and prick with a fork. Prebake 5-8 minutes. After it's prebaked turn oven down to 350, to bake your topped pizza.

Crust variation
Herbed dough: (this is what we make)
While dough is kneading, add 4-10 TB minced fresh herbs or 2-6 TB dried herbs. Such as oregano, basil, tarragon, sage, rosemary, marjoram, or Italian Seasoning

Enjoy!

~Elissa

Strawberry Kiwi Smoothie

2010-06-25T18:28:00.000-07:00

Every summer for the past 2 or 3 years I try to go sugar free for at least two weeks, or as long as my sugar addicted self can possibly stand without having a nervous breakdown ;) I usually wait until after my birthday, but this year I decided to take the plunge a few weeks earlier. I'm doing things a bit differently this time though, for the first week (I started yesterday...) I'm just cutting out extra sugar - like cookies, ice cream, and snacks that are high in sugar, instead of just taking every single thing that has sugar out of my diet without easing myself into it.
A few sugary things I'm keeping this week are coffee and tea... next week I'll cut out coffee - I don't enjoy black coffee, and somehow honey-sweetened coffee doesn't sound appetizing ;) And I'll start putting honey into my tea instead of sugar. During these times I satisfy my sweet tooth with fruit, smoothies and sugar-less juices. Usually my smoothies are just yogurt, strawberries and bananas, but I wanted to try something different this time. I looked up a few smoothie recipes, and found one that looked pretty good, but needed a bit of modification. Here's what I came up with. Usually when I'm on a sugar free kick, I have to add lots of honey to my smoothies, but this needed no added sweetness, it was absolutely perfect, with just a touch of tartness. Makes a beautiful pale pink smoothie, that would be perfect garnished with a bright slice of kiwi or a small strawberry.
Enjoy!

~

I use organic cream top yogurt - it's the closest store-bought gets to homemade. I also used pineapple and orange juices that had no water or sugar added, just pure juice. If you're using frozen strawberries, omit the ice at the end, I just added it to give the smoothie a bit more texture.

Strawberry Kiwi Smoothie
Ingredients
• 1/2 a banana
• 6 strawberries
• 1 kiwi
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• handful of icecubes

Directions

1. Peel kiwi and banana, cut tops off strawberries. Place ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

2010-06-25T16:33:00.000-07:00

This is our all time favorite Mac 'n' Cheese recipe. For years we ate either boxed stuff, or a velveeta base Macaroni, but when we started changing the way we cooked and ate, we started looking for a real cheese recipe. The problem was, every single recipe we tried was gritty... real cheese just didn't work nearly as well as processed for a nice smooth sauce. We were over at a friends house one day and they made a delicious baked mac and cheese that was creamy but not overly rich, no hint of grittiness and all around yummy. We've made this A LOT since then and I've made quite a few alterations, so here's my version! I've added a few notes below on the ingredients I use... do tell me if you try the recipe, and what alterations you make!
We try to eat meat with our Macaroni and Cheese, especially when I make it for dinner, add cooked (it can be cold) meat in as you stir the pasta and sauce together. Bacon Sprinkled over the top is my favorite, but my family prefers hamburger or smoked sausage.

Enjoy!

The Cheese listed is just a guideline, you can use any combination you like (Last night I used sharp and colby jack, and I often use medium and colby). But after much testing of different cheese combinations, we found that Sharp and Monterey is by far the most flavorful combination. Also, feel free to use all purpose flour. I love the flavor the whole wheat gives the sauce, but it's completely optional.

A note on the pasta - Elbow Macaroni is obviously the most traditional choice, but I like to experiment with different types of pasta, and how they change the texture of the dish.
We have found the Bowtie (or Farfalle) is the best choice for this dish, simply because the sauce clings to the pasta better than traditional macaroni. Cellentani is also a fun pasta to try, it's a larger twistier version of elbow macaroni, and great fun for kids. Two of my other favorites to use are shells and Rotini

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

3 ½ cups uncooked pasta of choice

½ cup butter

¾ whole wheat pastry flour

2 cups whole milk

1 ½ cups sour cream

1-2 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)

Garlic Salt, Onion Salt, Salt and Pepper

1 cup Sharp Cheddar

½ cup Monterey Jack

Cook pasta according to directions on package. Drain and rinse.

In a medium sauce pan melt butter an stir in flour. Gradually add milk, sour cream, cream, cheese and seasonings. Stir over low heat until mixture is thick and bubbly.

Place pasta in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Pour cheese sauce over the pasta, and stir. Bake at 350* for 30 minutes Add an extra handful of cheese over the top about 10 minutes before you serve.

~Elissa

Whole Wheat and Oat Waffles

2010-06-24T14:18:00.000-07:00

Last week we had waffles planned for dinner. The last time I'd made waffles they turned out a little less than delicious so I decided to try out a new recipe. I spent my computer time that day looking at recipes and reading reviews. I finally decided on a yummy looking recipe from All Recipes. It called for all purpose flour and whole oats, but I used freshly ground pastry flour and I ground up the oats in my blender for a slightly coarse oat flour. When mixed it all up it was far too dry, it wouldn't even pour out of the cup, so I upped the milk to about 1 and 3/4 cups. It was still thick, but pourable so I went ahead and used it, and let me tell you, I think I struck upon the PERFECT waffle batter. It made four huge Belgian waffles, and even after the fourth waffle, the iron was still clean. I know I'm not the only one who hates cleaning the waffle iron. If you're the same, try this recipe, and I bet you'll be surprised. All I did was wipe it down for good measure, and put it away. I'm lovin' it!!

These waffles are whole-grainy and wholesome but still sweet, crisp on the outside, and fluffy and light on the inside. Unfortunately, I completely forgot to get a picture, but I'll be making them again soon, so I'll be sure to get a picture then and post it!

Whole Wheat and Oat Waffles

Ingredients
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup ground oats or out flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions
Grind oats in a blender until they're a flour-like consistancy but still ever so slightly coarse.
In large mixing bowl, stir together flour, oat flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; set aside. In small mixing bowl, stir together eggs, milk, butter and brown sugar. Add to flour mixture; stir until blended. Pour batter on to grids of preheated, lightly greased waffle iron (amount will vary with size of waffle iron). Close lid quickly; do not open during baking. Use fork to remove baked waffle.

We served them with sliced strawberries, freshly whipped cream, and pure maple syrup.

Enjoy!

As always, do try them and tell me how you liked the recipe!!

~Elissa

Momma's Homestyle Goulash

2010-06-24T11:30:00.000-07:00

Last night we had one of my favorite comfort foods. Mom's goulash. Of course I'm the cook now, but it will always remain Mom's goulash. We usually make enough to feed an army, so if you have a big family, you're good to go. ;) As you will see this is one of those, "a little bit of this, and a dash of that" recipes, but I've done my best to put it into a coherent recipe. Do tell me if you try it and how you like it!

Goulash

1 lb. of hamburger
Minced Onions
Onion Powder
Garlic Salt
1 large (29 oz?) can of Tomato sauce
Frozen corn to taste (I believe I put around 1 cup)
1-2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
Half a box elbow noodles

Brown Hamburger with a generous sprinkling of Minced Onions, Onion Powder and Garlic Salt.
After the hamburger is browned, add tomato sauce, corn, Italian seasoning, and another generous sprinkling of Onion Powder and Garlic Salt. Stir thoroughly and reduce heat. Simmer for 30 minutes or so. Meanwhile boil up about 2-3 cups elbow macaroni and have it drained and ready to put in the meat/tomato mixture. Right before you serve, add the noodles to the sauce and mix thoroughly.

Serve with garlic bread and salad. Yummy!

~Elissa

Summer time tastyness.

2010-06-12T17:40:00.000-07:00

Hello again everyone! Goodness, it's been awhile hasn't it!? I couldn't believe when I looked at the date of my last post how long it had been since I've been on here. We've been busy, and my blogs had to be pushed to the back burner, but life is slowing down just a bit, and I'm ready to get back into the swing of things. As you can see, I've given our blog a bit of a face lift, all bright and cheery and summery! Do tell me what you think, and please, tell me if it's a bit too hard on the eyes, since you will be the ones reading the blog!! I haven't been keeping a detailed menu lately, so it will be a bit before I start with our weekly menu posts again.
Since I stopped posting, we've moved from the soups, heavy pastas, and hearty hot meals that were appearing on our menu to light and summery dishes, but still 100% delicious!

We have been thoroughly enjoying the vast array of bright fruits, veggies and melons the have appeared in the past few weeks.

One of our recent evening meals just seems to epitomize summer - Grilled chicken and bacon sandwiches with corn on the cob, watermelon, cherries and sweet iced tea. Yummy!

Keep an eye out for some yummy new recipes this week!!

~Elissa

Last Week's Menu

2010-04-19T22:02:00.000-07:00

I meant to post this yesterday but I got distracted and forgot! So, here it 'tis, a bit delayed!

Monday:

Breakfast - Ham and Eggs
Lunch - Leftover Spaghetti
Dinner - Chicken Tacos

Tuesday:

Breakfast - Banana Muffins and Ham
Lunch - Sandwiches, and Fruit Salad (Mom had nachos with the leftover Taco stuff instead of a sandwich)
Dinner - Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwiches on Sourdough buns, Macaroni Salad, and baked beans

Wednesday:

Breakfast - Muffins and Fruit
Lunch - Leftover Pulled Pork
Dinner - Pork Pot Pie

Thursday:

Breakfast - Wheatmeal Scones, Ham, and Eggs
Lunch - Egg Salad Sandwiches and fruit salad
Dinner - Crock-Pot Italian Chicken over rice, cheddar scones, and salad

Friday:

Breakfast - Toast and Sausage links
Lunch - sandwiches and salad
Dinner - Take-out Pizza (We had planned to go to a new local barbecue place, but that didn't work out, and since I didn't have anything planned, we just got Pizza.)

Saturday:

Brunch - sausage and eggs
Dinner - Deer Roast, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, and Green Beans

Sunday:

Brunch- Toast and Eggs
Dinner - Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

Goodness, we eat a lot of eggs....
Recipes from last week coming soon!!
~Elissa

Chicken Noodle Soup

2010-04-12T19:21:00.000-07:00

Here is my recipe for yummy wholesome chicken noodle soup!

Chicken Noodle Soup

1 whole free-range chicken
a sprinkling of organic, dried oregano
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 stalks of celery, sliced
Organic Chicken Stock
Organic Vegetable stock (this is the key ingredient for an amazingly flavorful soup. The one we use* also has pear juice in it which adds amazing flavor!)
2 cloves garlic, pressed
Organic minced onions to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste
Half a bag Whole wheat egg noodles.

Remove giblets from chicken and wash carefully.
Cover chicken with water. Rub oregano between your hands to release the full flavor. Boil until chicken is fully cooked. While chicken is boiling prepare your veggies. Remove chicken from the water and allow it to cool enough to handle. While the chicken is cooling prepare the broth. Remove about 1/4 of the water in which you boiled the chicken and discard or save for something else. Add the chicken and vegetable stock to the water left in the pot. Depending on how much water evaporated during the boiling and how much you remove, the amount of the stock will vary but start with about half the container of each first and add to that if you need. After the stock comes to a boil, add your veggies and cook until tender. While veggies are cooking de-bone your chicken and shred or chop. Add chicken to the broth. You'll only want to add about half to three quarters of the chicken, unless you have a large family. Save the chicken you don't use for chicken salad, or a small chicken casserole! As soon as the veggies are tender, and the chicken is added, pour in about half a bag of whole wheat egg noodles. Cook for the time specified on the pasta package.

Serve with cheese, and crackers or cheese scones! Mmm!

I hope y'all enjoy!
~Elissa

*The broth we use is 100% natural Swanson® Certified Organic Chicken broth, made from all natural, organic vegetables and free-range chicken raised with no added hormones or antibiotics.
The vegetable is the same brand as well - 100% natural Swanson® Certified Organic Vegetable broth has the perfect balance of vegetables and seasonings, grown according to organic standards
(this was taken from the Swanson website.)

Honey Snaps

2010-04-11T23:09:00.000-07:00

A delicious cookie that everyone loves!! Thank you to Mrs. R. for this delicious recipe!!! These are so easy to make too!!

Honey Snaps

Makes 24
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup superfine sugar (I just use granulated, and it works fine)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extraxt
2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour (I've also mixed in a bit of freshly ground, whole-wheat pastry flour that I had on hand, and it worked marvelously!)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat ove to 350. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Cream the butter, and sugars in a medium sized bowl, using electric beaters until pale and fluffy. Then Add the honey, egg yolk, and vanilla, beating until just combined. Sift the flour and baking soda and stir with a wooden spoon to form a soft dough.

Shape tablespoons into logs, place onto prepared sheets 2 inches apart, and flatten slightly. Bake for 10 minutes, or until lighly golden around the edges. Allow to cool on the sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool comletely.

To make frosting, place the powdered sugar in a medium sized bowl. Add enough lemond juice to make a smooth and spreadable consistency. Once the snaps are completely cool, spread the tops lightly with frosting.

Honey snaps will keep, stored in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

Ham & Pea Alfredo

2010-04-11T22:52:00.001-07:00

This sounds like an odd dish but it has quickly become a family favorite! We all LOVE this pasta! Mom saw something similar in a magazine once, with asparagus instead of peas, so she tried her hand at her own version, and struck upon an amazing recipe! Do give it a try, you'll love it!

Alfredo Sauce
Approx. 2 cups ham (modify it for your tastes and family!)
Approx. 1 1/2 cups peas.
One package Angel hair or Fettuccine Pasta, cooked.

Prepare Alfredo Sauce. Add chopped, cooked ham. Stir in frozen or fresh peas. Cook over medium heat until Peas are cooked and ham is warmed through. Serve with angel hair, or Fettuccine.

Pictures coming soon!!

Enjoy!
~Elissa

Alfredo Sauce

2010-04-11T22:44:00.000-07:00

1 cup Butter
1/2 teaspoon Garlic salt, or 1 garlic clove
2 1/2 cups Parmesan Cheese
2 cups Whipping Cream
Salt and Pepper to taste

Melt butter, add garlic, salt and pepper. Add cheese, stir until melted. Whisk in whipping cream. Cook until heated through. Servover over noodles with additional grated Parmesan cheese.
~Enjoy!

This Week's Menu

2010-04-10T00:30:00.000-07:00

Hello All!! So I've kept my promise and have been collecting pictures all week, and have a huge list of recipes I want to post over the next few weeks!

Monday
Dinner - Ham and Pea Alfredo over angel hair
Tuesday
Dinner - Steak Sandwiches

Wednesday
Lunch
Dinner - Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup and Cheddar Scones
Dessert - Honey Snaps
Seth came down with a nasty cold or virus so I made him a good wholesome soup, and his favorite cookies. I'll be posting both of these recipes soon!

Thursday
Breakfast - Banana Bread, eggs, and tea
Lunch - Chicken Salad Sandwiches on Whole Wheat bread
Dinner - Grilled Cheese sandwiches on Sourdough and Left-over Chicken noodle soup

Friday
Breakfast - Sourdough Toast, tea and eggs
Lunch - Sandwiches on sourdough and whole wheat. We each had a different sandwich, Mom had scrambled eggs on wholewheat, I had a turkey sandwich on sourdough, and Seth had PB&J on sourdough.
Dinner - Dad and mom had dinner out and Seth and I ate Meatballs and barbecue sauce
Dessert - All Natural Ice Cream - Friday is our day for indulging in this cold treat!

Here's the Menu for tomorrow and Sunday.

Saturday
Breakfast - Texas Breakfast Casserole
Lunch - Sandwiches with fruit salad
Dinner - Spaghetti with salad and sourdough french bread

Sunday
Breakfast - Eggs and ham
Lunch - leftovers
Dinner - Leftovers

Tea Cakes

2010-04-05T22:52:00.000-07:00

So how often is it that a recipe turns out *exactly* like the picture in the cookbook or magazine? Since most of the time those pictures are not actually real, it rarely happens.
When I pulled these beauties out of the oven for the first time I was honestly astonished. They looked exactly - or even prettier, than the picture. These are such perfect little dainties. Deceptively simple, light and airy, yet an oh so subtle crispiness when you first bite into them. The Cream of Tarter gives them a special twist. These are a favorite with everyone. My little brother adores them, and if I make them around the time dad comes home, they're gone in minutes. I just sprinkle them lightly with powdered sugar, and that's the way we like them best, but I have also tried vanilla sugar which was quite tasty, and I imagine cinnamon and sugar would be yummy too.

Tea Cakes

1 cup of sugar
1 cup of butter, softened
1 cup oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cream of tarter
Powdered Sugar

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar butter, oil, and eggs. Cream well. Add the vanilla.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, soda, baking powder, and cream of tartar. Add to the creamed mixture, mixing well.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoon fulls (I use a large cookie scoop) onto ungreased cookie sheets. (I line mine with parchment)

Bake in a preheated 325* oven for 15 to 18 minutes or until the edges of the cakes are brown. While teacakes are warm, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Perfect with a cup of Earl Grey!

If you make these, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Enjoy!!

~Elissa

An update

2010-04-05T21:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, so mom brought to my attention that it had been over a years since we've posted here. We've accumulated quite a following considering that fact, so I'm really going to try and post more regularly. I'm thinking of weekly posting recipes I made throughout the week, along with our menus from each day, or something along those lines. If there are any particular requests you'd like to make, or questions, feel free to ask! Tomorrow is baking day, so I'll be sure to get lots of pictures and some recipes to share with you!
We've drastically changed our cooking habits recently, almost completely eliminating processed foods, such as boxed mixes, shortening, and things like that, so I am in the process of going through some of our older posts, and cleaning up some of the post that are entirely composed of these ingredients, and changing some of them, like our Chocolate chip cookie recipe, which we now just use butter instead of shortening. I will also be cleaning up some of the posts, changing pictures, and editing out some typos, and changing the format. I'll try to do something with the layout soon as well!!

~Elissa

Creamy Cheesy Butter Pasta Sauce

2009-03-30T13:02:00.001-07:00

My mom made this recipe up the other night, and I wanted to make it for lunch today, so I had her walk me through how she made it, so I could write down an actual recipe :).

This would be scrumptious with grilled chicken cut up in it! YUMMO!

I hope y'all enjoy!

~Elissa

Creamy Cheesy Butter Pasta Sauce

Melt 1 stick of butter in sauce pan. Whisk in 1/2 cup of flour, add salt, pepper and garlic salt to taste. Stir until thickened. Pour in 3 cups milk and stir until smooth. Add about 1 cup and 1/2 grated Parmesan cheese. Stir. Add dried parsley for a bit of color, if desired. Stir occasionally until all the cheese is melted, and the sauce is smooth and thick.
Pour over your favorite pasta, and enjoy!

Mushroom Turnovers

2009-03-25T10:53:00.001-07:00

Mushroom Turnovers:

Cream 1/2 cup softened butter with 9 ounces softened cream cheese. Blend in 1 1/2 cups flour to make a soft dough. Foll in waxed paper and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Chop 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms fine and 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons onions. Saute in 3 Tablespoons butter for 5 minutes. Blend in 2 Tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 dashes of pepper and 1/4 teaspoon Thyme. Stir in 1/4 cup sour cream and remove from heat. Roll dough thin and cut in 3" circles. Place a tiny amount of filling in the center of each circle. Wet edge before sealing. Fold over and press edges shut with fork. ( I used a Pampered Chef turnover maker that I found at a yard sale for 10 cents.) Beat 1 egg and lightly brush over tops. Prick top once with fork and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 12 minutes at 450 degrees. These can be frozen, thawed and reheated.

~Heather

Spinach Dip

2009-03-25T09:55:00.000-07:00

Spinach Dip:

1 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 16 oz. container of sour cream

1 cup mayonnaise

1 package Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix

1 can water chestnuts, chopped

Combine all ingredients and chill overnight. Serve with veggies and crackers.

1 bunch green onions, chopped

Triple Chip Cookies

2009-03-19T15:27:00.000-07:00

This is one of our favorite cookie recipes:

Triple Chip Cookies:

4 cups unbleached flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1 cup white Chocolate Chips

1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips

1/2 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda in medium bowl. Beat butter and sugars in large mixing bowl until creamy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chips. Drop by tablespoons onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Holiday Potatoes

2009-03-19T15:16:00.001-07:00

This recipe is one that we make at every holiday dinner. Hence the name holiday potatoes. ;o)

Holiday Potatoes:

2lbs. frozen cubed hash brown potatoes (I buy the bag that has onions and peppers in it)

1 can cream of celery soup

1 can cream of potato soup

1 cup sour cream

chopped onions to taste

chopped green peppers to taste

Salt and pepper

Mix well, put in greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley flakes. Bake at 300 degrees uncovered for 1 1/4 hours.

Can mix together and put in freezer for later use.

Chicken Tetrazzini

2009-03-19T14:59:00.001-07:00

Chicken Tetrazzini

1 large frying chicken
4 cups spaghetti (broke into pieces)
1 large chopped onion
1 large chopped green pepper
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 small jar of mushrooms
1 stick of butter
1 pound Velveeta cheese, cubed
1 package shredded mozzarella cheese
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano

Boil chicken, seasoned with salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon oregano, and a touch of garlic powder, in a large pot.
Cook until tender. Remove chicken and boil spaghetti in broth. Debone chicken and cut into small bits. Saute onions and green peppers in butter. Add mushrooms. Mix sautéed stuff, Velveeta cheese and chicken. Add soup. Pour into greased casserole dish. ( I use 11x15) Top with shredded mozzarella. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes at 350°.

Frosted Sugar Cookies

2008-11-10T17:19:00.001-08:00

Remember, Sugar cookies aren't just for Christmas time! They make excellent tea-time dainties, in moderation!!

Frosted Sugar Cookies

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream butter & sugar. Add egg, milk and vanilla. beat well.Stir flour, baking powder & salt into creamed mixture. Divide in half, cover & chill 1 hour. On lightly floured* surface roll each half. Cut out with cookie cutters, Bake @ 375 degrees 7-8 min. for thin & 10 -12 for thick.

*Helpful hints.For sugar cookies use powdered sugar, so that the residue left after cutting is sweet.

Enjoy!
~ Elissa

Tomato basil feta pasta

2008-06-20T16:32:00.000-07:00

I recently found this recipe on the internet and after making it once, it became our family's favorite pasta. It goes excellently with steak!

Ingredients:
Half a box of Penne, cooked and drained or approx. 4-6 handfulls
1 can of diced organic tomatoes, drained
5 tablespoons Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
One clove garlic, diced
1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons basil preferably fresh,
1/4 cup crumbled feta

Directions:
Cook Pasta as directed on box.
In a large saucepan, mix the drained pasta, tomatoes, olive oil, and garlic
cook over medium heart for approximately 4-5 minutes, mixing well.
Add basil to taste
Mix in feta at the end

Feel free to email me if you have any questions!
Enjoy!
~Elissa

Mudslides

2008-01-02T20:51:00.000-08:00

This is a yummy recipe I got off the Internet.

1 quart (four cups) vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup cold coffee
1 tsp hazelnut syrup
1/4 cup chocolate syrup
1 1/2 cups milk

Garnish
Whipped Cream
Maraschino cherry
chocolate

Place ice cream, cold coffee, milk, chocolate syrup and hazel nut syrup in blender, blend until smooth. Add heavy cream blend until well mixed. Chill parfait or martini glasses. While holding only the stems or bases of the glasses rim the inside of the glasses with chocolate syrup. Place a swirl of ready whip on top with a maraschino cherry

TIP: Shaved chocolate will make the presentation more dramatic.

Our Thanksgiving Menu

2007-11-20T10:54:00.000-08:00

This is our menu for Thanksgiving:

Turkey

Mashed Potatoes

Gravy

Stuffing

Green Bean casserole

Sweet Potato Casserole

Carrots

Cranberries

Rolls

For dessert we are having:

Paula Deen's Thumbprint cookies

Dirt Pudding

Elissa's pumpkin pie

Apple pie

Hot Spiced Cider

I may also make a veggie tray and dill dip, and devilled eggs.

I will post recipes as soon as our big computer is fixed.

Cheers!

Heather

Beef Shishkabobs

2007-08-18T19:12:00.000-07:00

This is one of those recipes that I just made up as I went. ;o)

2 large steaks (I used Top sirloin), cut into 1 inch cubes
zucchini, cut into 1 inch cubes
red, yellow, and green peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces
onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
mushrooms, left whole

Place all of your cut meat and veggie pieces into a marinating container (I used a Ziploc bag). Add Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Soy Sauce, Worcestershire Sauce to the bag (I used about 1 cup of the first 2 and about 1/2 cup of the Worcestershire Sauce). Add about 2 Tablespoons Montreal Steak seasoning, (this is a brand that you can buy at the store, but you could easily make it with garlic salt, onion salt, dried crushed red peppers, dried minced onion and salt and pepper). Mix together, marinate in the refrigerator for several hours and then place on shishkabob sticks and grill. Yummy! It is wonderful with fried rice and some fresh fruit.
Enjoy!

Love, Heather

Twice Baked Potatoes

2007-06-09T17:19:00.000-07:00

4 large baking potatoes
8 slices bacon
1 1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
8 green onions, sliced, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and carefully scoop the flesh into a large bowl. To the potato flesh add sour cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 of cheese and 1/2 the green onions. Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins. Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon.
Bake for another 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Kitchen Clipart part 2

2007-03-12T13:38:00.000-07:00

Cinnamon Rolls for a BIG crowd!

2007-02-07T12:45:00.000-08:00

Cinnamon Rolls for a BIG crowd

May be halved, and rolls may be frozen!

Sweet Dough
3 Tblsp. Yeast + 1 Cup warm water
3 ½ Cups milk
10 eggs
1 Cup butter
1 Cup Sugar
4 tsp. Salt
1 tsp cinnamon
up to 20 Cups Flour, adding a cup at a time after 15 cups.

While the yeast softens in the water; (put the whole eggs in a bowl of hot water ---this is to warm them up before breaking them and adding them to the mixture) and heat the milk to very warm and add all the other ingredients with 5 cups of the flour to mix in your large mixing bowl, along with the yeast/water and mix well and knead for 10+ minutes. Oil bowl, place dough in and turn to cover, cover with a damp towel and put in a very warm place to double. Punch down, divide into 4ths and let rest ten minutes... then begin rolling out one piece of the four into a rectangle. Spread with ¼ of the filling mixture, roll up the long side and slice** into one inch pieces. Place cut side down on prepared baking sheets (sprayed or foiled and sprayed) and set aside in the warm place to double. Then bake for about 20 minutes at 375. When slightly cooled, frost. Wrap well or serve.This may seem like way too many, but if you make this recipe up, you can freeze some for different breakfasts.
Filling: Blend:
2 Cups Butter
1 ½ Cups Brown Sugar
1 ½ Cups Sugar
4 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Salt
1 Cup Flour
¼ C milk
4 cups raisins or nuts (optional)
Frosting: Whip:
4-6 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 Cup Butter
½ tsp Salt
¼- ½ Cup Cream or milk
Frost a few minutes after you remove the rolls from the oven.

What I do with this recipe is make the entire batch. When I have gotten the cinnamon rolls rolled and cut, then I place a few in a pan to rise to eat for dessert that night and then I flash freeze the rest. That way I can take a few out the night before I want them, put them in a pan, cover with plastic wrap and let them defrost and rise and they are ready to bake in the morning. I even make up the entire recipe of frosting and place it in small containers, freeze and take it out and place in the refrigerator to thaw when I need it.These are the yummiest cinnamon rolls that I have found. I found the recipe somewhere on the Internet.
Enjoy!
Love, Heather

**Tip If you have trouble slicing the dough with out mangling it, try taking a peace of sewing thread, put it under the dough, bring up the two halves of the thread, and criss-cross them and slowly pull tight until the dough is cut.

Shredded Chicken

2007-02-07T12:22:00.000-08:00

Shredded Chicken:

Place your washed whole chicken in a stockpot, cover with water add a teaspoon of garlic salt, oregano, and basil to the water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer from 45 minutes to an hour or until your thermometer inserted in the chicken reads 190F. Remove from pan. Cool. De bone and shred. Place 2- 3 cups of shredded meat in a freezer container. Use within 3 months. Our favorite uses for this is Chicken Tetrazzini, Ritz Chicken, Chicken Pot Pie, and Chicken Salad.

Meatballs

2007-02-07T12:21:00.000-08:00

Bulk Meatballs:

4 pounds lean ground beef
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup dry bread crumbs or organic oats
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 Tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 cups milk

Preheat oven to 375F.
Combine all ingredients. Blend well.
Use a cookie scoop to shape.
Place on an ungreased baking pan (we line ours with aluminum foil for easy cleanup).
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until browned. Cool.
Place about 20 -25, depending on your family size in a freezer container. Use within 3 months.

Our two favorite recipes for meatballs are Swedish Meatballs and Crock pot Mock Lasagna.

For a quick lunch or snack, put a few meatballs on a cookie sheet and bake at 375* until warmed through. Pour barbecue sauce over meatballs to coat thoroughly!

Just a note - this is 6.15 pounds of ground beef, so don't expect this much if you follow the above recipe exactly, we had to modify it slightly for the package we got. With this large package I was able to get 125 meatballs. 25 meatballs in each bag (5).

The finished meatballs ready for the freezer.

Enjoy!
~Heather and Elissa

Mexican Meat Mix

2007-02-07T12:18:00.000-08:00

Mexican Meat Mix: 5lbs beef roast or a combination of beef and pork roasts 3 onions, chopped 1 4ounce can shopped green chiles 2 7ounce cans green-chile salsa 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 4 Tablespoons flour 4 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon ground cumin Cook roast(s) in crock pot with a 1/2 cup of water until fork tender. Remove meat, reserving juices. Cool meat, remove bones. Shred meat and set aside. Spray a large skillet with non-stick spray. Saute onions and green chiles for 1 minute. Add green-chile salsa, garlic powder, flour, salt and cumin. Reduce heat and cook 1 minute. Stir in reserved meat juices and meat. Cook 5 minutes until thickened. Cool. Put about 3 cups mix into three freezer containers. Freeze. Use within 6 months. Our favorite use for this mix is Chimichangas. I have also used it for tacos, nachos and occasionally a Mexican casserole.

Bulk Mixes

2007-02-07T12:09:00.000-08:00

Baking Mix ( can be used in place of Bisquick)
8 1/2 cups flour (You can use unbleached or all-purpose)
4 Tablespoons baking powder
1 Tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups instant nonfat dry milk or dry buttermilk powder
2 1/4 cups shortening
In a large bowl, sift together all dry ingredients. Blend well. With a pastry blender or heavy duty mixer, cut in shortening until mixture resembles cornmeal in texture. Put in a airtight container. Store in a cool dry place. Use withing 10-12 weeks. Makes about 13 cups.
Taco Seasoning Mix:
2 teaspoons instant minced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon instant minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
Combine all ingredients. Makes 1 pkg. Use with 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef and 1/2 cup of water.
Ranch Dressing Mix 1 cup dried parsley 1/2 cup dried minced onion 1/2 cup garlic salt 1/2 cup onion salt 1/4 cup garlic powder 1/4 cup onion powder 2 Tablespoons dried dill weed Mix and store in an airtight container. This makes 24 - 4 cup batches. Ranch Dressing 2 cups mayonnaise 2 cups buttermilk 3 Tablespoons of the dry mix Mix well and chill 2-4 hours before using. Will keep in the fridge 2-3 weeks.
Onion Soup Mix:
3/4 Cup instant minced onion
1/3 cup beef-flavored instant bouillon
4 teaspoons onion powder
1/4 teaspoon celery seed, crushed
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container. 5 Tablespoons = 1 package of onion soup mix.
Hot Cocoa Mix 1 box of powdered milk that makes 8 quarts 1 pound box of quick cocoa mix 4 cups powdered sugar Mix together. Use 4 teaspoons to a cup of hot water.
I hope you enjoy and I hope that these may help you save a few pennies!
Love, Heather

Cinnamon roll secret

2007-01-23T10:16:00.000-08:00

Have trouble cutting your cinnamon rolls out without smashing them? Your troubles are over!!!

What you need:

A simple piece of sewing thread!

Simply put the thread under the dough, bring up the thread and criss-cross them as if you were starting to tie your shoes! It's as simple as that!!

Recepe "Cinnamon Rolls for a CROWD" soon to follow!

Oatmeal Cookies

2007-01-18T12:28:00.000-08:00

Besides snicker-doodles, oatmeal cookies are my favorite, these are Yummy Yummy Yummy! They tend to dry out quickly though, but if you microwave them for 15-20 seconds, there as gooey as if they just came out of the oven.

Blend 1 cup butter with 1 cup brown sugar & and one cup white sugar.

Add 2 eggs & 1 tsp. vanilla.

Add 1 1/2 C. flour, 1tsp. baking soda, & 1 tsp. salt.

Add 3 Cups quick oats.

Cook 12 minute at 350*F leave on cookie sheet for 6 minutes before removing to cooling rack.

~Elissa

M&M cookie recipe

2007-01-18T12:10:00.000-08:00

Sorry it took me so long to remember to post this!

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup shortening

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 1/2 cups unbleached flour

1 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups M&M candy pieces

In a large bowl, mix sugar, eggs, shortening, and vanillal thoroughly. Add flour, salt, and baking soda to creamed mixture. Blend well. Add 3/4 cup of M&M candies. Drop dough my teaspoonful onto cookie sheet.Slightly push a few candies on top of each dough ball with remaining candies. Bake at 350*F for 9-11 minutes, or to your liking.

My little helper making M&M cookies

2007-01-12T17:28:00.000-08:00

My little helper helping make "Num Num Cookies"

He loves to turn the Bosch on and off, on and off. ;-)

He took me quite literally when I said push the M&M's on the cookie, they were alot flatter after he got done with them. ;-)

Recipe to follow soon!
~Elissa

kitchen clipart part I

2007-01-08T19:27:00.000-08:00

I have been collecting cute clipart that has to do with kitchens and cooking, here's some of it:
~Elissa

This one's not really clipart, but I love antique cooking stuff, so I thought I'd put it out there.

What's taters precious?

2007-01-06T14:49:00.000-08:00

PO-TA-TOES! Boil 'em, mash 'em stick 'em in a stew! Nice lovely golden taters...
~Sam - The Two Towers

This is my little helper.

Frosted sugar cookies

2006-12-09T11:21:00.000-08:00

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream butter & sugar. Add egg, milk and vanilla. beat well.
Stir flour, baking powder & salt into creamed mixture. Divide in half, cover & chill 1 hour. On lightly floured* surface roll each half. Cut out with cookie cutters, Bake @ 375 degrees 7-8 min. for thin & 10 -12 for thick.

*Helpful hints.
For sugar cookies use powdered sugar, so that the residue left after cutting is sweet.

2006-12-04T17:24:00.000-08:00

These are some fun things we do, to make things extra pretty (and extra fattening)

For a beautiful cup of cocoa add canned or homemade whipped cream on top and finely grate a square of chocolate on top of the whipped cream.

Add whipped cream and cinnamon to you egg-nog.

Dip spoons in melted chocolate, let set up and they're ready for stirring coffee (or extra chocolatey hot cocoa).

Peppermint Bark

2006-11-20T11:55:00.000-08:00

Peppermint Bark is one of my very favorite Christmas Candies. I wouldn't be putting this up till Christmas time, but we always make some to give to grandma on thanks giving. This year is the prettiest it has turned out in a long time, but unfortunately the camera's battery is dead, and I don't know where the spare is. :( It is also very easy, we have, in years past always crushed the candy canes, by hand, but this year we discovered that the blender does it in about 1/4 of the time.

1 package of 12 candy canes
1 24 oz. package vanilla candy coating (almond bark)
Unwrap candy canes, and place in blender. Blend until there are no big chunks.
Put candy coating in large bowl (sometimes, the coating will have a hard plastic peace under neath, make sure that is removed.) and microwave 1 minute at a time until completely melted and smooth. mix crushed candy canes and coating thoroughly and pour onto a large sheet of wax paper. When it is completely set up, cut or break up and place in gift bags (or eat ;D)
Blessings!
~Elissa

2006-11-18T09:28:00.000-08:00

Sorry I didn't post yesterday, but I can't find the recipes for the dishes I was going to post. I still can't find them, but as soon as I do I'll post them.
~Elissa

Green bean casserole

2006-11-16T13:37:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite Thanksgiving side dish! Mmm! Mmm!

Ingredients:
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. soy sauce
Dash ground black pepper
4 cups cooked cut green beans
1 1/3 cups French Fried Onions

Directions:
MIX soup, milk, soy, black pepper, beans and 2/3 cup onions in 1 1/2-qt. casserole.
BAKE at 350°F. for 25 min. or until hot. STIR . Sprinkle with remaining onions. Bake 5 min.

pumpkin cookies

2006-11-15T13:01:00.000-08:00

This is not a thanksgiving dessert, but it is fallish, so I thought I'd post it.

1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup pumpkin (not one can ;D)
2 cups flour
1tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp.nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ginger

Cream shortening and sugar together. Beast eggs and pumpkin together. Mix and stir. Add dry ingredients and stir until smooth. Drop by teaspoon 2" apart on a greased baking sheat. Bake at 375* for about 10 minutes.

Frosting: (I always double this recipe, because there is never enough if you don't)
this is not the doubled version.
3 Tbls. Butter
4 tsp. milk
1/2 cup brown suger.
3/4 tsp. vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
Melt butter, milk and brown sugar until dissolved. Cool. Add vanilla and powdered sugar. Blend well. Frost warm cookies or dunk them.

Mmm! Mmm!
Blessings!
~Elissa

Pumkin Pie

2006-11-14T13:22:00.000-08:00

For the filling I use the recipe off of Libby's 100% Pumpkin. But during the holidays, I substitute the evaporated milk with egg nog. It is so delicious!

Famous Pumpkin Pie from Libby's canned pumpkin.

Makes 2 pies

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
4 large eggs
1 can (29 oz.) Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin
2 cans (12 fl. oz. each) Evaporated milk ( substitute with 3 cups egg nog)

Pie shell (crust)

makes 2 pieces

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup shortening
Blend until crumbly, slowly add 2/3 cup ice cold water.
Roll.

Two years ago I also added leaves made out of pie crust.

Homemade whipped cream
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup sugar.
Whip until beaters form stiff peaks when lifted out of cream.

YUM!! I can already taste it!
Blessings!
~Elissa

Dirt Pudding

2006-11-14T06:36:00.000-08:00

Now that is almost thanksgiving, I am going to start posting my favorite thanksgiving recipes.

This is my all time favorite thanksgiving desert.

Dirt Pudding

1 large package Oreos, crushed
16 ounces of cream cheese, softened
1/4 stick of butter
2 cups powdered sugar
3 1/2 cups milk
2 small packages of instant vanilla pudding
12 ounces of Cool Whip

Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and butter together. Set aside. Mix milk, pudding and Cool Whip together. Fold both mixtures together. Layer Oreos, and mixture ending with Oreos.

Enjoy!
Blessings!
~Elissa

Mom's cheeseball

2006-11-10T15:34:00.000-08:00

Cheese ball

1-3oz dried beef chopped
2-8oz cream cheese
1/4 cup mayo
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese grated
2 Tablespoons onion finely chopped
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
2 tablespoon finely chopped carrot
2 Tablespoons finely chopped celery
1/2 teaspoons salt.
Blend all ingredients. Place on large piece of plastic wrap--using the wrap and your hands mold into a ball. Place plastic wrapped ball into a bowl and place in fridge for at least 1 hour. Unmold and serve with crackers, wheat thins, and veggies.

This is an absolutely DELICIOUS cheese ball. The canned meat may not be the healthiest of ingredients, but for a treat now and then it doesn't hurt. Everybody love this stuff, especially people who aren't always fond of cheese ball. We usually end up making this during autumn, but it's great any time of the year!!
Blessings!
~Elissa

Hot spiced tea

2006-10-23T13:04:00.001-07:00

This recipe is perfect for fall gatherings, ladies bible stidies, or simply to sip on a lazy day.

Hot Spiced Tea for a Percolator

12 cups Water
6 Tea Bags
2 Cinnamon Sticks
2 Tsp. Whole cloves

Put these ingredients in the basket and perk.
Remove the basket and add:

1 1/2 cups Sugar
2 cups Orange juice
2 small cans of Pineapple juice
1/4 cup Lemon juice

Blessings!
~Elissa

Chocolate Ice cream

2006-10-02T19:24:00.001-07:00

This chocolate ice cream tastes like a Wendy's Frosty. It is sooo yummy!!

1 ~ 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 gallon chocolate milk
1~12 ounce container whipped topping

Mix together all ingredients. You will need to churn this in two batches. Fill ice cream maker two-thirds full, freeze, and repeat process with remaining liquid.
I served mine with homemade vanilla pound cake.

Enjoy!

Kitchen toys

2006-09-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

Thursday was our errand day and me and mom spent all day shopping and running errands. While we were out we bought a round pizza stone that we actually will mainly use as a cookie sheet. We also bought new stackable cooling racks and a cookie press. At first the cookie press was difficul to use, but once we got used to it it was very simple. We died the cookie dough orange and made pumkin cookies. Here are some pictures.

Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake

2006-09-18T13:04:00.000-07:00

Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake

3/4 cup butter, softened1
1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
3 cups unbleached flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (8oz.) sour cream

Filling:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Glaze: 1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 to 3 Tablespoons milk

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Spoon a third of the batter into a greased and floured Bundt pan. Combine brown sugar, flour and cinnamon; sprinkle half over the batter. Top with half of the berries. Repeat layers. Top with remaining batter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over cake.
Yields: 10-12 servings.Note:
If using frozen berries, do not thaw.

Enjoy!

~Elissa

Chocolate chip cookies

2006-09-16T07:09:00.000-07:00

Our chocolate chip cookie recipe is probably the most used dessert recipe, so I thought that it would be good for our first post. Here is our YUMMY chocolate chip cookie recipe:

Chocolate Chip Cookies

From: Heather and Elissa

2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
12 oz of chocolate chips ( half milk chocolate, half semi-sweet chocolate)

Cream together butter and both sugars. Beat in eggs, add vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients and then stir in chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375° for 8 to 10 minutes.
This also makes yummy cookie dough for ice cream

~Elissa