Cooked Cabbage

I love cabbage, raw, semi-raw, rolled, fried, boiled, I like it. When I fixed it the other night I did it just a little differently than the way I normally do, surprise!! LOL

I chopped it up in small enough peieces that it doesn't choke you going down because it is LONG, put it into a large skillet with melted butter and fried it with some chopped red onions. I think I used half an onion and enough cabbage to cover the bottom of the pan and heap upwards some but not spilling over the pan rim.

I covered the pan with the lid and let it cook some until it was pretty soft, but not all the way. I added about half a cup to a cup of water and some caraway seeds, covered, and let it cook some more, till it was all soft. Remember, if it's cooked veggies they have to be cooked soft for Mom to like them. :) She liked it. I did, too, so did Denny. Three out of three! YAYAYAYYAYY

Meat Loaf

Well... thought I should get back here. Mom had a bit of a mishap Friday morning, she fell and hit her head on the floor and it caused a bleed on her brain so she IS in the hospital and getting so much better. They had her up and walking a little bit this afternoon and had her sitting in a chair for a couple of hours. She's eating well, too! Tonight she is having beef stroganoff, which sounds sooooo good.

Thursday night Mom fixed meatloaf for supper. We've been having trouble with it sticking together! We haven't been doing anything different, we don't think anyway, but since we don't measure this or that, who knows! But we generally use a pound of ground beef, an egg, quick cooking oatmeal, spices, chopped onion, and milk. It's always worked before, but these last few times we've had to scoop it out and serve it with a SPOON! It still tasted as good as it always does when Mom makes meatloaf, though.

This time we did it a little differently. To the pound of ground beef I added a pound of bulk sausage, we used two eggs instead of one. After it was ketchupped on top and put into the oven, Mom remembered she didn't put in any spices or salt, but it was just too late then. I had the idea put it into the top of my steamer so the grease could drip down the holes into the pan. That was a good idea but it didn't work. A LITTLE grease dripped down, but the rest just stayed on top the meatloaf. Bigger holes are called for, I think. I'm wondering now, when I put meatloaf in the pan I usually pull it away from the sides of the pan after I pat it down. Mom doesn't. I wonder if that is having something to do with the meat not sticking together!

Oh.. her meatloaf Thursday night tasted just fine without the spices. LOL

Good ole' Goulash

That's what we had for supper last night. I rummaged around and rummaged around and din't know what to fix for supper. I asked Mom, she didn't know either. Of course, mothers ALWAYS know.. so she suggested goulash. Yeah! That was it, goulash. It turned out different, I liked how it turned out. I never fix it the same way, twice, I just put it together. Last night was no different, I through it together, but I know WHAT I did this time. LOL

Mind you, I don't measure anything. Everything is estimated.

Goulash

1 lb ground beef whole wheat macaroni

1 can tomato sauce 1 can diced tomatoes

1 tsp dried rosemary 1 tsp dried parsley

salt and pepper to taste 1 onion chopped into medium pieces

1 packet sweetener or 2 tsp sugar

Cook the macaroni in boiling water until it's soft. While that is cooking, brown the hamburger, rinse with hot water and drain. Add the onions and cook till the onions are semi-soft. Add the rosemary and parsley, tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir, let it simmer about 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

I noticed, last night, when I added the rosemary to the meat and onions, i just smelled so good, and then added the parsley. I hadn't noticed that aroma before when making goulash, so I figure I've never used it in there before. I liked it! I'll be fixing it this way again... no garlic, although I LOVE garlic and usually add it to everything, including goulash. I didn't last night and loved how the goulash turned out.

I found out...

I did.. I found out what Herbes de Provence is, a traditional blend of aromatic herbs that flourish in the hills of southern France. I even found a recipe if you want to mix your own blend.

From Encyclopedia of Spices

Recipe for Herbes de Provence.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon chervil
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon summer savory
1 teaspoon lavender
1 teaspoon tarragon
1 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon mint
2 powdered or chopped bay leaves

Prepartion:
Mix together all of the ingredients and store in a tightly sealed container.
Makes about 1/3 cup herb mix.

Tilapia Provencal

Wellll.... I guess they all can't be what we like. This had a couple of ingredients I'm not sure what they are, outside of olives and herbs. Call me a silver-haired menopausal blonde if you will... it's what I am. LOL Kalamata olives. Is that a brand? A type? Green? Black? I don't know, I've never heard of a Kalamata olive before, that I recall. It said pitted and I figured a black olive, but then I've seen green olives with pits in them as well. Herbes de Provence. Another brand? I've never seen that in the grocery stores I've been in, Kroger, Wal-Mart, Knights, Sam's. Course, I've never looked for it and it may have been there and I just didn't see it. Wouldn't be the first time for sure. LOL

Denny just plain didn't like it. Mom said it was ok but it wouldn't be something she would fix. It was ok, my rice wasn't done quite enough although it cooked long enough, more than called for, even. The fish tasted fishy. I have no clue why, but it could be tasted through all the herbs and spices and onions and tomatoes.

We all decided the dish might be ok with chicken breasts rather than fish. I might try that sometime.

Tilapia Provencal pg. 32, Woman's World, Mar 1, 2010 issue

2 Tbs olive oil 1 onion, chopped (1 C)

1 can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic & oregano 1/2 C pitted KIalamata olives, halved

1 tsp dried herbes de Provence 4 tilapia filets

1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper

Fresh parsley and cooked orzo, optional (it also suggest serving over whole0grain couscous or brown rice, I used the brown rice)

• In large nonstick skillet, heat 1 Tbs oil over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juices, olives, and 1/2 tsp herbes de Provence. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 10 minutes.
• Transfer sauce to heatproof bowl; carefully wipe skillet clean with paper towel. Sprinkle tilapia with salt, pepper, and remaining herbes de Provence.
• In same skillet, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add tilapia; cook, turning, 3-4 minutes per side, until browned and just cooked through. Pour reserved sauce over tilapia; heat 1 minutes. If desired, garnish with parsley and serve over orzo.

I did something wrong, I don't know, but this just wasn't a favorite meal tonight.

::: off to look up herbes de Provence and Kalamata olives ::: Am I the only one who doesn't know what these are? Let me know!!

Farmhouse Ham Chowder

Good stuff! I'd never made a chowder before in my life and I didn't know what to fix for supper tonight and was browsing through one of my new magazines and there it was. Yeah! I can do that one. I didn't have the celery and I didn't have vegetable broth (I used beef broth instead, chicken would have worked, too). It still turned out good!!

Farmhouse Ham Chowder pg 74, First for Women, Mar 1, 2010

1/2 lb green beans, trimmed & halved 1 large onion, chopped (1 1/2 C)

1 C each chopped carrots & celery 2 Tbs butter

1 1/2 lb baking potatoes, peeled/cubed 1 container (32 oz) vegetable stock

2 C milk 1/2 lb smoked ham, diced

1 Tbs each, chopped fresh parsley and dill

In saucepot of boiling salted water, cook green beans 2 min. Drain. In pot over medium-high heat, cook next 3 ingredients in butter for 2 min. Add potatoes, stock, and milk. Over high heat, brin to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Cover; let simmer 20 minutes. In blender, puree 1 1/2 C mixture; stir back into pot. Add beans and last 3 ingredients. Cook 2 minutes.

Serves 4

I cooked the beans longer than 2 minutes... they were frozen and I know Mom does not like crunchy veggies. If they are cooked veggie, they are supposed to be COOKED until they are soft. I also put the put the green beans in with the milk and stock and cooked them in there with the carrots and onions.

Try! Enjoy!

See... I have fallen off the menu planning big time. LOL Had to figure out what to have for supper tonight! :)

Waffles for Breakfast!

You know what??? Adding TWO eggs to the pancake mix to make waffles sure does make a difference!! I know, I know... you already know that, no doubt. It takes some folk a little more time to make a connection. I've only been cooking for what... a little over 40 years?

I've seen waffle recipes and they all have TWO EGGS instead of the ONE EGG for pancake recipes. I just didn't really make the connection of WHY until this morning. Never paid attention before. And I've been using my pancake (griddle cake) mix and just adding the one egg. The waffles turned out all right, nothing wrong with them... but when you put in the suggested TWO eggs. POOF! They poof right up there and get light and fluffy instead of flat and stuffy. Go ahead... say it with me.. ::: duuuuuuuhhhhh ::::

They were good waffles. Thick, light, fluffy, full of carbohydrates... Mom ate poached salmon and a poached egg. I fixed toast for her, too, but it turned black so I mixed that piece in with the dogs' food. They loved it. LOL

Poached Salmon

eeww... that just sounds awful... but it's GOOD! I had never made it before. When I did cook salmon it always turned dry, crunchy... I just didn't cook it right at all. I'm getting a little better at broiling it, though.

I made this for breakfast this morning! I got to thinking it would be something different than cereal, toast, bacon, the usual breakfast fare. (I even like tomatoes for breakfast sometimes!) I didn't want to broil the salmon, for the above reasons, I don't do it well, better, but not well. LOL So I went on the internet and looked for ways to fix salmon and saw poached salmon. I printed up about four different ways. The one I used is below, but I didn't use the 1/2 C wine and 1/2 C water, I used 1 C chicken broth, instead.

Poached Salmon from Simply Recipes dot com

1 to 1 1/2 lb salmon 1/ C dry white wine

1/2 C water Thin slices of yellow onion and shallot

Several sprigs of dill Sprig of fresh parsley

Freshly ground black pepper

Put wine, water, dill, parsley, and onions in a saute pan, and bring to a simmer on medium heat. Place salmon fillets, skin-side down, on the pan. Cover, cook 5 minutes, or to desired doneness. Do not overcook. Serve sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper.

Serves 2 - 4.

I didn't have the fresh dill and parsley so I used the dried dill weed and parsley. Mom and I liked it really well. Denny won't be having the salmon again. LOL He just is not a salmon person. ah well.. :) Leaves more for Mom and me.

Sour Milk Griddle Cakes/Mix

I found this recipe after searching for pancakes in the book.... of course I found it under griddle cakes. It makes some very good pancakes! ooops... griddle cakes, I'm sorry. I figured... hey... instead of grabbing the cookbook and mixing it all together, why don't I mix the dry ingredients together and save it as a pancake mix and use it as needed. I wouldn't have to buy pancake mix, either! (can ya tell I don't like processed foods?) LOL

I found the recipe in The Household Searchlight Recipe book. I did, of course, change it a bit. LOL I'll type in the book's version and put my amended part in with it. It isn't big. LOL I use the mix for pancakes and waffles, both.

Sour Milk Griddle Cake Mix

2 C flour (I use 1 C white, 1 C wheat)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
2 C sour milk
1/2 C sour cream (I don't use this all the time)
1 egg, well beaten

Sift flour, measure,and sift with baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add sour cream, egg, and sour milk. Beat until smooth. Bake on hot griddle. 16 servings.

Now...what I do is mix all the dry ingredients together, put it into a plastic bag and seal it. On the bag I have written to add 1 egg, 2 C sour milk, 1/2 sour cream.

Sometimes I add the sour cream, sometimes I don't. I also let it set for five minutes after mixing before I put it in the pan or waffle iron to cook. It will usually thicken up and if it is too thick I add a little more milk.

Sloppy Joe Under a Bun

This was good. Denny picked it out. I did make some revisions in it... like... I don't have any cans of sloppy joe sauce, I always make my own. I don't have any biscuit mix, either. I was going to make some before I tried this recipe, but alas, I forgot. LOL So I hurriedly found a recipe for biscuits. I make lousy biscuits. LOLOL But this one looked like I could hand it, and they weren't really going to be biscuits, anyway. NOW I'm going to have to try the recipe as biscuits. :)

Sloppy Joe Under a Bun (1st Prize) pg. 189 of Taste of Home Winning Recipes

1 1/2 lb ground beef 1 can (15 1/2 oz) sloppy joe sauce

2 C (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese 2 C biscuit/baking mix

2 eggs, beaten 1 C milk

1 Tbs sesame seeds

In a skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in sloppy joe sauce; mix well. Transfer to a lightly greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish; sprinkle with cheese.

In a bowl, combine the biscuit mix, eggs, and milk just until blended. Pour over cheese; sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F. for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield: 8 servings

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooobuggers... I forgot the cheese!!!! aaaahhh, well, it still was good! I will be making this again.

Surprise!!

Well... that menu planning thing I was going through didn't last long. I knew it wouldn't. I still look at the same weekly menu I made ... what... three weeks ago? two weeks ago? and try to figure out what to fix for supper. LOL I didn't think it would last, but I did have good intentions. I may try it again sometime. Didn't Woman's Day or some magazine used to have a monthly menu plan with recipes to go with it? Sometimes I found something I would try, but I didn't use it all that much. Usually the food had things in it nobody in my family liked and I didn't have the stuff in the kitchen. But the option was there and I was glad for that.

I went a day without clean up!! I still cooked, I just didn't do cleanup. Neither did anyone else. So, this morning before I did anything else, cleanup was done. I can see the counters again and the clean dishes put away and the dirty dishes in the dish washer. Had to do it, no more room on the counters! LOL I like a tidy, neat house and things, I just don't always like to DO it.

I fixed supper last night. Denny liked it. He asked, "Did you get it from that book?"

"No, I got it from somewhere else." I didn't tell him I got it from my head. LOL We had Pearled Pasta with Pork and Roasted Veggies.

Pearled Pasta with Pork

2 C chicken or beef broth 1 C uncooked pearled pasta

1 leftover pork country rib Salt, Pepper, Spices if desired

Trim the left over country rib from fat (I hate fat... eeewwww) and cut into tiny pieces. Bring broth to boil, add the 1 C pasta and the cut up meat. Cook for 20 minutes on low heat until pasta is tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and serve.

Roasted Veggies

1 small zuccini 1 small summer squash

1 med tomato 1/2 C grated Italian cheese

2 Tbs olive oil Italian seasoning

Salt and Pepper to taste

Slice the zuccini, summer squash, and tomato into bite size pieces. Place in 9 inch square baking dish. Add the olive oil, Italian seasonings, salt and pepper, stir well covering all the veggies. Bake uncovered in pre-heated 400 degree F. oven for 30 minutes, or until veggies are tender, stirring after 20 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with grated Italian cheese and serve.

hmmm... I reckon I could print up these recipes and show them to Denny. ::: giggling :::

Country-Style Steak with Curry Gravy

mmmmm... I really like this one. I made this the first time.... YEARS ago. Hubby even likes it, although now if I suggest it he says he doesn't like curry, I fix it a couple weeks later and he loves it. Just can't ask him if he wants this or that. LOL

Country-Style Steak with Curry Gravy pg 326 in The Spice Cookbook

2 lbs boneless chuck or round steak 1/4 C flour

2 tsp salt 2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper 2 Tbs shortening

2 C sliced onion

_________________________________________

1 C boiling water 1/2 C sliced carrots

1/2 C sliced celery

_________________________________________

1 Tbs flour 3/4 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp salt Dash garlic powder

Trim excess fat from meat and discard it. Cut steak into serving-size pieces. Score meat or beat with a mallet on a board to break up fibers. Dredge in flour mixed with the 2 tsp salt and pepper. Brown on both sides in shortening in a 10-inch skillet. Add onions, cover, and cook 10 minutes or until onions are limp. Add next 3 ingredients.

Cover and simmer 20 minutes or until meat is tender. Place steak and vegetables on a warm platter. Combine remaining ingredients and add to pan drippings. Stir and cook until gravy is thick. Serve over mashed potatoes or rice.

Yield: 6 servings

Hubby's Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hubby has his favorite chocolate chip cookies. He even asks me to make them for him at times! The last time I made them, I forgot one ingredient and he noticed it and said there was something different and he didn't particularly care for them without it.

I told him next time I made them I wouldn't forget to put it in. I later told him something about oatmeal and cookies and he said he didn't like oatmeal cookies, hates them, as a matter of fact. I then explained to him that the ingredient missing in my last batch of chocolate chip cookies that he likes so well and has eaten for years is oatmeal. He informed me he wouldn't be eating them any more. ::: huh? ::: ROFLOL Some people... LOL He'll eat them, he'll forget the missing ingredient was oatmeal and be happy about getting chocolate chip cookies, again. LOL Gotta love hubbies.

Oatmeal Cookies pg. 215 in The Spice Cookbook

1 C (2 sticks) soft butter 2/3 C shortening

2 tsp soda 1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice 1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp salt 2 tsp vanilla extract

________________________________________

2/3 C sugar 2 1/3 C light-brown sugar

4 large eggs

_________________________________________

2 C quick-cooking oatmeal 1 C chopped nuts

1 1/2 C seedless raisins (this is where I put the chocolate chips in instead of raisins)

_________________________________________

4 C sifted all-purpose flour

Blend together the first 8 ingredients. Gradually mix in white and brown sugars. Beat in eggs, one at a time. (it does make a difference, I don't know why). Stir in next 3 ingredients. Gradually stir in flour. Drop tablespoon portions of dough, 2 inches apart, onto lightly greased cookie sheets.

Bake in a preheated moderate oven (375 degrees F.) 10 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets, then place on wire racks to finish cooling. Store airtight.

Since this cookie dough keeps well in the refrigerator in a covered bowl, bake off as many cookies as desired at a time. Return remaining dough to the refrigerator and bake fresh batches as needed.

Yield: 8 dozen 3-inch cookies

In the book they are Oatmeal Cookies with raisins in them. I just substitute the chocolate chips for the raisins and omit the nuts. Hubby doesn't like nuts in cookies, or anything else.

What I have been doing lately is, bake half the dough with just the chocolate chips and then add raisins, nuts, dried cranberries, or what-have-you in the other half and back them. I keep them in separate cookie jars and everyone is happy. :)

Hope you like this recipe!!

Artichokes Au Gratin

I'd never made an artichoke dish before. I don't have a clue why. But, I found this recipe and it looked easy enough that even I could make it, and it sounded good, too. I made it. It's good! I didn't mess it up, although I did mess up the kitchen! But then, that is a normal thing. It's back to the dreaded clean-up after cooking. I do try to put things away as I am finished with them and wipe up messes as I go along, but there is still that clean-up thing after it's all finished. Such is life. :)

Artichokes Au Gratin pg 271 Taste of Home Winning Recipes

recipe by Marjorie Bowen, Colorado Springs, Colorado

2 cans (14 ounces each) water-packed artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained, and quartered

1 minced garlic clove

1/4 C butter, divided 1 egg, lightly beaten

2 Tbs all-purpose flour 1/2 C shredded Swiss cheese, divided

1/2 tsp salt 1 Tbs dry bread crumbs

1/4 tsp pepper 1/8 tsp paprika

1 1/2 C milk

In a skillet, saute the artichokes and garlic in 2 Tbs butter until tender. Transfer to a greased 1-qt. baking dish.

In a saucepan, melt the remaining butter. Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper until smooth; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot mixture into egg; return all to pan, stirring constantly. Add 1/4 C cheese, stirring until melted.

Pour over artichokes; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Combine crumbs and paprika; sprinkle over top. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Italian Ribs and Rice

I find that I can't always trust a recipe. Time wise. Preparation time: 20 min Cook: 1 3/4 hours. Ok... that would make it two hours and 15 minutes... right?? uh uh.... not in my kitchen. ROFLOL I started this recipe so it would be ready to eat by 6 p.m., it was around 7:15 p.m. when we sat down to eat. Or else, I started it later than I thought I did, which is entirely possible. It was worth the wait, though.

Italian Ribs and Rice from Taste of Home

• 3 pounds country-style pork ribs
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup uncooked long grain rice
• 1 small green pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Directions

• In a Dutch oven, brown ribs in oil over medium-high heat. Cover and cook over low heat for 1-1/4 hours, turning occasionally. Remove ribs and set aside; drain.
• In the same pan, bring tomatoes and water to a boil. Stir in the rice, green pepper, garlic, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and Italian seasoning. Place ribs over rice; sprinkle with remaining salt. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes or until rice and meat are tender. Yield: 6 servings.

Originally published Italian Ribs and Rice published in Country Extra March 2000, p51

Dark Rich Chocolate Cake Mix

oohhh... this cake is so good. I found this at the Hillbilly Housewife website. That is one of my favorite sites. I do make up the mix and use it when I want to make a chocolate cake. I don't have to buy the stuff from the store and I know it won't have "hydrogenated" anything in it. YAYAYAYYAAYAAYAY You'd think I am turning into a health nut or something, I just must be getting older. AND I like home made foods better than already processed foods that could kill me. The home made stuff tastes so much better, anyway. :)

Dark Rich Chocolate Cake Mix from The Hillbilly Housewife

• 1 cup unbleached white flour
• 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/4 cup dry buttermilk powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee crystals

I use a plastic, gallon sized, zipper bag for this recipe. Measure all of these ingredients into the bag. Zipper it closed, and gently shake to combine all of the ingredients. Label the bag, and make sure it is sealed all the way. Store on the pantry shelf until needed. Make several at once for the most convenience.

To Prepare

1 package of Dark Rich Chocolate Cake Mix
2 cups tap water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 medium eggs

Empty the cake mix into a big bowl. Add the water, oil and eggs. Beat with a whisk or electric beaters for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture is smooth and any lumps are gone. Turn the batter into a well oiled 9″ x 13″ rectangular pan. Bake at 350° for about 35 to 40 minutes. The sides should be pulled away from the sides of the pan, and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Be careful not to overbake. Cool and frost as desired. Makes about 24 pieces. This is one of the best cakes in my collection.

I've even made up the mix and given it away as home-made-mix-in-a-jar gifts with a tag tied to it, or glued to the jar, with the directions to make the cake on it.

Cooking Day yesterday!!!

Wow.. I cooked yesterday!!

Yeah, I usually do cook at least SOMETHING during a day, but I cooked. I made a chocolate cake, from scratch, I made a loaf of whole wheat bread, from scratch, I made Italian Ribs and Rice and Artichokes Au Gratin for supper. Oh... Everything was sooooo good. This cooking could become addicting! I've only been cooking for ... 40 some years, yeah... it could become addicting after awhile. I don't mind the cooking... I don' t like the cleanup. Nope... don't like that part at all. LOL

So... ok.. I'll give you the bread recipe in this post. It turned out good. Not bad at all. I'm not sure where I found it. It's titled Wonder Bread. I have browsed the webside for the recipe I have. Found one at Taste of Home that, I think, someone used but made changes to, like "do NOT omit this" to "or, another 1/4 C all purpose flour" and make two loaves to one loaf. I changed this one that I used, too. LOL I used 4 C whole wheat flour and omitted the 1/4 C semolina or more flour. I still should have used a little less whole wheat, I think. It still tastes good, though.

Wonder Bread I don't know where I got this one but there is one on Taste of Home Site

1 1/4 C water 4 1/2 tsp dry yeast

2 Tbs sugar 2 tsp salt

1/ C melted butter 4 C unbleached flour

1/4 C semolina melted butter for glazing

Process ingredients on the dough cycle in your machine. Gently deflate dough. Form into an oblong loaf and place in a lightly greased 9" x 5" pan. Place entire affair in a large plastic bag. Allow to rise until the dough is about 1 inch above the pan rim. Brush with melted butter and place in preheated 350 degree F oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until evenly browned.

Denny even said it turned out good, and he hates wheat bread. LOL

Chocolate Brownies

The best I've ever tasted or made, I love these brownies. And no "hydrogenated" anything. Unless you use the "hydrogenated oil/butter substitute". I use butter. Yes yes... animal fat product, but I like it and it's so much better than fake stuff.

I found this recipe in The Household Searchlight Recipe book, 1941, pg 132. When I looked for a brownie recipe in the index I couldn't find it. I looked under Brownies. Wasn't there. I did finally stumble upon it in the Cs, Chocolate Brownies. Of course! Why didn't I think of that! LOL But I did find it. I've used other brownie recipes since I found this one, but always go back to this one. It does take a little while to get it put together, but well worth it. mmmmmmmmmm....

Chocolate Brownies pg 132 The Household Searchlight Recipe Book

2 squares chocolate 1/2 C cake flour

3 eggs 1 C chopped nuts

1 C sugar 1/8 tsp salt

1/2 C butter

(I use cocoa, hubby doesn't like nuts so I usually don't add those, and I use about 3/4 C sugar. Yes... I play with the recipes.)

Melt chocolate and butter over hot water. Beat egg yolks until light. Add sugar, salt, chocolate, and butter. Mix thoroughly. Sift flour. Measure. Add flour and nuts. Mix thoroughly. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour into shallow, well-oiled pan. Bake in moderate over (375 degrees) about 15 minutes. Cut into squares. Cool. Remove from pan. 8 servings.

I think I cook it a little longer than the 15 minutes. I will just have to make it again to find out. LOL It has been awhile since I made brownies!

One Pot Salsa Beef Skillet

I found this recipe at the Kraft Recipe website. They have lots of good recipes there and lots of good One Pot recipes. Those are great when you just don't have enough time to make a bunch of stuff, or the gumption. LOL I fall into that lack of gumption often. :)

We liked this one, it tasted good, quick, easy. I did kinda make a replacement in there. Since I don't have boxed macaroni and cheese products, I used whole wheat macaroni and melted cheese and milk together in the microwave and put that in there instead of the boxed stuff.

Hubby liked this meal as much as I did, and it is quick and easy to make.

One-Pot Salsa Beef Skillet

1 lb. extra lean ground beef

2 cups water

1 cup TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa

1 pkg. (14 oz.) KRAFT Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese Dinner Made With 2% Milk Cheese

2 cups frozen corn

1/2 cup KRAFT Mexican Style 2% Milk Finely Shredded Four Cheese

1 green onion, chopped

BROWN meat in large skillet on medium-high heat; drain.

ADD water, salsa and Macaroni; stir. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover. Simmer 10 min. or until macaroni is tender, stirring occasionally. Add corn and Cheese Sauce; stir. Cook 2 min. or until heated through.

TOP with cheese and onions.

Cajun Pepper Steak

ohh... this one was good. Yes yes yes yes yes. I didn't have a jar of Cajun spice that it called for, so I didn't use any, but I did put SOME spiced in there. LOL Denny just loved this, he talked about it for a couple of days how good it was. Had me send the recipe to my son, who loves to cook. It's to be served over hot rice or noodles, I used the rice.

BTW, it's been snowing outside here during the night and all day today and more is to come tonight. I think the temperature is a little lower than the average 50 degrees this time of year! I was beginning to think we had been transported back to Illinois! LOL

Cajun Pepper Steak pg 167 Taste of Home Winning Recipes

1 1/2 lb boneless beef round steak, cubed 2 Tbs vegetable oil

1 can (14 1/2 oz) beef broth 1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 C chopped green pepper 1/2 C chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, minced 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 bay leaf 1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 to 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning 1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper 2 Tbs cornstarch

2 Tbs cold water Hot cooked rice or noodles

In a large skillet, cook beef in oil over medium heat until browned; drain. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, green pepper, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour or until meat is tender.

Discard bay leaf. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into meat mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve over rice or noodles.

Yield: 4 - 6 servings.

I don't know if Seth has tried this yet, or not. I will have to ask him. We all sure liked it! Gonna go check the fire in the wood stove now.. it sure does make a room warm !!! :)

Blue Plate Beef Patties

ohhh... Denny really liked this one. Even with mushrooms in the gravy! I did, too, but then again, I like mushrooms anyway. LOL

We had planned on having SOS for supper, but this morning Denny was browsing through the cookbook and picked this out. I reckon he forgot about the SOS. That's ok, there is dinner tomorrow. :)

We were watching a movie this afternoon after Mom and I had gotten back from picking up her prescription at K-Mart and shopping at Grandma's Collectibles. Partway through the movie Denny suggested maybe having sloppy joes for supper, it might be easier and quicker than the Blue Plate Beef Patties. I guess he was hungry and wanted me to fix supper right them but didn't actually say that. LOL After the movie was over I went into the kitchen to start supper. It was after 6 p.m.! I didn't know it was that late! I fixed the Blue Plate. It wasn't hard at all and I didn't mess it up! YAYAYAAAAYAY

Blue Plate Beef Patties pg. 181 Taste of Home Winning Recipes

1 egg 2 green onions with tops, sliced

1/4 C seasoned bread crumbs 1 Tbs prepared mustard

1 1/2 lb ground beef 1 jar (12 ounces) beef gravy

1/2 C water 2 to 3 Tbs prepared horseradish

1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced

In a bowl, beat the egg; stir in the onions, bread crumbs, and mustard. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into four 1/2 in. thick patties.

In an ungreased skillet, cook patties for 4-5 minutes on each side or until meat is no long pink; drain.

In a small bowl, combine the gravy, water and horseradish; add mushrooms. Pour over patties. Cook, uncovered for 5 minutes or until mushroms are tender and heated through.

Yield: 4 servings

oh goodness .. Writing this down I do see that I didn't do it quite the way it said in the recipe!! I forgot the horseradish and I didn't cook the meat in the gravy. I actually poured the gravy and mushrooms over the meat at the table. Ok, so next time I will add the horseradish and try cooking the meat covered in the gravy a little before serving. I also made my own gravy, since I didn't have a jar of it in my pantry.

I also think I will spray the bottom of my skillet with some oil first, too; my hamburgers stuck to the bottom of the pan, big time.

Breakfast in the morning!

Ok... so breakfast is usually in the morning. I had to put some title up there and that is as good as it gets today.

So this morning I decided to try what was for a Saturday morning in my menu thingy I fixed up and we had had that one last Saturday, it was good, by the way and will put a post in for that later, and found some that I hadn't fixed for breakfast yet, that was on the meal planner for breakfasts during the week. Yeah... I'm slipping already, following the meal planner. LOL

I fixed Cajun Corned Beef Hash. I even bought Cajun seasoning for it, along with frozen hash browns and a tin of corned beef. I liked it. But then, I like almost, I said almost, everything. There are things I won't eat and not even try. Maybe someday I will try. No promises. Denny said it was good. Mom said it was ok, it wasn't her favorite. Denny ate it so he must have liked it somewhat, or he wouldn't have eaten it at all. The dogs loved the left overs, although there wasn't too much left over! LOL

Cajun Corned Beef Hash pg. 138 in the Taste of Home Winning Recipes cookbook

6 C frozen shredded hash browns, thawed 1/4 C butter

1/2 C each green onions, sweet red pepper, green pepper 1 tsp salt

finely chopped 3/4 chili powder (ooops)

3/4 tsp Cajun seasoning 1/2 tsp pepper

1 1/2 C cooked corned beef 1 Tbs white vinegar

8 eggs

Additional Cajun seasoning and hot pepper sauce, optional

Cook hash browns in butter in large skillet until almost tender. Stir in onions, peppers, and seasonings. Cook until has browns are lightly browned and peppers are tender. Add corned beef; heat through.

Meanwhile, in a skillet with high sides, bring 2 - 3 inches of water and vinegar to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer gently. For each egg, break cold egg into a custard cup or saucer, then hold the cup close to the surface of the water and slip the egg into simmering water. Cook 4 eggs at a time, uncovered, until whites are completely set and yolks begin to thicken, about 3 - 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove each egg. Repeat with remaining eggs.

Serve over the hash mixture. Sprinkle with additional Cajun seasoning and serve with hot pepper sauce if desired. Yield: 4 servings.

Editor's note: If poaching eggs using a metal poaching insert, increase poaching time to 6-7 minutes.

ahhh... did you see that (oooops) up there in the recipe ingredients next to the chili powder? Yep... I didn't see that so it didn't go into the food. It still tasted good to me! There is also a knack to poaching eggs in water this way! I don't have it. LOL I did it, but there were lots and lots of floaty egg whites in the pan. OH! And watch out for cleaning the pan afterwards! I used a stainless steel pan and had to really use powerful elbow grease to get it clean!

I Got a Cookbook for Christmas

I've used cookbooks before, but hubby has really liked this one. It's the Taste of Home Winning Recipes cookbook, and the recipes in it are really pretty darn good.

I don't think it matters that I've used recipes from Taste of Home magazine, before, he likes THIS one.

I thought one day that maybe instead of waiting until the last minute and think... "what shall I fix for supper?" and everything I think of be in the freezer, I'll make out a weekly menu planner!

Riiiiiiiiight.

First big mistake, I made the planner for all three meals of each day and I didn't factor in left overs. So... my planner is stretching over two weeks. LOL IF I even come close to sticking to it.

ANYway... hubby is in the "I don't like chicken" stage of his life. He's been there for several years now. He gave Mom the cookbook and said "It's your turn to choose what we'll have for supper tomorrow night." Guess what she chose... yep, chicken.

So, I followed the recipe for Oven Fried Chicken, page 222/223 of the Taste of Home Winning Recipes cookbook. He liked it! He even complimented me on how good it tasted. ::: thud ::: YAYAYAYAAYAY It is good and I'm glad he likes it cause we have more chicken in the freezer. :)

Here's the recipe:

Oven-Fried Chicken
2 C flour 2 Tbs salt
2 Tbs pepper 1 Tbs dried thyme
1 Tbs dried tarragon 1 Tbs ground ginger
1 Tbs dried mustard 1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp oregano 2 eggs
1/2 C milk 1 chicken, cut up
Oil for frying

Combine the dry ingredients; store in an airtight container. In a shallow bowl,l beat eggs and milk. Place 3/4 C coating mix in large resealable plastic bag. Store remaining mix in the container for future use. Dip chicken into egg/milk mixture and add a few pieces at a time to the bag and shake to coat the chicken.

Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken on all sides; transfer to an ungreased baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F. for 45 - 55 minutes, or until juices run clear.

I will definitely be using this recipe again.