My friend Heather asked for a recipe for cobbler. I'm not a big cobbler fan, probably for the same reasons she said in her comment, the recipes she's tried were just kind of blah. Anne Byrne, the Cake Mix Doctor gives these definitions: A cobbler is fruit and sugar topped with a pastry crust. A crisp is fruit and sugar covered with sweet, buttery crumbs and often nuts. A crumble is similar except the topping is denser and might contain oats. A buckle is a sweet batter baked up around a fruit topping. A betty is similar to a cobbler, but made with buttered bread cubes instead of a pastry. Now that we have our terms straight, I can tell you I prefer crumbles and crisps. I have two basic recipes I like to use and I will give you both of them because they are both fairly easy. Well, one is really easy and the other gets easier the more you make it. Heather, I hope this is what you were looking for.
The first one is the easies one because it uses a cake mix:
Fruit Crisp
2 - 16 oz bags of unsweetened frozen fruit or
6 cups fresh fruit
1 package plain yellow cake mix, white cake mix, or French vanilla cake mix
1 cup cold butter or margarine (2 sticks)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place fruit in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking pan. Cover fruit with half of dry cake mix. Cut the butter into 1/2 inch pieces and scatter half of these on top of the cake mix. Top with remaining cake mix and remaining butter. Bake 60 - 65 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes. Serve with ice cream.
The next recipe is another wonderful one from my mother-in-law. I must give you a warning that you could end up with every teenage boy in a mile radius salivating at your door. At least that's what happens whenever I make it for a youth event or church supper. We have always called it Brown Betty, however from the definition above, it is more technically a crisp. I never measure this one so I will do my best to explain it in an easy way.
Brown Betty
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
4 - 6 cups fresh or frozen fruit
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 /2 tsp nutmeg
Place in a 9 x 13 pan and combine well. In a medium bowl combine with a pastry blender:
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups white or brown sugar
1 cup margarine or butter
Spread over fruit. Bake 30 - 40 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.
Hope you like those!
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
What a Summer!
I hope most have you have had a more relaxing summer than we have. Since school ended all or a few in our family has been to Gundy, Virginia, two weeks of camp, Kansas City, Oklahoma, Mexico,
King's Island, Cedar Point, Indiana, Washington, DC, and New York City. Okay, I only actually did four of those trips and Ron did the rest. He finally will be home for good on Friday. And now you know why we homeschool. The kids are ready to see their daddy!
We also went through three cases of the worst stomach flu ever and my 93-year-old grandmother went home to be with Jesus. We'll miss her a lot but she was ready to go. It's sad how we wait until a funeral to have family reunions. All six of us cousins had not been together in 20 years. Isn't that pathetic? Mamaw would have loved us all being together with the kids running wild and dogs all over the place.
I'm don't have any recipes today because around here we've been eating a lot of hot dogs, frozen pizza, and fish sticks. If you look down in the comments though, Chris McDaneld gave a recipe for taco soup and anything Chris makes is incredible! Also, my friend, Jill, and I are in search of either a recipe or where I can buy the shrimp sauce they serve in Japanese restaurants. If any of you know how to make it or where to buy it, please post it on the comments.
If any of you would like to request a recipe let me know and I'll post it!
King's Island, Cedar Point, Indiana, Washington, DC, and New York City. Okay, I only actually did four of those trips and Ron did the rest. He finally will be home for good on Friday. And now you know why we homeschool. The kids are ready to see their daddy!
We also went through three cases of the worst stomach flu ever and my 93-year-old grandmother went home to be with Jesus. We'll miss her a lot but she was ready to go. It's sad how we wait until a funeral to have family reunions. All six of us cousins had not been together in 20 years. Isn't that pathetic? Mamaw would have loved us all being together with the kids running wild and dogs all over the place.
I'm don't have any recipes today because around here we've been eating a lot of hot dogs, frozen pizza, and fish sticks. If you look down in the comments though, Chris McDaneld gave a recipe for taco soup and anything Chris makes is incredible! Also, my friend, Jill, and I are in search of either a recipe or where I can buy the shrimp sauce they serve in Japanese restaurants. If any of you know how to make it or where to buy it, please post it on the comments.
If any of you would like to request a recipe let me know and I'll post it!
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Throw a Pasta Party!
Hello, Friends! I hope you are all having a great summer. Ours is crazy as usual. Right now Ron is in Mexico with the youth group and I'm at home with three kids, 2 of which got the stomach bug that's going around. Why can't they get sick when he's at home!?!
The good thing is, I'm at home to write in my blog and give you some more ideas. I often get calls from people who need ideas for dinner parties. One of the most popular meals I've done is a pasta bar. While you have to think ahead and time it well, it's very easy, especially for someone not very fond of cooking. It could also easily be made into a pitch in by asking your guests to each bring a specific item. (Make sure you tell them what to bring or else you could end up with 12 pots of linguine and no sauce.) Sorry this is kind of long, but If you are planning a big dinner, this is a fun one.
Start with a salad, of course. I usually do a basic Ceasar salad, but I got a recipe at Sam's the other day that would be fabulous. It's so good, try it with out soon! It would even be good with a little grilled chicken or some fancy white albacore tuna.
Artichoke Salad
1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped
1 small box grape tomatoes (or one medium tomato, chopped)
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts (4 hearts, quartered)
1 small red onion, sliced into rings
black pepper
salt
1/2 tub feta cheese
1 cup red wine vinegar
Combine red wine vinegar with lettuce, tomatoes, artichokes, and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well.
Immediately before serving, top with feta cheese crumbles.
I was amazed at how good this salad is and with no oil, it's also very light so if anyone at your party is watching their weight, they will like this. (Ceasar salad can be very high in fat.)
For the rest of the party here is my basic plan:
3 choices of pasta: Spaghetti, linguine, and cheese ravioli (I buy this in the freezer section)
2 choices of sauce: Marinara (no meat) and Alfredo (I use store bought sauces. Alfredo is just to complicated and Bertolli makes a great sauce. I also just doctor up the marinara with a little more garlic and a tablespoon of sugar.)
3 meats: Meatballs, grilled chicken strips, and some sauted shrimp. (I use store bought meatballs and frozen grilled mesquite chicken from Sam's. To make the shrimp melt 1/2 stick of real butter in a skillet. Add one clove minced garlic stir fry for thirty seconds. Add 1 pound peeled shrimp and stir fry until pink all the way through.)
1 vegetable: I stir fry broccoli, carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, and red onions in olive oil and garlic. It's also good to add some butter at the end for extra flavor.
Now it might seem over whelming to look at this list and think about how on earth you are going to get this all on the table without anything getting cold. Get a friend to help or if you have a large kitchen, make the food prep part of the party. Borrow a crock pot or two and set your oven on it's lowest setting. Start with the Marinara sauce, meatballs, and chicken. Get them hot first and then put them in the crock pots set on low.
Boil the spaghetti and linguine first. After you drain them mix in a little olive oil to keep them from sticking. While they are boiling stir fry your vegetables. You could then put the veggies and pastas in serving dishes, cover with foil, and place in the oven to keep warm. (Turn your oven on to it's lowest setting.) The ravioli will only take about 10 minutes and is a little more fragile, so do it last. You can cook the shrimp and warm the Alfredo sauce at the same time. (Shrimp gets rubbery if it sits too long.) Stir the Alfredo sauce frequently or it will stick.
Set up your buffet with the salads first, then the pastas, followed by the meats and veggies, then the sauces. Your guests can fill their plates with their choice of pasta, their favorite meat and sauce. Most try a little of everything. Don't forget to have some Parmesan cheese on hand.
I'll do another post later for some dessert ideas. I hope you like these ideas! Ask away if you have any questions.
Happy cooking!
The good thing is, I'm at home to write in my blog and give you some more ideas. I often get calls from people who need ideas for dinner parties. One of the most popular meals I've done is a pasta bar. While you have to think ahead and time it well, it's very easy, especially for someone not very fond of cooking. It could also easily be made into a pitch in by asking your guests to each bring a specific item. (Make sure you tell them what to bring or else you could end up with 12 pots of linguine and no sauce.) Sorry this is kind of long, but If you are planning a big dinner, this is a fun one.
Start with a salad, of course. I usually do a basic Ceasar salad, but I got a recipe at Sam's the other day that would be fabulous. It's so good, try it with out soon! It would even be good with a little grilled chicken or some fancy white albacore tuna.
Artichoke Salad
1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped
1 small box grape tomatoes (or one medium tomato, chopped)
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts (4 hearts, quartered)
1 small red onion, sliced into rings
black pepper
salt
1/2 tub feta cheese
1 cup red wine vinegar
Combine red wine vinegar with lettuce, tomatoes, artichokes, and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well.
Immediately before serving, top with feta cheese crumbles.
I was amazed at how good this salad is and with no oil, it's also very light so if anyone at your party is watching their weight, they will like this. (Ceasar salad can be very high in fat.)
For the rest of the party here is my basic plan:
3 choices of pasta: Spaghetti, linguine, and cheese ravioli (I buy this in the freezer section)
2 choices of sauce: Marinara (no meat) and Alfredo (I use store bought sauces. Alfredo is just to complicated and Bertolli makes a great sauce. I also just doctor up the marinara with a little more garlic and a tablespoon of sugar.)
3 meats: Meatballs, grilled chicken strips, and some sauted shrimp. (I use store bought meatballs and frozen grilled mesquite chicken from Sam's. To make the shrimp melt 1/2 stick of real butter in a skillet. Add one clove minced garlic stir fry for thirty seconds. Add 1 pound peeled shrimp and stir fry until pink all the way through.)
1 vegetable: I stir fry broccoli, carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, and red onions in olive oil and garlic. It's also good to add some butter at the end for extra flavor.
Now it might seem over whelming to look at this list and think about how on earth you are going to get this all on the table without anything getting cold. Get a friend to help or if you have a large kitchen, make the food prep part of the party. Borrow a crock pot or two and set your oven on it's lowest setting. Start with the Marinara sauce, meatballs, and chicken. Get them hot first and then put them in the crock pots set on low.
Boil the spaghetti and linguine first. After you drain them mix in a little olive oil to keep them from sticking. While they are boiling stir fry your vegetables. You could then put the veggies and pastas in serving dishes, cover with foil, and place in the oven to keep warm. (Turn your oven on to it's lowest setting.) The ravioli will only take about 10 minutes and is a little more fragile, so do it last. You can cook the shrimp and warm the Alfredo sauce at the same time. (Shrimp gets rubbery if it sits too long.) Stir the Alfredo sauce frequently or it will stick.
Set up your buffet with the salads first, then the pastas, followed by the meats and veggies, then the sauces. Your guests can fill their plates with their choice of pasta, their favorite meat and sauce. Most try a little of everything. Don't forget to have some Parmesan cheese on hand.
I'll do another post later for some dessert ideas. I hope you like these ideas! Ask away if you have any questions.
Happy cooking!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Carb Watchers: Beware!!!
I was talking to one of my faithful readers the other day and she said she had just boiled a rotisserie chicken as I had suggested, but she wasn't sure what she could do with it. We had been on several retreats together where I had made my mother-in-law's Chicken and Noodles, which are always a big hit.
If you are on the Atkin's diet or are thinking about the South Beach Diet, or were once on either diet, don't read the recipe! I think you will get every carb you've lost or will lose by just reading it. Oh, but it is one pot on comfort food that will make you feel all warm and snuggly all the way down to your toes. My mother-in-law is a fabulous cook and this is one of the family's favorites. She usually boils boneless chicken breasts, but you can also do it with the remains of a rotisserie chicken. This will be one of the few times this has ever been written down because a) she just showed me how to do it a few times and b) it's not very complicated. The only part I have a hard time with is getting the gravy to the exact right thickness. At the end I'll give you some tips for that. Instead of making the noodles from scratch, which is a long, messy process, you can buy them in the frozen section at the grocery store near the frozen bread dough. The brand I use is called Rhemes, I think, and it's in a clear bag with green print.
Chicken and Old-Fashioned Noodles
(serves 6)
1 rotisserie chicken carcass
Place the chicken in a dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer about 1 hour. (If you are doubling this, just use a bigger pot and do two chickens at once.)
Remove chicken from the broth and let it cool. Into the broth add:
2 bags frozen noodles
Let simmer for about 15 minutes or until noodles are soft.
Combine 1 cup cool water with:
2 bags of dry chicken gravy mix (Pioneer or Old Mill are the best choices because they make more. If you can't find them, use 4 bags of the store brand.)
Stir into the broth mix and let cook until thick, stirring frequently. While waiting for the broth to thicken, clean the chicken meat off the bones then add it to the noodles. Add salt and pepper as desired, but taste it first because some gravy mixes can be very salty.
Serve on top of mashed potatoes. (I know, weird, but it really is better this way.)
I often add my gravy mix and then realize I didn't buy enough gravy mix. If this happens place two tablespoons of corn starch or flour in a mug. Add two tablespoons cool water to the mug and blend with a small whisk or fork until most of the lumps are gone. Add a ladle of hot broth to the mug and blend it in before adding all of it to the big pot. Stir well and let it cook for a minute. If it's still not thick enough, do it all again.
I have also made this recipe with beef and it is just as good. I just use canned beef broth, left over roast beef, and beef gravy. Enjoy!
If you are on the Atkin's diet or are thinking about the South Beach Diet, or were once on either diet, don't read the recipe! I think you will get every carb you've lost or will lose by just reading it. Oh, but it is one pot on comfort food that will make you feel all warm and snuggly all the way down to your toes. My mother-in-law is a fabulous cook and this is one of the family's favorites. She usually boils boneless chicken breasts, but you can also do it with the remains of a rotisserie chicken. This will be one of the few times this has ever been written down because a) she just showed me how to do it a few times and b) it's not very complicated. The only part I have a hard time with is getting the gravy to the exact right thickness. At the end I'll give you some tips for that. Instead of making the noodles from scratch, which is a long, messy process, you can buy them in the frozen section at the grocery store near the frozen bread dough. The brand I use is called Rhemes, I think, and it's in a clear bag with green print.
Chicken and Old-Fashioned Noodles
(serves 6)
1 rotisserie chicken carcass
Place the chicken in a dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer about 1 hour. (If you are doubling this, just use a bigger pot and do two chickens at once.)
Remove chicken from the broth and let it cool. Into the broth add:
2 bags frozen noodles
Let simmer for about 15 minutes or until noodles are soft.
Combine 1 cup cool water with:
2 bags of dry chicken gravy mix (Pioneer or Old Mill are the best choices because they make more. If you can't find them, use 4 bags of the store brand.)
Stir into the broth mix and let cook until thick, stirring frequently. While waiting for the broth to thicken, clean the chicken meat off the bones then add it to the noodles. Add salt and pepper as desired, but taste it first because some gravy mixes can be very salty.
Serve on top of mashed potatoes. (I know, weird, but it really is better this way.)
I often add my gravy mix and then realize I didn't buy enough gravy mix. If this happens place two tablespoons of corn starch or flour in a mug. Add two tablespoons cool water to the mug and blend with a small whisk or fork until most of the lumps are gone. Add a ladle of hot broth to the mug and blend it in before adding all of it to the big pot. Stir well and let it cook for a minute. If it's still not thick enough, do it all again.
I have also made this recipe with beef and it is just as good. I just use canned beef broth, left over roast beef, and beef gravy. Enjoy!
Saturday, July 7, 2007
I know, it's been forever!
Hello, friends! I know. I'm the worst blogger ever. This blog has been waste of cyber space. I really did not mean to neglect it, I've just been busy. In fact, I'm writing this from my sister-in-law's house in Harrisonville, Kansas. We came for the North American Christian Convention in Kansas City where Ron did his thing at the teen convention running the show, while I was the back stage hostess with my friend, Michelle. It was a lot of fun. They put us in a suite that was bigger than our house and we ordered room service three times. I'm sooo spoiled!
I don't have any recipes right here with me, but one thing I've learned on this trip as the hostess is if you have chocolate to share everyone will be your friend. If it were possible through this blog to give you chocolate, I would bring you Scharffen Berger chocolate. Ron and I went to the Scharffenberger factory in Berkley, California. I had never heard about it at the time, but it was in my AAA guide book and when you have "factory tour" and "dark chocolate" in the same line you have me hook, line, and sinker. Scharffen Berger Chocolate specializes in dark chocolate and is one of the best in the world. In Knoxville you can buy it at the Fresh Market. It's expensive but even Ron thinks it's worth it. You can't eat a whole bar, it's too rich, so if you need to justify it, remind yourself one bar will last three or four days. Here's there website if you want to learn more. www.scharffenberger.com Try it out, you'll love it!
I don't have any recipes right here with me, but one thing I've learned on this trip as the hostess is if you have chocolate to share everyone will be your friend. If it were possible through this blog to give you chocolate, I would bring you Scharffen Berger chocolate. Ron and I went to the Scharffenberger factory in Berkley, California. I had never heard about it at the time, but it was in my AAA guide book and when you have "factory tour" and "dark chocolate" in the same line you have me hook, line, and sinker. Scharffen Berger Chocolate specializes in dark chocolate and is one of the best in the world. In Knoxville you can buy it at the Fresh Market. It's expensive but even Ron thinks it's worth it. You can't eat a whole bar, it's too rich, so if you need to justify it, remind yourself one bar will last three or four days. Here's there website if you want to learn more. www.scharffenberger.com Try it out, you'll love it!
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Here's you a good one!
I know, I know. It's been forever since I've posted. Some of you may have even given up on me. Well, hopefully there are one or two faithful friends out there. Tonight I made this cake for our Wednesday night meal. I take something almost every week so I don't know why I keep putting off deciding what to take until that day. I just happened to have a yellow cake mix though so I decided to make this one. I've made it a few times before and am always surprised at how easy it is. It's another one from the Cake Mix Doctor cookbook and I think you will like it. Keep the ingredients on hand and you always have something ready and fast to take to a friend who had a bad day, a breakfast party, or a special breakfast treat on a special day.
Honey Bun Cake
1 package yellow cake mix
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
Filling:
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp. cinnamon
Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar (You can sift this if you want to but I don't and it turns out fine.)
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray.
Place cake mix, sour cream, oil, and eggs in a large bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until blended. Scrape bowl down and beat on medium for 2 minutes. Pour into prepared pan.
(For this next part I didn't measure anything and it worked out fine.) Drizzle batter with honey. Sprinkle on the brown sugar (about two handfuls) and cinnamon. (You could add some chopped nuts here if you really wanted to.) Using a table knife, swirl these ingredients in slightly, but do not blend.
Bake for 38 to 40 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool while you prepare the glaze.
Combine the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl until well blended. Spread glaze over hot cake, using the back of a spoon to make sure the cake is competely covered. Allow 20 more minutes of cooling time before serving.
Now doesn't that sound easy and yummy! We had a small crowd tonight so there were some leftovers. I'm excited about my breakfast tomorrow!
I will try to do another post soon. I have some faithful standbys I like to use that I think you will like. Thanks for hanging with me!
Honey Bun Cake
1 package yellow cake mix
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
Filling:
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp. cinnamon
Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar (You can sift this if you want to but I don't and it turns out fine.)
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray.
Place cake mix, sour cream, oil, and eggs in a large bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until blended. Scrape bowl down and beat on medium for 2 minutes. Pour into prepared pan.
(For this next part I didn't measure anything and it worked out fine.) Drizzle batter with honey. Sprinkle on the brown sugar (about two handfuls) and cinnamon. (You could add some chopped nuts here if you really wanted to.) Using a table knife, swirl these ingredients in slightly, but do not blend.
Bake for 38 to 40 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool while you prepare the glaze.
Combine the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl until well blended. Spread glaze over hot cake, using the back of a spoon to make sure the cake is competely covered. Allow 20 more minutes of cooling time before serving.
Now doesn't that sound easy and yummy! We had a small crowd tonight so there were some leftovers. I'm excited about my breakfast tomorrow!
I will try to do another post soon. I have some faithful standbys I like to use that I think you will like. Thanks for hanging with me!
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
One Chicken, So Many Possibilities
My family loves the Sam's rotisserie chicken. Emily gets disappointed when they are not giving out the samples of it on our weekly trips. (Yes, we go weekly. We are addicted. Many times we leave with nothing but our two 32 oz. soft drinks, refilled at least twice.) I have become dependent on them. I used to buy the whole raw chickens which I would bake several at a time and then freeze the meat. I've stopped doing that because for five bucks, it's not worth turning the oven on. Here is my method:
Buy two or three chickens. Take them home and let them sit on the counter to cool while we eat one with roasted potatoes or mac and cheese and some green beans or broccoli. The five of us usually only eat about half of a chicken. After supper I clean the meat off the bones and divide it into two cup portions in ziploc freezer bags. These go in the freezer for casseroles, soups, salads, and anything else I can want it for. I throw the carcasses in a stock pot and cover with water. Bring this to boil and let simmer for one hour. When it's done I pull out the bones out and then we have this wonderful stock! There is even more meat on the bones that falls right off. I put this stock in those disposable Ziploc containers. The ones with the screw-on lids are the best. Now I can use it to cook rice, risotto, or just make soup on a cold day.
I've used this chicken for fried rice and fajitas and it made the process go so much faster! From one chicken I usually get about 8 cups of chicken. We'll be on a mission trip for the next week and a half so the blog will be quiet for a while. Never fear! I will be back. Please pray for us. I will be teaching a home-ec class to some high schoolers. Teaching is NOT my spiritual gift so I am a little nervous.
Buy two or three chickens. Take them home and let them sit on the counter to cool while we eat one with roasted potatoes or mac and cheese and some green beans or broccoli. The five of us usually only eat about half of a chicken. After supper I clean the meat off the bones and divide it into two cup portions in ziploc freezer bags. These go in the freezer for casseroles, soups, salads, and anything else I can want it for. I throw the carcasses in a stock pot and cover with water. Bring this to boil and let simmer for one hour. When it's done I pull out the bones out and then we have this wonderful stock! There is even more meat on the bones that falls right off. I put this stock in those disposable Ziploc containers. The ones with the screw-on lids are the best. Now I can use it to cook rice, risotto, or just make soup on a cold day.
I've used this chicken for fried rice and fajitas and it made the process go so much faster! From one chicken I usually get about 8 cups of chicken. We'll be on a mission trip for the next week and a half so the blog will be quiet for a while. Never fear! I will be back. Please pray for us. I will be teaching a home-ec class to some high schoolers. Teaching is NOT my spiritual gift so I am a little nervous.
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