Lemon Curd

Earl and Kathy invited the girls to spend the night at their house Friday night.  Not only that, Kathy offered to bring them back home today, leaving my car available for me and saving me the long drive to pick them back up.

I was very appreciative and decided to whip up some lemon curd as a token of my thanks.  As I looked up the recipe, I was reminded that a friend of mine requested the recipe recently and I decided I could perhaps post something on my blog at long last as well.  Win-win.

 

The recipe I use couldn't be easier-throw the ingredients into a pan, stir over low heat until thick. Voila, lemon curd.  

 

I first made it for our FIAR group almost 10 years ago, when we read "The Secret Garden".  I discovered it in a recipe for Lemon Curd Tartlets from "The Secret Garden Cookbook-Recipes Inspired by Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden" by Amy Cotler.  I've made it several times through the years, seldom bothering with the tart shells (although it's delicious that way), mostly just whipping up a batch or three of the curd itself.

 

Lemon Curd

1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup sugar
zest of one lemon
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick) chilled and cut into 4 pieces

 

Whisk together the egg, egg yolk, sugar, lemon zest, and juice in a small saucepan.  Add the cold pieces of butter and place over low heat.  Cook about 10 minutes, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula to prevent sticking, until the mixture just coats the back of a spoon.  Do not boil!  Immediately remove from the heat and scrape into a small bowl.  Press plastic wrap over the curd to prevent a skin from forming.  Place in the refrigerator.

I've also made lime curd, subbing lime zest and juice for the lemon, which is wonderful, too.  

 

We like the curd on lemon poppyseed scones, Allison likes it on toast or crackers, and one of the best ways to enjoy it is on a spoon.  What would you put it on? 

Bacon Blue Cheese Mac & Cheese

I thought about titling this "Love it or Hate it Mac-N-Cheese" because I'm sure the common reaction to this is one or the other.


I suspect this is not a kid-friendly recipe in most households but my girls love it.  Then again, they don't eat the stuff in the blue box at all.

Earl and Kathy gave me some fantastic smoked blue cheese recently, which prompted me to tell them about this dish with the promise to blog it so they, too, could try it.

I got this recipe from a Better Homes and Gardens year end cookbook that I picked up used.  I don't follow the recipe exactly (no surprise there) so I'll post the recipe as I make it.

Bacon Blue Cheese Macaroni and Cheese

4 slices bacon
2 large onions, thinly sliced
6-8 ounces dried macaroni or other medium sized pasta
4 ounces (1 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese
2 ounces (1/2 cup) blue cheese
1 cup half-and-half (or milk)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

In a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp, over medium heat.  Remove to paper towel, crumble and set aside.

In reserved bacon drippings, cook onion until tender and golden brown.  (The original recipe says "5-8 minutes".  I cook my onions low and slow-over an hour and a half this time-because I like to caramelize them if I have that much time.)  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350º.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and place in greased 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.  Add the crumbled bacon, onion, mozzarella, blue cheese, half-and-half, and pepper.  Toss gently to combine.

Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.  Stir gently and top with additional mozzarella, if desired.  Bake for 10 minutes more, or until top is brown and bubbly.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

There you have it.  Are you a "love it" or "hate it" person when it comes to blue cheese?

Two potato salad

For Father's Day, we invited Clarence's parents over for lunch. When Western ribs and country ribs were on sale a few weeks ago, I bought some, crock-potted them until tender, put them in zip bags with BBQ sauce, then froze them in anticipation of Father's Day. A quick reheat on the grill and the meat would be done. I wasn't sure what else I wanted to serve so I asked Clarence what he would like.

He chose baked beans and potato salad as sides. Sounded good, but his dad is a diabetic and I was concerned about carb overload for him.

I remembered some three-potato salad I used to buy at the deli. I think it had white potatoes, redskins, and sweet potatoes. I first bought it because it looked cheesy and the deli lady wouldn't tell me what was in it. She urged me to just try it. I laugh now because that's the only time I remember something like that happening but I probably would have kept walking had she told me what was in it. I was surprised at how much I liked it. I thought using sweet potatoes would lower the glycemic index a bit so it would be slightly more diabetic-friendly for Dad.

I've only made potato salad a couple of times-ever-but this recipe was a huge hit, especially with my girls. I decided to blog the recipe so if I forget how I made it, I can re-create it again.


The leftover meat made great BBQ beef sandwiches to serve with the potato salad.

Two Potato Salad

3 1/2 to 4 pounds potatoes (I used russets)
3 pounds sweet potatoes (2 large)
1 medium Vidalia onion
1 1/2 cups light mayonnaise
4 Tablespoons rice vinegar

Wash potatoes and sweet potatoes. Boil potatoes and sweet potatoes in large pot of water until fork tender (I did them separately). Place in cold water to quick cool, changing water as needed.

Peel and chop into bite sized pieces; place chunks in large bowl. Dice onion and add to potatoes.

Stir together mayonnaise and rice vinegar. Pour over diced potatoes; stir until well combined. Chill until ready to serve.

This recipe is easily halved. It filled my largest bowl and we ate it for several meals.

Peppermint Popcorn

I tried a new recipe this year which Clarence dubbed "addictive".

You can find the recipe here that I used as a guide (isn't that really what all recipes are?).

I used my blender to crush the candy canes. It was far more efficient than my rolling pin and less jarring on my nerves, too. I also replaced the vanilla chips with vanilla coating/almond bark because I had it on hand.

Kathy told me people were requesting the recipe after she posted a picture on her blog so I promised I'd post the link. I suggest you hurry and see if there are any more candy canes left on the clearance racks. You don't want to wait 'til next Christmas to try this!

Cream-Filled Confetti Cookies

I've been planning, for a few years now, to convert all my recipe cards to 4x6 inch cards. I bought a nice, new box and some pretty recipe cards but I've rewritten only a few recipes in all that time.

It's an overwhelming task; my small box is packed tightly with cards. I find I'm more likely to copy an old recipe into MasterCook than I am to copy it to the new, larger cards.



When Allison and I got ready to make cookies Sunday afternoon, I knew the time had come to copy at least one recipe onto a new card. Looking at the old card, you might think I've had it a long time or that I'm a messy cook. Yes, and yes. I have those cool plastic sleeves designed to keep your cards clean but obviously, they came too late to save this one.

One down, only 32,593 left.

Cream-Filled Confetti Cookies


1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup candy sprinkles

FILLING
3/4 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg (see note)
food coloring


In large bowl, combine sugar, 1/2 cup butter, shortening, vanilla and eggs; beat well. Add flour, baking powder, & salt, mix well. Stir in candy sprinkles. Cover dough, refrigerate at least 1 hour for easier handling.

Heat oven to 400º F. On lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8" thickness. Cut with 2 1/2 " cookie cutter. Place 1" apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 5-7 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute, remove, cool completely.

In medium bowl, beat 3/4 cup butter until softened. Gradually add sugar, blend well. Add vanilla and egg, beat until light and fluffy. Add coloring, blend well. Spread 1 heaping teaspoon of filling between 2 cookies. Store filled cookies in refrigerator.

Note: I get a little queasy at the idea of raw egg in the filling so I use powdered egg. The flavor wouldn't be the same without the egg so I had to either find an alternative or buck up and eat raw egg. The powdered egg gives a great result, without any queasiness. Also, we skipped the food coloring this time.

Tomato Corn Pie

I like reading Smitten Kitchen. She has fantastic photos, witty writing, and I often learn new things from her blog.

I've tried very few of her tempting recipes and, in fact, Allison reminded me that we haven't really cared for the few I have attempted. Hope springs eternal, I suppose, because she posted a Tomato and Corn Pie a couple weeks ago and I decided I had to try it. (Or, more accurately, use her recipe as a jumping off point.)

I made a single instead of a double crust pie, I cut the salt, cheese, and butter, and used whole wheat pastry flour, light mayo, and skim milk but, other than that, this is just like hers.

I recommend it highly.



Tomato and Corn Pie


1 cup whole wheat flour (pastry flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 ounces milk, skim
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 3/4 pounds tomatoes, whole
1 1/2 cups corn kernels, divided
2 tablespoons basil, fresh, finely chopped, divided
1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, 1 cup, divided


Whisk together flour, baking powder, and 1/4 tsp salt in a bowl, then blend in cold butter with a pastry blender until it resembles coarse meal. Add milk, stirring until mixture just forms a dough, then gather into a ball.

Roll out into a 12-inch round (1/8 inch thick), and place in a 9-inch pie plate (or press it into the pie plate with your fingers instead of rolling it out). Trim any overhang.

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Whisk together mayonnaise and lemon juice.

Cut an X in bottom of each tomato and blanch in a large pot of boiling water 10 seconds. Immediately transfer with a slotted spoon to an ice bath to cool. Peel tomatoes, then slice crosswise 1/4 inch thick and, if desired, gently remove seeds and extra juices (I spun them in my salad spinner. It helped but didn't completely eliminate the excess liquid.). Arrange half of tomatoes in crust, overlapping, and sprinkle with half of corn, one tablespoon basil, 1/2 tablespoon chives, 1/8 teaspoon pepper and one-half cup of grated cheese. Repeat layering with remaining tomatoes, corn, basil, chives, salt, and pepper. Pour lemon mayonnaise over filling and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake pie until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes.

Part-time kitchen help

My refrigerator has taken some time off this summer.

Right before Family Camp we had trouble but Clarence got it running again.

Last week it happened again. Things didn't feel cold enough, although the frozen stuff was still rock hard, just like before. Sure enough, I stuck the thermometer in there and it was in the 50's.

Clarence tore it further apart this time and found the thingamajig evaporator was iced up. Some defrosting courtesy of my hair dryer gave us refrigeration again.

What to do with all the milk gone bad? So far, we've had one batch of bread and two quadruple batches of waffles. My girls love homemade waffles. We'll be making more. Lots more. I had over a gallon and a half of milk when the fridge quit.

Whole Wheat Waffles
(just slightly adapted from Whole Foods for the Whole Family)

2 eggs, separated

1 1/2 cups sour milk

1/4 c. oil

1 T. brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 c. whole wheat pastry flour

Beat egg whites with mixer until stiff. Mix egg yolks and milk together in large bowl. Add remaining ingredients, beating well after each addition; fold in egg whites. Pour into lightly greased waffle iron. Cook until steaming stops.

We think these waffles are delicious enough to eat plain.

Oh, and yes, we're looking for a new refrigerator. Twice in two months makes us think we're on borrowed time. Hopefully, we can get a new one delivered before our part time one decides to retire once and for all.

Added to LifeasMom's breakfast URS

Jicama slaw

The big round thing in the back of the picture is a jicama.

On several occasions when I've been buying one, the cashier or a customer behind me has asked me what it is and what to do with it. I don't know what other people do with it, but I make slaw with it.



I'll share my recipe with you, but I must forewarn you that it isn't much as recipes go. It's more like a guideline-which, if you know me at all, you know that I consider all recipes to be guidelines. So, I suppose, that makes this a perfect recipe for me.

When I was counting my weight watcher points (like I should be doing now), I think it figured out to be one point or less and that was only because of the raisins. They really are essential to the dish so don't begrudge the point, ok?

I started making this slaw in an attempt to copy the slaw we were served at Rainforest Cafe several years ago. I was surprised by the flavor when I tried it-it's kind of sweet. I'm not sure how close mine actually comes to theirs, but we like it.

I recommend making it a day ahead of time, if possible. The flavor improves significantly upon standing. A food processor or Salad Shooter makes all the shredding go quickly.

Jicama Slaw

1 Jicama, peeled (this one was a monster at over 3#-usually they're a bit smaller)
3 carrots, peeled
1/2 head cabbage
1 bell pepper (1/2 red & 1/2 yellow is pretty but I had green on hand. Shop at home.)
1 cucumber, peeled
1/2-3/4 cup raisins, soaked and drained

Pour about 1/2 cup boiling water over raisins. Allow raisins to soak 5 minutes, then drain and set raisins aside.

Shred jicama, carrots, and cabbage; place in large bowl. Dice or make short strips of bell pepper; add to bowl. Cut cucumber in lengthwise quarters, then slice and add to bowl. Add drained raisins to bowl, toss to mix.

That's it. I didn't forget the dressing, either. There isn't one. How easy is that? Adjust the amounts of the ingredients as needed. If you get a small jicama, you can use less of the other stuff, of course.

Note to raisin haters: Put them in anyhow and pick them out when you eat it. I think they are that important to the flavor.

I'd love to hear what you think if you try this.

Spinach, Rice and Feta Pie

I tried a new recipe from our church cookbook yesterday. It worked out to be perfect timing to share in LifeasMom's meatless main dish recipe swap this week. It's been ages since I've participated but I'm looking forward to perusing all the other swapped recipes.



I know, the title says "Pie" and I'm showing you a baking dish instead of a pie plate. The recipe is from my best friend so I was confident we'd like it, since we've eaten her cooking numerous times through the years. I doubled the recipe to use up the feta I had in the fridge and used my 10 x 15-inch pan. I considered using my 9 x 13-inch pan but ultimately chose the larger one for faster baking and to assure myself, without doing a bunch of math, that the ingredients would fit without overflowing. Skipping all that math made me feel happy.

Since I was lacking in both imagination and time, I served it only with a tossed salad. We had pineapple upside down cake for dessert, thanks to Mom bringing it on Sunday.

I never seem able to make a recipe quite as written so I am copying the recipe as it should be, then adding my changes below.

Spinach, Rice and Feta Pie

2 teaspoons margarine
3/4 cup onion-chopped
2 teaspoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt (I omitted this)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups low fat milk
2 cups cooked rice
3/4 cup feta cheese-crumbled (3 oz.)
1 egg-lightly beaten
2 egg whites
1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach-thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400º.
Melt margarine in large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and saute 3 minutes. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly.

Remove saucepan from heat and stir in the cooked rice, crumbled feta, egg, egg whites, and spinach. Pour mixture into a greased 9-inch pie plate. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over pie. Bake at 400º for 35 minutes or until set. Broil 2 minutes or until pie is golden brown. (I didn't broil mine as I thought it brown enough at the end of the baking time.)

My changes: I sauted my onion in a bit of water instead of butter. I buy frozen spinach in 1# bags so I used that instead of two boxes. I left out the salt because the cheese adds enough saltiness, imho. I normally would have separated the eggs and used the two whites called for but in the interest of moving quickly, I used two whole eggs instead of the 1egg & 2 whites. See, I followed it almost exactly as written. ;-)

French Sweet Bread

I shared some bread recipes with Becky, from Hospitality Lane, recently. She tried the French Sweet Bread and seems as hooked on it as my family is. The thing is, I don't make this bread year 'round. I usually make it around the holidays, as gifts and for family dinners sometimes, and then again in summer to use for French toast when we are camping. (It is my very, very favorite bread for French toast.)

Becky made it, liked it, and made it again. And again. It seemed like I was always seeing a picture of it or she mentioned it in passing on her blog. I was craving it.

She posted about it yesterday and this morning I had to mix some up. I decided to share the recipe here because I have never heard of anyone who didn't like this bread. In fact, it brought a pretty high price at fund-raising auctions our church has held. It's kinda well known around there due to those pastor and Sunday school teacher gifts from Christmases past.



I double the recipe when making this bread. As I might have mentioned, it makes the best French toast so I always want enough to use for that after my family eats their fill of it fresh.

When I warm the milk, I add the butter to it to melt. Just make sure you let it cool before it goes in with the other ingredients.

I used to make this by hand but now I use a mixer. A double batch is almost beyond its capacity, but not quite.

See? Once mixed, it fits in the bowl just fine.

My girls have been drooling all morning, waiting for the bread to be done. The house smells yummy.


French Sweet Bread


1 package dry yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt (I omit the salt unless using unsalted butter, then use 1/4-1/2 teaspoon)
6 tablespoons melted butter
4 cups flour (4 to 4 1/2 cups total)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon


1. Dissolve yeast in water. Heat milk to lukewarm. In a different bowl, combine egg, sugar, cinnamon and salt, if using.
2. Add yeast, milk and 4 Tablespoons butter and mix again. Add flour gradually till it can be gathered into a soft ball. Blend in remaining flour with fingers.
3. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Use remaining butter to keep fingers from sticking. Don't use any more flour.
4. Place in lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled. Punch down and knead a few times. Divide in half, then divide each half into 3 pieces and roll each piece between hands into a long rope.
5. Braid ropes from middle, pinching ends together. Form into ring if desired, place on oiled baking sheet.
6. Cover and let double. Bake at 350º F for 30-45 minutes.


You know what I'm having for breakfast tomorrow, don't you?

Edited to add a link to LifeAsMom's baked goods recipe swap.

Lemon-Poppyseed Scones

Mrs. Rabe of Creekside Cottage asked if I'd share my recipe for the scones. I got it from a freezer email list I used to be on but I think it originally came from Bon Appetit. I apologize in advance for the spacing-I really did space it nicely but blogger seems to like it run together better.

If you know me, you know that I sometimes (ok, maybe almost always) do a little "tweaking" and I've been trying that with this recipe. I love it just as written but that is a LOT of butter. I replaced just a bit of the butter with nonfat yogurt and couldn't tell a difference. Of course, this always leads to further experimentation-how low can the butter content go before ruining the end result? I don't know that answer yet.

Instead of making eight large wedge-shaped scones yesterday, I used a slightly mounded cookie scoopful of dough and dropped it on a sheet pan like a biscuit. I think they took about 15 minutes to bake. It yielded about 30 scones prepared that way.

Lemon Poppyseed Scones

3 cups flour, all-purpose
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon sugar (turns out to be optional-see original poster's note at bottom)
3 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel (I use one lemon's worth of zest instead of measuring)
1 teaspoon salt (I leave this out completely but I'm pretty anti-salt)
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces (I used 8 T. butter, 2 T. yogurt)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup whole milk (or more) (I use skim)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Position rack in top third of oven.

Mix flour, 1 cup sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, lemon peel, and salt in processor. Add butter and cut in, using on/off turns, until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Whisk egg and lemon juice in medium bowl to blend. Add to flour mixture. Using on/off turns, process until moist clumps form. Add 1/3 cup milk. Using on/off turns, process just until dough comes together, adding more milk if dough seems dry. (I don't think I've ever had to use more.)

Using floured hands, gather dough into ball. Flatten into 8-inch round. Cut round into 8 wedges. Transfer scones to large baking sheet; brush with milk. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake until scones are golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.) Makes 8 scones.

I didn't brush them with milk or sugar -- instead, while they were baking, I mixed a very small bit of lemon juice and powdered sugar to make a frosting, which I then coated the cooled-as-far-as-my-patience-would-allow scones very slightly with.

Enjoy!

Needing some spring + recipe

It has been a long winter this year. Cold, lots of snow, bitter wind, cold temps, cold viruses, and did I mention it's been cold?

Yeah, it is so not my favorite season-although I will concede it has its beauty at times.

Still, I am more than ready to be done with winter. I'm ready for sunny days, leaving the house without bundling up, green grass, flowers, grilling pizza...I'm ready for summer.

In the meantime, I'd settle for spring. Not the mud so much, but the beginning of blooms, the pretty colors, and longer days.



The girls and I had plans to go to a "big" Joann's store today. Since one of our options puts us right in Earl and Kathy's neck of the woods, I called to see if they'd be home and we planned a visit to deliver the linens from Aunt Sharon.

I had some lemons languishing in my crisper drawer, drawing ever closer to the end of their useful life and I happen to know a little secret about Kathy. She adores lemon curd. I decided that I needed (yes, needed) to make lemon curd for Kathy (yes, for Kathy-you think it was really for me?) and that some lemon-poppyseed scones would be a great go-along.

Doesn't the sight of that bright yellow curd cheer your heart? It looked so pretty next to her flowers from a friend.

I'm convinced that lemon curd was invented for the dark, cold days of late winter, to remind us that the sun will shine again and spring is on its way.


Lemon Curd

1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup sugar
zest of one lemon
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup butter, chilled and cut into 4 pieces


Whisk together the egg, egg yolk, sugar, lemon zest, and juice in a small saucepan. Add the butter pieces and place over low heat. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula to prevent sticking, until the mixture just coats the back of a spoon. Do not boil!
Immediately remove from the heat and scrape into a small bowl. Press plastic wrap over the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Place in the refrigerator.

Mexican Rice Bake

Fishmama at Life as Mom is hosting a recipe swap today. She's looking for healthy recipes and I have to admit that I share her love of cheesy, fatty, and yummy foods.

This is a recipe my best friend gave me several years ago. You can make it cheesy, fattty, and yummy or you can scale it back a bit as I do and enjoy a less cheesy, less fatty, but still yummy dish. Let me know what you think if you try it.

Mexican Rice Bake


1 teaspoon olive oil (I usually just spray my pan)
1 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, pressed (I use bottled)
5 cups cooked rice (I use brown rice)
15 ounces black beans, canned, rinsed and drained
1 cup salsa, thick and chunky, divided (I don't measure this, just pour some on and spread it)
2 1/4 ounces ripe olives, pitted and sliced (I don't keep these on hand so never put them in)
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I use 2 c. total)
1 cup ricotta cheese, part skim milk (I use FF cottage cheese-again, because it's what is on hand)
1/4 cup light sour cream (I use light or FF-both are fine in this)
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder


1. Preheat oven to 350º. In medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, pepper, and garlic; cook and stir 3 minutes or until tender.
2. In large bowl, combine onion mixture, rice, beans and olives. In medium bowl, combine 2 1/2 cups (or 1 1/2 c.)cheddar cheese, ricotta (or cottage)cheese, sour cream, and chili powder; mix well.
3. Spread half of rice mixture in greased 13" x 9" pan. Top with half of cheese mixture; spread evenly over rice. (I end up using all the cheese mixture, there's never enough for another layer if I want to spread it over the rice completely. It works.) Drizzle with half of salsa. Repeat layers.
4. Bake 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Bake 2-3 minutes longer, until cheese is melted.

Please pass the kids' favorites

Today's Housewife hosts a weekly recipe swap. This weekend's topic is sharing our kids' favorites.

My girls agreed on an entree they both really like (I'll share that at the bottom) but they enjoy cookies called "Chocolate Yummies" a lot, too.

Since the cookies are quick, easy, no-bake, and I had all the ingredients, I decided to post them so I could include some pictures.



Here is all you need: chocolate chips, butter, marshmallows, coconut, oatmeal, and vanilla. Oh, and the recipe. I'll be sure to give you that in just a minute.

Start by melting the butter, marshmallows, and chocolate chips together, stirring until smooth.

Once melted, stir in the oats, coconut, and vanilla.

Here's my extra tip for you: put newspaper down on your counter, then cover it with wax paper. Every time I made no bake cookies, I used to hate cleaning waxy residue off my counter or cookie sheet. The newspaper makes clean up quick and easy.

Scoop your cookies out onto the wax paper, allow to cool.

Chocolate Yummies
(from Quick Cooking 2001 Annual Recipes)


1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 ounces)
1/3 cup butter, or margarine
16 large marshmallows (or I use 2 2/3 c. mini marshmallows)
2 cups quick cooking oats ( I use old fashioned)
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract


In a saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate chips, butter, and marshmallows; stir until smooth. Stir in oats, coconut and vanilla; mix well. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Chill until set, about 30 minutes.

The second recipe I promised is one that came with my copy of MasterCook. It is for Barbequed Chicken Pasta and can be found online here. I never put the scallions on top and serve the cilantro on the side (if I have it) because one of my girls doesn't like it.

Hope you enjoy these recipes!

Pumpkin cake

I don't often make layer cakes.

I'm signed up for emails from Kraft and happened across this recipe this week. I had leftover pumpkin in the fridge needing to be used so I decided to give it a whirl.

So far, so good. The layers aren't sliding. I was kinda worried. But notice all my crumbs on the cake plate. Sigh. Presentation is not my strong suit. I didn't actually notice them at the time-only now in my picture.

Complete with caramel topping and toasted pecans.

It was yummy. I thought the caramel was barely noticeable, which makes it unneccesary in my opinion. I'd rather slap some more of the filling on top as frosting. Of course, I could eat the filling with a spoon. It's hard to go wrong when cream cheese and Cool Whip are involved. (Yes, I enjoy whatever that chemical mixture named Cool Whip is.)

My changes to their recipe were minor: I didn't have a yellow cake mix so I subbed a white one. I added extra pumpkin in place of much of the oil (I know, I know-like reducing the oil really makes much difference in this case), and I used light cream cheese.

Please pass the...

This weekend's recipe swap at Today's Housewife is dessert recipes.

I'm sharing a recipe I got years ago from a friend at work. The beauty of this cake is that it is actually better if you make it a day ahead of time. Not that it isn't good the day you make it but the flavors seem to magically blend overnight and make it even better.

This is so easy to mix up, I usually just use a wooden spoon and leave the mixer in the cupboard. I've replaced part of the oil with applesauce to cut the fat a bit. Feel free to make the full fat version if you want. ;-)

Chocolate Cherry Cake


2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup applesauce, unsweetened
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
21 ounces cherry pie filling
6 ounces chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts, Optional (I've never used them.)

1. Combine flour, sugar, oil, applesauce, eggs, vanilla, baking soda & cinnamon; mix well. Stir in pie filling, chocolate chips, and nuts (if using).
2. Pour into greased and floured bundt or tube pan. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Sprinkle top with confectioner's sugar, if desired (I always do).

Pumpkin cranberry scones with pumpkin butter

Life as Mom is having a pumpkin recipe swap this week. I decided to share a recipe I got from a homeschooling message board a couple years ago. I don't know who posted it there but it is really good. I, of course, sometimes make changes to the original recipe. Those are listed under the last picture, if you are interested.




Pumpkin Cranberry Scones

2 cups self-rising flour (or all purpose flour + 1 tsp. baking powder and 1/4 tsp. salt)
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or 1/4 tsp. ginger, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. allspice, & 1 tsp. cinnamon)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold
1/3 cup buttermilk, or sour milk (~1/2 tsp. vinegar to 1/3 c. milk)
1/2 cup pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup dried cranberries


1. Mix together flour, sugar, spices, baking powder (if using), baking soda, and salt (if using) in a large bowl. Cut butter into small pieces and cut into the flour. Mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Mix in dried cranberries. In a separate bowl mix together the pumpkin, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add to flour mixture and mix until the dough comes together (don't overmix).

2. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead gently 3-4 times, and then shape/pat dough in a circle about 1 1/4-inches thick. Slice in half, and then cut each half into four equal pie-shaped wedges. Brush with egg glaze (1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp. milk.), and sprinkle with mixture of cinnamon and sugar.

3. Bake on a cookie sheet at 375º for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Makes 8 scones. Serve warm with Pumpkin Spice Butter.

Pumpkin Spice Butter


1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice


Combine all and mix until creamy.

My changes to the scones:

I used whole-wheat pastry flour for half of the all-purpose flour this time. I don't think I can tell a difference-certainly not a negative difference.
I always omit the salt. We don't miss it.
I replaced half of the butter with yogurt to cut the fat content. I may be sorry tomorrow (doing that tends to make baked goods drier the next day) but I imagine my family will happily eat them for breakfast anyhow. Especially with the pumpkin butter to put on them.

I also have never, ever remembered to do the egg wash/cinnamon/sugar thing. That's why they look all flour-y in my picture. If you want me to use an egg wash and sprinkle it, you've gotta list that stuff in the ingredients. Once I've used all the listed ingredients, I tend to quit reading the instructions or something.


My changes to the pumpkin butter:

I omit the butter.

Shocking, I know, but I didn't want a butter butter. I wanted a pumpkin butter. Like apple butter, only with pumpkin. Never mind. Make it however sounds good to you. ;-)

Please pass the...

Today's Housewife's recipe swap this weekend is for breakfast/brunch food.

I'm sharing a breakfast cookie recipe, adapted from one I found online some time ago. I've spent considerable time this morning trying to find the link to the original recipe I adapted but am coming up empty.

I've made these a few times to take with us as a snack on Bible quiz days. We usually have to leave home by 5:30 or 6 AM and the girls need to eat something between then and lunch at noon. I shared them with a friend whose kids LOVE getting cookies for breakfast.

Breakfast Cookies

1/2 cup Canola Oil
1/2 cup Unsweetened Applesauce
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
2 tablespoons Lemon Juice (or 1 T. lemon juice, 1 T. orange juice)
1/2 cup Oat Bran
1/2 cup Seven-grain cereal (I use a rolled 7 grain flake that resembles oatmeal)
1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Ground Allspice
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cloves
3 cups Old Fashioned Oats
1 cup dried cherries (or other dried fruit like raisins or craisins)
1/4 cup Unsweetened Coconut -- optional
1/4 cup Chopped Walnuts -- optional

Preheat oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl, beat together with electric mixer, oil, applesauce, and brown sugar. Add egg whites, vanilla, and juice, then beat again.

Sift together oat bran, 7 grain cereal, flours, baking soda, salt, and spices. Mix these ingredients with the wet mixture. Stir in oats. Fold in dried cherries (and any other optional ingredients).

Place dough on ungreased cookie sheets by the tablespoonful. Bake 15 minutes or until golden. Remove cookies from the sheet immediately and let cool.

My notes say this recipe is courtesy of The Manor at Taylor's Store B&B Country Inn. Sorry I can't link to the original recipe.

Please pass Dad's favorite

Over at Today's Housewife the weekend recipe swap topic is Dad's (meaning hubby's) favorite.

My husband is probably the least picky person I know. When I met him and he was cooking for himself, if a dish didn't turn out very well he'd eat it anyway. "Food or fuel", he'd say. He figured he needed to eat whether it tasted good or not. I've never acquired that skill, to eat something I find distasteful.

He never complains but also seldom raves about a particular dish. There are a few things he enjoys enough to ask for specifically and this cookie recipe is one of them.

I think I first made these cookies when my oldest was a Kindergartner. Our curriculum was Five in a Row and we "rowed" a book called Grandfather's Journey. I looked on the FIAR message boards for recipes to go with the book and found a link to this one. It has been his favorite ever since. The texture of this cookie is different from any other chocolate chip cookies I've ever made. The original recipe can be found here (2nd on page). My slightly changed version is below.

Japanese Chocolate Chip Cookies


1 3/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup raisins, seedless


Mix the flour and baking soda, then set the mixture aside. In a bowl, mix the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, then beat in the egg and vanilla.

Mix the flour mixture into the batter. Add the walnuts, chocolate chips, and raisins and mix lightly.

Drop from a teaspoon onto an ungreased pan. Flatten with a fork dipped in flour. Bake at 320 F. for 15-20 minutes.

My changes: I don't keep cake flour on hand, all-purpose works just fine. I think butter, rather than margarine, makes a huge flavor difference. I slightly mound my packed measuring cup of brown sugar, rather than measuring out an additional tablespoon. I'm lazy like that.

Soup recipe swap

Life as Mom is hosting a soup recipe swap today. My house is freezing since I have so far refused to turn on the furnace and have been too lazy to start a fire in the woodstove. This makes soup recipes sound quite enticing.

I'm sharing a recipe I got several years ago from my brother. He's a great cook, much more gourmet than I am, and willing to put more effort into his cooking and baking than I am.

That said, this recipe isn't difficult at all. Since I like to serve soup frequently in the colder months, I am happy to have this yummy one in the rotation.


Corn Chowder


1/2 pound bacon slices (see note below)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 tablespoons flour, all-purpose
4 cups milk
1 can creamed corn
1 can corn
1 pound potato, diced and boiled (or used canned)
paprika (absolutely necessary, according to my brother's notes)
parsley sprigs, snipped (he never bothers, neither do I)


1. Fry bacon til crisp. (Note: He recommended Sizzlean. The real bacon can get too chewy in the soup. I don't ever see "Sizzlean" anymore so I use a turkey bacon. It gets a little chewy, too, but I still like it.) Drain. Reserve 3 T. drippings, cook onion and celery in drippings until tender.
2. Remove from heat. Stir in flour, blend well, and cook until bubbly and just beginning to brown. Remove from heat and blend in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir one minute.
3. Blend in corn, potatoes, salt and pepper. Heat through. Add bacon. Sprinkle each serving with parsley and paprika.
4. 6-10 servings.

Hope you enjoy it as much as my family does!