Banana cream cake

This recipe is from a very old cookbook that the woman who made it was a Girl scout leader back in the day.

Moist, soft but firm it’s delicious eaten as is or as I usually do I use a cream cheese icing.

Icing:

4 oz.cream cheese softened 

2 tablespoons softened butter

I tsp. Vanilla extract

Powered sugar and milk

I don’t measure milk or powdered sugar.  Beat slowly adding powered sugar then milk small amounts until

Desired consistency.

Enjoy!

Note: I usually cut back the sugar in the recipe to 1cup.

 

 

 

Chicken Dorito appetizer

Here’s a great appetizer!

This appetizer is great anytime of year.

How about making it for Super Bowl Sunday this year!

DELISH!

 

Ingredients:

I lb. Shredded rotisserie chicken seasoned with taco seasoning 

1/2 jar salsa con queso

1/2 of a head of iceberg lettuce cut in smaller pieces

Oil, vinegar, salt pepper, parsley, onion and garlic powder

Salsa

Hot sauce 

Sour cream

Clean and rinse lettuce thoroughly 

Season warmed shredded chicken with taco seasoning and a little chicken broth.

Assemble scoop Doritos on bottom of platter

Add seasoned shredded chicken.

Heat salsa con quesco.  Drizzle over chicken, add regular salsa if you like too then salad and a drizzle of hot sauce and a dollop of sour cream . Yummy!.

Mom’s Potato soup

Making Potato Soup on a very cold day!

Every now and again I get a craving for the way my mom made potato soup. It's quite simple and so delicious.  There are many days I think of my mom and feel so grateful for her sharing her passion and  love for baking and cooking to me.  I hope I am helping a lot of young and older people who have a passion for good home cooked food.

This recipe is a guesstimate because she never gave me the actual recipe written down. I decided to do exactly what I remember on those oh so good soup days.

She always made a pot of chicken or beef soup once a week and it usually was Monday(laundry day).

I pretty much do the same and I remember her pot was a big and I mean big stock pot.  She always used mostly thighs and breasts but did use (the pic of the chic) which contained legs too as I recall or even she'd cut up a whole chicken.  Note:  She always had extra broth which she would freeze for another day.

I will simplify my recipe as there are only two of us.  

2  to 3 lb.  bone in chicken breasts and thighs.(Bone in makes the broth hearty).
Celery tops (green tops and a few pieces( don’t skimp).  You can cut the whole top from the celery bunch.

Fresh or dried parsley (optional)
1 medium onion
Several cleaned carrots

2 tablespoons Better than Boulion or you can add chicken or beef broth for more flavor.
Salt (a few Tablespoons) depending on your taste.
At least 6 cups water or more (fill a Dutch oven or stock pot to a reasonable amount with water).  Enough to have chicken immersed completely in the water.

In a large Dutch oven or stock pot in COLD WATER place all ingredients.  Cook on medium heat until chicken starts to fall off bone. That will be several hours.  Note:  Use a crockpot for convenience and you can allow it to cook for at least 6 hours on low heat or 4 hours on high heat.

After chicken is cooked (mine will usually fall of bone)  Remove chicken, carrots, onion and celery from broth/soup.  Cut carrots in small pieces. Remove chicken from bone and allow to cool.   Discard the rest.  After cooled cut chicken in cubes or shred.  Mine usually shreds.  If you have too much chicken I would use the rest for chicken salad or I have frozen cooked chicken in freezer for later use.  Use a large freezer storage bag or wrap in clear wrap and aluminum foil and label it cooked chicken.  

Note:  I have found cooked chicken is handy to have in the freezer.  I have used it in casseroles and actually made chicken salad with it later.  
 

After chicken is STRAINED I cut up two medium potatoes and add to broth(you could CUBE potatoes and cook separately and drain while you are cleaning chicken parts.  They will need to be cooked in broth until tender.  I have found to like my potatoes for this soup cooked separately and added to broth after I have thickened it.

   Speaking of thickening the soup/broth.  Here's how I do it.  I melt several (at least 2 TO 4 Tablespoons butter in a small pot.  Once the butter has completely melted I add approximately 1/2 cup of flour and a ladle of the chicken broth to the pot while whisking until incorporated.  It'll be like a smooth thicker liquid.  Once I have done that I add that mixture to the pot of broth making sure to keep stirring until butter/flour mixture has blended in soup.

Next I add the potatoes, carrots and chicken to the slightly thickened soup. Keep stirring and allow everything to heat to a slight boil and serve.

Please note:  I refer to soup/broth.  They are both the same.

If you desire you can use an immersion blender and puree it for a thicker consistency.  I would not puree the carrots with it.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and I also hope it was clear for you to understand.  I can get a little wordy at times trying to explain my recipes.  Enjoy!!

NOTE: make sure you strain your soup before you thicken it

9/24/19

Lime chicken

I bought a grill pan so Ive been using it for the last few recipes.  So far I like it a lot.

Tonight I made lime chicken.  I marinated my chicken overnight in lime juice  garlic, onion powder ,salt and pepper.  I added a little paprika to it as well.

I seared the chicken in a little butter on medium , turned it over and seared the other side.  Turned the stove to low for 5 minutes and then turned the burner off and added a little water and covered the pan in aluminum foil.  Let it sit 15 minutes.  The chicken breasts were pretty thick.

 This was a very Good meal and the boneless chicken breasts  were super tender.  Rice pilaf and a cucumber with romaine leftover salad from lunch.

 

 

 

Shortcut cheeseburger soup

This was a very delicious shortcut recipe that I’m sure you can make with other brands of Tomato soup.  I happened to have Costco’s creamy tomato soup

on hand so I used it as my base.

 

 

Going to put either the toast on the bottom or top of this soup when I serve it.

Shortcut cheeseburger soup.

Ground beef fry until browned thoroughly.(1/2 lb. Works fine)

Add tomato soup (1quart)(Costco) and 1 cup milk.  ( you can add less but this soup was a bit salty).  After it boils for about 10 minutes add American cheese (I added 6 to 8 slices) and I’ll pour the soup into my bowl and top it with a nicely browned slice of Texas toast.   You can use plain croutons if you prefer.

**** I think a thicker crustier bread is your best choice imo.

Easy and delicious!

Enjoy!