Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Thanksgiving 2015


Another great Thanksgiving has come and I hope yours will be one of peace and love.

I think of my many blessings often but especially at Thanksgiving.

I remember so many wonderful Thanksgiving with my grandparents.  Gosh it was so much fun!  As kids my brother and cousins would play under the dining room table, right at my parents, grandparents and friends of the family feet. It was so much fun.  Our little hideaway so we thought.  The tablecloth was just long enough to partially hide us. Giggle Giggle!!!!:)

Hopefully it is a mixture of great food, seeing friends or family.  Our family visit require driving.  Well my hubby drives.  Seeing family was so easy  back then.  Just a short drive or even a walk got us there. We visited often.  The children saw their grandparents often even when they grew up it was just a short distance from their home. People worked in the same area.  Not much highway driving at all.

Times have changed.  Children relocate to get better jobs. Grandchildren don't get the quality time like we used to. Spending time with their grandparents and even though they see them occasionally I personally think it's not enough but we don't have a choice unless we work very hard to get them to spend time with us. Making the extra effort is a job to co ordinate everyone busy schedules.  We make the extra effort to keep the family connected.  Those little remembrances I have with my grandparents I try to work in with my grandchildren when we see them but I always want more. I understand and accept it but I yearn for those days gone by when it was so simple.

You must make the effort.  It is worth it. 

Love and Blessings,






Saturday, November 19, 2016

Hot Chicken Salad! Easy one pan meal


Recent updated photo 1/14/2023  served in mini sweet rolls.

Updated photo 7/14/23


Todays served on crispy roll with pork n beans.   Yummy.




I used leftover rotisserie chicken to simplify making this dish.





It seems now and again you look for a casserole or baked dish that serves several and goes a long way.

You may like it for entertaining or a nice casserole that feeds your family or friends with a nice chicken type sandwich.

I have made this and served it to guests with some nice dinner rolls and coleslaw.  Mini Sliders, oh yes!

This is a one pan all in one meal.

 I make mine early in the day and refrigerate it until I am ready to bake it!

  




Ready to bake!





Here is the recipe (my friend shared it with me years ago and we both still make it from time to time).

4 cups cooked chicken (Microwave or boil until tender)you can do this the night before or earlier in the day. When slightly cooled either shred or cut in small pieces.
2 cups celery diced
4 tsp. grated onion
 1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups mayonnaise
1 cup sliced almonds

Note:  you can use cut up or shredded rotisserie chicken for convenience.

Topping:
Mix together:
2 cups grated white sharp cheese (I've used yellow)
1 cup crushed cornflakes
4 tablespoons melted butter

Place diced chicken, celery, onion, salt, almonds and mayonnaise in a large bowl. Toss together.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place chicken mixture in a 9 x 13 in baking pan.  Top with cheese combo.  Drizzle with butter.  Bake COVERED  20 to 30 minutes.  Take cover off last 10 minutes to get a crispy top!

Serve with small rolls.  Note:  I halved this recipe.  I have found leftovers to be a great next day lunch.

Happy Cooking from my kitchen to yours,

Note:  Leftover turkey....why not try this recipe with your leftovers.



9/25/13

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Roasted Red Skinned Potatoes

Another great recipe for Roasted Red Skinned Potatoes.  I could eat potatoes everyday!  When I was growing up there were potatoes included in every main meal Mom made.

I guess that's why I am a true potato lover!  

There are so many good recipes using red skinned potatoes and although I haven't made this one yet.  I intend to.  I have homemade pesto in my freezer from last summer so as soon as I get a chance this will be included with our main course soon.





Grilled Red Skinned Potato Packets with ranch seasoned dressing


  • 2 lbs. red potatoes, scrubbed clean (leave skins on), diced into 1/2" cubes
  • half of a large sweet onion (such as Vidalia), peeled and sliced thin
  • 1/4 c.  butter
  • 1/4 c. olive oil
  • 1/3 c. ranch dressing (bottled)
  • 1/3 c. basil pesto
  • salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
  • 2 T. chopped fresh chives

Place washed potatoes and onion in a large bowl.

In a medium microwave safe bowl, gently melt the butter in the microwave. Stir in olive oil, ranch dressing, and basil pesto. 

Depending on the flavor and pungency of your pesto, you may want to add more or less than 1/3 cup. ( watch amount pesto is usually pretty strong).  Sometimes I add more ranch dressing, too! Season with salt and pepper to taste.

 Pour pesto ranch sauce over potatoes and onions, and then fold to combine thoroughly.

Place potatoes in foil wrap.  Make several packets for convenience.  Bring the sides over the potato and crease tightly.

Heat grill to medium. Add packets to grill grates, creased side down and grill for 15 minutes. Flip packets over and grill for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until potatoes are perfectly soft when pierced with a fork.

This recipe can easily be done in your oven as well.  Set temperature to 375 degrees and as above test after 15 minutes with fork for tenderness.  Allow in oven until fork pierces through potato.

 Remove from grill or oven  and open up packets to create a sort of individual "bowl". Sprinkle with fresh chives, plus additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve hot.

Happy Cooking!




Saturday, November 12, 2016

Mound Cookies


Yummy cookie


Don't be discouraged by the length of this recipe.  It's worth the read and isn't difficult.  The person this recipe came from tried very hard to explain the steps in detail.  I'm hoping my photos help you more.  I did adapt the recipe with a few notes I will add at the very bottom of the post.  Enjoy!  If you like chocolate and coconut you will love these cookies. Great idea for the holidays!  I froze a few with the icing to see if they are freezer safe.  I will get back on that one later. :)


For the coconut filling:
  • 1 +cup sweetened shredded coconut
**Next time I will add more coconut to make my coconut filling thicker.
  • ⅓ cup sweetened condensed milk
  • ⅛ tsp salt

For the cookies:
  • 1½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ⅛ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup + 2 TBSP good-quality unsweetened cocoa
  • 4 ounces (1/2 cup) butter, at room temperature
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate, grated or finely chopped

For the chocolate glaze:
  • 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
  • ½ ounce (1 tablespoon) butter at room temperature
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼-1/2 cup milk
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
Combine the coconut, condensed milk, and salt in a small bowl and stir well. Refrigerate it while you prepare the rest of the recipe.  Make sure that your coconut filling is already made and is chilling in the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and unsweetened cocoa powder. Set aside for a moment.  Combine the butter and two types of sugar in the large bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, for about 2 minutes. Add the room temperature egg and the vanilla extract and beat them until the egg is incorporated and the mixture is smooth.  With the mixer running on low, slowly add the dry ingredients and mix just until the flour is almost completely blended in.  Stop the mixer and add the grated chocolate. Finish mixing in the flour and chocolate by hand, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl in the process.  Use a small candy scoop or a teaspoon to form a small ball of coconut filling
        A little less than 1” across.
                         

  • Use a cookie scoop or large tablespoon to form a 1-inch ball of cookie dough, larger than the coconut ball. Flatten it between your palms into a disk shape, and put the coconut ball in the center. Pull the cookie dough up around the coconut center and pinch it together at the top. Roll it between your hands to get the cookie completely round. Place the cookie on the baking sheet.
  • Repeat with the remaining dough, placing the cookies about 2 inches apart. Once all of the cookies are formed, bake them in a preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are set around the edges and the raw sheen if off the dough but still quite soft in the center.  Let the cookies cool on baking sheets for a few minutes, them remove them to a wire rack and cool completely.


To Make the Glaze:

  • Combine the chocolate and butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 40 seconds. Stir until the chocolate melts completely and the mixture is smooth. If necessary, return it to the microwave to heat it in short 10-second bursts until the chocolate is melted.
  • Add the sugar, ¼ cup of milk, and cocoa powder to the bowl, and stir. It will look uneven and broken at first. Microwave the mixture for 2 minutes, then whisk well. It’s natural for it still to look a little broken at this point. Microwave for 1 more minute, then whisk again until the sauce is smooth and shiny. It should be thick, somewhat like pudding, at this point. Add the vanilla extract and whisk it in. Let it cool slightly before using.
  • If it is too thick to easily dip the cookies when you are ready to use it, whisk in additional milk, a tablespoon at a time, until it is thin enough to form a smooth glaze on the cookies.
  • Hold a cookie by the edges and dip it in the glaze, covering the entire top surface. If you want, sprinkle coconut on top or roll it in shredded coconut. Let it set at cool room temperature, or speed up the setting process by refrigerating the cookies.
  • At cool room temperature the glaze will not be tacky to the touch, but if you stack the cookies it will get messy and smeared, so best to store and serve these in a single layer.






****Note:  I read this recipe in its entirety and decided to take a few short cuts. 
First I mixed my coconut mixture and refrigerated it.

I placed my sugars and butter in my mixing bowl and mixed until they were blended.  I added my eggs and vanilla.  Note #2 I doubled this recipe and I use salted butter so I never add salt to my recipes.

I then add slowly my flour by cup while mixing, 1/4 cup plus cocoa and baking soda until mixed well. The batter is fudge like and easy to roll into balls and flatten.  I did not add the semi sweet chocolate but if you want to follow the exact recipe you should.  I felt I didn't need any more chocolate since I was adding a very rich icing. The baking time was approximately 10 minutes in my oven.  This cookie batter gets soft quickly so if you want you can refrigerate it for a few minutes between batches. 

   Just another bit of advise the icing takes longer to dry than most of my regular icing recipes so allow time to dry thoroughly before storing.



These cookies are awesome and the icing really adds flavor to make them even better if that's possible.  Enjoy!


I sprinkled a few of the cookies with extra coconut.  Plain, iced or added coconut is just a few ideas.  You could possibly top each one with an almond also.  













Happy Baking from my kitchen to yours,


From <http://www.sugarhero.com/mounds-cookies/

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Corn pudding!

 If you like corn, custard and sweetness you're going to love this recipe <3. It's a side dish our daughter Susan made last year for the first time and also this year for Thanksgiving.


I forgot to post it for Thanksgiving. I can't believe I left it out!  I am so so sorry because it is one of the best sides dishes that goes with most meals.

 We enjoyed it for Thanksgiving but I think it would be excellent with any meal even if you decide to make a ham for Christmas I think this would be a great addition.

Enjoy!


Corn Pudding!








Homemade Corn Pudding
Ingredients:
5 eggs
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn (drained)
2 (14.75 ounce) cans cream-style corn

Directions:
First, preheat oven to 400 degrees and butter bottom and sides of a two (2) quart casserole dish.

Lightly beat eggs in a large bowl. Once eggs are lightly beaten, add melted butter, sugar, and milk. After combined, whisk cornstarch into mixture and then stir in corn and creamed corn to blend well. Finally, pour mixture into prepared casserole dish and bake uncovered for one (1) hour.


Note: **I made this recipe for Corn Pudding last night with two other super easy recipes that I found online (and adapted to our liking, of course).  

Chicken Pot Pie and Rice Pudding...eating large quantities of great comfort food yesterday=many miles of running today...

From Susan's kitchen to yours,




Enjoy!

11/29/14