Berry Pie

The dessert I served for our dinner Saturday evening is a variation on a pie recipe I got out of my 2000 "Taste of Home Annual Recipes" cookbook. The original recipe comes from The Elsah Landing Restaurant in Illinois and is called "Ozark Mountain Berry Pie". It is wonderful! My variation is simply to cut down some on the lemon juice and use thawed, frozen berries, rather than fresh. I also had some leftover pie crust in the freezer, but didn't have enough for a two-crust pie, so I made it a deep-dish pie this time. It worked out just fine and saved me precious time.

Some of the thawed, frozen berries cook down and get soupy, but the flavor is wonderful and in these leaner times a bit more practical. We ate the pie warmed up a bit in the microwave with French vanilla ice cream on the side. This is comfort food at it's best. Blessings...

Ozark Mountain Berry Pie:

1-1/2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons plus 1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
3/4 cup cold water (include juice from the drained thawed berries)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1- 16 oz. pkg. frozen mixed berries, thawed
2 cups frozen blueberries, thawed
pastry for double-crust 9" pie

1. In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch.
2. Drain juice from berries and combine with water to make 3/4 cup. Stir liquid and lemon juice into sugar until smooth.
3. Add berries; stir gently. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Remove from the heat; cool.
4. For deep-dish pie, I used an 8" x 8" Pyrex baking dish. Pour the berry filling into the pan and cover with crust. I brush my crusts with milk and sprinkle with sugar crystals. It looks pretty when done. Be sure to cut through the crust with a knife to make slits for venting the hot steam. If you are making a double-crust pie, line the pie pan with the bottom pastry. Add filling. Roll out remaining pastry; make a lattice crust. Seal and flute edges.
5. Cover edges loosely with foil. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees. Remove foil; bake 40 - 50 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool completely. You may need to re-cover the pie with foil if it starts to brown too much.

Serves: 6 - 8

Cuernavaca Casserole

This past Saturday my husband and I spent a very nice evening with a young couple that we do not know well, but wanted to, so we invited them to dinner. We had such a good time getting better acquainted over some easy, but very good food. This recipe has been in my recipe file for years, but I don't make it much anymore because it makes way too much for the two of us. It is perfect when serving four or more, which is why I use to make it often when our boys were young. Kids love this dish with the layers of tortilla chips, chicken and cheese.

I made the casserole the day before our dinner and found that this worked very well. This was the first time that I had done this, and the mistake I made was in overheating the casserole. The tortilla chips on the bottom got rather tough. I loved it this way, but others may not, so don't let time get away from you as I did! If I were to do it all over again, I would heat the casserole in a 325 degree oven for about 30 minutes, remove it from the oven and use a spoon to go down through the layers so it might heat more quickly. Return the casserole to the oven and give it another 15 minutes. Check it again to see how hot the center is. If you don't make the recipe in advance, follow my directions as written below.

I served refried beans topped with jack cheese along side and my friend brought a salad. Dessert was a berry pie, which I will share tomorrow. Blessings...

Recipe:

1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
2 cans (8 oz. each) tomato sauce
1 can (4 oz.) diced green chilies  ( I use mild)
2 teaspoons leaf oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 pkg. (8 oz.) tortilla chips
8 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 1/2" cubes
3 cups chunked, skinned and boned, cooked chicken
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup grated medium cheddar cheese

1. Butter a large round casserole, 1-1/2 to 3 quarts in size.
2. Saute' onion in 2 tablespoons butter until transparent. Add tomato sauce, chilies, oregano and salt. Stir to combine. Simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes; remove from heat.
3. Layer in casserole in order, half the following: tortilla chips, lightly crushed, Jack cheese, chicken and sauce. Repeat with remaining half of the ingredients.
4. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 20 minutes.
5. Spread sour cream on top, wreath with the grated cheddar cheese. Return to oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sour cream is heated through.
Serve immediately.

Yield: 6 - 8 servings

Our Granddaughters Visit

My husband and I had the wonderful gift of two of our granddaughters coming for a visit this summer. These two little girls live in Tenn. and were so brave to fly across the country on their own. We will forever be thankful for this time with them.

While they were here, we wanted them to meet some of our friends. We had our neighbors over for dinner so the girls could get acquainted with some of the people in our lives. The girls and I then invited the mother and daughter over for lunch that week. We made two pots of soup and some brownies, yum! We had such a good time.

During this time we went to the Lavender Festival, something I had never done before. We cut lots of lavender and had our house smelling very fragrant, then the girls took the dried flowers and made sachets to take home. We also tried some lavender ice cream while at the festival. This isn't a treat I would ever spend $2.50 for a 1/4 cup on again. But, it was nice to try something very different.

Much more to every one's liking was our two trips to Miss Ellie's Cakes for cupcakes. Oh, my goodness, what a treat these things are! These beautiful cupcakes were also $2.50 each, and what a special deal they were. Well worth every cent. Miss Ellie's is a very welcoming place and the gentleman who waited on us is the daddy to Miss Ellie. This is a lovely family owned business that serves families well. Our granddaughters loved going.

We did so much more over the almost three weeks they were here, but mostly we cooked and baked together. We spent wonderful time together in the kitchen relating with one another and building our relationships. I love them dearly and can't wait until we get to do it all over again.

Good Manners

My husband and I returned from a trip to California last week. We were gone ten days and connecting with friends and family presented itself in many forms. I do not think that most of us even think of how much we can impact the lives of those around us, for good or bad, we just do because we are in relationships.

How we respond to the people we invite into our homes is very important, but how we respond to people in public places is also a form of connecting and relationship building. Do we offer a kind word or a smile? Do we act interested in the people who are sitting at the table with us even if they aren't our best friend or closest family member? There were times when I felt very uncomfortable and left out, and I had to make the effort to be kind and keep going. Good manners, being kind, and showing an interest in other people are very important social graces that must not be forgotten. Reach out to others with a kind word and a smile. Be a blessing in the life of another.

"Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use." Emily Post

An Easy Dinner Salad Recipe

Here is a very easy and simple dinner salad recipe that I threw together last evening with great success. I made the salads in individual serving bowls because my husband is on a weight loss program. This is the only way I can really count the calories for him and help to keep him on track. But, if I didn't have to do it this way, I would throw everything together in one big bowl. The recipe is easy to adjust with what you have on hand, so the sky is the limit. It would be a great side dish for a crowd because it can grow depending on the number that you need to feed. I love salads like this, I hope you will as well. Blessings...

Recipe:
4 cups torn romaine lettuce
2 sliced green onions
3 ripe strawberries, sliced into bite-sized pieces
1/2 orange, segments chopped
1/4 avocado, chopped
3-4 tablespoons poppy seed dressing

Divide ingredients into two bowls and top with dressing.

Recipe can be multiplied to fit your families need, this quantity served two with only meat served along side.

Tip: I purchased Ken's Steak House Lite Poppy Seed Dressing for the first time last week and we really liked it. So, if you don't have a favorite, you might try this brand.

Easter and an Invitation to New Friendships

Easter, for my husband and I, was going to be a quiet dinner after church, and a few phone calls with loved ones. But, a neighbor with a tender heart changed our plans on Saturday afternoon.

While I was at the market my husband called to ask if I would like to go to our neighbors home for Easter dinner. Well, this was a very unusual turn of events for us. It seems our neighbor came to the door to invite us to their family meal, which was going to be a potluck involving many people. Two of the people were the son and daughter-in-law of our neighbors, who are new attenders at the same church we attend, so this was going to be a great opportunity to get to know them better, as well. I said that I would love to go.

Then, of course, my next thought was, "what do I plan to take at this late date". Stacy didn't ask us to bring anything, but when my husband went to their home to give our acceptance he asked what we could bring and called me back. I was buying produce at that moment so the thought of a fruit salad sounded like a good idea. Fruit is always a good idea for a potluck.

We had such a wonderful time with this family. A very special blessing in it for us was the fact that many of our neighbors family members also live in the same subdivision, so we were meeting other neighbors.

Our hearts were really touched by this wonderful act of kindness. Inviting others into our home for meals has been a cornerstone of our marriage and home, especially as ministry, with very little reciprocation. We have found that people tend to be afraid to extend an invitation to anyone but very close friends and family. We people like to stay safe. But, how many opportunities for new relationships do we miss by staying safe? It was wonderful to be on the receiving end this time. Have a blessed day!

Marshmallow Fruit Dip

A few days ago my husband called me from work to ask about something I might be able to prepare for a potluck the next day. My first thought was, "Oh, dear" and then I told him I would quickly check through my recipes to see what I might be able to easily prepare and would then get back to him. I remembered a clipping I had in my recipe stash for a fruit dip that I was able to find. My goodness this was an old recipe. A coupon on the back of it was dated 2003! I am very glad I had kept it stuck away because it was wonderful and so easy to prepare. My husband said it got rave reviews, so you might want to give it a try. It would be perfect for Easter if you have a large gathering to prepare for, but it also saves very well in the refrigerator if there are leftovers. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 8-ounce package low-fat cream cheese, room temperature
1 7-ounce jar marshmallow cream
Fresh fruit ( I used strawberries)

1. Blend cream cheese and marshmallow cream together until well blended.
2. Cover and refrigerate until serving time
Yield: 1 3/4 cups

Tip: Since I had to prepare this recipe for my husbands lunch the following day, I had to wash the berries the evening before. When washing strawberries in advance of use, don't remove stems. The berries stay fresher and the stem end also serves as a "handle" for easy eating.

Rinse the berries lightly and dry on paper towels. I then placed them on my serving tray surrounding the plastic container of dip. I covered everything with plastic wrap and put away in the fridge. My husband took an old serving spoon, that if lost, was no big deal. Don't ever assume that folks know not to "double dip". If there is a spoon readily available there are no challenges. Being prepared is so important to the care of people and any needs that might come up.