Good Friends and Wonderful Meals

Years ago, when our family lived in Santa Cruz, CA., we had the wonderful blessing of having Marv and Sally as part of our lives. Marv was not only a very special "much older" friend, but he was also our family doctor. This man helped to save my life emotionally many times, not to mention his other gifts as a physician in our families lives, especially with two little boys.

Sally was a dear and special friend to this new bride. She was instrumental in the formation of my love of inviting new friends into our home. We spent many hours with Marv and Sally over wonderful food and wine. Sally was an exceptional cook, and very relaxed in the kitchen. We have since lost touch with Marv and Sally, they having moved away from Santa Cruz and us making a move back to Modesto, and then to Idaho. I still think of them fondly as they were a gift from God in our lives at that time.

This recipe is one Sally prepared for us one Friday evening as we all sat on their deck overlooking the bay. In Santa Cruz we could go down to the wharf and get fresh salmon that still smelled of the sea, oh what a blessing! The recipe will seem odd, but is very safe and tastes absolutely wonderful. We first had the dish about 25 years ago and I still make it regularly, so I can attest to the safety.

Salmon Marinade:

This recipe makes enough for 1 lb. of salmon fillet
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tablespoon minced parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, room temperature
1-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, room temperature

1. Combine fresh lemon juice and soy sauce and allow to come to room temperature, if cold.
2. When ready to marinate fish, melt butter in a glass bowl in the microwave that will hold the pound of fish. Add the parsley, room temperature lemon juice and soy sauce. Stir to combine.
3. Rinse fish and pat dry. Add to marinade, pushing the fish down so it is covered with the marinade. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate for 2 - 3 hours at room temperature in a cool kitchen.
4. Place the salmon on the grill skin side down and cook over hot coals for about 12 minutes per one inch of flesh. Turn once during cooking time. Be careful to not overcook and dry the flesh out. The timing is completely dependent on how hot the fire is

Tip: The layer of gray colored stuff laying on the flesh is fat. I think the salmon tastes better if that is removed. Just gently scrape it off with a table knife.

Chocolate Chip Scones

These scones are a wonderfully tender and chocolaty addition for brunch or tea. They are easy to put together and store beautifully in the freezer if there are leftovers. (The recipe for the
chocolate muffins in this picture is on the post dated
4/15/10.)

Recipe:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour (or 1 more cup of the all-purpose flour)
1/3 cup sugar
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cold butter
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half
2 teaspoons milk for brushing tops
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons sugar

1. In a large bowl, combine first 6 ingredients.
2. Using a pastry blender, cut butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse cornmeal; stir in the chocolate chips and orange zest.
3. Add the buttermilk and half-and-half cream to the bowl. Stir the mixture until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl and begins to stay together. Gather the dough together in a ball and turn out onto a lightly floured cloth or board.
4. Roll or pat into a 1/2-inch-thick circle. Use a 2-1/2 inch biscuit cutter and cut into individual scones. Gather scraps and repeat until dough is used up.
5. Place on lightly greased cookie sheets about 1-1/2 inches apart.
6. Combine cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl or cup
7. Brush tops of scones with milk and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture.
8. Bake in a 425 oven for about 12 minutes or until tops are lightly browned. Serve warm or cool on racks for later use.

Makes 18 or 19 scones

A Few More Tips for the Kitchen

1. Over the years I have read many tips on how to peel and chop an onion without tears, and none have worked for me. One day I noticed that when I was cutting up a piece of left-over onion that had been in the refrigerator, there were no tears. So now I cut the ends off the onion and peel it and store it in a plastic bag overnight for easy chopping the next day. I only do this as I need onion for a recipe, one at a time.

2. I often use fresh parsley, and I have found a way to make the job of prepping it for use much easier. Use kitchen shears to remove the leaves from the stems and place the leaves in a lettuce spinner. Rinse under cold water and spin as you would lettuce. When it looks like you have gotten rid of most of the water, place the leaves on a long piece of paper towel, I use 2 pieces, and gently roll up. Gently, but firmly, press to get the last of the water off the leaves. I use a mini chopper, or large knife, to finely chop what I need at the moment and store the rest in a tupperware container made for this purpose. Of course, this also works for other leafy herbs.

3. My last thought is so simple as to seem ridiculous, but I actually read a cookbook author who said to throw out the pineapple juice left over from draining the canned pineapple. Don't do that! Strain the juice and add it to your orange juice container to make pineapple-orange juice for breakfast, or use it in place of the cold water needed for gelatin. I also have used it in sweet and sour dishes. It just takes a little planning ahead, if possible. Of course, you can simply drink the juice, too!
Have a great day...

Hawaiian Coleslaw

Years ago when I was a single, young woman, I received this recipe from a friend in order to prepare it for a dinner party at my church. I remember making the salad for the dinner, but I had not made the dish since that time. So one evening when I needed a salad for dinner, and I was going through the refrigerator to see what was available, I found that I had the ingredients needed to make the recipe. Much to my delight, my husband and I loved the salad.
I have many coleslaw recipes that we like, but this one has definitely become a favorite. The actual recipe calls for a whole head of cabbage, which would be great for a large gathering, but way too much for two, or even a family, and the salad will not save for a long period of time. I was able to save the leftovers for us for our meal the next day, but the color did drain out of the cherries (I used up some candied cherries leftover from Christmas baking. I do not know if this would happen with maraschino cherries). The flavor was not impacted; the salad just didn't look quite as pretty. I will give the recipe as it was written for me and then give a version for a smaller quantity. Basically, what I did was to go by what looked about right for us, so please gauge by these measurements for the size of your family. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 head cabbage, shredded
1 16-ounce can crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
3-1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 cup red maraschino cherries, halved

1. Place cabbage in large salad bowl.
2. Spoon pineapple, with some juice, into cabbage. Add mayo and stir to combine the ingredients.  Save extra juice in case you might want to add more at serving time. Chill salad for about an hour.
3. At serving time, add cherries and more pineapple juice if the salad is not moist enough for your taste.

Yield: 8 servings

Salad for two:
1 cup shredded cabbage
2 soup spoons (approx) pineapple
1-1/2 teaspoons mayo
2 tablespoons cherries.

These measurements are approximate. I just made sure the salad was moist and flavorful.

Double Fudge Muffins

Oh, these muffins are wonderful. This recipe goes back to one of my old Bon Appetit magazines, 25 years ago to be exact. The writer of the recipe called it a dessert muffin, but we don't think that way in our family. A muffin is for breakfast or brunch in our house, but these are rich and are saved for special times. This recipe is easy, but does take a little longer to make than most muffin recipes. I serve them with fruit, some form of eggs, and a breakfast meat for a terrific Saturday or Sunday brunch. 
Recipe:

5 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (if you don't have a scale, this is a scant cup, or just between 3/4 cup and 1 cup.)
2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate (2 squares)
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup low-fat sour cream
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 large egg, room temp.
1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla
1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease 16 2-1/2" muffin cups or line with foil baking cups.
2. Melt first 3 ingredients together in a double boiler set over barely simmering water. Stir until smooth. Remove chocolate from over water to cool slightly.
3. Whisk the sugar into the chocolate. Add sour cream, corn syrup, egg and vanilla and whisk until combined.
4. Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix in the chocolate chips.
5. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add chocolate mixture to well; stir into dry ingredients until just blended (batter will be lumpy).
6. Spoon batter into prepared cups, filling each 3/4 full.
7. Bake muffins until tester inserted in center comes out moist and almost clean, about 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Remove from pan and serve warm.

Serves 16
Tip: If you don't have a double boiler, the chocolate and butter can be melted in the microwave. Be careful to heat and stir slowly so as not to burn the chocolate. Also, the foil baking cups work so much better than greasing the muffin pan. Much less mess and the muffins to not stick to the cups with this recipe.

Ham and Pineapple Salad

I was very traditional for Easter this year and made a ham dinner for my husband and I, which means we have a lot of leftover ham. Thankfully, we love ham and I have many uses for it in recipes. This salad is a new one that I made for our supper Sunday evening, with great success. It is very easy and fast to put together, except the time it takes to cut up the fresh pineapple. Canned pineapple chunks would probably work just fine, but the flavor may not be as vibrant. The fresh pineapple and ham combination was wonderful. The recipe is written for two servings, but the list of ingredients is so simple that it would be very easy to multiply for a larger group of people.

This salad would make a great tea or lunch dish served with dinner rolls and a vegetable salad. As you can see in the photo, I served it with a Fruit-and-Cabbage salad. This particular salad was in the post dated 3/29/10. If you don't have left-over ham and would like to try the dish, a packaged ham steak would be a very easy substitute with out the bother of baking a whole ham.

Recipe:

1 cup fresh pineapple cubes
1 cup cubed fully cooked ham
1 tablespoon chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard

1. In a salad bowl, combine the pineapple, ham, green pepper and celery.
2. Combine the mayonnaise and mustard in a measuring cup. Pour over salad ingredients and stir to coat.

Serves 2
Tip: I used low-fat mayonnaise successfully for the dish.

Cranberry Wheat Muffins

This recipe for wheat muffins is one that I have been working on for a while. Muffins made with wheat bran or whole wheat flour can be a little tricky because the recipe can easily turn out to be dry and crumbly, which is exactly what you don't want, but whole grains are so good for us that it is worth the effort to make them. This recipe turned out a good muffin that we enjoyed for breakfast last week. The one thing that you might want to do is to add more chopped cranberries for more flavor. Also, do check the baking time at 12 minutes as these muffins bake fast and you for sure don't want to over bake them. Over baking really drys out baked products.

Recipe:

1 egg or 1/4 cup egg substitute
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/8 cup packed brown sugar
1-1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1/2 cup unprocessed wheat bran
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup dried sweetened cranberries (like Craisens) larger pieces cut in half

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a medium sized 12-cup muffin pan.
2. Beat together egg, butter and buttermilk in a medium size bowl; stir in brown sugar until sugar is dissolved.
3. In another bowl combine dry ingredients and cranberries.
4. Add dry ingredients to liquid mixture and mix just until combined. Evenly distribute batter into muffin cups.
5. Bake 12-15 minutes or until muffins test done with a toothpick.
6. Remove immediately to a wire rack to cool.

123 calories each made with whole egg
120 calories each made with egg substitute
1.8 grams fiber each

Peaches 'N Pudding Crisp

This recipe for peach crisp is so good and very simple to make. It only takes about 15 minutes to put together because canned peaches are used rather than fresh, so precious time is saved by not having to peel fresh peaches, but the flavor is still wonderful. The topping is unusual in that it has a package of cook-and-serve pudding added in addition to the usual flour and oatmeal. Whether I serve it to guests, or just for my husband and I, I always warm it up a little in the microwave and top it with a little vanilla ice cream. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 29-oz or 2 16-oz cans good quality sliced canned peaches, reserve 1/4 cup syrup
1 tablespoon pudding mix

Combine the peaches, syrup and 1 tbsp. pudding mix in an 8" x 8" baking dish.

Topping:

2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 small package vanilla cook and serve pudding, reserve 1 tbsp. for peach mixture.
1/2 cup butter, melted

Combine the topping ingredients using an electric mixer until well blended and crumbly. Sprinkle topping over peaches. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and peach mixture is bubbly.

Yield: 6 servings
Tip: Canned peaches in juice can be used in place of the heavy syrup without needing to add more sugar to the dish.

Seasoned Coating Mix for Chicken

This tasty seasoning mix is very fast to put together with ingredients that are usually on the pantry shelf. The recipe makes enough for 4 small or 2-3 large chickens, so plenty if you are going to have a house full of people. I have found that chicken is usually a good choice when it comes to serving guests because very few people dislike it and it combines well with a large variety of side dishes. Blessings...

Recipe:

2 cups fine dry bread crumbs
2 teaspoons paprika
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Mix all ingredients and store in an airtight container. Figure 1/2 cup for a 2-1/2 to 3-pound fryer. (I have found that the average fryer is more like 3-4 pounds anymore.)

Directions for use:
Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a 15-1/2 x 10-1/2 inch jelly roll pan in a 375 degree oven. Watch carefully so butter doesn't burn. (If you prefer, simply brush the pan with 1-2 tablespoons of oil, but I think the butter gives much better flavor.) Shake chicken, a few pieces at a time, in coating mix in a plastic or paper bag until coated. Place pieces skin side down in the pan and cook uncovered for 30 minutes. Turn pieces and continue cooking for another 15-30 minutes or until chicken tests done. If the chicken begins to brown too much, cover it with foil so it doesn't burn.

Tip: For lower calorie chicken, I remove the skin and as much fat as possible and still have gotten good results with this coating mix. You will have to be a little more careful when turning the chicken so the coating doesn't come off.
Tip: This mix would work well for gift giving. Put it in a pretty jar with directions for using on an attached label.

Fresh Cranberry Salad

I know it is way past the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season, in fact Easter is just right around the corner, but for me, anytime is a good time for cranberries. I love these tart little berries, and thankfully, so does my husband. So not too long ago I pulled out this recipe to serve alongside a chicken dish. If you don't have fresh frozen cranberries on hand, please do keep this recipe in mind as the holiday time comes around later this year. It is very simple to prepare and very good. I like to serve it to guests because it combines gelatin with fresh cranberries for a sweeter salad. This is nice for guests who don't care for the tartness of fresh berries in conserves and relishes. Blessings...

Recipe:

2 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
3 cups cranberries, rinsed and picked over
1 package (6 ounces) raspberry gelatin or your favorite flavor
1 can (8-1/4 ounces)crushed pineapple in juice
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. Heat water and sugar to boiling in a 2-quart saucepan; boil 1 minute. Add cranberries. Heat to boiling; boil 5 minutes.
2. Stir in gelatin until dissolved. Stir in pineapple (with juice) and pecans.
3. Pour into a 6-cup mold or a 8"x 8" pan. Refrigerate until firm, about 6 hours. Unmold on salad greens, such as red leaf lettuce, or cut the pan of gelatin into 9 servings.

Yield: 9 servings
Tips: For a sweeter salad, use crushed pineapple in syrup.
Celery, or other kinds of nuts, make good additions in place of the pecans.

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

This pound cake isn't really a pound cake because it doesn't have a pound of butter in it, but it does have a wonderful dense texture and terrific flavor. Another bonus is that it is very easy to make and it freezes beautifully if you would like to make it in advance to have on hand. Because of the firm texture of this kind of loaf cake, it slices easily and makes a great dessert along with a scoop of ice cream. 
Recipe:

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
2/3 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup miniature chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 9"x5" loaf pan. Set aside.
2. Mix together the flour and baking soda. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolks and beat well.
4. Add one third of the flour mixture and beat to incorporate, then add half of the sour cream and beat again. Repeat with another 1/3 of the flour mixture and the remaining sour cream. Mix in final 1/3 of the flour and make sure all is fully incorporated. Mix in vanilla.
5. Beat egg whites until very stiff, then fold into the batter with an over-and-under motion. Gently stir in the chocolate chips. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the surface.
6. Bake on the center rack of the oven for about 1 hour 20 minutes, or until golden on top and a cake tester comes out clean.
7. Let cake cool in the pan on a rack. It can be stored in an airtight container or frozen (indefinitely).
Serves 12

Is Inviting Guests for Dinner Difficult for You?

Inviting people into our home was very difficult for me in the early years of my marriage. I took every aspect of having guests into our home very seriously, way too seriously, actually. I usually made enemies of my family in the process of cleaning and cooking. I'm sure the message they got was that company was far more important than they were and they needed to leave me alone so I could accomplish my agenda. By the time our guests arrived I was absolutely shot and had a very difficult time enjoying myself. The only thing I could see by the time dinner was on the table was all the work that still remained after everyone went home. This is not fun.

It is so much better to serve a very simple meal in a tidy house, and be relaxed and enjoy a wonderful time with your friends and family than to be stressed out and miserable because everything had to be perfect. God's word speaks clearly to the issue of sharing our lives with people and building relationships, not about lavish meals and perfect decor. I have had women tell me that they would not have company in their homes because the furniture was old and they were not good cooks. Building relationships is so much more than the shape of our furniture and what is on the table. As long as we are loving and welcoming, our guests will be so glad they were invited. Blessings in your endeavors...

Maple Syrup Sweet Potatoes

My family loves sweet potatoes any time of the year. This recipe is an easy one to prepare on a weekday for the family, or can easily be made in advance and reheated if you wanted to serve it when inviting guests on the weekend. The potatoes are mashed in the pan, the rest of the ingredients are stirred in, and the dish is ready to serve.

Recipe:

2-1/4 cups mashed Red Garnet sweet potatoes (approx. 1-1/2 lbs.)
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons packed dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup or to taste
dash ground white pepper
Salt to taste

1. Boil peeled and cubed potatoes in lightly salted water until they are fork tender. Drain and mash.
2. Add butter, sugar, nutmeg, syrup and white pepper. Mix well and taste. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Serves 4-5

Slow Cooker Beef Roast

This recipe has been around for years. My mom prepared beef this way when I was a child, but she used the oven. The slow cooker is such a wonderful tool on a busy day, that even with only two of us, I use mine regularly. I served this dish last evening with mashed potatoes, a mashed yam dish, and a salad.

Recipe:
1 3-4 lb. boneless beef roast, remove as much fat as possible
1 can (10-3/4 ounce) 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 envelope onion soup mix (from a 2.75 oz. pkg.)
1 tablespoon bottled steak sauce such as A-1

1. Trim fat from roast. In a large skillet, brown roast on all sides in a bit of oil. Place roast in the slow cooker.
2. Combine soup, soup mix and steak sauce in a small bowl. Pour over roast. Cook on low setting for about 6 or 7 hours.
2. When the meat is done, remove to a platter and cover to keep warm. Turn heat to high.
3. Whisk gravy to see how thick it is. If you want a thicker gravy, combine a little flour and water in a shaker jar. Shake until smooth. Check to see how thick the mixture is. (You want to use about a 2 parts water to 1 part flour ratio.)
4. As you whisk the gravy, slowly add a little thickener until the desired thickness is achieved.

Serves: 6

Pork and Black Bean Chili

This chili recipe is made easy with the use of a slow cooker. I've also used the recipe as a burrito filling with the addition of cooked rice, sour cream and flour tortillas. If you were to invite guests in, the use of a slow cooker makes meal preparation so much easier, and the recipe can easily be doubled to feed more people. Making burritos also really stretches this dish to feed more people. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 pound boneless pork, cut into 1/2" cubes
2 (16-oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped red pepper
1 cup tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
sour cream, flour tortillas, cooked rice and chopped fresh cilantro, to taste.

Combine the first 11 ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for about 8 hours. Stir the chili and taste. Serve as chili in bowls with cilantro sprinkled over top.

To serve as burritos, place about 1/2 cup of the slightly drained mixture on a flour tortilla with some rice. Top with sour cream and cilantro.

Recipe serves 4-5 as chili

Grandma's Sugar Cookies

Making these sugar cookies has been one of my families traditions since my childhood. My mom, sister and I made these cookies every year at Christmas. After the cookies were cool, we would all sit at the kitchen table to frost and decorate them. The last time I made these cookies was Christmas 2008 when I invited my friend, Jacquie, and her two daughters over to join in the fun. What a mess, but what fun and memory making for all of us. Since I wasn't home for Christmas this past year I didn't make the cookies, so I decided to make Valentine cookies. Of coarse, you don't have to frost and decorate the cookies, but then in my opinion, you will be missing a great joy.
The other cookies pictured are the "Candied Fruit Cookies" from an earlier post. They are a wonderful butter cookie

Recipe:
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 cups flour, plus additional for rolling

1. Cream sugar, shortening and butter together in a large mixing bowl. Add egg, sour cream and vanilla and mix well.
2. In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients together. On low speed, gradually add dry ingredients. Do not make dough too stiff.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out about 1/4 of the dough to 1/8" thickness. Cut into desired shapes and place on lightly greased cookie sheets or use parchment paper.
4. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Do not let the cookies brown. They should give to slight pressure when touched. Cool on wire racks.
5. Repeat with remaining dough and reuse scraps. Be careful not to overwork the dough or it will get tough.

Frosting:
1/2 cup shortening, not butter as it is too soft for setting
4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3-4 tablespoons milk, or more as needed
pinch of salt

1. In bowl of electric mixer, combine shortening and 1 cup of the sugar. Add the vanilla, salt and 1 tablespoon of milk. Mix well.
2. With mixer on low speed, continue adding sugar alternately with milk until sugar is used up and frosting is a good spreading consistency. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.

Whole Wheat Bread

There is something so wonderful about the aroma of yeast bread baking, and then to cut into the bread and enjoy it spread with butter. Oh my goodness, this is surely the meaning of comfort food. If you have never attempted a yeast bread, I would encourage you to give this one a try. Yeast breads are very forgiving. By this I mean that unlike a pie crust, which can get very tough with handling, a yeast bread loves to be "beaten up". The kneading process is great for getting rid of frustrations, if done by hand rather than in a mixer.

Recipe:

5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 packages active dry yeast
2-3/4 cups water
1/2 cup packed brown sugar, divided
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon salt
3 cups whole wheat flour

1. Proof the yeast. Heat the water to 115-120 degrees in a small saucepan. Remove the pan from heat and sprinkle the yeast over the water. Add 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar and stir; let set while the yeast grows. The yeast will get bubbly and grow on the sugar if the yeast is good. If it does not, you have used old yeast, the water was either too cool and the yeast was not activated, or the water was too hot and the yeast was killed.
2. While the yeast is proofing, put 4 cups of the unbleached flour, the remaining sugar and the salt in a large mixing bowl.
3. When yeast is nice and bubbly add it to the mixing bowl along with the melted butter. Beat at low speed with electric mixer for 1/2 minute, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Beat 3 minutes at high speed.
4. If you have a large stand mixer such as a Kitchenaid, you can continue with your mixer. If you do not, you will have to use the good old-fashioned way and stir with a wooded spoon. Gradually add the 3 cups of whole wheat flour to the bowl and mix on the "kneading" speed for your mixer, usually #2. Knead until all the flour is incorporated. If the dough is falling off the dough hook, continue adding the unbleached flour, a bit at a time, until the dough becomes a ball and is no longer sticking to the mixing bowl. Turn the mixer off, and check the dough by touching it. If it feels smooth and elastic, and does not feel sticky, it is ready to rise. (If you are mixing the dough with a wooden spoon, stir in the whole wheat flour and enough of the unbleached flour to make a moderately stiff dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead till smooth and elastic, 10-12 minutes. You will be adding a little more flour as you work the flour into the bread dough by way of the kneading process.)
5. Shape the dough into a ball. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double, about 1 hour. (This could take longer)
6. When dough is double in size, punch it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
7. While the dough is resting, grease two 8-1/2"x4-1/2" loaf pans. Shape the dough into two loaves and place in the pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place until almost double, about 45 minutes.
8. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 40-45 minutes. Check for browning at 25 minutes and cover with foil if the bread is already getting well browned.
9. At 35 minutes remove the loaves from the oven and check to see if they are done by "knocking" on the tops. If the loaves sound hollow they are done, if not continue to bake another 5 minutes and repeat testing. Remove the bread from the pans and cool on wire racks.

Tip: To aid the rising process, heat your oven for about 5 minutes on a very low setting. Turn off, and place the loaves in the oven. Some ovens have a proofing setting. The bread will rise much faster doing this.

Easy Raspberry Pork Chops

I made this dish last week for my husband and I and we really enjoyed it. The flavor is wonderful and the dish is simple and fast. While the meat simmered on the stove and the potatoes cooked in the microwave, I made a salad, and dinner was ready. With thoughts of Valentine's Day this weekend, this would be a terrific meal to serve.

Tomorrow I will post the recipe for the whole wheat bread that I mentioned in my post with the split pea soup. A loaf of warm homemade bread would also be greatly appreciated with this meal and would surely say, "I love you" to your family and friends.

Recipe:
4 boneless pork loin chops (about 5 ounces each)
canola oil for frying
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
1 tablespoon prepared mustard

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown pork chops in oil on both sides.
2. While meat is frying, whisk vinegar, jam and mustard in a small bowl.
3. Add liquid to skillet. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the meat juices run clear. I used an instant read thermometer. Be careful to not overcook and dry out the meat. Remove the pork and cover to keep warm.
4. Cook the sauce over medium-high heat to reduce by half and thicken. Stir occasionally and keep an eye on the sauce so it doesn't burn. Spoon the sauce over the pork chops and serve.

A Few Easy Tips for the Kitchen

Over the years I've used many good ideas and tips from friends, my mom, magazines, and some I've simply discovered because of a need at the moment. 

1. A great way to save a little money is this idea from my friend, Jacquie, via her mother-in-law. Don't throw out the liner bags that cereals and crackers come in inside boxes. Empty out the crumbs, cut the end of the bag off and then cut the bag open. Wipe the bag off and use in the microwave in place of wax paper. The only thing that I have noticed is that moisture will accumulate on the paper, so you won't want to let your cooked item sit covered for long.

2. Something new for me last year was to use chopped garlic from a bottle. Again, this came from Jacquie. When they were packing to move across the country, and she had to clean out her pantry and refrigerator, she offered me the bottled garlic. I had never used the stuff. I am sold on the ease of going to a bottle rather than chopping my own garlic. Especially because with only my husband and I to cook for daily, I was forever throwing out bad garlic. If you haven't tried it, I would encourage you to.

3. My last tip for today concerns recipes and notes. I've found that a very helpful thing for me to do is to "star" the recipe title in the index of my cookbooks and magazines of those recipes that we favored. I use one "star" if the recipe was repeatable and two "stars" if it was wonderful. The two stared recipes are the ones that I then like to use when serving guests or to take to potlucks, etc. I also make notes if I changed anything or if I did something in the preparation that is different from the original recipe. This is a life saver if I haven't made the recipe in awhile.

Candied Fruit Cookies

We have had two major computer crashes in the last month and I can't think of a better way to combat the frustration than to bake cookies! So, if there is any leftover candied fruit in your pantry from the holidays, why not give these cookies a try? They are easy and delicious. I've not tried any other kind of fruit, but I would think that chopped dried apricots or craisens would work as well.
The picture above also shows frosted sugar cookies for which I will post the recipe at a later time.

Recipe:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg
2-1/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup chopped candied fruit
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Beat powdered sugar, butter and egg in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in flour and cream of tartar until well blended. Add fruit and nuts.

Divide dough into halves. Shape each half into a roll 1-1/2 inches in diameter and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4 hours or more.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cut rolls into 1/8-inch slices. Place slices 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake until set, about 8 minutes. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire racks to cool.

Yield: about 6 dozen cookies.

Easy Cran-Raspberry Spinach Salad

Here's another very easy salad recipe for one of those busy weekday evenings when everyone's hungry and you need something fast.

Recipe:
1 6-ounce package fresh baby spinach or the amount needed for your family
1/4 cup dried cranberries, more or less to your taste
1/4 cup broken pecan pieces, more or less to your taste
Raspberry Pecan Fat-Free Salad Dressing or your favorite

Tear spinach leaves into bite-size pieces, if desired. (I prefer to do this because I don't like spinach stems hanging out of my mouth.)
Add desired amount of cranberries and pecans and toss salad with dressing. Adding other kinds of lettuce to the spinach also makes for a wonderful variation.

Packaged honey glazed almond slices or candied pecans also work great, and drained mandarin orange slices in place of the cranberries are a nice addition.

Pinto Bean Soup

In these challenging economic days soup meals can be a terrific help to the budget, and soup is enjoyed by almost everyone. In fact, I can't honestly remember anyone ever saying, "no, thank you" to a dinner invitation because soup was being served. I usually serve salad, bread and dessert when I'm serving guests, but for just my family, I will serve salad or bread, not both, but always dessert, even if it is only fruit. Flour tortillas or French bread go great with this recipe.

It is so important to remember to connect with friends and family during challenging times, even times of unemployment, because we draw strength from others and we can be an encouragement to someone who may be hurting. I remember many meals shared with others during the days my husband and I were going through difficult financial times due to unemployment. And we ate this soup often, in fact, once when we had guests share this soup with us, my friend asked for the recipe for her recipe file. Won't you share a bowl of warm soup and a kind word with someone today? You will be rewarded for your kindness...

Recipe:
1 cup dry pinto beans
8 cups water
1 tablespoon salt
pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon oregano leaves
1 cup chopped onion
1-6 ounce can tomato paste
grated medium cheddar cheese
tortilla chips

About 5 hours before serving:
1. Rinse beans. In a soup kettle over high heat, heat beans, water, salt and pepper to boiling; boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 hour.
2. Stir in oregano, onions and tomato paste; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours or until beans are tender, stirring often so beans don't stick.
3. Remove kettle from heat, uncover, and let soup cool for 1-2 hours.
4. Using a blender or food processor, puree soup in small batches and return mixture to a soup pot. Reheat and serve with grated cheddar cheese and broken tortilla chips sprinkled on top, if desired. Yummy!

Serves 5 or 6
108 calories per cup without cheese

Christmas Vacation to California

My husband and I went to California for Christmas so that we could be with family and friends, of course, but especially to celebrate with our newest family member, baby Peyton. She will be 1 year on Jan. 29 and we knew that we could not go at that time, so this trip worked out perfectly for us. We had a wonderful time. What a joy she is, and how very special to be able to spend her first Christmas with her. She sent me home with a special gift, a "bug" that became a sinus infection, so now you know the two reasons why I haven't posted anything since before Christmas! We spent every minute possible with the people we love and ate, ate, ate...

I hope this new year is especially kind to you and your family and that you find many reasons to gather often with those you know and love. Blessings...