An Easy Recipe for Mud Pie

My husband and I recently had to make a week-long emergency trip to Modesto, Ca. because my father is in critical health. During this week there was a great deal of family time, hospitals, meetings with doctors, and all of the emotions that go along with this kind of family crisis. But, in the midst of all of this, I had some very special time with a niece that means a great deal to me because she is the only daughter of my now dead sister. Our niece spent a great deal of time with our family when she was growing up, and as a result, she and I spent a great deal of time together in the kitchen making memories together. One of her special memories was Mud Pie, so when she and I needed to plan and make an evening meal together because my mom was at work, we decided on Orange Chicken (see labels), mashed potatoes, salad and her old favorite, Mud Pie.

I did not make the long version that I use to make because of the constraints of time and energy. But, the quick version that I was able to throw together in a few minutes was very good, and she, and the rest of our family, loved it. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 chocolate cookie crust
1 half gallon coffee ice cream
1 large jar hot fudge topping
1 cup whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. powdered sugar, or to taste
chopped nuts of choice

1. Fill cookie crust with all of the ice cream, smoothing surface. Cover with plastic wrap and return to freezer until ready to serve.
2. Whip cream with vanilla extract and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.
3. Cut pie into 6 - 8 pieces
4. Top each serving with hot fudge sauce, chopped nuts and whipping cream.

A Surprise Visit

This past weekend we had the most wonderful little "package" show up on our doorstep after dinner. Our son and I spoke Friday morning, so I knew he was going hunting in Oregon over the weekend. He asked me if we would be home to receive a package sometime on Saturday, to which I replied positively. Little did I know that the package that he was talking about was our precious little granddaughter! What a blessing.

Sunday morning I made this quiche recipe that I'm sharing today. This recipe is one that I have been making since our son was a little boy and our family always enjoys. After breakfast I had a very special little kitchen memory created for myself by putting my footstool up to the counter for my granddaughter to stand on so she could help with dishes. She is two-years-old and got very serious about helping grandma by drying dishes. Drying a wooden spoon is a very serious task and a "picture" I will always treasure. My husband and I are very blessed...

Recipe:

Pastry for a 9" One-crust pie
1/2 pound bacon, crisply fried and crumbled
1 cup shredded natural Swiss cheese
1/3 cup minced onion (I've also used green onion with good results)
4 eggs
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup half-and-half cream (I use fat-free with good results, a few less calories)
Salt if needed, be careful because of the bacon
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. cayenne red pepper

1. Prepare pastry
2. Sprinkle bacon, cheese and onion in pastry-lined pie pan.
3. Combine remaining ingredients with a fork and pour mixture into pie pan.
4. Bake quiche in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 300 degrees and continue baking for an additional 20 - 30 minutes or until table knife inserted 1 inch from edge comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.

Serves 6 - 8

An Easy Poundcake for Fondue

Today I thought I would follow-up my last two posts for fondue with a very easy pound cake recipe to serve with the chocolate fondue. This cake is not only easy to prepare, it is also easy on the budget. Purchasing desserts can be very costly, so whenever possible it's nice to throw together something at home, especially if it means time spent in the kitchen with family.

Recipe:

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
3 tsps. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

1. Grease and flour a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan, set aside.
2. Measure all the ingredients into a large mixer bowl. Blend 1/2 minute on low speed, scrape bowl. Beat 3 minutes on high speed; scrape bowl to make sure all the ingredients are blended well.
3. Pour into prepared pan.
4. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 60 - 70 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Let cake sit in pan for 5 minutes on a wire rack, then remove to cool completely before cutting into cubes for fondue, or simply slice and enjoy plain.

Tip: For ease in removing a loaf cake or bread from a pan, run a table knife around the inside edge of the pan. Then carefully slide a pancake turner under the cake and gently lift to loosen all the way around the cake. Turn the cake out onto the wire rack to cool.

Chocolate Fondue for Very Easy Entertaining

This recipe is wonderful and so easy, that like the Cheddar Fondue recipe in my last post, children can join in the preparation. The recipe has only a few ingredients that are easily combined to make a rich, chocolaty fondue that coats cake cubes and pieces of fruit beautifully. This isn't a recipe that my granddaughters and I made, we had too many other desserts going on, but it is a dessert they would have loved. Like their grandfather, they just never thought they had enough chocolate. Blessings...

Recipe:

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (12 oz. pkg.)
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow creme
1/2 cup low-fat milk ( I use 1% with good results)
1 tsp. vanilla
Pieces of fruit such as banana, strawberries, and pineapple and pound cake cubes.

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the first five ingredients just until melted: whisk until smooth.
2. Transfer to a fondue pot or small crock pot to keep warm.

Yield: 4 cups

An Easy Fondue Recipe to Make With Children

While our granddaughters were visiting with us this past July, we spent a great deal of time creating memories together in the kitchen. This fondue was one of their favorite meals, and I love the ease of preparation when involving children. The twins were 10 years of age at that time, so they did very well with supervised time around the stove and with knives. We cut bread cubes, red potatoes and broccoli. We cooked the veggies until tender in boiling water and served them piping hot. I also had some sausage that I sliced and warmed through for dipping. What a fun meal for kids to help prepare, not to mention the wonderful time we had visiting as we worked, and then ate together. Our meal times with them were so special and the conversation created lasting memories for all of us. Blessings...

Recipe:

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 tsp. ground mustard
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1-1/2 cups low-fat milk
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded medium cheddar cheese
Bread cubes, ham cubes, sausage pieces, red potatoes, broccoli florets, mushrooms, and anything else to your liking.

1. In a saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour, salt, pepper, mustard and Worcestershire sauce until smooth.
2. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
3. Reduce heat. Add cheese; cook and stir until melted.
4. Transfer to a fondue pot or slow cooker; keep warm .

Yield: 2-1/2 cups

A Recipe for Homemade "Reeses" Candy

This recipe for an old favorite has been around for years. It is easy to prepare and delicious. Kids love it! As a matter of fact, I got this recipe from a friend in Santa Cruz when we were working in the kitchen together for Vacation Bible School. Our boys were about 10 years old, mine is now 40 and still loves this candy. You will be surprised at how much this candy tastes like the original peanut butter cups. Blessings...

Recipe:

2 sticks butter, melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 lb. powdered sugar
1-1/2 cups peanut butter
1 12-oz. bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Mix butter, cracker crumbs and powdered sugar. ( I use my Cuisinart )
2. Add peanut butter and mix until well-combined.
3. Press mixture into a 9" x 13" pan.
4. Melt chocolate chips and spread over candy.
5. Refrigerate candy for about 30 minutes to set chocolate. Cut into small pieces and return to refrigerator for another hour or until chocolate is firm.
6. Remove candy from pan and store in a tightly sealed container. Store at room temperature.

The recipe for the Rocky Road Candy is posted on 12/16/2011.

Italian Sausage Stew

This is a very easy stew recipe to prepare, and the results are well worth the effort. I found that it took about 1 hour to prepare start to finish. The stew is very flavorful with the Italian sausage and the variety of veggies. If you don't have the veggies on hand that I have listed, use what you have. I love recipes like this that can be adapted as needed. Keeps life so simple, blessings...

Recipe: 

1 tbsp. olive oil
10 - 16 oz. sweet Italian chicken sausage, sliced
1 cup onion, chopped
1-1/2 cups chopped carrot
2 tsps. minced garlic (2 cloves)
2 cans (14 oz. each) chicken broth
2 cups chopped red-skinned potatoes, 1" pieces
1/2 cup dried lentils, rinsed
1 bay leaf
2 tsps. dried oregano, crushed
1-1/3 cups frozen green beans, thawed and drained

1. In a large saucepan, saute' sausage in olive oil until lightly browned. Add onion and garlic and continue cooking just until veggies are lightly browned, stirring often. 
2. Add broth, carrots, potatoes, lentils, bay leaf and oregano. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, or until lentils are soft.
3. Stir in green beans and cook another 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf.

Yield: 7 cups if using 10 oz. sausage
173 calories per cup
5 grams fiber per cup

Tip: I had 10 oz. of leftover sausage in my freezer to use, which worked great for our needs. Use whatever amount that works best for your needs.